Parents' Guide to Solo Leveling

TV Crunchyroll Anime 2024
Solo Leveling TV poster: Jin-woo, holding a knife, crouches by monsters. A stronger Jinwoo stands behind with a bloody blade.

Common Sense Media Review

By Danae Stahlnecker , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 16+

Modern fantasy anime has intense, gamified violence.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 16+?

Any Positive Content?

  • Solo Leveling: A group of adventures gathering in front of a closed door in a dungeon.
  • Solo Leveling: Jin-woo looks up in fright. A woman lies on the floor next to him.
  • Solo Leveling: A giant stone statue grins with malice, eyes glowing creepily.
  • Solo Leveling: Magical energy sparks as Jin-woo pulls a weapon from a holographic screen.

Parent and Kid Reviews

See all
age 13+

Based on 14 parent reviews

 

 

See all 14 parent reviews
age 13+

Based on 21 kid reviews

Kids say the TV show is highly recommended for teens and adults who enjoy action and can handle mild to moderate levels of violence and gore. While many praise the engaging storyline and character development, some reviewers feel that the plot lacks coherence and becomes a bit muddled, causing mixed reactions about its overall quality.

  • violence and gore
  • engaging storyline
  • recommend for teens
  • mixed quality reactions
  • character development
Summarized with AI
 

 

See all 21 kid reviews

What's the Story?

SOLO LEVELING is the story of underdog hunter Sung Jin-woo (voiced by Aleks Le) getting a second chance at life -- and at greatness. After a brutal experience in a deadly dungeon, Sung Jin-woo wakes up in the hospital with the ability to see a video-game screen visible only to him. He quickly learns that completing the screen's daily quests helps him "level up" his real-life body and skills.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 14 ):
Kids say ( 21 ):

This Korean webtoon turned anime is a fan-favorite series for good reason. Solo Leveling is a high-stakes drama with shocking violence that's definitely not meant for younger viewers. That said, the show handles trauma, violence, and personal growth with nuanced maturity. It's good for viewers looking for complicated protagonists and a modern fantasy world where danger -- no matter how fantastical -- has serious consequences.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about characters' strengths. What were Jing-woo's strengths at the start of the story? What new strengths does he gain? What does Jing-woo have to give up in order to gain these new skills?

  • Families can talk about the responsibility of power. The Chairman of the Hunters' Association says in a training video that it's important for hunters to remember to "be afraid and stay humble." Why does he say this is important? What happens to characters who forget this?

  • Families can talk about violence and power. What is the relationship between strength, power, and violence in this show? How does this affect affect characters and the way they handle their trauma?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by

Solo Leveling TV poster: Jin-woo, holding a knife, crouches by monsters. A stronger Jinwoo stands behind with a bloody blade.

What to Watch Next

See all

Best Anime Movies

See all

Anime TV for Teens and Tweens

See all recommended tv lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate