Crunchyroll’s Solo Leveling Replacement Is Doing What the Original Never Followed Through With

Even though Solo Leveling Season 2 came to a conclusion a little over a year ago, Crunchyroll still doesn’t have an anime that can match its caliber. Now that a teaser for the anime’s next installment has been released, excitement among fans to watch the new installment has only grown. However, it will still be at least a year before they get to see it. In the meantime, fans can turn to another series, and luckily, since the start of this summer, one anime has been proving itself to be the perfect replacement for Solo Leveling on Crunchyroll.

Tomb Raider King emerges as a series similar to Solo Leveling by sharing a comparable foundation, with the emergence of portals and tombs that grant access to otherworldly beings, where defeating the master of these mysterious places earns valuable rewards. Furthermore, the design of the main character, Seo Jooheon, bears a striking resemblance to Sung Jinwoo. However, the similarities end there, as Tomb Raider King presents its own narrative, structure, and unique nuances surrounding its tombs. The series’ most standout element has been Seo Jooheon himself, despite his emitting the same aura-farming energy that Jinwoo does after gaining his powers.

Crunchyroll’s Replacement for Solo Leveling Steps Over a Line Jinwoo Never Would

Despite having almost the same foundation and even a similar character design, Tomb Raider King‘s protagonist is emerging as a very different character by crossing lines that Jinwoo never would. Jinwoo, despite reaching the point where he would kill other humans and abandon parts of his humanity, was never depicted as using women for his own benefit, even though many girls would fawn over him and he could have used them to get what he wanted. He would always ignore their advances, and the relationship he develops with Cha Haein emerges out of respect for her strength as a Hunter. Seo Jooheon, however, does not hesitate to take advantage of female characters whenever the opportunity presents itself.

The previous episode saw Jooheon baiting Yuka Sasaki because he wanted to obtain the Book of Prophecy from her, and once he got what he wanted, he didn’t treat Yuka with any respect, but simply like anyone else. Now, the latest episode introduces another female character, Irene Holton, who is associated with a relic that brings misfortune to others, especially financial ruin. Jooheon, as someone from the future who knows the disaster she eventually becomes, initially tries to stay away from her. However, after learning that he can build a tolerance to her relic’s power, he immediately seizes the opportunity to use her abilities against his future enemies.

The latest episode also sees Jooheon manipulating Irene’s feelings to amplify or suppress the relic’s effects whenever he needs. These two episodes make it clear that Jooheon is not playing the hero in the way Jinwoo does. This approach also makes perfect sense for Jooheon’s character because he is arguably much older than Jinwoo and has endured hardship and betrayal in the future, leaving him selfish in his second chance to seize and control everything. This is exactly what makes Tomb Raider King a perfect replacement for Solo Leveling currently airing on Crunchyroll, as at every turn it strives to be more than Solo Leveling, making it intriguing to see how far it will go.

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