Goodbye Jinwoo, Anime’s Newest Summoner Is Taking Over the 2026 Winter Season

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Sung Jinwoo from Solo Leveling is considered one of the most powerful summoners in anime. His unique ability, Shadow Extraction, allows him to create a team of incredibly strong and loyal shadows that fight for him. This skill is far beyond what other summoners in the series can achieve, as they lack the immense magical power Sung Jinwoo possesses.

I’ve noticed fans are eagerly awaiting news on Sung Jinwoo’s return in a potential Season 3 of Solo Leveling, but it hasn’t been confirmed yet. Luckily, a new summoner is about to debut! This winter, the anime HELL MODE: The Hardcore Gamer Dominates in Another World with Garbage Balancing will introduce Allen, and I’m excited to see how he uses his summoner abilities in a completely different world. It looks like it’s time to welcome a new face to the isekai scene!

HELL MODE: The Hardcore Gamer Dominates in Another World Has a Summoner Protagonist Like Solo Leveling’s Jinwoo

A Winter Isekai Anime With an OP Summoner Protagonist

  • HELL MODE: The Hardcore Gamer anime features a summoner as its main character.
  • Jinwoo summons shadows, while Allen summons magic beasts.

A key reason for the popularity of Solo Leveling is its unique character, Sung Jinwoo. He’s a necromancer, but functions as a summoner, bringing shadows to life during battles. These shadows are incredibly powerful—even stronger than the top-ranked hunters—and remain active as long as Jinwoo has enough magical energy to maintain them.

Despite strong fan desire to see Sung Jinwoo’s new shadows animated in a third season of Solo Leveling, there’s been no official confirmation from the creators or production team. Anime fans will have to look forward to other new shows debuting in Winter 2026 to replace the excitement Solo Leveling provided.

Arise.—Sung Jinwoo

I’m so excited about this new anime, HELL MODE: The Hardcore Gamer Dominates in Another World – or Hell Mode: Yarikomizuki no Gamer as it’s known in Japan! It’s a classic isekai and fantasy story, and the main character, Allen (who used to be Kenichi Yamada), is a summoner, but with a cool twist. Instead of shadows like you might expect, he summons amazing magical beasts to help him with everything! It’s a really unique take on the genre.

HELL MODE: The Hardcore Gamer Dominates in Another World and Solo Leveling Contain Video Game Elements

HELL MODE Is Allen’s True Gamer Test

As many fans are aware, Solo Leveling features a power system that’s easy to understand because it’s built like a video game. This system helps Sung Jinwoo develop his abilities throughout most of the story, getting his body ready to take on the powers of the Shadow Monarch. The creator of this system intentionally used video game elements to make things easier for Jinwoo.

In HELL MODE: The Hardcore Gamer Dominates in Another World, gaming is central to the story. The main character, Allen, was a 35-year-old office worker who loved playing MMORPGs. He attempted the incredibly difficult “Hell Mode” in a game that seemed to have no end. Like many anime and fantasy stories with video game themes, HELL MODE uses game-like systems to help Allen through his challenging adventure.

Even with other strong series like HELL MODE available, Solo Leveling continues to stand out as one of the best in its genre. It consistently impressed viewers with its amazing main character and thrilling, beautifully animated action sequences.

HELL MODE: The Hardcore Gamer Dominates in Another World Episode 1 Release Date

Where to Watch HELL MODE: The Hardcore Gamer Dominates in Another World

The first episode of HELL MODE: The Hardcore Gamer Dominates in Another World will be available on HIDIVE starting January 9, 2026, at 11:35 a.m. Eastern Time / 8:35 a.m. Pacific Time. While many winter 2026 anime will stream on Crunchyroll, this one will be exclusive to HIDIVE. It will feature the original Japanese audio and English subtitles.

If you’re outside of Japan, you can stream the first episode of HELL MODE: The Hardcore Gamer Dominates in Another World on Animation Digital Network and ANIPLUS. And while we’re still waiting for news about Solo Leveling Season 3, this new anime is a great watch this winter!

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2026-01-06 19:36