Looking for your next manhwa read? I’ve ranked over 100 series based on my personal journey through them. Think of this as a friendly chat about what stood out, what stumbled, and what might be worth your time. Tiers range from S (must-reads) down to E (maybe skip), with a special “Hurt My Soul” category for wasted potential.

How the Tiers Work:

• S Rank: The absolute best. Must-reads that excel in key areas.

• A Rank: Excellent series, highly recommended.

• B Rank: Solid and enjoyable, worth checking out.

• C Rank: Mid-range. Has strengths but also weaknesses. Could be worth a look if the premise grabs you.

• D Rank: Below average. Often generic or flawed.

• E Rank: Weak. Hard to recommend unless you’ve exhausted other options.

• Hurt My Soul: Series with great initial promise that dropped the ball hard. Disappointing.

The Tier List:

S Rank (The Pinnacle)

• Solo Leveling: Despite narrative flaws, its visuals, action, and pacing set a high bar. A defining experience. Solo Leveling has been the talk of anime and manhwa towns for the past few years.

  If you’ve never read a manhwa before and want to know why the genre blew up globally, start here — this is the one that started it all for most readers.

• Legend of the Northern Blade: Stunning art, epic fights, and a compelling story. Unique atmosphere.

  The cold, isolated world it builds feels unlike anything else in the murim genre — there’s a weight to every chapter that most action manhwa never achieve.

• Nano Machine: Top-tier martial arts action. Consistently excellent.

  A unique take if you’re looking for a manhwa with human peak bio-teach coupled with ancient cultivation. What keeps it above similar series is how grounded the MC feels even as the power scale climbs — the progression never stops feeling earned.

• Wind Breaker: Beautiful art, fantastic mix of sports and slice-of-life. Feels real.

  Wind breaker is a must-read for sports manhwa fans. And it is quiet delight to experience. The characters actually grow on you in a way that pure action series rarely manage — you care about the races as much as the fights.

• The Breaker Series (The Breaker, New Waves, Eternal Force): Peak martial arts manhwa. Amazing fights and fluid art. New Waves is a personal favorite.

  The Breaker series is a long time favourite for all manhwa fans, and has been a continuous hit for many years. Eternal Force picking the story back up after years of waiting was one of the best moments in manhwa fandom — and it actually delivered.

• Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint: Masterful storytelling. A truly unique and engaging experience. The light novel is legendary. What separates it from every other regression or system story is that the MC’s advantage isn’t raw power — it’s knowledge, empathy, and how painfully human he is throughout.

• Bastard: Perfectly executed dark thriller. Simple art, gripping story, high tension.

  A classical manhwa which has left many readers in awe of author’s genuine intellect, and story telling art. It’s also one of the shortest reads on this entire list — you can finish it in a day, and you won’t put it down once it gets its hooks in.

• Feng Shen Ji (Chinese Manhua): Standout visuals. A must-read for the art alone, even if the story is straightforward.

  The scale of the battles and the mythological source material give it an epic feel that most action series spend hundreds of chapters trying to build and never quite reach.

A Rank (Excellent Picks)

• Mercenary Enrollment: Super fun. Great character interactions and action, even if the art isn’t always top-tier.

  The premise of a child soldier returning to normal school life sounds gimmicky but it genuinely works — the contrast between his instincts and everyday situations never gets old.
• Weak Hero: Probably the best school-life action manhwa out there — a small, quiet guy who fights with terrifying precision and zero mercy. The art sells every hit, and the story actually has emotional weight behind the violence.
• Eleceed: A supernatural action series carried by one of the best MC-mentor dynamics in the genre. The fights hit hard, the friendship angle is surprisingly genuine, and it’s been consistently excellent for hundreds of chapters.
• The Beginning After the End: Isekai done with actual craft — a king reborn into a new world who doesn’t just coast on past-life power but genuinely rebuilds from scratch. Long, layered, and earns its emotional moments.
• Lookism: Controversial premise done better than it has any right to be. The dual-body concept opens up real conversations about social hierarchy, and the later martial arts arcs are legitimately great. Just commit to the long run.

• Return of the Blossoming Blade: Engaging story of a master rebuilding his sect. Great fights.

  There’s something satisfying about watching a peak-level warrior start from scratch with full knowledge — the rebuilding arc has more tension than most series manage with straight power progression.

• Magic Emperor: Does villainy brilliantly. The MC is ruthless and the visuals are strong.

  If you’re tired of protagonists who hesitate at every moral line, this one is a breath of fresh air — he makes calculated, cold decisions and the story is better for it.

• Tower of God: Huge, original world with a vast, well-developed cast. Unique “games” system.

  The early arcs especially are some of the most creative world-building in the entire medium — the rules of each floor feel genuinely inventive rather than just borrowed from gaming logic.

• Great Mage Returns After 4000 Years: Solid magic system, unique art, and a compelling fight for freedom.

  The MC carrying centuries of suppressed rage into a new body gives his every action a quiet intensity that slower-burn readers will really appreciate.

• Chronicles of the Heavenly Demon: Excellent progression from youth to adulthood. Consistent focus and great fights.

  It’s one of the few murim manhwa that actually lets you feel the passage of time — the MC at the end feels like a completely different person from who he was at the start, and that’s a genuine achievement.

• Tales of Demons and Gods (Chinese Manhua): Fantastic world-building, though pacing can drag. A top Chinese manhwa.

  The cultivation system here has more internal logic than most — when something happens it feels like a consequence of the world’s rules rather than a convenient plot device.

• Infinite Level Up in Murim: Highly engaging protagonist and motivations. Great “bully beatdown” scenarios.

  The satisfaction loop in this one is tuned almost perfectly — every time someone underestimates the MC you know exactly what’s coming and it never stops being enjoyable.

• Leviathan (Finished): Incredible monster designs and ocean horror. Called the “Attack on Titan of the sea.” A complete story.

  The fact that it’s fully finished makes it an easy recommendation — no hiatuses, no waiting, just a complete experience with one of the most unique visual identities in manhwa.

• Leveling With The Gods: Amazing visuals, unique “godly” itemization. Very well executed.

  Taking mythological figures and building a power system around them is a concept many manhwa have tried — this one actually respects the source material enough to make it feel meaningful.

• Doctor’s Rebirth: A solid, enjoyable medical-themed manhwa.

  It carves out a genuinely different niche from the action-heavy majority — the medical problem-solving is engaging and the MC’s personality makes it a comfortable, consistent read throughout.

• Peerless Dad: Good character growth over time. A reliable read.

  What makes it stand out is that the MC’s motivation is refreshingly simple — he’s not chasing revenge or power, he just wants to protect his kids, and that grounded motivation makes every fight hit differently.

B Rank (Solid & Enjoyable)

• Solo Leveling: Ragnarok: The official sequel following Jinwoo’s son, and it’s doing more than trading on the name — the fights are solid and the power system feels fresh. Still finding its footing, but the potential is obvious.
• Return to Player: A gamer gets foreknowledge of a world-ending event and has to replay the apocalypse with that advantage. Smart use of the concept and the stakes feel real, though pacing stumbles in the mid-arcs.
• The Greatest Estate Developer: A modern engineer reincarnates into a collapsing noble family and starts solving fantasy problems with real-world logic. Genuinely funny, surprisingly clever, and a nice break from pure action.
• Unholy Blood: A vampire revenge story with clean art and a satisfying pace — it knows exactly what it wants to be and delivers it. Short, complete, and punches above its weight.
• Ember Knight: Beautiful art and a knight-from-the-slums rise story that feels classic in the best way. Not reinventing anything, but the execution is tight and the fights are worth it. Wish it had more chapters.

• Barbarian Quest: Insane visuals and unique setting. Has huge potential, just hasn’t fully clicked for me yet.

• The Player That Can’t Level Up: Interesting take on gaining power through items/gear. Fun faction dynamics.

• Kill The Hero: Top-tier revenge story, especially for summoner/necromancer fans. Currently in my top 5.

• Overgeared: Fantastic start and visuals, but drops off later. Real-world elements aren’t as strong.

• SSS-Class Suicide Hunter: Interesting power concepts and character contemplation. Needs more chapters to judge consistency.

• Your Talent is Mine: Fun concept of stealing skills. The MC’s ruthlessness is engaging.

• The S-Classes That I Raised: Good storytelling and character recruitment. Art is decent.

• Duke Pendragon: Strong start and visuals. Potential to grow.

• Her Summon: Unbelievably beautiful art (like paintings), but the unlikeable MC hampers it. Still worth seeing the visuals.

• Manager Kim: Simple “Taken” style story done very well. Knows its lane.

• Lightning Degree: Good storytelling and power system. Solid character interactions.

• Lord’s Coins Aren’t Decreasing: Unique “profit-driven” MC in a regression story. Engaging and has potential.

• Murim Login: A great pick if you enjoy Murim stories.

• Volcanic Age: Pretty good overall. Engaging MC, though has some storyline challenges.

• I Am The Sorcerer King: Fun scaling mage story, but gets repetitive. No real ending.

• Hoarding in Hell: Just plain fun. Subjective enjoyment carries it.

• Jungle Juice: Cool insect-based powers and visuals. Original, consistent, but the MC isn’t the most engaging.

C Rank (Mid-Range – Your Mileage May Vary)

• SSS-Class Gacha Hunter: Novel concept, but execution isn’t great. Feels gimmicky.

• Return of the Crazy Demon: Amazing art and chaotic fun, but the storyline isn’t strong. Pure hype.

• Rise From the Rubble: Slow start, picks up later. A classic underdog story.

• Noblesse: A vampire noble wakes up after centuries and navigates modern school life while hiding god-tier power. The comedy lands, the fights are flashy, but the story never quite digs deep enough to hit its potential.
• Second Life Ranker: A man inherits his dead brother’s game account and uses it to climb back through a brutal tower system — the revenge setup is strong, but it gradually buries itself under too many systems and side characters.
• Survival Story of a Sword King in a Fantasy World: Funny, self-aware premise — a guy gets trapped in a tutorial for years and comes out obscenely overpowered. The humor carries it more than the plot does, which is fine until it isn’t.
• The Remarried Empress: Polished royal drama with strong art and a satisfying emotional arc for the lead. If pure action is your thing this won’t grab you, but for what it is — political tension and a satisfying lead — it’s well done.

• Skeleton Soldier Couldn’t Protect the Dungeon: Loved by many, but the skeleton MC just doesn’t work for me personally. Fights are good.

• Undefeatable Swordsman: Started strong with amazing fights, but recent developments lost my interest.

• Bubblade Spirit (Bowblade Spirit): Terrible first arc, gets much better, then loses steam again. Inconsistent.

• Ranker’s Return (Remake): Fun gaming manhwa with a skilled low-level MC.

• Memorize: Slow burn, but does what it does well. Set in the same world as Second Coming of Gluttony (but better).

• The Boxer: Great sportsmanship focus and art, but the storytelling itself isn’t exceptional.

• The Player Hides His Past: Interesting concept (sentient NPC). Poses cool questions about AI.

• Limit Breaker: Ludicrous OP fun. The initial scenario is great, even if OP gets old.

• Solo Max Level Newbie: Already great (some might say A/S), but I feel another series (Solo Leveling) edges it out slightly in pure fight execution for now. High potential.

• I Obtained a Mythic Item: Decent, but not standout. Early days.

• Taming Master: Great visuals, shaky start, but improves. Like the MC.

• Gosu: Cool premise and fights, but the ending wasn’t satisfying. Too comedic at times.

• Return of the Frozen Player: Interesting concept, but long hiatuses killed momentum.

• Academy’s Undercover Professor: Getting repetitive early. Feels like it might drop off.

• Swordmaster’s Youngest Son: Good, but not doing anything particularly special yet. Has potential.

• Return to Disaster Class Hero: Good fights, but way too fast-paced. Didn’t live up to “Solo Leveling killer” hype.

• Transmigrated 66,666 Years: Beautiful art, cool abilities, but pacing is slow.

D Rank (Below Average – Tread Carefully)

• Return of the Shattered Constellation: Amazing first chapter visuals, but doesn’t deliver afterwards. Generic.

• Youngest Son of the Mages: Very new, hasn’t done anything special yet.

• Arcane Sniper: Disappointing execution of a cool gun concept.

• Tomb Raider King: Gets very repetitive. Art is nothing special.

• Descent of the Demonic Master: Doesn’t do villainous protagonists as well as others.

• Deadbeat Noble: Setup seemed unique, but it wasn’t impressive.

• Return of the SSS-Class Ranker: Amazing fights are its only saving grace. Storyline is weak.

• Reincarnation of the Strongest Sword God: Standard VR restart story. Enjoyable for the genre, visuals are good.

• Constellation’s Return From Hell: Never clicked for me. Lacks excitement.

• I Am The Fated Villain: Beautiful visuals, fun scenarios, but the MC is boring.

• My Wife is the Demon Queen: Feels like a manga, but meanders and takes too long.

• MookHyang (Dark Lady): The sequel series isn’t as good as Origins.

• How to Fight: Started with an interesting concept, went nowhere good.

• Max Level Hero Has Returned: OP in everything with no real struggle. Gets old.

• Doom Breaker: Stunning first chapter visuals, but the series that followed isn’t as strong.

• Return of the 8th Circle Mage: Pacing feels off (slow for a revenge tale). More political than action.

• Legend Returns as a Spear Knight: Strong start before time jump, weaker afterwards.

• Ultra Alter: Generic VR-to-real-world storyline. Not amazing.

• Guard Pass: School life revenge story. Doesn’t leverage the MC’s initial weight issue much.

• Foreigner on the Periphery: Just not that great.

E Rank (Weakest – Only If Desperate)

• Arc May Transcend Through Regression: Extremely generic regression story. A rehash of others.

• My Life as a Player: Not impressive. Brings nothing special.

• True Education: Tries to imitate GTO but lacks the storytelling quality.

• Emperor of Solo Play (Luawuji): Nothing is great (story, art, powers, harem), but subjectively fun scenarios.

• Can’t Be Leveling Hero (Legend of Zero): Generic.

• Soul Cartel: Started strong, dropped off hard. Shifted focus unfavorably.

Hurt My Soul (Great Promise, Big Letdown)

• Blade of Evolution: Huge disappointment. Amazing visuals wasted on a nonsensical MC and weak story.

• Second Coming of Gluttony: Wasted epic potential. Descended into harem tropes and lost its way.

• The King of Bugs: Cool programming/bugs concept executed poorly. Feels like cheat codes.

• Hero Has Returned: Depressing and impactful start, but the follow-up MC/story isn’t interesting.

Wrapping Up

This list reflects my personal tastes and experiences reading these manhwa. What lands in S for me might be a C for you, and vice versa! That’s the fun of it. Hopefully, this gives you some ideas for your next read or helps you discover something new. The manhwa world is huge and always growing.

What do you think? Where do you agree or disagree? What are your S-ranks? Let me know your thoughts!

Read More about top 100 Donghua (chinese 3d anime) list here.

My Thoughts on Manhwas

Manhwas are not new, they have been here for a long time. They are kind of manga and comics. Where manga originates from Japan, Manhwa is a South-Korean web novel category. And yes, almost all of them are available in English.

Manhwas got there fame after Solo Leveling which is originally a Korean manhwa. Manga mostly revolve around powers and abilities of characters towards Japanese culture, and isekai, similarly, comics lean towards super powers as described by Stan lee, Marvel, DC, etc. Manhwas stick to powers and abilities given by a system. Of course, the mysterious system is not always included but it is a trait of Manhwas.

Are they worth reading? Absoulutly yes! The Korean style of drawings, depictions, and power leveling is no joke. The Manhwa described above are the cream of the genre. Some of them are even adopted into anime, movies, and live action series.

What would I do? I would type the name of the manhwa in YouTube, and watch the entire recaps. Surprisingly, most of them are tens of hours long, and you don’t even get bored. If you’re a reader and want to explore the story steadily it is better to read them. Enjoy!