Solo Leveling's Only Rival Is Already Stealing The Spotlight From Its Big Return

Published Nov 1, 2026, 7:30 PM EST

Merlyn De Souza is a freelance writer and anime enthusiast based in Goa, India, with a Bachelor's in English Literature. When she isn't writing, she can be found exploring various realms of entertainment, including, but not limited to, K-dramas, novels, and even the occasional manhwa. She also enjoys all things creative, like sewing and makeup.

It has undeniably been a quiet couple of months for Solo Leveling. For the most part, fans have been patiently biding their time, waiting for various upcoming releases such as Season 3 of the anime, the Beyond the System movie, the Netflix live-action series, Solo Leveling: Karma, and the return of the sequel manhwa, Solo Leveling: Ragnarok.

Luckily, the wait for at least one of these ended recently, as Solo Leveling: Ragnarok locked down November 5 as its much-anticipated Season 3 return date. Between the sequel series finally returning from a ten-month hiatus and the console release of Solo Leveling: Arise Overdrive on November 3, Solo Leveling looks to be dominating the end of Fall. However, it may have some competition from a major rival also eyeing a comeback this Fall.

Solo Leveling: Ragnarok Has Major Competition For Its Epic Fall Return

As recently announced on KakaoPage, Solo Leveling: Ragnarok's manhwa will be returning with 3 new chapters on November 5, finally kicking off its third season with a whole new illustrator. Given how long the series was on a presumed-to-be indefinite hiatus until now, there's plenty of excitement surrounding the series' return.

That said, another major manhwa also returning this Fall is Omniscient Reader. The series ended Season 1 with 311 chapters after a massive six-year-long run back in May 2026, going on its first-ever hiatus. And now, after nearly six months, Omniscient Reader's return is as imminent as Dokja returning from the dead. The series' return was officially announced at NYCC 2026 earlier in October. An exact release date was not provided beyond the Fall release window, though that window has now narrowed down to November.

Of course, for fans of both series, this is nothing but a win-win scenario. Both Solo Leveling: Ragnarok and Omniscient Reader ended their respective seasons at very exciting points in their stories — Ragnarok in the middle of its own version of the Jeju Island Arc, and Omniscient Reader in the middle of a huge battle amidst the Demon King Selection. Both series are set to return stronger than ever, and this is still only the beginning for both franchises, which have an exciting couple of years ahead.

Solo Leveling And Omniscient Reader's Anime Will Go Head-to-Head

Beyond their webtoons both clashing this Fall, Solo Leveling and Omniscient Reader are also expected to go head-to-head in a major way in 2028. Solo Leveling: Beyond the System has yet to officially lock down a release date, though the film is expected sometime between 2027 and 2028.

Meanwhile, a report from Com2Us places the Omniscient Reader anime by Crunchyroll and Aniplex in 2028. There have been few real updates on the Omniscient Reader anime since it was first announced back in 2024, though if done justice, the series could easily become just as much of a global sensation as Solo Leveling, if not even bigger, with its exceptional story. As things stand, Omniscient Reader is truly the only series worth being considered a rival to Solo Leveling, and it might just steal the spotlight completely this Fall as well as when its anime comes around in 2028.

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  Taito Ban

  Sung Jin-woo

• Genta Nakamura

  Yoo Jin-ho

Solo Leveling follows Sung Jin-woo, the world's weakest hunter, who gains extraordinary powers through a mysterious program after surviving a brutal monster attack. As he navigates his newfound abilities, Jinwoo embarks on a quest to uncover the secrets of his powers and the dungeon that altered his fate.