Summary
Solo Levelingwas a very popular manhwa during its run, but when the first season of the anime was aired in 2024, it reached a level of popularity that has been unprecedented for a manhwa adaptation. Its second season even went beyond expectations, taking things even further.
Solo Levelingis now one of the most successful and popular action anime ever made. It has brought waves of fans to anime and has also been something of a catalyst for theadaptation of other promising manhwa titles. With Season 3 possibly on the horizon, what are some of the things it has to get right, and what must it avoid?
1Drop In Animation Quality
This Has Been The Death Of Too Many Shows
As anime has become more popular, the necessity for top-tier animation has only grown. There is nothing more of a turn-off to a show than a drop-off in quality. This can make even the most well-regarded shows fall in their estimation of fans. This tends to happen when there is a change of studios.
This has affected shows likeOne Punch Man,Seven Deadly Sins, and more recently,Blue Lock. If Season 3 is going to build on the success ofSolo Leveling’ssecond season, the animation must remain consistent, as it is one of the major things that drew people in the first place.
2Time Between Seasons
Nothing Kills Hype Like Time
Solo Leveling’sfirst season came out in 2024, with its more successful sophomore effort debuting in 2025. This way, it was able to retain its goodwill and hype between seasons. However, with speculation rife that a third season might not be till late 2026 or even 2027, there is a danger of waning interest.
So many shows havesuffered from thisas the time between each season took too long to generate the appropriate level of interest.Solo Levelinghas a good thing going, and the best thing would be to have a third season no later than 2026 to keep fan engagement high.
3Rushing Major Arcs
Season 3 Must Manage SL’s Pacing
Including the epilogue,Solo Levelinghas about 200 chapters, and so far, the second season goes to about the 110th chapter, where Sung Jin-woo defeats the Ant King. This leaves about 90 chapters or so left to adapt. In those chapters, there aresome major arcs, including the International Conference and Japan Crisis Arcs.
A mistake Season 3 must avoid is trying to breeze through the remaining arcs, completely messing up the pacing in the process. Ideally, the show should run for another two seasons to fully cover what is to come. With the next arcs having even more weight, they deserve to be given adequate attention to be better enjoyed by fans.
4Abandon The Things It Did Well
Solo Leveling Was Unashamed Of What It Was
Solo Levelingis far from being the perfect anime, and it has had its fair share of criticisms, especially regarding the depth of its story. However, it can be argued thatSolo Levelingthrived because it knew what it was and leaned into it.Solo Levelingis an unabashed power fantasy with a"perfect" protagonist, and it was all about the “hype” and excelled at it.
It would be a mistake to abandon that in favor of trying to deepen the story artificially in some way.Solo Levelingis an accessible anime with scenarios that are easy to get lost in and a lack of jeopardy for the protagonist. It’s perfect and should never change.
5Underutilization Of Secondary Cast
Solo Leveling Has Some Cool Side Characters
TheSolo Levelinganime stayed true to the manhwa, but made a couple of changes, especially in the first season. Audiences were introduced to Cha Hae-in much earlier, more attention was given to Lee Joohee, and they used Chairman Go as an effective narrator. These little touches were welcome as they made use of thesecondary casta bit better than the manhwa.
The second season wasn’t as concerned with the side characters, which was a bit of a shame, as they had potential. With Season 3 introducing some pretty cool characters like Thomas Andre, it will be something of a missed opportunity ifSolo Levelingdoesn’t platform these characters in a way to give the show more depth.
6Making Sung Jin-woo One-Dimensional
He Does Have Some Complexity
Sung Jin-woo has been described as an “aura farmer,” and to be fair, this isn’t far from the truth. He is made to look cool in every instance, and this makes him a fun character to watch and root for. But, there is a danger of stifling the character, especially when the manhwa doesn’t do this.
The later arcs only serve to deepen Jin-woo’s character as he deals with loss, thelonelinessof being humanity’s savior, and the shattering choice he has to make at the end of the story when at war with the Monarchs. Season 3 could be a chance to show Jin-woo as more than just an aura farmer, but a fully-fleshed character who belongs with the other elite anime protagonists.
7Unnecessary Changes To The Story
Let The Manhwa Stand For Itself
So far,Solo Levelinghas stayed faithful to the source material with very little deviation, and in the instances when it has done this, it has been somewhat necessary. TheSolo Levelingstory is over, so there is no reason for an original anime ending.
The story’s end might not make everyone happy (especially if the epilogue is not animated), but the anime should be brave enough to stay true to the very end. Any unnecessary changes could really affect the perception of fans towardsSL.
