Best Isekai Manhwa With Grand Adventure Quests

Summary

• Characters need motivation for a compelling story – quests help drive growth and exploration.
• Big quests in fantasy provide flexible storytelling and allow for in-depth exploration.
• Protagonists with clear goals, like seeking revenge, add depth and complexity to a story.

One of the most important aspects of a story is the main character’s motivation, the reason they embark on their journey in the first place. Without one, the protagonist tends to feel flat and unrelatable, leaving the plot with nowhere to go. Characters will not grow or face difficulty if they don’t have a goal or any sort of ambition to strive toward.

In fantasy, quests are a common way to provide an objective for the story while forcing characters out of their comfort zone. Big quests also leave room for flexibility, allowing the author to add as much to the plot as they want. Long adventures usually include fantastic world-building and in-depth exploration of the important characters.

8

FFF-Class Trashero

When The Hero Turns Evil

• MyAnimeList Score: 7.20
• Published: 2019 to Present
• Genres/Themes: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Isekai, Time Travel
• Author: Parnar
• Illustrator: Kkangmu

Summoned heroes in isekai are usually given the same quest: kill the demon lord. That’s how it was for Kang Han-Soo. However, after ending his journey and completing his quest, his reward of going home was withheld because of his failing grades as a hero. Although he was strong, he had no social skills and killed all the comrades who traveled with him. He was then required to restart his quest from the beginning when he was first summoned to Fantasia.

FFF-Class Trashero is actually a parody of the classic hero’s mission. In his second attempt, rather than improve his sociability, Han-Soo begins brute forcing his way through everything and manipulating the people around him. At a certain point, he stops being the hero. His ultimate goal is to go back to Earth, so he does whatever he can to accomplish that, even if it means becoming a demon lord himself.

7

The World After The Fall

Journey To The Center Of The World

• MyAnimeList Score: 7.55
• Published: 2022 to Present
• Genres/Themes: Action, Fantasy
• Author: sing N song
• Illustrator: Undead Gamja

Not all quests are given. Sometimes people embark on quests to find their own answers. In this manhwa, Jaehwan escapes the nightmare tower he was trapped in and begins a sojourn across dimensions to find who controls the system. He intends to fight the people who made the towers and anyone else who gets in his way, even the gods who created the world.

Jaehwan’s quest is an extremely long one, so it’s important to keep readers’ attention until his journey ends. The author is able to do that by introducing new characters and locations. The World After the Fall is good because each area feels different and has a unique cast of characters, always bringing something new to the table. It does get convoluted at times, it’s not necessary to understand everything to enjoy the journey.

6

Second Life Ranker

Everything For Revenge

• MyAnimeList Score: 7.63
• Published: 2019 to Present
• Genres/Themes: Action, Fantasy, Isekai
• Author: Sadoyeon
• Illustrator: Nongnong

Quests for vengeance are common in fantasy stories, usually for the protagonists themselves. This manhwa focuses on Cha Yeonwoo’s vengeance for his brother, who had been challenging the Sun God’s tower for a special medicine to help their mother. Unfortunately, he was betrayed and ultimately killed before he could return home. Yeonwoo decides to challenge the tower himself to find the truth and punish the people who betrayed his brother.

Second Life Ranker is a classic isekai that fuses many fantasy archetypes to create its story. Not only is it a tower-climbing manhwa, but it also involves gods and deities that exert influence over the challengers. As a revenge story, it has a steady focus, but as the story progresses, it gets more and more convoluted to the point that it gets hard to follow. That’s how a lot of manhwa with large plots tend to be.

5

Level Up With The Gods

Preparing For A War Beyond The Tower

• MyAnimeList Score: 7.72
• Published: 2021 to Present
• Genres/Themes: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Time Travel
• Author: Heuk Ain
• Illustrator: Ohyeon

Like many other manhwa protagonists, Kim Yuwon is asked to save the world in this manhwa. After being defeated by the Outer Gods, the remaining Inner Gods decide to send one person into the past to prepare for the inevitable war, and that person is Kim Yuwon. He must go through the tutorial once again and climb the tower with the goal of uniting the challengers and growing stronger. They’ll only defeat the Outer Gods by standing together.

Out of all tower manhwa, Level Up With The Gods stands out because of its unique art style and fantastic world-building. While the plot isn’t anything new, the attention to detail in the characters and setting makes the story feel more real despite incorporating many myths and religions. Yuwon is also more mature than other protagonists, so there’s less fluff in this story. He has his goals and wants to achieve them as soon as possible.

4

Latna Saga: Survival Of A Sword King

Gods Need Help Saving The World

• MyAnimeList Score: 7.74
• Published: 2019 to Present
• Genres/Themes: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Isekai
• Author: Kyung-bae Yim
• Illustrator: Soonkyu Kwon

For many isekai protagonists, the main goal is to go home. This is especially true for Ryu Han-Bin who was stuck in the tutorial for twenty years. After arriving on Latna, it’s not long until he learns that Otherworlders are hated and seen as threats to society. His only option is to hide his identity until he can find a way back to Earth. Unfortunately, things aren’t so simple as he gets involved in various schemes and evil plots.

Survival Of A Sword King is great because of its excellent character writing. Han-Bin’s goals change throughout the story for various reasons, but it’s mostly due to his own sense of morality. He goes through tremendous growth on his adventure as he learns to trust others and makes connections with different people. Slowly, he’s able to match his emotional strength to his physical strength.

3

Ending Maker

Gamers Stop The End Of The World

• MyAnimeList Score: 7.78
• Published: 2022 to Present
• Genres/Themes: Action, Fantasy, Romance, Isekai
• Author: Chwiryong
• Illustrator: Does

Games use quests to provide information to the player and make the story progress, but what happens when the game becomes real life? Ending Maker is a story about the top two players from Legend of Heroes 2 being transported inside the game as Yuder Bayel and Cordelia Chace. Using their years of experience and knowledge of the game, they must level up and get stronger to prevent the ending of the game. Otherwise, the world will be destroyed.

In most isekai, there is a single protagonist, so having two in this story is actually very interesting. Yuder is more strategic and calculating, while Cordelia focuses on pure firepower. Their dynamic is entertaining because they still act like gamers despite their setting. Their rivalry is a huge part of their relationship and what makes this manhwa so fun.

2

Lout Of Count’s Family

Saving The World To Live Comfortably

• MyAnimeList Score: 7.82
• Published: 2020 to Present
• Genres/Themes: Fantasy, Isekai, Reincarnation
• Author: Ryeo Han Yu
• Illustrator: PAN4

In most isekai stories, survival is the number one priority for the protagonist, making sure they stay safe. Cale Henituse is no different. After being reincarnated as Cale from the book “Birth of a Hero,” the protagonist devotes time, money, and effort to making sure he can live through the book’s events. This includes making allies, starting a business, traveling the world for resources, and collecting ancient powers.

Although his efforts toward safety may seem small, Cale goes above and beyond to ensure his future. Using knowledge of the book, he makes it his mission to stop all future conflicts that would inevitably plunge the world into chaos. He stops terrorist groups, civil wars, and monsters from wreaking havoc. While it may have started as a checklist of precautions, the story does evolve into a grand quest to protect the world.

1

SSS-Class Revival Hunter

Dying To Climb The Tower

• MyAnimeList Score: 8.27
• Published: 2020 to Present
• Genres/Themes: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Time Travel
• Author: Sinnoa
• Illustrator: Bill K

The goal of most tower manhwa is to reach the top. For Kim Gong-ja, it’s more than that. After dying at the hands of the Flame Emperor, he realizes that the world is corrupt and only benefits the strong. Using a newly acquired skill, he’s able to go back in time and start his journey in the tower. Rather than monopolize everything for himself, he plans to establish a cooperative network with other guilds, so everyone has access to resources they need.

In comparison to other regression stories, SSS-Class Revival Hunter stands out because of its focus on the community rather than the individual. Gong-ja goes through amazing growth in each story arc, but his own goals are focused on the collective well-being of the tower community. It makes him a much more interesting protagonist in comparison to others in similar stories.