Since January 2024, Solo Leveling has exploded in popularity thanks to its anime adaptation, and with a new influx of fans comes a desire to experience the story from the beginning. If you’re going to get into Solo Leveling, here’s every arc in the series and how to experience them.
Every Solo Leveling Arc So Far
Beginning as a light novel in 2016, Solo Leveling has slowly but surely gained more and more popularity as the franchise began to branch out from its roots. In 2018, the series was adapted into a manhwa, which has its own slightly unique take on the source material. Then last year we received the anime adaptation, and during the Winter of 2025, the second season of the anime debuted and will conclude with arguably one of the series’ strongest arcs yet.
But if you’re getting into Solo Leveling for the first time, you may be taken aback at just how many arcs there are given that the series only has slightly over a dozen volumes. So we’re going to list each arc of the series for you in sequential order, as well as let you know how long each arc is. This means that we’ll be comparing the light novel, manhwa, and anime adaptations, so you have a general feel for how long each arc lasts in each medium.
With that said, here’s every Solo Leveling arc so far, in sequential order:
| Arc | Light Novel Chapters | Manhwa Chapters | Anime Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-Rank Dungeon Arc | Chapters 1-7 | Chapters 1-10 | Episodes 1-3 |
| Reawakening Arc | Chapters 8-12 | Chapters 11-12 | Episode 3 |
| Instant Dungeon Arc | Chapters 13-16 | Chapters 13-17 | Episodes 3-4 |
| Dungeon & Lizards Arc | Chapters 17-24 | Chapters 18-24 | Episodes 5-6 |
| Dungeon & Prisoners Arc | Chapters 25-35 | Chapters 25-34 | Episodes 7-9 |
| Yoo Jinho Raid Party Arc | Chapters 36-45 | Chapters 35-37 | Episode 10 |
| Job Change Arc | Chapters 46-55 | Chapters 38-45 | Episodes 11-12 |
| Red Gate Arc | Chapters 56-64 | Chapters 46-55 | Episodes 13-14 |
| Demon Castle Arc | Chapters 65-75 | Chapters 56-61 | Episode 15 |
| Retesting Rank Arc | Chapters 75-79 | Chapters 61-64 | Episode 16 |
| Hunters Guild Gate Arc | Chapters 80-92 | Chapters 65-75 | Episodes 16-18 |
| Return To Demon Castle Arc | Chapters 93-110 | Chapters 76-89 | Episodes 18-21 |
| Jeju Island Arc | Chapters 111-127 | Chapters 90-107 | Episodes 21-25 |
| Recruitment Arc | Chapters 127-135 | Chapters 108-110 | N/A |
| Ahjin Guild Arc | Chapters 136-150 | Chapters 111-122 | N/A |
| Double Dungeon Arc | Chapters 150-164 | Chapters 123-131 | N/A |
| Japan Crisis Arc | Chapters 165-182 | Chapters 132-139 | N/A |
| International Guild Conference Arc | Chapters 183-199 | Chapters 140-149 | N/A |
| Monarch Wars Arc | Chapters 200-224 | Chapters 150-166 | N/A |
| Final Battle Arc | Chapters 225-243 | Chapters 167-177 | N/A |
| Epilogue | Chapters 244-270 | Chapters 178-179 | N/A |
| Academy Arc | N/A | Chapters 180-200 | N/A |
Which Version Of Solo Leveling Is Best?
If you were going to engage with only one version of Solo Leveling, then there are a few things to consider. First, while the light novels came first, the manhwa and anime both were able to generate a lot of excitement because of their action scenes, which are a whole lot easier to convey thanks to the visuals of both mediums as opposed to the light novels’ more descriptive prose. However, the light novel does go into a lot more detail about individual characters, way more than either the manhwa or the anime, which does a lot to help elevate the cast given that they’re rather paper-thin in those later adaptations.
So if you’re going into Solo Leveling for the story, stick with the light novel. If you want action, then I would say stick with the manhwa and its better-paced action scenes. Sure, the anime is pretty, but the manhwa is prettier.