2026 has been one of the most interesting years for anime in recent years. Each season so far this year has come with its own pattern. The Winter 2026 season brought back major anime with new seasons, including Jujutsu Kaisen, Frieren, Hell’s Paradise, and many others. Meanwhile, the Spring season proved to be a strong period for new anime debuts, as fans got to see Witch Hat Atelier and Daemons of the Shadow Realm. Now, the Summer 2026 season has continued its own pattern and emerged as distinct for two different reasons. The first is how the season has featured two different anime with adult themes.
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However, another trend this season has produced is anime that have emerged as worthy replacements for some classic series. To be precise, there are two anime in particular that are worthy of replacing Solo Leveling and Naruto in their absence. Crunchyroll’s hottest shonen anime of Summer, Black Torch, has consistently emerged as a shonen anime that draws heavily from Naruto, effectively making it a modern Naruto anime. Meanwhile, Tomb Raider King features a similar power-leveling system and premise, making it a great replacement for Solo Leveling in its absence.
Crunchyroll’s Black Torch and Tomb Raider King Are Emerging as Great Replacements for Popular Anime
Black Torch was one of the first anime to be released this season, and from its very first episode, it instantly emerged as a classic shonen anime that viewers couldn’t help but compare to Naruto. It features its main character as a descendant of a ninja family, while the first episode also sees him gain a powerful demon within him, creating a familiar premise that makes it feel reminiscent of Naruto and Kurama’s dynamic. Meanwhile, later episodes introduce other compelling elements, including its second male protagonist, Reiji, who shares a dynamic similar to Sasuke’s from Naruto, with a conflict stemming from his older brother massacring his family.
Meanwhile, Tomb Raider King, the anime currently emerging as a replacement for Solo Leveling in its absence, has a very similar foundation. It begins with the protagonist nearly being killed before he is saved by mysterious powers that grant him a system that allows him to level up. As the episodes have progressed, the series has increasingly resembled Solo Leveling, with its protagonist growing more powerful as he achieves greater feats and takes revenge against those who have wronged him.
What makes Tomb Raider King‘s central element compelling is how the protagonist’s main driving force is revenge, making his journey more compelling in some instances. That said, it is nowhere near as good as Solo Leveling, lacking the compelling groundwork and buildup as the anime progresses much faster than you’d hope. Meanwhile, Black Torch is truly a modern shonen anime, which is also relatively fast-paced due to the fact that the original manga has only 19 chapters, and it seems the anime will cover them in 12-13 episodes. The verdict is that while these two anime are nowhere near what classic Naruto and modern Solo Leveling offer, Black Torch and Tomb Raider King are worthy replacements that fans can undoubtedly enjoy this summer in the absence of the originals.
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