Ever heard someone describe manhwa as just colored manga from Korea? While that’s not entirely wrong (though it’s not right either), it’s a lot like describing anime as cartoons from Japan. Even so, we can forgive them cause they have no idea how vast the world of manhwa is, especially when it comes to fantasy.
Sure, manhwa comes from Korea, but that’s just a small part of a much larger picture. Manhwa artists use these digital-native comics as powerful storytelling tools, bringing fantasy worlds to life in ways that the classic black-and-white just can’t match.
We can go on and on about how great manhwa is, but we’ll save that for another day. For now, we’ve put together a list of 10 captivating fantasy manhwa that showcase the best of what this medium has to offer. Try to read at least half of them before you jump to any conclusions.
Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint
Imagine waking up to find your world has turned into a novel you’ve been reading since high school. Sounds cool, right? Well, not for Kim Dok-ja Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint. He’s not the main character, which means he’s got no special powers to breeze through this new reality. Fortunately, Dok-ja’s got knowledge. He uses every scrap of information from the story to stay alive in this post-apocalyptic world where death lurks around every corner.
If you’re a mythology buff, this might be a good place to get into manhwa. Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint blends myths from all over. We’re talking Greek, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, you name it. But don’t worry, it’s not a confusing mess. The story weaves these elements together so delicately, you’ll be too busy enjoying the ride to notice all these moving parts.
Latna Saga: Survival of a Sword King
Latna Saga follows Hanbin Ryu, a military veteran, who is abruptly transported to another world. Equipped with a faulty guideline, he’s trapped in a grueling tutorial for 22 years, repeatedly battling demon dogs. Finally breaking free, he discovers a hostile world that views him and other-worlders like him as criminals. Now, a physically and emotionally scarred outcast, Hanbin must find a way through this dangerous setting as a low-level novice.
Latna Saga really shines when it comes to characters, story, and world-building. It has a knack for mixing things up, throwing in some laughs one minute and hitting you with the heavy stuff the next. Plus, it’s the kind of manhwa that keeps you flipping pages, eager to see what happens next.
Surviving the Game as a Barbarian
Surviving the Game as a Barbarian is a story about Han-Su Lee, a gamer who beats the brutal “Dungeon and Stone” game, only to find himself trapped inside its merciless world. He wakes up in the body of Bjorn Yandel, a barbarian, and now has to figure out how to survive in this harsh reality.
Much like its name, this manhwa drops you into a grim, gritty world that is cutthroat in every sense of the word. Backstabbing, con jobs, and killings are commonplace, which keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering who’ll make it out alive.
SSS–Class Suicide Hunter
SSS-Class Suicide Hunter follows the journey of an unremarkable hunter consumed by envy for the powerful elite in his world. His intense jealousy manifests as a unique ability: he can copy other hunters’ skills, but at the steep price of his own life.
In a twist of fate, he’s killed by the strongest hunter (a real scumbag) and inadvertently copies his time travel skill. This ability lets him rewind 24 hours before his death, memory intact. With these newly acquired skills, he sets out to climb to the top of the hunter hierarchy, determined to do it his way.
SSS-Class Suicide Hunter’s strongest suit is its likeable main character and the unique ways he chooses to overcome different challenges. The story’s world-building is impressively thorough, diving deep into the economic and social dynamics of scenario-clearing throughout the narrative.
Tyrant of the Tower Defense Game
In Tyrant of the Tower Defense Game, the protagonist finds himself in a brutal game world after conquering the same game on its hardest difficulty in real life. To make matters worse, he’s not possessing an overpowered hero, but the most incompetent commander on the front lines of a desperate defense against monster invasions. You’d think he could just use the same cutthroat tactics that helped him win before, right? Wrong! In this world, the stakes are very real, and he’s about to find out.
Tyrant of the Tower Defense Game skips the usual overpowered hero and instead gives us a solid, well-paced kingdom-building story. The characters feel real, with flaws that sometimes lead to serious consequences – even death. When characters die, it hits hard and is given the weight it deserves. If you’ve read Attack on Titan, you know what we mean.
Greatest Estate Developer
Greatest Estate Developer features Su-Ho Kim, a civil engineering student who wakes up as a character from a fantasy novel he was reading. The noble’s body he possesses is a lazy, drunk guy whose family is deep in debt. To overcome his situation, he must use his civil engineering knowledge to get himself out of this pickle.
As the story unfolds, this manhwa makes you appreciate how far we’ve come as a society since the medieval ages. Through Su-Ho Kim’s efforts, we get to see how basic infrastructure, such as public sewerage, indoor heating, irrigation, and water systems, work together to advance human civilization. It’s not as serious as it sounds though – there are several panels that will make you laugh out loud.
Return of the Mount Hua Sect
Return of the Mount Hua Sect is the story of a martial artist, Cheong-Myeong, who works to restore the decline of his sect after it fell to ruin. In the beginning, Cheong-Myeong awakens 100 years after engaging in a gruesome battle with the big bad of that time, head of the Demon Cult, Cheon-Ma. With his second chance at life, he is determined to make his martial sect as big as it once was.
Despite its generic setting, Return of the Mount Hua Sect excels at its execution of classic tropes in the murim genre. The supporting cast is well fleshed out, each possessing unique traits that remain consistent throughout the story. The narrative’s cathartic moments will also keep you hooked, especially when arrogant villains receive their well deserved beatdowns.
Tower of God
Tower of God revolves around Bam, a solitary soul who finds his first and only friend in Rachel. When Rachel enters the mysterious tower, a structure promising to grant any desire, from wealth and honor to pride and power, Bam follows her without hesitation. As he ascends the tower in pursuit of his friend, Bam faces a gauntlet of increasingly difficult challenges, each testing his resolve and newfound abilities.
Tower of God unfolds with a gripping mix of betrayal, power struggles, and interesting challenges, balanced by themes of compromise and friendship. The manhwa also happens to benefit from a well-received first season anime adaptation, though the second season’s reception has been more varied.
Superhuman Era
In Superhuman Era, the world faces a dire threat: a xenoterran invasion poised to wipe out humanity. Standing as the last line of defense are superhumans, with the vigilante Kang Lim at the forefront. Kang Lim is only beginning to grasp the extent of his powers as he confronts this alien menace.
To avoid being a cliche, the superhuman community is very diverse, with both well-intentioned heroes and those harboring darker motives. Adding an air of mystery to the alien threat, the xenoterrans are not a unified force, but a complex group with their own factions and political struggles as well.
Superhuman Era bears a distinctive art style with striking character designs and gory fight scenes. Each character comes with a compelling backstory and peculiar powers that keep readers hooked. This manhwa is the very definition of the popular idiom, “don’t judge a book by its cover”.
Solo Leveling
Last but not least is Solo Leveling. This popular manhwa tells the story of Sung Jinwoo, infamously known as the weakest hunter in history, in a world where awakened people fight monsters for a living. During a nearly-fatal dungeon raid, Jinwoo is mysteriously chosen by “system” to become a player. This twist of fate grants him a special ability in a world where hunters’ powers are typically fixed upon awakening. Jinwoo can now increase his strength and gain new powers through quests and challenges.
For many of us, including yours truly, Solo Leveling was our introduction into the world of manhwa. It’s pretty much a must-have on any beginner’s list. It manages to hit all the right notes of a power fantasy, packed with clever scheming and an OP main character. The anime adaptation knocked it out of the park in its first season, and with a second season on the way, fans have plenty to be stoked about.
Honorable Mentions: Legend of the Northern Blade, Murim Login, Pick me Up Infinite Gacha
And with that, we’ve reached the end of our list. Keep in mind, though, that the manhwa universe is as vast and interesting as any other print comics out there. While these titles are definitely standouts, they might not scratch that itch for everyone. The beauty of manhwa, thankfully, is that there’s something out there for every taste.
