Netflix has announced that production for a Korean live-action adaptation of Solo Leveling is going ahead, with Byeon Woo-seok confirmed as the lead. This live-action adaptation is not the first adaptation of the popular Korean web novel, as the IP has been adapted into a webtoon, a hit and award-winning anime series, and multiple video games, allowing fans to partake in their own leveling-up experience.
Solo Leveling follows Sung Jin-woo, an E-rank hunter who fights specifically to help out his family and his ailing mother. After a near-death experience, something has changed, and he starts to become stronger. With each new challenge and monster he defeats, he levels up, an unusual instance in this world. When gates start behaving differently, Jin-woo soon emerges as the hero who will help save the world, even if it means potentially losing his own humanity in the process.
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The world of Solo Leveling is a fascinating one, offering much for Netflix to bring to life. The VFX team is confirmed to be working on crafting the fantastical dungeons ripped straight from the novel, as well as the monsters featured in the source material, among other things, to help viewers immerse themselves in the vibrant and volatile world of Jin-woo and his fellow hunters.
Who is confirmed so far?
For those familiar with the character, Jin-woo undergoes a major physical transformation from E-rank weakling to a much stronger, faster, better version of himself. Netflix has confirmed Byeon Woo-seok will be stepping into the role of Sung Jin-woo, setting the stage for the actor’s most ambitious, action-filled role yet. Known for his roles in Lovely Runner and Strong Girl Nam-soon, Byeon Woo-seok has power-heavy shoes to fill.
The series will be co-directed by Lee Hae-jun and Kim Byung-seo, with Kakao Entertainment and SANAI PICTURES set to produce.
Want more Solo Leveling?
It will take time to bring the live-action Solo Leveling to life, but there are other adaptations to bide fans’ time while we wait for the arrival of this new series on Netflix. From the web novel to the anime series and to the various games being produced immersing fans into the world of Solo Leveling, there’s plenty for fans to enjoy and look forward to.
Let’s dive into the Solo Leveling anime series and the games you can play to experience the scope and feel of the IP:
Solo Leveling Anime Series
From webtoon to anime series, A-1 Pictures brings the world of Solo Leveling to life in two battle-heavy seasons, available now on Crunchyroll. Deeply nestled in the power fantasy genre, fans can see the transition from static imagery come to life through the stellar animation.
Hot off of Season 2, our critic said that “Solo Leveling Season 2 raises the bar for Jin-woo as he faces his toughest challenges yet, earning plenty of rewards along the way. The action continues to impress, and, minus a few minor pacing issues in the early half of the season, the story develops in a way that feels natural and engaging.”
Solo Leveling Games
- Solo Leveling: Arise
- In the game, you level up, engage in dynamic battles, and craft your unique combat style by mixing and matching skills and weapons.
- You can even team up with other Hunters from the webtoon and, of course, summon your very own “Army of Shadows” with the legendary command: “Arise.”
- Available now to play on mobile.
- Solo Leveling: Arise Overdrive
- Jin-woo gets gamified in Solo Leveling Arise Overdrive in this new co-op venture. Featuring all-new stories for the universe, battle your way through a variety of monsters – both familiar and new, based on this initial trailer – and level up to live up to Jinwoo’s “Strongest Hero in the World” legacy.
- You can play as Jinwoo and some of your favorite characters from the webtoon series: Choi Jong-in, The Ultimate Hunter, Baek Yoon-ho, the hunter with a beast transformation, and the remarkable Cha Hae-in. You can build the teams up as you tackle each gate, though beware.
- Coming in 2025 to Xbox and Steam, and can be wishlisted now.
- Solo Leveling: Karma
- The Solo Leveling roguelite introduces an original storyline set in the Dimensional Gap, an unexplored narrative window within the source material.
- Based on the webtoon by Chu Gong, this Netmarble video game is expanding on the world that viewers and readers alike have fallen in love with.
- In the Solo Leveling roguelite, KARMA, Protagonist Sung Jin-woo has endured a 27-year-long war among Monarchs, and the “Broken Cup of Reincarnation,” an artifact, can only be restored through Jinwoo’s fragmented memories.
- Will release later in 2025 on mobile and PC.
With Solo Leveling‘s immense popularity and success, this is sure to be Netflix’s most highly anticipated adaptation yet. Stay tuned for more updates. Until the series is released, you can immerse yourself in Jin-woo’s world through the available anime and video game adaptations.
