Solo Leveling's New Anime "Rip-Off" Is a Bigger Red Flag Than You Think

Just as fans were looking for something to fill in the void left by Solo Leveling, Tomb Raider King swooped in with a new update on its anime, which was announced back in July 2024. As another manhwa anime adaptation, that too from the same manhwa studio as Solo Leveling, many eyes have been on Tomb Raider King's anime.

However, when Tomb Raider King's anime recently dropped its first teaser, the excitement surrounding the series unexpectedly shifted. From being seen as a potential successor or even rival to Solo Leveling, Tomb Raider King is now being labeled a Solo Leveling "rip-off". But the truth is, it's actually a genre-wide problem, and not entirely Tomb Raider King's fault.

Solo Leveling's New Copycat Has A Simple Explanation

Tomb Raider King Isn’t a Knock-off, It’s Just Generic

While the general premise was already quite similar, Tomb Raider King's teaser garnered attention for just how similar so many aspects of the series are to Solo Leveling. From the character designs to the fights, and even some of the enemies, the similarities between the two series are even more noticeable in anime form.

It's hard for Tomb Raider King to deny the allegations when Solo Leveling's web novel and manhwa both predate Tomb Raider King by a long shot. Even so, Tomb Raider King isn't actively trying to copy Solo Leveling. For one, both manhwa have been produced by Redice Studio, which explains the similar character designs.

In fact, Tomb Raider King isn't alone in this, as nearly every action series by Redice Studio features the same character designs, with the same pointy chin, spiky hair, and sharp angular features. As for the plot elements, there's no denying that Solo Leveling has heavily influenced the power fantasy genre.

This influence was even acknowledged in Crunchyroll's documentary, The Leveling of Solo Leveling, wherein the series' creators point out how Solo Leveling created a whole subculture of manhwa with game mechanics revolving around "leveling up".

Tomb Raider King Proves the Power Fantasy Genre Is Devolving Into Slop

Naturally, many of the manhwa that came after it have tried to incorporate these popular elements, but it's starting to get too common. Furthermore, when broken down to its bare bones, Solo Leveling's story arguably isn't all that creative to begin with, which is why it leaves even less room for innovation for those inspired by it.

The result is a host of power fantasy stories all operating on some small variation of the same story, featuring dungeons, gates, or tombs, in the case of Tomb Raider King. And this is precisely where the problem with the genre as a whole arises.

These elements and tropes that were popularized by Solo Leveling are now commonplace within the power fantasy genre, so much so, that it's hard to find a series that doesn't follow the same formula. The power fantasy genre as a whole is starting to devolve and blend together into the same uninspired slop, and frankly, readers are tired of it.

This isn't to say that Tomb Raider King doesn't have its merits. There are certainly aspects of the story that are fresh and enjoyable, which is why the series has grown popular enough to be picked up for an anime adaptation in the first place. As such, copycat or not, it's worth giving the series a chance, as it likely won't be the last generic power fantasy series to get an anime in the years to come.