Ten years ago, gates began opening across the world, unleashing monsters. Ordinary people awakened as hunters with powers to fight them. Sung Jinwoo is the weakest of them all, a struggling E-rank hunter, until a deadly double dungeon gives him access to a mysterious System that lets him level up like a video game character. And only he can see it.

Solo Leveling is one of the most popular series in our shop right now, and Yen Press's colour volumes are a stunning way to read it. Here is our guide to the series, the anime and the volumes we would point you to. Browse our Solo Leveling books.

Where Solo Leveling came from

Solo Leveling started as a fantasy web novel by Chugong on KakaoPage in July 2016. Its webtoon adaptation, drawn by Jang Sung-rak, known as Dubu, the head of Redice Studio, began on March 4, 2018. Dubu's dramatic art turned the story into a global hit, and Yen Press began publishing the collected volumes in North America on March 2, 2021. Dubu died on July 23, 2022, after a cerebral hemorrhage, and fans around the world paid tribute to his work.

The story: gates, hunters and the System

Jinwoo survives the double dungeon and wakes up as the only "player" of the System. He completes daily quests, levels up, gains skills and, eventually, the power to raise defeated enemies as shadow soldiers. His rise from the weakest hunter to the Shadow Monarch is one of the most satisfying power fantasies in modern comics.

The story also has heart: Jinwoo fights to protect his mother and sister, Jinah, and slowly uncovers the truth about the gates, the System and his own role in an ancient war.

From page to screen: the A-1 Pictures anime

A-1 Pictures adapted Solo Leveling as an anime, with Season 1 airing from January to March 2024 and Season 2 from January 5 to March 30, 2025. The anime was a global sensation and won Anime of the Year at the 9th Crunchyroll Anime Awards. Its success sent thousands of new readers looking for the books, and we have seen that demand first hand in our shop.

Why Solo Leveling matters

Solo Leveling is the series that made Korean webtoons truly mainstream in the West. It also popularised the "leveling" and "System" storytelling style, with game-like stats and quests, which has inspired countless webtoons and light novels since. A sequel, Solo Leveling: Ragnarok, was announced in April 2023.

Where to start reading Solo Leveling

Start at Vol. 1. Yen Press's full-colour volumes capture Dubu's art beautifully. We currently stock several, including Vol. 4 and Vol. 12, often in multiple copies.

Solo Leveling manga & anime timeline

Key characters in Solo Leveling

Curiosities collectors should know

Solo Leveling volumes worth knowing

• Vol. 1

  Solo Leveling Vol. 1

  2020 · Yen Press

  The double dungeon and the birth of the System. An unforgettable opening.

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• Vol. 4

  Solo Leveling Vol. 4

  2021 · Yen Press

  Jinwoo's growing power starts to attract attention.

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• Vol. 8

  Solo Leveling Vol. 8

  2024 · Yen Press

  The scale of the story widens as new threats appear.

  Browse our Solo Leveling manga
• Vol. 12

  Solo Leveling Vol. 12

  2025 · Yen Press

  Late in the story, as the truth behind the gates is revealed.

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• Vol. 15

  Solo Leveling Vol. 15

  2026 · Yen Press

  A later volume as the story heads toward its conclusion.

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Solo Leveling covers through the years

A look at the covers across the English-language run. Tap a cover to find it in our shop.

Vol. 1 Vol. 2 Vol. 3 Vol. 4 Vol. 5 Vol. 6 Vol. 7 Vol. 8 Vol. 9 Vol. 10 Vol. 11 Vol. 12 Vol. 13 Vol. 14 Vol. 15

Solo Leveling on our shelves right now

Here are some of the volumes we currently have in stock. Every copy is checked and graded before it is listed.

Vol. 1 Vol. 4 Vol. 12 Vol. 15

You can also browse every Solo Leveling book we stock.

Frequently asked questions about Solo Leveling

Condition grades on our listings follow our comic & book condition guide. Have Solo Leveling books of your own you would like to sell? Email us at contact@siomiccomics.com. Solo Leveling and all related characters are trademarks of Chugong, Redice Studio / D&C Media. Cover images are shown for reference.