5 Best Solo Leveling Clones To Watch Before Season 3 Premieres

Solo Leveling has become one of the most popular power fantasy anime, breaking multiple records and drawing in a large following. With its rapid pacing, thrilling battle sequences, stunning animation, and a powerful protagonist who quickly rises through the ranks, it’s really no wonder why the series got as big as it did. Since its premiere in 2024, fans around the world are only growing more eager for the release of the next season.

While the third season doesn’t have a confirmed release date, it has been announced that the franchise currently has a film in the works that picks up where the second season ended. Until then, there are plenty of power fantasy series to indulge in, as well as many anime with game-inspired mechanics that will make the wait a little bit easier. While each series tells a distinct story, they’re perfect shows for fans of Solo Leveling.

The Rising of the Shield Hero

The Rising of the Shield Hero centers on Naofumi Iwatani, a young man transported from modern Japan to a medieval fantasy world alongside three other summoned heroes. They are the Four Cardinal Heroes who are destined to defend the kingdom of Melromarc from the Waves of Calamity. However, early on in Naofumi’s journey, a major betrayal leaves him disgraced and alone, forcing him to survive in an unfamiliar world without the institutional support that the three other heroes continue to receive.

Rather than falling into despair, Naofumi gradually develops his abilities and builds a new party he can trust. His progression from the beginning of the story is steady as he relies on unconventional methods to level up and upgrade his skills and equipment. His rise from a severely underestimated hero to a formidable warrior is both hard-earned and rewarding for viewers. While it's not as quick as Jinwoo’s, Naofumi’s journey is worth every moment.

That said, the series focuses more on defensive measures, strategy, and support abilities than on sheer overwhelming power. Naofumi is unable to hold a sword himself given his limitations as the Shield Hero, making him more dependent on his companions. However, this dynamic ensures that the relationships and party dynamics play a larger role in comparison to Solo Leveling, which only adds to the series’ overall appeal.

Kaiju No. 8

Kaiju No. 8 follows Kafka Hibino, a 32-year-old cleanup worker who dreams of joining Japan’s Anti-Kaiju Defense Force to fulfill a promise to his childhood friend Mina Ashiro. When he unexpectedly merges with a mysterious creature, he gains the power to turn into a kaiju himself, making his dreams much more complicated. However, he manages to keep his transformation secret and, by using his knowledge of kaiju anatomy, passes the selection exam in the very last year before he officially ages past the maximum limit.

While the series doesn’t quite share Solo Leveling’s game mechanics, it does offer a near-immediate power fantasy through Kafka’s sudden transformation into a kaiju. Paired with the series’ eye-catching animation and intense monster battles, Kaiju No. 8 is genuinely thrilling from start to finish and delivers an unforgettable viewing experience that fans won’t regret.

Beyond the battles and animation, the story also gives its supporting cast meaningful roles and arcs, adding depth and layers to the storyline. As a protagonist, Kafka also stands out for his drive and vulnerability alike, allowing him to feel like a balanced, relatable character that fans can’t help but root for. All in all, Kaiju No. 8 is a must-watch series for fans of Solo Leveling.

Shangri-La Frontier

At the center of Shangri-La Frontier stands Rakuro Hizutome, a high school gamer who specializes in notoriously broken and poorly designed video games. After mastering countless flawed “trash” titles, he turns his attention to Shangri-La Frontier, a full-dive virtual reality game with millions of global players. With his avatar Sunraku, Rakuro uses his unconventional experience to traverse the world in different ways than most, allowing him to discover hidden challenges and the opportunity to take on powerful bosses that test his skills.

The series is filled with fast-paced combat, rare quests, weapon upgrades, boss fights, and more, ensuring that there is never a dull moment.

Whereas Solo Leveling is a dark, survival series, Shangri-La Frontier is much more lighthearted in comparison, with a good dose of humor. Even so, both series feature protagonists who quickly progress through the ranks, with Sunraku taking advantage of his exceptional reflexes and strategic thinking to take on difficult opponents. The series is filled with fast-paced combat, rare quests, weapon upgrades, boss fights, and more, ensuring that there is never a dull moment.

To top it off, the supporting cast gets their fair share of screentime complete with meaningful arcs that allow the story to come to life instead of exclusively focusing the spotlight on Sunraku. From start to finish, Shangri-La Frontier delivers exceptional fights, imaginative worldbuilding, and an extended cast that fights alongside the hero, making each victory feel more earned and worthwhile.

Overgeared

Overgeared is a newly released Fall 2026 anime based on a popular South Korean manhwa, available on Crunchyroll. At the time of writing, one episode is available with both an English dub and subtitles, but it remains a must-watch ongoing series for fans of Solo Leveling. The story follows Shin Youngwoo, a young man with mounting debts and an unsuccessful player of the game Satisfy, a full-dive virtual reality, where he goes by Grid. However, his fortune takes a turn for the better when he unexpectedly attains the legendary blacksmith class, Pagma’s Successor.

However, at the same time, his level is both reset and docked by two, leaving him with a negative level that might just turn out to be a blessing in disguise. For fans of Solo Leveling, Grid’s journey is similar in that he starts out as an underpowered protagonist before attaining impressive advantages. Throughout the series, Grid will find that his progression leads him to take on increasingly powerful opponents, pushing him to grow into an exceptional hero.

That said, Grid’s greatest strengths don’t come strictly from combat abilities or specialized skills, but from his legendary craftsmanship, which lets him create equipment that can dramatically shift the balance of power. On top of that, while Grid starts out in the series as selfish and abrasive, he develops into someone fans will root for without losing the traits that define his character.

Tomb Raider King

Tomb Raider King follows Jooheon Suh, an elite tomb raider who is betrayed by his employer and left facing certain death until a mysterious creature sends him 15 years into the past with all his knowledge intact. Taking place in a world where structures containing supernatural relics begin to appear, Jooheon uses his knowledge to his advantage and prepares for their arrival while settling scores with the people responsible for his downfall.

Jooheon’s overwhelming advantage creates a thrilling, fast-paced power fantasy, following as he establishes himself as a formidable fighter who can turn practically any situation in his favor. The series’ blend of supernatural powers, ever-escalating threats, intense action sequences, and Jooheon’s determination to attain powerful relics creates an atmosphere very similar to Solo Leveling.

Tomb Raider King, however, focuses more on Jooheon’s artifact hunting and revenge against those who wronged him instead of purely being survival-based progression. Despite similarities in pacing and atmosphere, the protagonist is very different from Jinwoo, standing out for his abrasiveness and cynicism, and yet always willing to defend and uplift his allies at any cost.