If Solo Leveling made you rethink your life choices while watching a protagonist start at rock bottom and end up as a full-blown balance-breaking error of the universe, relax—you’re not alone. I’ve been there too. I accepted it and moved on… by watching even more anime with protagonists who are way too broken for this world.
Here’s a list made with heart, chaos, and far too many sleepless nights—anime that deliver absurd power growth, honest beatdowns, and that delicious feeling of “this went terribly wrong, and I loved every second.”
Tower of God
Baam starts out as that friend you invite to help carry groceries and ends up as someone you definitely don’t want to meet in a dark alley. The world is cruel, the rules are unfair, and everyone seems to be hiding a knife behind their back—sometimes literally.
Like Solo Leveling, the protagonist enters a system that chews up beginners without mercy. The difference is that Baam takes more emotional damage along the way, so besides getting beaten physically, he also suffers massive psychological AoE damage.
Overlord
Ainz starts overpowered and stays that way, because balance is for the weak. He wakes up in another world and decides he’s going to conquer everything… politely, strategically, and with the occasional genocide.
If you enjoyed watching Sung Jin-Woo become increasingly absurd, Overlord is the power-fantasy dream. There’s no “I’ll try”—only “I’ll erase your army from existence and move on with my day.”
Sword Art Online
Kirito is the classic “solo player because trusting people is exhausting.” Trapped in a deadly game, he decides the best strategy is getting strong enough to need no help… or therapy.
The similarity to Solo Leveling lies in solo progression and isolation. Both protagonists choose to carry the world on their shoulders, even if it costs them sanity, friendships, and any chance at a normal social life.
Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest
Hajime starts weak, gets betrayed, falls into literal hell, and decides kindness is overrated. The result is a protagonist armed to the teeth and emotionally unavailable.
The vibe is pure Solo Leveling: suffer first, evolve later, lose patience with the world somewhere in between. The difference is that Hajime doesn’t even pretend to be nice for five minutes.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
Rimuru starts as an adorable slime and ends up as an entity casually rewriting the laws of nature. All while smiling—which is honestly terrifying.
Like Jin-Woo, Rimuru grows way faster than common sense would allow. Both begin underestimated and end up as the biggest problem in their universe—except one is dark and brooding, and the other feels like a homicidal mascot.
The Rising of the Shield Hero
Naofumi is summoned as a hero and immediately thrown into social exile. Framed, betrayed, and hated, he learns to survive fueled by rage and a deep belief that “everyone sucks.”
The connection to Solo Leveling is growth driven by pure resentment. When the world spits on you, you either give up or become a functional monster. Both protagonists chose option two.
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? (DanMachi)
Bell starts out weak, shy, and getting beaten by monsters that seem to personally hate him. But he keeps going—falling, getting back up, and growing in ways that defy all statistical logic.
The spirit is very Solo Leveling: endless grinding, dangerous dungeons, constant progression. The difference is that Bell still believes in hope—something Jin-Woo lost around episode three.
Jujutsu Kaisen
Yuji just wanted a normal life, but ends up swallowing an ancient demon because bad decisions are still decisions. Chaos follows immediately.
Like Solo Leveling, the anime blends power growth with a world that clearly doesn’t care whether you survive. The stronger you get, the more creatively the universe tries to kill you.
Chainsaw Man
Denji starts with nothing—literally counting coins just to eat. Then he becomes a human chainsaw with severe emotional damage and deeply questionable priorities.
The link to Solo Leveling is the contrast between misery and overwhelming power. Both prove that giving traumatized people absurd power never goes wrong… at least not for the audience.
Attack on Titan
Eren starts out wanting to save the world and ends up… well, you know. The growth here isn’t just about power, but about increasingly questionable moral decisions.
As in Solo Leveling, the protagonist evolves to a point where you’re no longer sure if you’re rooting for him or just watching a slow-motion disaster. And that uncertainty is part of the fun.
Conclusion
If Solo Leveling hooked you, it wasn’t just the action—it was that slightly guilty pleasure of watching someone grow beyond any acceptable limit. These anime deliver exactly that: broken protagonists, a world that makes everything worse, and somehow an experience that’s impossible to look away from.
Now it’s your turn. Pick your next obsession and accept that going to bed early is an outdated concept.
