Solo Leveling Is Coming For One Piece’s Throne In Japan

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This article contains spoilers from the Solo Leveling series.

I’m completely hooked on Solo Leveling – it’s become one of the biggest anime around, and it just keeps getting better! Season 2 dropped earlier this year, and honestly, it blew everyone away. It was a huge step up from Season 1, with some seriously incredible action that left fans wanting more and more. Everyone’s been counting down the days for Season 3 – it’s easily one of the most anticipated releases right now. But it looks like the studio has some different plans in mind, which is a bit of a surprise!

Solo Leveling will continue its run, and thanks to its growing popularity, it now has the potential to compete with some of the most popular anime ever made, like One Piece. While One Piece is much larger and more established, particularly in Japan, the team behind Solo Leveling hopes to achieve a similar level of success with their next anime project. It won’t be easy, but it’s definitely possible. They’re aiming for Solo Leveling to challenge One Piece in the coming year and beyond.

Solo Leveling Aims For Big Success In 2026

Fans of Solo Leveling are excited to find out what’s next for the series. While the animation studio, A-1 Pictures, hasn’t officially announced any plans, the author has shared that discussions are happening. Rumors suggest, based on leaks from the production team, that instead of a third season, Solo Leveling might be released as a movie in 2026.

Every time I grow stronger, I feel like I lose a part of myself. — Sung Jinwoo, Solo Leveling

This new approach has both advantages and disadvantages, but the most important thing for fans to remember is that it strongly suggests new Solo Leveling content is planned for release in 2026.

With its immense popularity, everything released under the Solo Leveling banner is now measured against top-tier anime like One Piece. So, when the next Solo Leveling project – whether it’s Season 3 or a movie – comes out, it’s almost certain to be compared to One Piece. In fact, Solo Leveling has already surpassed One Piece in certain areas globally, like becoming the highest-rated and most-reviewed anime on Crunchyroll. However, Solo Leveling isn’t as popular in Japan yet, but that could change in the near future.

Atsushi Kaneko Confirms The Goal To Surpass One Piece

The team behind Solo Leveling, including artist Atsushi Kaneko, has acknowledged that while the series is very popular, it’s not yet on the same level as One Piece. They aspire to achieve similar widespread success in the future, and potentially even exceed it. Here’s a statement from Kaneko explaining their goals:

As someone from Japan watching this anime in Japan, it doesn’t quite reach the popularity of shows like Dragon Ball, One Piece, or Naruto yet. However, the producer, Atsushi Kaneko, believes a third season could really change that and help it achieve a similar level of success.

It seems like Solo Leveling is aiming to become the most popular anime in Japan, potentially surpassing One Piece. This is a tough challenge, considering One Piece consistently releases new content and has a dedicated fanbase built over many years. However, Solo Leveling could become a strong competitor, particularly if a movie is made.

I use the System, and the System uses me. — Sung Jinwoo, Solo Leveling

Solo Leveling Movie Could Help The Franchise Beat One Piece

Image from Solo Leveling Karma

A new Solo Leveling movie is planned for 2026, and if reports are accurate, it could become more successful than One Piece. The film is expected to perform exceptionally well in both Japan and worldwide at the box office.

While One Piece hasn’t performed as well as Demon Slayer with its anime films, Solo Leveling has a chance to change that. If the Solo Leveling movie is high quality and continues the story beyond where the anime series currently ends, it could attract a huge audience and ultimately become more successful than One Piece movies.

You can currently watch 25 episodes of Solo Leveling, divided into two seasons, with the latest season concluding in 2025. It’s available to stream on Crunchyroll. As of now, there’s no news about a third season, but fans can continue enjoying the story through the original Solo Leveling Manhwa.

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2025-11-23 23:34