Best Manhwa Where Heroes Start With No Powers

Key Takeaways

• Weak heroes in manhwa grow in power through hard work, luck, or magical systems, defying odds.
• Stories follow bottom feeders who become legendary through growth in power and strength.
• Characters in manhwa rise from weakest to strongest, showcasing themes of revenge and resilience.

Many fantasy manhwa tropes present a weak hero with no powers but ends up becoming a force to be reckoned with. Through hard work and relentless effort, or perhaps with the help of luck or a magical game-like system, these characters have accomplished great things, becoming the masters of their own fate.

From weakest to strongest, these heroes started as bottom feeders and grew in power so much that they have become legendary. The following are a few great manhwa to read if fans are looking for stories about people who can overcome all odds.

8 Talent Swallowing Magician

A Story About A Weak Magician That Doesn’t Know The Word “Surrender”

• Genre: Action, Dark Fantasy, Comedy, School Life, Drama, Sword and Sorcery
• Author: Bread-Eating Squirrel
• Artists: Younggeun

This is a story of a failed Magician unable to cast the simplest of spells. Frustrated and about to become the outcast of the magic world, the protagonist finds a way to increase his magic power by using an inherited mystical pendant. From that moment on, his story of growing into a powerful spellcaster begins.

This series is consistently good, but the major aspect of Talent Swallowing Magician is its beautiful and colorful scenario design. Monster designs are also the forte of the author, and its creature penciling is top-notch.

7 Ultimate Outcast

When Revenge Is The Most Powerful Catalyst For Change

• Genre: Action, Urban Fantasy, Martial Arts, School Life, Drama
• Author: No Do Hwan
• Artists: No Do Hwan

The story of a bullied outcast whose only friend dies horribly, and the second he swore revenge, he receives a mysterious notification about a system that will allow him to become the most powerful Outcast.

Deciding to exact his revenge no matter what, Kang Haneul will become that which he swore to destroy. Ultimate Outcast is about a weakling becoming a brutal avenger, with many twists and decent storytelling.

6 The Player That Can’t Level Up

Through Willpower, He Can Become The Strongest

• Genre: Action, Urban Fantasy, Sword & Sorcery
• Author: Gavinge
• Artists: Parrot Kim – Studio Khit

The story of Jinwoo, the weakest player who no matter what he does, can’t level up at all. Ridiculed and brought to the brink of death, his story is a tale of overcoming weakness through sheer force of will.

With incredible storytelling, well-executed pacing, and deeply intertwined secondary plots, this manhwa also gifts readers with some amazingly designed action scenes. The Player That Can’t Level Up is a before and after for every fan of dystopian urban fantasy.

A Hard Working Secondary Character Becomes The Hero

• Genre: Action, Isekai, Fantasy, Sword & Sorcery, School Life, Shounen
• Author: Corita
• Artists: Girin Geurin

In Extra’s Academy Survival Guide, a reincarnated hero is in the body of a discarded villain. When he wakes up as Ed Rothtaylor, the weakest character in the Magic Academy, who is unable to use even the simplest of spells, he knows his fate is sealed. Or is it?

There begins a powerful tale about overcoming all odds through effort and dedication, where Ed becomes the hero on the sidelines, making sure everyone gets the happy ending they deserve by guiding the story and preventing all the worst outcomes.

4 The Lout Of The Count’s Family

He Is The Weakest, But He Is Surrounded By Strong Friends

• Genre: Isekai, Drama, Comedy, Fantasy
• Author: Elegant (Yoo Ryeo Han)
• Artist: Elegant (Yoo Ryeo Han)

What’s worse than reincarnating in his favorite novel? Perhaps, reincarnating as none other than Cain Henituse, the lowest and most infamous of nobles in the Kingdom. With a lousy personality and an even worse reputation, this heir to a count title starts as a weakling and becomes stronger by forging bonds of friendship and helping others.

The Lout of the Count’s Family is full of heartwarming moments and beautiful depictions of friendship. Cain and his allies are not only bound by the promise of protecting the Kingdom, but also by mutual trust, and a love that can overcome any odds, even in the most dire moments.

3 Solo Leveling

The Definitive “Rise From The Bottom” Story

• Genre: Action, Fantasy
• Author: Chugong
• Artist: Dubu

Sung Jin Woo is the weakest Hunter in the Association, placed at the bottom of the food chain. He keeps acting as a D-rank porter to gather money and heal his mother. But something goes terribly wrong during a Gate exploration, and Jin Woo becomes the sacrifice for a mysterious God Statue in the darkest part of the dungeon.

Surprisingly, he survives, and now he has a powerful leveling system that will allow him to become the ultimate Hunter. A story that has harvested an incredible amount of fans, with deep worldbuilding that’s intertwined with the main storyline, and lots of great character development.

2 Reality Quest

Most Intriguing Urban Fantasy Weakest To Strongest Story

• Genre: Urban Fantasy, Martial Arts, Drama
• Author: Lee Joo-woon
• Artist: Lee Joo-woon

Reality Quest might have a rough start but it has become one of the most sought-after urban fantasy stories among fans and has quickly grown in popularity. The story of Ha Dowan, a weak and bullied kid who becomes strong thanks to a mysterious system that forces him to fight and join the Bully Council, a shady association of young delinquents that is deeply related to the murder of his father.

With powerful storytelling, the tale of how Dowan overcomes his weakness to become a protector of the weak is truly inspiring. It has a lot of incredible fighting scenes, and beautiful background designs as well.

1 The Ember Knight

The Weakest Of Them All, But His Mind Is Sharp As A Blade

• Genre: Action, Martial Arts, Drama, Adventure, Mild Fantasy, Revenge
• Author: Hwan Daeng
• Artists: Hwan Daeng

Despite being the twin brother of Najin, the most talented and promising Knight Apprentice, Nagyun is the polar opposite of his sibling: he has no power, no abilities, no strength, nor talent, only his intellect. But when a mysterious masked man murders Najin, Nagyun is determined to take revenge, by any means necessary.

A story about two siblings, two faces of the same coin, and one man carrying a burden no human being should carry. With powerful storytelling, smooth pacing, and deeply developed worldbuilding, the author narrates the story of Nagyun faking being the strongest, and executing his revenge mercilessly. A great manhwa to read, with a combination of Middle Age chivalrics and martial arts, along with a unique world design.