Solo Leveling, originally a web novel by creator Chugong, has found global fame thanks to its brilliant anime produced by Aniplex and A-1 Pictures. This anime adaptation was officially released on January 6, 2024, with Season 1. While Solo Leveling, based on the Manhwa of the same name, was a relatively small series, the anime shot its popularity through the roof and it has been breaking records on the Crunchyroll platforms since.
On May 27, 2026, Solo Leveling officially set its biggest record yet. After being snubbed of the title of Anime of the Year 2026 at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards ceremony, Solo Leveling makes its own waves by becoming the first series in the history of Crunchyroll to ever break the 1 million ratings mark on the streaming giant. Needless to say, this record will be maintained for a long time, at the very least.
Solo Leveling Officially Breaks 1 Million Ratings on Crunchyroll on May 27, 2026
Over the last decade, Crunchyroll has become one of the biggest anime streaming platforms outside of Japan. Almost every mainstream or niche anime can be found to stream on here. Despite its massive library of anime series, one 2024 anime has especially stood out since 2024 and carved its own space out, and that's Solo Leveling.
“Sota Furuhashi from Aniplex brought the idea to me, and the reason I agreed was… I think I got the impression there’d be a chance to create an interesting movement with it.” — Atsushi Kaneko on Solo Leveling's potential, Mumbai Comic Con
Solo Leveling, animated by A-1 Pictures and Aniplex and based on a South Korean story by Chugong, has become the platform’s biggest hit against all odds. Today, on May 27, 2026, Solo Leveling officially became the first anime ever to garner over 1 million user ratings on Crunchyroll. This has never been achieved by any anime beforehand, and no other series is close to breaking this number either at the moment. Despite this egregious amount of user ratings, Solo Leveling’s score hasn’t budged either, and it remains one of the highest-rated anime on Crunchyroll with a 4.9/5 score.
Solo Leveling Season 3 Gets First Official 2026 Update From Producer Atsushi Kaneko
Atsushi Kaneko gives an update on Solo Leveling's next project, and fans are excited for what's to come.
How Sung Jinwoo's Story Set This Unprecedented Record With Just 25 Episodes
Seeing Solo Leveling get so big on Crunchyroll is definitely not something fans expected when the series was first announced. South Korean Manhwa series have never blown up this much, and they usually get outshone by their Japanese counterpart. Solo Leveling was able to become as big as it is largely thanks to the exciting story created by Chugong. Chugong has mastered the art of creating a captivating and fast-paced story that delivers high-octane action without even trying too hard.
Of course, none of this hype would have ever been possible without the fantastic work put in by the staff that undertook the Solo Leveling challenge at A-1 Pictures and Aniplex. Had Solo Leveling’s anime adaptation not been as stellar as it is today, featuring incredible animation and direction, it could have very well slipped under many fans’ radars. The studios themselves weren’t sure how popular Solo Leveling would be, but the work they put in nevertheless made it a global hit, as confirmed by the latest comments of Atsushi Kaneko.
“Honestly, I had no idea it was so big.” — Atsushi Kaneko on Solo Leveling's popularity, Mumbai Comic Con 2026
The battle of Jinwoo vs the Ant King has especially garnered the series attention. The incredible direction and the stellar action that it showcased, along with the excitement it generated, are part of what pushed Jinwoo’s story to the level it has reached today.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Solo Leveling Is Set To Consolidate Its Number 1 Spot On Crunchyroll
Solo Leveling’s record for now is guaranteed not to be broken by any other series at the moment. At the moment, as of May 27, 2026, the second series with the most ratings is One Piece. One Piece is a majestic story by Eiichiro Oda, but even with over 1100 episodes, it has only acquired 815k ratings, a number dwarfed by Solo Leveling.
Of course, this can be attributed to One Piece being highly pirated and only coming to the platform late, but that doesn't take away anything from Solo Leveling's success. Aside from One Piece, there is also Demon Slayer, but the series only has 744k ratings, despite being one of the most influential anime of the 2020s.
Solo Leveling will only grow from here onwards, and with its next animated project, this number will only multiply. The next project isn’t yet officially confirmed, but it is likely to be a third season or a theatrical movie release. Sung Jinwoo’s story will only get more interesting, with bigger arcs, such as Double Dungeon and International Guild Conference arc on the way, featuring battles the likes of which would dwarf even Ant King Vs Sung Jinwoo. Solo Leveling could be breaking even more records soon, and the ‘1 Million Ratings’ record will continue to grow.
All 25 Solo Leveling episodes by Aniplex and A-1 Pictures are available to stream on Crunchyroll, as the wait for Season 3 continues.
Solo Leveling
- Release Date
- 2024 - 2025-00-00
- Studio
- A-1 Pictures
- Creator
- Chugong
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
