Best Weak To Strong Manhwa

Key Takeaways

• The classic underdog trope in action manhwa gives viewers relatable characters to root for.
• Infinite Leveling: Murim features an underdog story set in a Chinese martial arts world.
• UnOrdinary showcases the power progression of a seemingly weak main character with hidden strength.

Perhaps the most classic trope in the action genre is that of the underdog. A seemingly weak character that slowly but surely rises in the ranks, and ends up winning the fight or contest. It gives the viewers someone to root for, a relatable character that they can project themselves onto.

Manhwa that incorporate this trope are abundant, but finding good ones can be challenging. Chances are that any action manhwa that someone starts reading will feature this trope, though there are plenty of detractors that switch up the formula to keep things interesting. The best stories are still those that have a relatable character that grows alongside the viewer.

1 Infinite Leveling: Murim

Reaching The Martial Peak

• Genre: Action, Martial Arts, Fantasy
• Release Date: March 19, 2021
• Where to Read: Webtoons

A classic murim manhwa, murim being a martial arts-focused story set in a Chinese setting, Infinite Leveling: Murim is one of the best examples of an underdog story. It has powerful detractors who oppose the main character at every turn, arrogant masters who push the main character down, and plenty of training montages that help the main character overcome his deficiencies.

The art of the comic isn’t anything spectacular, but the artist makes good use of colors and traditional art techniques to bring life to their creation. The story is quite interesting, and the plot is simple to follow.

2 Tower Of God

I’ll Fulfill Your Wish

• Genre: Action, Tower Climbing
• Release Date: July 01, 2014
• Where to Read: Webtoons

Another classic from the early era of webcomics, Tower of God is a simple story that stays true to the roots of the genre. It features a young boy with a mysterious past who slowly discovers his powers as he climbs up an all-power, wish-granting tower.

The art style is a little rough at the start, but it quickly picks up pace as the story progresses. Readers can even watch the anime instead of reading the manhwa to avoid the rough art at the start.

3 unOrdinary

Hidden In Plain Sight

• Genre: Action, Superpowers
• Release Date: May 24, 2016
• Where to Read: Webtoons

UnOrdinary is yet another classic that has been floating around the internet for quite a long time. It is one of the best superpower stories in the space and has quite an interesting story for the viewer to follow.

The main character of the comic is seemingly a weakling, but is quite powerful, though he doesn’t want anyone else to know that. As he is slowly forced to reveal his powers, the viewers are treated to a great power progression that feels quite natural.

4 Overgeared

Tales Of The Whining Legendary Blacksmith

• Genre: Fantasy, Action, VR Game
• Release Date: Sep 18, 2021
• Where to Read: Tapas Comics

Set in a world where VR has developed to the extent of full immersion, Overgeared features a wanna-be pro player who is extremely down on his luck. However, through a lucky encounter, Grid becomes a legendary blacksmith and rises the ranks with the help of some overpowered gear, a little bit of skill, and a lot of pizzazz.

The story sees the main character increase his power, whether through traditional training or powerful gear. The comic features a VR game with large-scale real-life economic impacts and a beautiful array of characters that feel as important as the main character.

5 I Killed The Main Character

A Hostile Takeover Is In Order

• Genre: Regression, Isekai, Action
• Release Date: Oct 06, 2024
• Where to Read: Webtoons

A twist on a classic trope, I Killed the Main Character follows a person who transmigrates into a video game world as an NPC. The story is a little convoluted, but it is quite an enjoyable read. There aren’t a lot of chapters out as the series started being published in October 2024, but there is a lot of potential behind the concept.

The art of this comic is incredible, complementing the great story. Viewers who enjoy regression, game systems, and “fix-it” stories will enjoy this one quite a lot.

6 The Tutorial Is Too Tough

Difficulty Spikes Won’t Stop Me

• Genre: Tower Climbing, Action
• Release Date: Oct 19, 2021
• Where to Read: Tapas Comics

The Tutorial is Too Tough is the kind of manhwa that doesn’t ask the viewer to pay a lot of attention. The story is quite interesting, but the tower climbing and floor clearing are what viewers will focus on in the comic.

The story follows a normal person who gets teleported into the highest difficulty setting of a tower that he needs to climb, requiring him to increase his skills rapidly through excruciating means to even stand a chance at surviving.

7 Solo Leveling

Game System, Necromancy, And Dungeons

• Genre: Game System, Action
• Release Date: April 05, 2021
• Where to Read: Tapas Comics

A classic among classics, Solo Leveling is a beloved manhwa that has inspired an entire genre, that of dungeon clearing and rapid power progression. However, at its core, Solo Leveling is all about the slow and methodical rise of the main character that cannot be stopped by anyone.

The game features dungeons, game systems, interesting power mechanics, and a wonderfully complete story that doesn’t leave any plot line unresolved.

8 Omniscient Reader

Ouroboros Could Never

• Genre: Isekai, Action
• Release Date: Aug 19, 2020
• Where to Read: Webtoons

Omniscient Reader is a manhwa that tries to do a lot of things at the same time, and it succeeds beautifully. The plot follows Kim Dokja, an avid reader of a fairly unknown web novel, who ends up in a situation where the story of that web novel becomes reality.

He uses his meta-knowledge to methodically clear scenarios and gains plenty of power along the way. It takes a while before he can truly be called a contender in the race based on his power level alone, but his meta knowledge makes up for his deficiencies.