Solo Leveling Season 2 anime ended today just before the Ahjin Guild arc, leaving fans eager to continue Sung Jinwoo’s story, probably even as a manhwa (webtoon) or novel. Whether you prefer the original novel (text-based book) or the manhwa/webtoon (comic adaptation), this guide will clarifiy where to pick up the story and explain the differences between the two formats. Both are officially published in English by Yen Press.
Before diving in, understand that Yen Press licenses two different Solo Leveling products:
- Novel: The original text-based story by author Chugong, with occasional black-and-white illustrations.
- Webtoon/Manhwa: The full-color comic adaptation drawn by Redice Studio (artist Jang Sung-Rak/Dubu).
These are not the same product. The novel is text-only, while the webtoon is a comic.
Webtoon Continuation After Solo Leveling Season 2 Anime
The anime’s Season 2 finale covered the aftermath of the Jeju Island Raid arc, where Jinwoo defeated the Ant King Beru. To continue into the Ahjin Guild arc via the webtoon/manhwa (comic):
- Start at Webtoon Chapter 125: This marks the beginning of Jinwoo forming his guild.
- Recommended: Read from Chapter 120 to revisit the Jeju Island aftermath scenes.
Yen Press’s Webtoon: Available as physical graphic novels or digitally on platforms like Webtoon. Check covers for Solo Leveling: The Comic (manhwa) to avoid confusion with the novel. You should pick up Volume 8 first, for which Yen Press describes the story:
After his victory on Jeju Island, the top guilds are all clamoring to recruit Jinwoo Sung, the strongest S-rank hunter and the hero of Korea—a far cry from the hapless E-rank hunter he used to be. As exciting as each new development is, however, Jinwoo’s eager to finally get some answers, so an invitation from the system to return to the double dungeon that changed his life is a welcome opportunity. He’ll have to put the visit on the back burner, though, because first things first—Jinwoo has a guild to establish!
Novel Continuation After Solo Leveling Season 2 Anime
For the original novel’s deeper lore and internal monologues:
- Start at Novel Volume 5: The Ahjin Guild arc begins here.
- Chapter Reference: It begins at Chapter 210.
Yen Press’s Novel: Sold as paperback/eBooks labeled Solo Leveling (Novel) with Chugong listed as the author. They describe the story for the 5th novel:
A devastating dungeon break at his sister’s high school is quickly taken care of by Jinwoo…but not before he confirms that magic beasts no longer register him as a human. What’s more, the deceased Byunggu Min sends him a cryptic warning from beyond the grave: Jinwoo’s powers are more frightening than he knows. Left with too many questions and very few answers, his final hope lies in the key to the Cartenon Temple. Jinwoo’s determined to find out who—or what—he’s become, and to do so, he’s prepared to return to where it all began!
About Solo Leveling
The story began as a web novel titled Only I Level Up (나 혼자만 레벨업), written by Chugong (a pseudonym). It was serialized digitally starting in 2016 on the Korean platform KakaoPage.
In 2018, the novel was adapted into a webtoon (a digital comic format optimized for mobile reading) by REDICE Studio, a South Korean studio known for high-quality manhwa (Korean comics). The webtoon’s art was drawn by Jang Sung-rak, better known by his pen name DUBU. The script was initiallyadapted to the webtoon format by Gi So-Ryeong (2018–2019), while h-goon took over from 2019 up until its end in 2023. Tragically, DUBU passed away in July 2022 due to chronic health issues.
The Solo Leveling anime adaptation by A-1 Pictures is based on the webtoon. Season 1 ran for 12 episodes from January to April 2024, with the main staff consisting of Shunsuke Nakashige as the director, Tomoko Sudo as the character designer, Hiroyuki Sawano as the music composer, and Noboru Kimura in charge on the series composition.
Solo Leveling was voted the most anticipated anime of Winter 2024, and it also won Best New Anime at our Winter 2024 Anime Awards. The second season was then voted as the most anticipated show of Winter 2025 this season.
The anime was ranked first in our eleventh weekly ranking, which was its only weekly win of the season.
Source: Solo Leveling on Yen Press: Novel & Comic
© Solo Leveling Animation Partners
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