Summary
- Manhwa offers numerous titles showcasing protagonists with incredible combat skills using hand-to-hand combat.
- Some isekai manhwa protagonists refuse to be heroes, becoming anti-heroes, villains, or simply adapting to a new world.
- Stories like “The Breaker” and “Weak Hero” feature intense action, character growth, and jaw-dropping art in martial arts narratives.
Manhwa has a particularity of offering thousands of tropes and specific genres, where heroes fight only using hand-to-hand combat, for example. In this particular case, there are countless titles about main characters developing incredible combat skills that use their entire bodies as lethal weapons to fight against evil.
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These isekai Manhwa protagonists simply refuse to be heroes, becoming villains, anti-heroes, or simply trying to exist in their new world.
In some cases though, evil fights back, and they have to contend with some of the most dangerous street fighters in the world. Heroes fall, heroes rise, and anti-heroes are also roaming around in these tales of martial prowess and cool combat scenes. This topic focuses on the best action manhwa that focuses on hand-to-hand combat, keeping in mind how good their action scenes are, character designs, and storytelling quality.
7
The Breaker
An Intense Hand-To-Hand Experience
- Genres: Urban Fantasy, Martial Arts, Drama, Shounen, Action, Adventure
- Author: Jeon Geuk-jin
- Artist: Kamaro (Park Jin-hwan)
The Breaker has become a classic among lovers of martial arts manhwa. Its impressive story is about a mild-mannered student named Shioon Yi, who after a fateful encounter with a mysterious martial artist begins his training and path to become the strongest in the world.
With its beautiful art, intense action scenes, and a growth-type hero as the main character, The Breaker and its direct sequel The Breaker: New Waves, are stories built for those who enjoy true martial arts action with not an ounce of filling.
6
ELECEED
Quickly Climbing The Rankings As One Of The Best Fighting Manhwa
- Genre: Shonen, Action, Comedy, Urban Fantasy, Martial Arts
- Author: Jeho Son
- Artist: ZHENA
Eleceed narrates the tale of Jiwoo, a young man with a special ability, who has been hiding it for the last fifteen years from the rest of the world, for fear of being pointed out as a freak, and taken by the government to experiment on. But as he meets a stray cat, who happens to be a superhuman in disguise, his life takes a twist.
Accompanied by his master Kayden he starts to train as an awakened, and lots of hand-to-hand battles follow his intromission into the secret world of super-powered people who fight for supremacy from the shadows. A great tale of friendship, filial love, and overcoming weakness through hard work.
5
Reality Quest
His Fists Carve A Bloody Path To Truth
- Genre: Urban Fantasy, Martial Arts, Drama
- Author: Lee Joo-woon
- Artist: Lee Joo-woon
One of the best manhwa to start reading this year, Reality Quest offers a thrilling tale of self-reinvention through hard work, with the help of a mysterious quest system that guides the main character toward the truth about what happened with his father. An orphan seeking justice, a shady group of young delinquents, and a battle for supremacy that will set the stage for a series of dramatic encounters.
This series is a must-read for every lover of martial arts and hand-to-hand combat. With jaw-dropping art and incredibly detailed action scenes, the story of the timid Ha Dowan from being a bullied weakling, to a powerful street thug that will break everything (and everyone) in his path to justice, is a masterpiece.
4
Gosu
Underrated, Yet One Of The Best Fighting Manhwa
- Genres: Historical Drama, Martial Arts, Comedy, Adventure, Battle Manhwa
- Author: Giun Ryu
- Artist: Mun Jeong Hoo
A revenge tale following Gang Ryong, a martial artist like few others in the world. Behind his cheerful demeanor lies a tiger on the prowl, a powerful fighter disciple of the sage known as the Destroyer of the Heavens. Gang Ryong works as a tavern delivery boy and has traveled far and wide living dozens of adventures and having fateful encounters with many other martial artists and memorable characters.
Gosu is a masterfully made martial arts tale, heavily inspired by classic martial arts movies, with a speck of humor and beautiful art that reflects the fluidity of martial arts like few other stories of the genre.
3
Weak Hero
Good Enough To Deserve Its Own Movie
- Genres: Martial Arts, Drama, School Life, Action, Shounen
- Author: Seopass
- Artist: Razen (Kim Jin-seok)
This story is about Gray Yeon, a feeble-bodied student who everyone abuses because they think he is weak. But Gray Yeon hides a sharp mind and an audacity that few others can imitate. His unique combat style makes him a master of improvised tactics, using the environment and whatever it is at his disposal to counter his foes and overpower them despite his weaker body build.
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This manhwa is great because it focuses on friendship and the power of those who are a minority, instead of spotlighting the most popular kids at school, like most shonen series do. Throughout this story, Gray Yeon evolves greatly, reaching the pinnacle of human physical capabilities and earning the surname White Mamba. It’s a cool and refreshing take on street-fighting/martial arts dramas.
2
Mercenary Enrollment
A Battle-Hardened Young Man Decided To Become A Protector Of The Weak
- Genres: Action, Drama, Martial Arts, Battle Manhwa, Adventure, School Drama
- Author: YC
- Artist: Rakyeon
Ijin Yu lost his parents at a young age, and he was thrown into a spiral of violence, survival, and constant danger. Forced to become a mercenary in a foreign country, he developed a powerful series of abilities, a very particular set of skills that make him a nightmare for those who oppress the weak.
And if readers managed to catch that reference, it is because the main character of the series is the very representation of that movie character. Cool and collected, determined, ruthless, and relentless. He will use his battle-earned skills not only to survive the bullies in the academy but to protect those oppressed by them. A great story, with great action scenes.
1
Infinite Leveling: Murim
A Warrior Goes Back In Time And Becomes The Most Powerful Martial Artist
- Genre: Martial Arts, Adventure, Action, Time Travel, Shounen
- Author: Gonbung
- Artist: Jinwoo Kim
Dan Yuuseong died on the battlefield, as he desperately tried to protect a mysterious item from a band of robbers. He then regressed back in time, to his days prior to becoming a mercenary and soldier of the Murim Alliance. Deciding to do things differently this time, and unlocking a mysterious Quest System, he started a journey to become the most powerful martial artist in the world.
Through incredible fighting scenes, heartwarming friendship moments, and dramatic storytelling, Infinite Leveling: Murim tells an incredible tale of adventure and overcoming weakness through sheer force of will. A must-read for those who love hand-to-hand combat scenes, though the main character is also a weapon master.
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