Best Time Travel Manhwa

Key Takeaways

• Many manhwa stories center around redemption and second chances, often through time travel or regression plotlines.
• Unique elements like world-building, character goals, and art style are crucial for these stories to stand out.
• While some may follow familiar tropes, well-executed time travel narratives can still make for engaging and popular manhwa.

A common theme in manhwa is redemption or getting a second chance to fix past mistakes. This is especially true for the popular “returner” subgenre. Manga of this type usually open with the protagonist lamenting over their regrets before being sent back to an earlier time in their lives.

However, with so many stories using the same premise, manhwa can become formulaic and predictable, so something must be unique for them to stand out. It can be the world itself, the goal of the characters, or even the art style. Time travel opens many possibilities and, if done well, makes for some of the best stories out there.

Updated December 1, 2024 by Garrett Huon: This update adds two manhwa that use time travel differently. My Royal Awakening is a historical fiction that uses real people and events as the basis of its plot. The Skeleton Soldier Failed To Defend The Dungeon features a skeleton who is in a time loop that starts over after each death. Both are fantastic stories and very fun to read.

19 A Returner’s Magic Should Be Special

A Genious Mage Tries To Rewrite Fate

• MyAnimeList Score: 7.56
• Published: 2018 to Present
• Genres/Themes: Action, Fantasy, School, Time Travel
• Author: So-nan Yu
• Illustrator: Uk-jakga

Desir Arman is one of the few survivors in the shadow world. He and his teammates have defeated the final boss, a dragon with immense magical power, but just as they celebrate their victory, they are all caught in an explosion. Desir wakes up in the past on the day he becomes a student at Hebrion Academy. With knowledge of the future, he plans to prevent all the disasters that befell humanity.

While its place on this list may be low, A Returner’s Magic Should Be Special is a great manhwa that has great characters and world-building. Its plot and writing are typical as far as time travel stories go, but it’s still popular enough to have an anime adaptation.

18 My Royal Awakening

Changing History As A Joseon Prince

• MyAnimeList Score: 7.58
• Published: 2020 to Jun 6, 2022
• Genres/Themes: Drama, Historical, Reincarnation, Time Travel
• Author: Gusa
• Illustrator: Tae-Hyung Kim

In manhwa, time travel usually involves returning to a character’s past and reliving life, but in My Royal Awakening, the main character is sent back hundreds of years to become Prince Jinseong, the brother of Korea’s most tyrannical emperor. There are very few manhwa that use real history as a setting, so it’s interesting to see even if the history itself is unfamiliar. Most people in the US won’t know much about Korea’s past, but this story may spark some readers’ curiosity.

The plot is about Jinseong preventing history from happening. Through a combination of past trauma and political strife, the emperor is constantly wavering between rationality and aggression, which would ultimately lead to the massacre of people. To help his brother, Jinseong starts solving problems around the empire, like curing diseases and uprooting corruption. It’s so well-written that there’s a great feeling of tension and suspense despite the lack of pure action.

17 The Skeleton Soldier Failed To Defend The Dungeon

A Single Skeleton Overcomes The Greatest Odds

• MyAnimeList Score: 7.58
• Published: 2018 to Present
• Genres/Themes: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Time Travel
• Author: Sosori
• Illustrator: Ant Studio

Dungeon and hunter manhwa mostly take place from the point of view of humans defending the earth, but in this story, the main character is a regular skeleton mob. He’s tasked with defending his master in the dungeon. However, he fails when a group of adventurers kills him and his master. Then he’s sent twenty years into the past when a novice necromancer first raised him, and he believes that he has a chance to fix everything. That’s not the case, unfortunately.

Rather than just go back in time, the skeleton was stuck in a time loop that started over with each death. The only way to escape is to survive, and while the first tries were unsuccessful, he eventually learns skills that help him and his summoner. Despite the protagonist being undead, this is a great story about growth and regret, and It has a fantastic sense of progression, as each life is a new adventure with different choices.

16 Saving My Sweetheart

The Saintess Takes Back Her Title In Her Second Life

• MyAnimeList Score: 7.73
• Published: 2021 to Present
• Genres/Themes: Drama, Fantasy, Time Travel
• Author: Mayak Jelly
• Illustrator: Jiui Kim

In this manhwa, Leticia is known as the saint’s evil daughter, but in reality, she is a victim. In her first life, she could do nothing but watch as her mother’s schemes killed and destroyed everything around her. However, with her second life, Leticia decides to fight back as the real saint to save her loved ones.

Saving My Sweetheart does a great job of using the time travel trope as a tool in its story. It keeps references to the previous timeline to a minimum, only using flashbacks when necessary, and it keeps the action in the present. It’s something other manhwa struggle to do.

15 Level Up With The Gods

The Gods’ Chosen Climbs The Tower Once Again

• MyAnimeList Score: 7.74
• Published: 2021 to Present
• Genres/Themes: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Time Travel
• Author: Heuk Ain
• Illustrator: Ohyeon

As far as tower manhwa go, Level Up With The Gods is a fun story with a whimsical art style that stands out from others like it. It begins after a lost war against the Outer Gods. Left with no choice, the remaining Inner Gods send Kim Yuwon back in time to climb the Tower and unite all the challengers.

Regression and dungeons are concepts that are often put together, introducing a powerful protagonist who becomes the strongest being in the story. While that’s still true in this manhwa, it doesn’t feel rushed or too slow. The great pacing makes it very bingeable.

14 To Be An Actor

An Actor Restarts His Career From Childhood

• MyAnimeList Score: 7.78
• Published: 2022 to Present
• Genres/Themes: Drama, Showbiz, Time Travel
• Author: Gogwang
• Illustrator: Dusi

In his first life, Jang Youngkuk decided to be an actor to escape being poor, but his dedication to that dream caused him to neglect the other areas of his life, which left him alone. By some miracle, Youngkuk becomes a child again. This time he decides to focus on his family and take care of his mother, who he took for granted. However, he still loves acting.

To Be An Actor is a great manhwa set in modern times. Usually, regression stories are attached to fantasy settings, so a real-world spin on this theme is refreshing. The story includes wonderful characters, and the pacing is good too. It remains engaging where other stories would drag on.

13 For My Abandoned Love

A Hardcore Fan Creates A New Ending For Her Favorite Character

• MyAnimeList Score: 7.81
• Published: 2022 to Present
• Genres/Themes: Fantasy, Romance, Isekai, Reincarnation, Time Travel
• Author: Seonyu Kim
• Illustrator: Kimyong

After being reincarnated into her favorite novel, the protagonist assumes the identity of Hestia, a young noblewoman with a freshly bought title. Despite being a huge fan of the story, she is content to watch the final moments of the story play out without interfering. However, that changes when her favorite character, Caelus, ends his own life. God sends her back in time to save Caelus and get revenge.

This manhwa is one of the more interesting isekai set in books as it offers many unique ideas. Hestia acts as a villainess who wasn’t present in the original novel, and the revenge she seeks isn’t for herself. The romance between her and Caelus is tender and heartwarming.

12 Medical Return

A Poor Doctor Starts Over

• MyAnimeList Score: 7.84
• Chapters: 150
• Published: 2019 to 2022
• Genres/Themes: Drama, Medical, Time Travel
• Author: Yuin
• Illustrator: Kidari Studio

Kim Jihyun was a doctor and surgeon who was down on his luck. He struggled throughout his entire career, failing in his business and education. In a hopeless situation, he is sent back in time by someone he had saved years prior. Now at the age of a high school student, Kim Jihyun wants to live a proud and successful life.

Time travel stories are usually set in more fantastical settings, and even fewer would use medical science as the center point in a plot. Medical Return was one of the most largely read time travel stories due to its interesting concept and solid writing. It struggles to maintain its quality in the second half, which can often happen in longer manhwa. However, it’s still worth a read for fans of time-travel stories.

11 The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player

A Regressor Does What He Wants In His 100th Life

• MyAnimeList Score: 7.83
• Published: 2023 to Present
• Genres/Themes: Action, Fantasy, Survival, Time Travel
• Author: King Soda
• Illustrator: Duckf

After 99 regressions, Min Ryu is once again trapped in a death game hosted by supposed angels. At the start of the new year, anyone between 15 and 29 years old is transported to another dimension to complete missions, risking their lives and fighting each other. In that world, Min Ryu takes the moniker “Black Scythe.”

This manhwa is like most regression stories, but the main character is a little more interesting. Protagonists are often afraid to change the flow of events or do anything to disrupt the future. Min Ryu has no hang-ups because he’s lived so many lives and has become morally ambivalent as a result. The art style is similar to that of Solo Leveling, which definitely improves its popularity.

10 Doom Breaker

The Last Survivor Tries To Screw Over The Gods

• MyAnimeList Score: 7.94
• Author: Cheongdam
• Illustrator: Cheongdam
• Published: 2021 to Present
• Genres/Theme: Fantasy, Action, Time Travel

Action manhwa that include time travel have a hard time differentiating themselves because many of them follow the same plot. Doom Breaker gets away with it because of its grittier atmosphere, art, and storytelling. The harsh lines and dark colors add to the apocalyptic nature of the story, whereas similar manhwa use a much lighter palette.

The highlights of Doom Breaker are its battles. Each fight is fluid, stylized, and impactful. Each one helps the reader understand the characters and their motivations while displaying their growth in the story.

9 Mother’s Contract Marriage

A Mother’s Trip Back In Time Makes Her A Princess

• MyAnimeList Score: 7.94
• Author: Siya
• Illustrator: Hae-Yun Choo
• Published: 2022 to Present
• Genres/Theme: Fantasy, Time Travel

In this manhwa, the main character is not the returner. Rather, it’s the returner’s daughter, who wakes up to see her mother behaving completely differently than just the night before. In what seems like no time at all, Lyrica becomes a princess through her mother’s contract with the Emperor.

This is a feel-good manhwa that’s all about cute moments between Lyrica and the other characters. Her innocence and cheerfulness are the reason the story is enjoyable, and she perfectly matches the whimsical art style she is illustrated in.

8 My In-Laws Are Obsessed With Me

A Second Chance At Life Reveals Secrets Of The Word

• MyAnimeList Score: 7.93
• Author: Yoonseol Han
• Illustrator: Seungu
• Published: 2021 to Present
• Genres/Theme: Fantasy, Romance, Time Travel

Time-travel manhwa usually start with the death of the main character. In My In-Laws are Obsessed with Me, Pereshati is poisoned by her fiancé and step-family but wakes up to find that she has gone back in time. To survive, she asks for a marriage contract with Duke Lapileon.

While the beginnings of this story seem ordinary, it evolves into a much more nuanced drama with mystery elements. With less focus on romance, the characters have more depth and become more sophisticated as they are part of the story rather than accessories to it.

7 Marriage Of Convenience

One Woman’s Second Chance At Happiness

• MyAnimeList Score: 7.95
• Author: Ken
• Illustrator: Ant Studio
• Published: 2022 to Present
• Genres/Theme: Fantasy, Romance, Time Travel

For Bianca, who had seen everything she loved disappear, going back in time was a blessing. Though she is a typical returner using her knowledge of the future to succeed, it’s okay because each action she takes means one step toward growing up. Before, she was just an immature young lady.

With Bianca realizing who she wants to be, she sees the people around her in a new light, especially her husband. Their relationship is what makes the story great, even with all the political drama in the background.

6 My Life As A Loser

A Bully Relives His Victim’s Life

• MyAnimeList Score: 7.96
• Author: Tae-Jun Park
• Illustrator: Seonwook Jeon
• Published: 2019 to 2020
• Genres/Theme: Action, Drama, School, Time Travel

Bullying is a popular topic in school manhwa, usually displaying the harshest forms of abuse ever seen. It’s normally the victim who goes back in time to stop the bullying from happening, but that’s not the case here. Having the bully go back in time to relive the victim’s trauma is a great twist to the My Life as a Loser narrative.

Despite being filled with comedic moments, this story does not stray from the overall lesson it’s trying to teach. It puts the consequences of bullying at the forefront without making the story too dark.

5 The Broken Ring: This Marriage Will Fail Anyway

A Woman Gives Up After Her Many Lives

• MyAnimeList Score: 7.97
• Author: Chacha Kim
• Illustrator: Cheong-gwa
• Published: 2022 to Present
• Genres/Theme: Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Time Travel

At first, the story of The Broken Ring: This Marriage Will Fail Anyway would appear to be about Ines getting revenge on her cheating husband, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Ines Valeztena is a fantastic main character who portrays the trauma of living and dying in multiple lives.

This manhwa is a slow burn, and it takes a long time for the main characters to actually fall in love, but it’s not done superficially. Each character is their own person with their thoughts and doubts, but thankfully, basic communication is not the driving force behind this story.

4 Debut Or Die

A Man Has No Choice But To Be An Idol

• MyAnimeList Score: 8.12
• Author: Deoksoo Baek
• Illustrator: Soheun
• Published: 2022 to Present
• Genres/Theme: Drama, Idols (Male), Psychological, Reincarnation, Time Travel

There are many stories about idols or becoming idols, but even so, this one is unique. The protagonist of Debut or Die wakes up in the body of Park Moondae three years into the past, and when he emulates the stories he’s read, his status window tells him he must debut as an idol or die.

This story is made by its fantastic characters and the introspection they go through. They feel like real people who are anxious about their flaws and worried about how they’re seen. It’s also a good look at the entertainment industry, even if it’s highly dramatized.

3 SSS-Class Suicide Hunter

The Strongest Hunter Rewinds Time In the Worst Way

• MyAnimeList Score: 8.23
• Author: Sinnoa
• Illustrator: Bill K
• Published: 2020 to Present
• Genres/Theme: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Time Travel

SSS-Class Suicide Hunter is a tower-climbing fantasy but not like any seen before. The main character, Kim Gong-ja, gains the ability to go back in time by happenstance. Unfortunately, he can only go back 24 hours and only when he has died. Like a normal, sane person, he ends his own life over 4,000 times to stop the man who killed him.

Just the premise of this story makes it unique, but the actual plot and characters are also very well written. Though action and battles are abundant, the protagonist balances it out with his overwhelming kindness toward entities in the tower.

2 A Stepmother’s Marchen

An Unloved Matriarch Must Live Again

• MyAnimeList Score: 8.19
• Author: Nyangi-wa Hyangsinnyo
• Illustrator: ORKA
• Published: 2019 to Present
• Genres/Theme: Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Time Travel

In this story, the main character, Shuli, is upset about being in the past. She’d worked for seven long years to manage her household and raise her ungrateful children, and having to go through that again was daunting.

A Stepmother’s Marchen is a heartwarming story of a stepmother trying to bond with her stepchildren, but beyond that, there is something darker. The drama of this story is emphasized through the wonderful art that portrays it, using deep shadows and high contrast to change the atmosphere when needed.

1 I Shall Master This Family

The Youngest Daughter Must Save The Family

• MyAnimeList Score: 8.33
• Author: Roah Kim
• Illustrator: Mon
• Published: 2021 to Present
• Genres/Theme: Fantasy, Time Travel

The Lombardis are like the Medici in real life; they are a family of wealth and power that could sway an entire kingdom. In this story, Firentia Lombardi returns to being a young girl and has her sights set on being the master of the house and saving her family.

I Shall Master This Family is a different type of power fantasy. Instead of magic and powers, Firentia flexes her knowledge of economics and politics. It’s not as explosive, but it’s still satisfying to see her strategies and machinations come to fruition.