An anime airing this summer on Crunchyroll, dubbed the Solo Leveling replacement, is ending next week. Solo Leveling‘s emergence in the anime industry in 2024 brought a refreshing series to the medium, offering a different type of story about self-development and progressing through levels with a game-like feel that made it a great watch. It also revealed that not only Japanese manga deserve anime adaptations, but that many South Korean manhwa are just as good and deserve great anime adaptations. With its two seasons, Solo Leveling has become a fan favorite. However, since its release last year, Solo Leveling hasn’t had a new release, and it seems like it won’t return until at least late 2027.
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This is why finding something to replace it could help fill the void, and this summer season of 2026 has been doing exactly that. Since its start, Tomb Raider King, which appears awfully familiar to Solo Leveling in its level design and character appearances, naturally caught attention. As more elements were introduced throughout the anime with each new episode, it also featured a more mature main character, as Seo Jooheon is in his 30s. Now, as the anime heads toward its finale with its 12th episode next week, it embraces more adult and dark elements.
Tomb Raider King Heads Toward Its Finale as It Embraces More Adult and Dark Elements
Tomb Raider King‘s finale is set for September 24 in Japan, while in Western regions, it will be available on Wednesday, September 23. The anime isn’t preparing for a grand finale with an epic battle for the main character, but instead continues to embrace the bond between the main character and the other characters. In the latest few episodes, it has focused more on Jooheon’s romantic relationship with Irene Holton. The series embraces it as an adult romantic relationship, as it even sees them sharing a kiss. This is something that Solo Leveling never did, despite fans wanting to see it happen; hence, Tomb Raider King serves as a kind of replacement by fulfilling the romantic side that Solo Leveling only hinted at.
Meanwhile, the latest episode of the series also dives into a slightly darker tone as it showcases a dungeon raid that highlights the grave situation of children being employed as laborers for darker schemes. These are the elements that make Tomb Raider King feel slightly more mature, and it’s all thanks to its protagonist, who is older and makes choices for his own benefit, like most selfish adults you would find in real life. But the most intriguing element is how the series employs historical elements for the relics and their powers, which also adds a nostalgic element to the series.
Now, after 11 episodes of developing its narrative with its own nuances, the series is going to come to an end, and it will continue to emphasize the romantic element of the series, as Jooheon aims to save Irene’s parents, but there are currently hurdles in his way. Tomb Raider King has done well, and it could serve as a replacement for Solo Leveling in its absence on Crunchyroll, with its own nuances that fans can binge through as the first season comes to an end next week.
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