Solo Leveling and Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End are two of the biggest anime of modern times. While both shows are different, many anime fans can’t help but compare these two titles, especially after Solo Leveling won Crunchyroll’s 2025 Anime of the Year award over Frieren. It was a major upset for Frieren fans, but Solo Leveling fans are convinced that their beloved series has the advantage, especially when it comes to the long run.
While Solo Leveling focuses on Sung Jin-Woo's climb from zero to godhood, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End centers around an elven mage and her slow-burning story of loss, legacy, healing, and time. Both are popular and successful, but if anime fans are to be asked which one will age better, Solo Leveling might be the easiest answer, especially if the entirety of Sung Jin-Woo's story is completely animated.
Solo Leveling Is Anime Of The Year, But It Is Set To Win An Even Bigger Title
Solo Leveling won Anime of The Year, but its popularity might surpass even that in the coming years.
The Major Difference Between Solo Leveling and Frieren
Two Fantasy Worlds, Two Very Different Journeys
- Solo Leveling and Frieren are powerhouse anime in the fantasy genre.
- Both incorporate fantasy elements, but different storytelling.
Solo Leveling and Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End are household names in the fantasy genre. While both shows incorporate classic and modern fantasy elements, their main characters and their stories are far different from each other.
Solo Leveling tells the story of Sung Jin-Woo, a feeble hunter who gains the ability to level up like a video game character in a world infested with magical beasts and higher beings at war, while Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End tells the story of an elven mage named Frieren and her journey after they defeated the Demon King.
While Solo Leveling’s main theme is about power progression, strength, and survival, Frieren leans more on emotional growth with a slow and thoughtful pacing.
Solo Leveling Has a Simpler and More Familiar Plot
Solo Leveling Is Easier to Understand Than Frieren
- Solo Leveling has a straightforward plot.
- Frieren has deep layers which could be difficult to decode.
Sung Jin-Woo's story in Solo Leveling has a more familiar formula that’s easier to follow and understand than Frieren. It lacks deep or complex layers that are difficult to interpret and decode since it’s all about Jin-Woo gaining more power, facing more danger, and ultimately becoming the strongest character in video game fashion.
It’s almost as if Solo Leveling creator Chugong intentionally designed the series to be fun and straightforward, so much so that it doesn’t ask its audience to think too hard about what’s going to happen to Jin-Woo and the rest of the characters next. In short, the story is simple and predictable.
On the contrary, Frieren has deeper and more complicated layers, which fans might find difficult to get into. The story is not just about fighting powerful enemies and winning crucial battles but about the characters' dialogues, conversations, memories, and flashbacks from one episode to another. There are no flashy battles in which the fate of the world is at stake, unlike in Solo Leveling.
Solo Leveling Is Easier to Recommend to New Fans
Frieren Is More Complicated to Explain
- Solo Leveling can easily be a fan-favorite anime, especially for new viewers.
Since Solo Leveling’s plot is easier to understand, it is also easier to recommend to anime fans, especially those who are just getting into the hobby. With a memorable and iconic main character like Jin-Woo, who’s oozing with charisma, especially after his drastic transformation from zero to hero, in addition to his redemption story, Solo Leveling has all the qualities and ingredients needed to become an instant favorite.
On top of that, Solo Leveling is more explosive, as there’s so much going on in Jin-Woo's journey from day one. From the giant statues in the Cartenon Temple to the existence of the shadow army, new fans will have no downtime when it comes to cool and intense anime moments. Besides, most fans love watching a weak anime hero become an overpowered character in the long run.
Solo Leveling Is More Rewatchable
Fans Might Find Solo Leveling More Fun to Rewatch
- Fans might prefer to rewatch Solo Leveling rather than Frieren due to its tight pacing and twists and turns.
Because Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is more emotional and personal, watching it for the second time around might not hit harder than the first time. Fans may not have the time and patience to restart Frieren’s journey from the very beginning, since the anime truly takes its time to develop the story. While the anime is just as beautiful, it might not be just as fun and exciting anymore.
"Weakness is not something to brag about."—Sung Jin-Woo
On the flip side, Solo Leveling is full of Jin-Woo's crucial battles and power-up scenes that anime fans would love to revisit over and over again. From Jin-Woo's first encounter with the giant statues and gaining his first shadow servant to fighting Beru on Jeju Island, Solo Leveling is packed with exciting moments that are easy to binge-watch.
And speaking of binge-watching, now is the perfect time to rewatch Solo Leveling from episodes 1 to 25, since season 3 is not yet confirmed. However, it’s also recommended to watch all episodes of Frieren as early as now, as season 2 might drop sooner than expected.
Solo Leveling
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2024 - 2025-00-00
- Network
- Tokyo MX, Gunma TV, BS11, Tochigi TV
