The Korean equivalent of manga, manhwa boasts many appealing genres for which the industry is famous. Alongside these genres are subgenres, which are equally as popular and attractive to various audiences, and one such subgenre is that of the 'overpowered main character.' These characters usually possess abilities, strengths, and skills far surpassing their peers, making them formidable in their respective stories.

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The best manhwa with these such characters can often combine action properly, character-driven narratives revolving around power dynamics and their consequences, and simultaneously create compelling tales. These overpowered central characters become the focus of thrilling battles and sources of exhilarating entertainment. The best part, however, is that the overpowered trope is not limited to just the protagonist, as there could be multiple overpowered central characters to a manhwa, making for a more engaging read. Below are some of the best manhwa that employ the overpowered trope.

Updated May 13, 2024, by Emedo Destiny: The manhwa medium's most used trope in recent times, arguably, is the 'overpowered' trope, and understandably so. Despite having a multitude of appealing tropes and subgenres, there is just much appeal regarding the concept of having a character powerful enough to alter the events of their respective realms in pursuit of their goals and objectives. Even better is the excitement and thrill for readers who get to watch these characters into such powerful entities, regardless of whatever side they are on. These recommendations include best manhwa whose characters fit into this category, as well as for readers with such preferences.

15 Reaper Of The Drifting Moon

Pyo Wol

• Author: Woogack, Inkyo
• Other Genres: Action, Fantasy
• Release Years: Ongoing

The Reaper Of The Drifting Moon explores the extremities of martial arts thrillingly and excitingly. The series focuses on the central character, Pyo Wol, an orphan who gleefully looks to wander and explore the Jianghu. Pyo Wol's life turns dark when he bumps into a mysterious man and loses consciousness. He awakens to darkness in a confined space, with nothing to rely on but his senses.

Pyo Wol quickly discovers that he has been kidnapped alongside several other children his age. What follows for Pyo Wol and the other children is a grueling and deadly transformation into the perfect assassins over several months. Desperate to survive, Pyo Wol must fight to remain among the handful to be chosen. However, it remains to be seen if he can free himself from his captors.

14 Leveling With The Gods

Kim Yuwon

• Author: Heuk Ain, Ohyeon
• Other Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
• Release Years: Ongoing

Leveling With The Gods explores and combines fantasy and mythology rather interestingly in a world where legends of folklore are as real as they come. The story revolves around the central character and player, Kim Yuwon, an unparalleled genius never seen before in the Tower. Yuwon's ingenuity, however, only lasts for a short time as humanity is brought to the brink of destruction at the hands of the Outer Gods.

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Defeated, and the lone survivor, Yuwon, with the aid of a gift, returns in time to start over. With just one goal in mind, Yuwon must conquer the Tower once more, this time even faster and stranger than before, if he is to prevent humanity's inevitable fate of destruction.

13 Player That Can't Level Up

Kim Gigyu

• Author: GavinGe, Park Jeongjae
• Other Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
• Release Years: Ongoing

The Player That Can't Level Up sets itself in a world where the supernatural is commonplace and is guided by the activities within the mysterious Tower of Babel. The series is centered around the life of the central character, Kim Gigyu, whose life has been filled with only hardships, such as looking after his sick mother and sister. Kim Gigyu thinks his life problems are over when he receives his invitation to become a player, and he also gets a unique ability.

However, his struggles only grew as he could not increase his level, no matter how hard he tried. After five years, however, Kim Gigyu finally discovers his ability to link with 'Egos' and can finally climb the tower. As he begins his quest, he begins to discover the hidden truths behind the appearance of the Tower.

12 Return Of The Mount Hua Sect

Chung Myung

• Author: LICO, Biga
• Other Genres: Action, Adventure Fantasy
• Release Years: Ongoing

The Return of The Mount Hua Sect focuses on the main character, Chung Myung, the prodigy of the Mount Hua Sect, who emerges as the lone survivor after the bloody battle against the Demonic Cult and its leader.

He eventually succumbs to his injuries, only to awaken a century later in the future as an orphaned child. Given a second chance at life, Chung Myung is shocked to discover his once glorious sect's crookedness and poor state. Driven by his under accomplishments in his previous life, Chung Myung embarks on a quest to restore Mount Hua to its former glory.

11 The Heavenly Demon Can't Live A Normal Life

Roman Dimitry

• Author: Sancheon, Altoran, Upu
• Other Genres: Action, Fantasy
• Release Years: Ongoing

The Heavenly Demon Can't Live A Normal Life explores the transition of the once supreme ruler of the Murim, Junghyeok Baek, to the life of the countryside noble, Roman Dimitri. The series focuses on the life of Junghyeok Baek after he is reincarnated as the embarrassing first son of the Dimitri Kingdom, Roman Dimitri.

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Having lived as the iron-handed demon emperor, Roman is ready to continue the life that took him to the pinnacle of martial arts on the continent of Salamander. However, to begin his quest for continental domination, Roman must first conquer the kingdom of Dimitri, but it remains to be seen how far he is willing to go for his goals.

10 Existence

Lee Ja-In

• Author: Gwang-Jin, Kim Kyungjun
• Other Genres: Action, Drama
• Release Years: Ongoing

Existence embodies the concept of 'overpowered' in its two central characters: the protagonist and the antagonist. The story focuses on the protagonist, Lee Ja-In, an existence that has lived countless lives as different forms of energy, constantly reincarnated repeatedly. Now, born a human, Lee Ja-In discovers he has the abilities of every one of his past lives.

For what purpose is he able to retain these abilities? He can only come to a single conclusion: the extermination of all humans. Having experienced the complexity of a human life, however, Lee Ja-In becomes unsure of the true purpose of his existence.

9 Player

Heo Seojin

• Author: Jong-seok PARK, Hyeon-jun OH
• Other Genres: Action, Adventure
• Release Years: Ongoing

Player is an Isekai manhwa that revolves around Heo Seojin, who is classified at his school as a loser even by those he thought to be his friends. His only escape from his tormenting reality is to read webtoons and imagine himself as one of those heroes in the webtoons he reads, bravely fighting for good.

Seojin's life, however, is about to take a wildly entertaining turn when he casually comments on the webtoon Player. This comment will lead him to the center of the webtoon's universe.

8 The Great Mage Returns After 4,000 Years

Frey Blake

• Author: Nakasan, Redice Studio
• Other Genres: Action, Fantasy
• Release Years: Ongoing

The Great Mage Returns After 4000 Years is a reincarnation fantasy manhwa that follows the protagonist, formerly Lucas Traumen, the greatest mage to live four millennia ago, who is reincarnated into the body of Frey Blake, the disgrace of the House of Blake. Now, Frey Blake, the opportunity for revenge against the Demigods and to prevent the destruction of humanity has opened up.

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Filled with hatred for Demigods who came close to destroying humanity four thousand years ago, when he, Lucas Traumen remained, Frey is determined to surpass even the Demigods themselves and prevent the impending destruction at the hands of Lord and the other demigods.

7 Second Life Ranker

Cha Yeon-Woo

• Author: Do-yeon SA, Nong-nong
• Other Genres: Action, Fantasy
• Release Years: Ongoing

Second Life Ranker is a fantasy tale of revenge, power, and adventure. The story is centered around Cha Yeon-Woo, who finds out about the death of his younger twin brother upon his return from military service.

Left with clues as to his brother's murder in a pocket watch, Yeon-Woo sets out to join The Obelisk, also known as the Tower, a mysterious structure leading to different dimensions and the place where his brother is murdered. Filled with anger, Yeon-Woo decides to also go to the Tower to find his brother's killer and become the strongest player while at it.

6 Nano Machine

Cheon Yeon-Woo

• Author: Hanjungwolya, Geumgangbulgoe
• Other Genres: Action, Fantasy
• Release Years: Ongoing

Nano Machine is a murim manhwa that follows the life of Cheon Yeon-Woo, an illegitimate child and one of the heirs to the seat of the Demonic Cult leader. Constantly berated and repeatedly endangered by other relatives, Yeon-Woo seemed destined to live at the bottom and at the mercy of others for all his life.

All that changes, however, when he is paid a visit from the future by his descendant. A visit that will change his life drastically and set him on the path to becoming the greatest martial artist of his era.

5 Legend Of The Northern Blade

Jin Mu-Won

• Author: Hae-Min, Woogack
• Other Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
• Release Years: Ongoing

The Legend of The Northern Blade series is a murim manhwa based on revenge, martial arts, and war. The story centers on Jin Mu-Won, the fifth-generation leader of the Northern Heavenly Sect. The Northern Heavenly Sect, created during the period of chaos and bloodshed, had the sole purpose of ensuring the protection of the Central Plains, and under the watch of Jin's father, Jin Kwan-Ho, the world came to know peace.

However, as time passed, conspiracies began to rise against the Northern, ultimately destroying sect bar one: Jin Mu-Won. Having witnessed the downfall of his becoming the last surviving member, Mu-Won bides his time, masking his martial ability and training in secret. At the appropriate time, he will begin his quest for revenge and shake the martial world to its core.

4 Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint

Kim Dokja

• Author: Singsyong, Sleepy-C
• Other Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
• Release Years: Ongoing

Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint is an apocalyptic dark fantasy manhwa based on survival, blending fictional and direct allusions to real-life lore and legends, mainly from Korea. The story focuses on the ordinary life of Kim Dokja, the sole reader of Ways of Survival: a novel written and published over a decade.

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All is well until the world is suddenly plunged into the premise of the novel Ways of Survival, making Kim Dokja's knowledge of the novel a vital part of his survival. With his unrivaled knowledge, he quickly becomes the center of unforeseen attraction and will become the singular cause of the derailment of the novel's original storyline. Determined to survive with his comrades, Kim Dokja will surpass the already set confines of his new reality.

3 Noblesse

Cadiz Etrama Di Raizel

• Author: Je-Ho SON, Gwang-Su LEE
• Other Genres: Action, Comedy, Fantasy
• Release Years: 2007–2019

Noblesse focuses on the being known as the Noblesse, Cadiz Etrama Di Raizel, who is known as the most powerful vampire. The story does a really great job of blending the fantastical with the mundane, creating an engaging and unique blend. After sleeping for the best part of a thousand years, Raizel awakens and realizes the world is no longer as he once knew.

Finally reunited with his loyal servant, Frankenstein, and having the semblance of an everyday life, Raizel is determined to keep this new life of his and will do everything he can to ensure it, regardless of whoever his enemies are. Being the Noblesse, Raizel must protect the balance between the ordinary society and the supernatural and defend against all those who seek to destroy that balance.

2 Solo Leveling

Sung Jin-Woo

• Author: Chugong
• Other Genres: Action, Fantasy
• Release Years: 2018–2023

Solo Leveling tells a tale of how the story's weakest becomes the strongest of all. The series is set in a fictional Earth where a Gate connecting to the monster world appears, connecting both together. With this new development, some humans develop special abilities and powers and can become hunters.

The story follows the protagonist, Sung Jin-Woo, the infamous E-rank hunter, thus the weakest hunter ever. However, Jin-Woo's status as the lowest-ranked hunter is about to change when he is miraculously the lone survivor of a genuinely horrific dungeon expedition he happens to be part of. Jin-Woo is chosen by a mysterious entity known as 'System' and is given the rare ability to level up beyond any known limits. With his newfound skill, Jin-Woo begins to become the strongest there is.

1 God Of High School

Jin Mori

• Author: Yong-Je Park
• Other Genres: Action, Fantasy
• Release Years: 2011–2022

Only befitting to be at the peak of the collective, The God of High School series takes the 'Overpowered trope to near inconceivable heights with not just one overpowered but three overpowered main characters.

The story follows Jin Mori, a high school student and Taekwondo specialist who enters to participate in the God of High School competition. He meets the story's other central characters, Han Daewi and Yoo Mira, and together, they compete to be the next God of high school. Unknown to them, the competition is only the first step to something transcending even the world itself.

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