As one of the standout modern action anime on Crunchyroll, Solo Leveling—much like its original manhwa—paved the way for a wave of similar adaptations. With the hit series taking a break this year, Crunchyroll has rolled out a new contender that bears a striking resemblance: Tomb Raider King. Right out of the gate, the series sparked fan discussions due to its parallels with Solo Leveling, ranging from its unique power scaling system to its protagonist, Seo Jooheon, who commands a commanding, aura-driven presence akin to Sung Jinwoo.
Yet, Tomb Raider King fast-tracks several major tropes that Solo Leveling only adopted much later in its run. For instance, Jooheon is ruthless and ready to eliminate anyone in his path from the very beginning, whereas Jinwoo only reached that cold-blooded resolve following severe betrayal. Furthermore, the series introduces romantic elements early on—something Solo Leveling has largely avoided—consistently outpacing its predecessor by accelerating these plot points. However, recent episodes take this acceleration to an extreme, having Jooheon pull off feats that fans won’t see Jinwoo achieve until much later seasons, ultimately upending the show’s narrative flow.
Crunchyroll’s Solo Leveling Replacement Is Pacing Too Fast, and It Might Hurt the Narrative
In Tomb Raider King Episode 6, when Taejoon attempts to dominate Jooheon and force his submission, a cascade of other relics awakens, triggering a massive turning point where tombs appear worldwide. Amidst this chaos, Jooheon faces off against powerful Egyptian relics—god-tier entities deeply tied to the tombs’ origins. The narrative confirms that the Crow’s power bestowed upon Jooheon originates from these exact divine artifacts. The introduction of these god-tier entities hints at a threat that should theoretically surpass Jooheon’s current abilities.
Instead, Jooheon outsmarts and defeats these divine relics almost instantly, even making them bow to him. The episode wraps up with him gathering multiple new relics and eliminating Taejoon, the primary antagonist from his past life. While these moments look flashy, they ultimately damage the story’s pacing by catapulting the main character to supreme power without sufficient emotional weight or struggle to make those victories feel earned. Consequently, while Tomb Raider King tries to outdo Solo Leveling by delivering badass protagonist moments early on, it sacrifices the gradual, satisfying progression that made Jinwoo’s rise so captivating.
This is a missed opportunity, especially given that Jooheon’s story has a built-in advantage Solo Leveling lacked: a core motivation rooted in revenge. Because vengeance drives Jooheon, the plot should have stretched out the conflict with his enemies over a longer period. Taking this gradual approach would have made his eventual triumphs much more satisfying while helping the series forge its own unique identity separate from Solo Leveling. Ultimately, what initially drew viewers to Tomb Raider King—its breakneck speed—is now turning into its greatest hurdle. Even with these pacing flaws, it still serves as an entertaining watch for fans looking to fill the Solo Leveling-shaped void on Crunchyroll.