Central to shaping narratives and world-building, power systems are a critical element of manhwa, specifically action-focused manhwa, and the world of manhwa boasts an array of such power systems. These imaginative power systems add depth to the stories they're incorporated into. Readers are drawn into the worlds of these manhwa not just by the compelling narrative and profound characterization but also by the allure of discovering, understanding, and witnessing the seemingly endless potential these captivating power systems hold.

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Not only do they serve to entertain, but they are also a platform for exploring thematic tropes about character development and responsibility and the consequences of being able to wield such powers. As a result, power systems are now essential parts relevant to manhwa genres, and below are some of the best to be seen so far.

10 Relics (Tomb Raider King)

The storyline of the Tomb Raider King Manhwa centers on the relic power system, which resulted from the appearance of the God Tombs. These God Tombs mysteriously start appearing worldwide, and within them are found mysterious relics: objects based majorly on mythology, historical figures, and even folk tales. Unlike typical power systems inherent within humans, these relics are imbued with power.

These powers are, in turn, accessible to the bearer of the relics, and it goes without saying that the higher the number of quality relics an individual possesses, the more powerful the individual is. Following the regression of Seo Joo-Heon, the story's protagonist, he uses the knowledge and experience from his previous life to get ahead of every other tomb raider, making himself the titular Tomb Raider King.

9 Constellations ( Return Of The Disaster-Class Hero)

The concept of the Constellation power system in this manhwa is adopted from astrology's most famous zodiac constellations. According to the manhwa, the original 13 zodiacs of the constellations were originally members of the Creator Tribe, the greatest craftsmen of the Divine World. The 13 Zodiac constellations are essentially divine beings who choose proxies on Earth to demonstrate their power and help save humanity from calamities. These proxies are called Saints and are representatives of the zodiac Gods, possessing their power attributes and are responsible for amassing human faith in these divine beings. For each constellation, a hierarchy exists much like a religion, but instead, they are called Divine Cadres, and in these Cadres are disciples.

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The higher up in a divine cadre a disciple is, the higher the power of the Zodiac constellation the disciple can exert through the influence of the Zodiac constellation. However, the amount of power accessible to these Divine Cadres is directly proportional to the amount of faith their respective Zodiac constellations can garner. A notable feature of the Constellation power system is its organizational structure and easy understanding, all of which make for a straightforward reading experience.

8 Talents (Ordeal)

The premise of the Talent power system is interesting as, according to the Ordeal manhwa, it is inherent within Kimyos. Kimyos are said to have come about due to an evolution in human genetic composition, which resulted in the creation of an entirely new human species: one said to be genetically superior to the average human. Kimyos possess higher physical parameters compared to ordinary humans and are born with special abilities called talents. These talents have 16 classifications: Corrode, Creation, Elemental, Haste, Hide, Kinesis, Power, Psychic, Range Control, Range, Shift, State, Support, Toxic, Void, and Warp. A talent can fall within multiple classifications, and talents are only manifested through Chi, The inner energy that all Kimyos possess.

Talents can be transferred, as with Leo Thomas and the protagonist, Che Heart, but talent transfers can only happen when a Kimyo is about to die, and talents can be split into parts. Talents also reappear after the Kimyos that possess them die off, a phenomenon that started first with Four Great Talents. The talent power system embedded in the Ordeal manhwa is complex but rather interesting as it ties into mythology and lore, which adds further depth to the story.

7 Awakening ( Solo Leveling)

Awakening is a phenomenon that began to occur after the Gate first appeared, according to the Solo Leveling manhwa. By awakening, humans started to develop powers and abilities to fight the monsters that spawned from these gates. The Hunter occupation is created with only awakened humans being able to kill the monsters and beasts. After awakening, Hunters are ranked by an international S-E system to determine various levels of strength, with S being the strongest and E the weakest. Further, hunters are divided into two classes: Combat and Non-combat.

They are subdivided into six types: Fighters, Mages, Assassins, Mages, Healers, Tankers, and Rangers. To qualify as a hunter, one must be awakened, and not all awakened are necessarily hunters. Still, all hunters are awakened, with the awakening process a prerequisite to obtaining a hunter license.

6 Jungle Juice ( Jungle Juice)

Jungle Juice's ability concept is adopted from insects and their various characteristics. According to the manhwa, Jungle Juice is a compound chemical disguised as bug spray created by a mysterious company and, upon usage on a human, will give such an individual the abilities and characteristics of a specific insect.

The chemical compound even goes as far as altering physical features to replicate parts of the particular insect peculiar to the human in question, as was the case with the story's protagonist, Jang Suchan, who gained the complex of a dragonfly. Through the Jungle Juice, Insect humans were created, and alongside them were the various insect complexes peculiar to each insect human.

5 Dice (Dice: The Cube That Changes Everything)

The story of Dice: The Cube That Changes Everything revolves around the Dice artifacts. Dice first appeared sometime in the past by falling to Earth, precisely to a slum in South Korea, a phenomenon that implies that Dice are not of human origins. These Dice can grant their users different physical and supernatural abilities. According to the series, the first known human to come in contact with Dice became X, the story's villain.

Users of Dice are called Dicers, and Dice can be produced by using the desires of Dicers as fuel. Like currency, the Dice are the source of all the abilities employed within the story, as a person must be a Dicer to have his wishes granted. Dice are further classified into ranks and types: Ordinary, A Rank, and S Rank Dice, and types are Soul, Enchant, and Ancient Dice. Dicers are grouped according to the ranking of their Dice, giving the seemingly chaotic game a structure. Essentially, the heart of the story, the Dice, are the enabling variant of all characters involved.

4 Mana ( The Great Mage Returns After 4000 Years)

The Great Mage Returns After 4000 Years is a fantasy manhwa based on the premise of magic. According to the series, magic practice is only possible through mana manipulation. Mana is life energy found in all things but much more with humans. Similar to humans and other creatures who are reliant on mana to perform magic, demigods operate on divine power, an equivalent of mana in the series.

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In the manhwa, mana and divine power, although of similar essence, cannot theoretically coexist as mana is an inferior equivalent of demigods’ energy and a symbolic representation of human mortality, and in alignment with the story’s narrative, the critical element of power. The strength of a mage's magic is classified into numbered stars, ranking 1-star to as high as an 8-star, with the highest achieved in humanity's history being 8-star by the great mage, Lucas Traumen, who is now the story's protagonist as Frey Blake.

3 God Candidate ( God Game)

The storyline for the God Game manhwa revolves entirely around the God Game: a ruthless, no-holds-barred, bloody contest that can only be won by the last surviving candidate. Masterminded by the being called God, the God Game can only be played by humans chosen as God candidates and, in rare cases, actual Gods.

The God candidature of these humans is the foundation for the ability concept embedded in the story, as the God candidates possess supernatural abilities but can only do so through the influence of a god. Each candidate is allowed to contract with any number of gods to gain power, and in reverse, a god can decide which player to become its champion through the course of the God Game.

2 Shinsu ( Tower Of God)

Shinsu is a vital element of the Tower. It is a life essence produced by the Tower and used by its inhabitants. Shinsu has many uses and can provide different abilities and advantages to its users based on their knowledge, skill, and talent. There are two types of Shinsu: Natural and Man-Controlled, but the difference between them still needs to be clarified. Shinsu can only be controlled through Direct Control by highly talented individuals, contracts made with floor administrators, or items due to its volatility.

Shinsu can be controlled and manipulated into different elements or forms by finding 'Shinsu Qualities.' Those who can control and manipulate it without a contract or special items are called Irregulars. A Baang is the basic unit of Shinsu manipulation, measuring an individual's skill. Myun refers to the size of a Baang, and Soo is its concentration. Shinsu is a complex ability that plays a significant role in the Tower Of God series.

1 Charyeok (God of High School)

The power concept employed in the series is known as 'Charyeok,' which, when translated, means Borrowed Power. The concept borrows strength from supernatural entities, from gods to demons. The type of god an individual borrows its power determines the kind of power they will receive. By contracting with these supernatural entities, the user can shape it through their imagination as their unique ability.

The strength of a person's Charyeok is measured in God Points (GP), and the prolonged use of Charyeok will result in physical drawbacks such as fatigue. Charyeoks are gained mainly by proactive contracting and, in rare instances, are implanted into the user. Relatively easy to comprehend, the concept of Charyeok also leaves room for imagination, but, ironically, the story's protagonist doesn't use Charyeok as he turns out to be a god himself: Sun Wukong, The Monkey King.

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