Highlights
- Marvel’s success in the superhero genre has led to a surge in superhero media globally, with different forms and diverse portrayals.
- Manhwa creators are using unique concepts to explore superhero narratives, from villains turning heroes to comedic takes on superpowers.
- The world of superheroes in manhwa offers a mix of intense action, dark themes, comedy, and moral ambiguity, appealing to a wide audience.
In the last fifteen years, superheroes have taken over all forms of media, with their popularity and engagement rising with each release. This is due to the success of Marvel’s line of connected movies, which all culminated in the Avengers movies. Of course, superheroes were well-loved before, but the audience consuming that medium certainly grew after Marvel’s work in the genre.
All around the world, superheroes took many shapes and forms and were portrayed in different types of media. Comics are a huge part of superhero culture, with new movies and TV shows using them as source material for newer projects. Creators have taken to using manhwa as a means of telling different superhero stories.
1 Samadhi
MyAnimeList Score: 6.55
- Chapters: 38
- Published: 2021 to 2021
- Genres/Themes: Action, Supernatural, Super Power
- Author: Won-Sik Lee
- Illustrator: Ggulchan
Kim Yibak is a normal guy just trying to get by. Having no special traits or qualities, he’s resigned to living the same way forever. That all changes when his friend helps him awaken his superpower. Now Yibak is incredibly strong, and bullets bounce off his skin. He doesn’t need to use his powers until someone from his past appears and begins threatening him daily.
Rather than immediately becoming a hero, Yibak continues his daily life as if nothing happened, treating his powers as a cool trick rather than something life-changing. It’s his nonchalance and hesitation to take action that creates conflict for him in the story. However, this manhwa is short and doesn’t fully explore its themes in full.
2 The Superheroes Of Class F
MyAnimeList Score: N/A
- Published: 2023 to Present
- Genres/Themes: Action, Comedy, Super Power
- Author: Amon
- Illustrator: Hyeyeon and Boba
In a world where powers are granted through a person’s deep wishes, there are bound to be a variety of abilities that appear, and not all of them would be equal. Na Sangil can determine the birthday of someone he can see. It’s not exactly useful, so it lands him in F-class with the others who don’t have good powers. Treated like the butt of society, F-class kids face abuse and humiliation each day, but that changes when a new teacher wants them to kidnap the president.
A school for superheroes is a popular concept, as seen by My Hero Academia, but rather than a story about the best, this tale of the worst powers is actually very fun. Seeing niche powers being used to their full potential is hilarious, especially because most of them are just small gags. The story is quite short so far, but there’s more to look forward to.
3 Hero The Maximum
MyAnimeList Score: N/A
- Published: 2023 to Present
- Genres/Themes: Action, Super Power
- Author: Jaeyi Park
- Illustrator: Jaeyi Park
Han Gangchi has nothing he’s good at. His grades are terrible, and he has no skills to speak of except his ability to punch really hard. With nowhere else to go, he signs up to be a hero at the First Branch of Heroes. Although it doesn’t seem like he’ll do well, Gangchi can stun everyone with his abilities.
This may initially appear as a gag comic, a hero who can only punch, but it’s an intense read. The enemies are deadly and gruesome, and the author isn’t afraid to kill characters. Although the violence is typical of this genre, there is more blood than most superhero stories.
4 Rental Hero
MyAnimeList Score: 6.74
- Published: 2023 to Present
- Genres/Themes: Action, Super Power
- Author: Porto
- Illustrator: Kobet
Juwon Lee has the power to shapeshift into someone else, and he sells his services to heroes who need to be in two places at once. One day, he gets an offer from the number one hero, Justice, but on the day of their meeting, Juwon finds Justice dead. Now he must pretend to be Justice and find out what is really going on. The world of heroes is much more complex than he thought.
This story has a unique premise, and it’s carried out pretty well. Although the protagonist doesn’t seem that capable, his growth is displayed very well, so reading does feel more rewarding. That being said, there isn’t anything that makes this manhwa stand out. It’s very well-rounded.
5 Villain To Kill
MyAnimeList Score: 7.29
- Published: 2021 to Present
- Genres/Themes: Action, Super Power
- Author: Fupin
- Illustrator: Eunji
People with powers are divided into two groups depending on how they use their abilities. Villains are motivated by their desire and use their powers to do what they want. Psykers use their powers to fight villains and maintain peace. Cassian Lee was one of the best psykers, but he died after he was conspired against and betrayed. He reincarnates into the body of a high school student who suddenly becomes a villain.
This manhwa attempts to explore the moral ambiguity of heroes and villains. Cassian continues to help people when the moment arises but prioritizes his own goals above everything else. There are great fight scenes and interesting story beats, but for the most part, it’s a normal superpower manhwa.
6 Hand Jumper
MyAnimeList Score: N/A
- Published: 2022 to Present
- Genres/Themes: Action, Fantasy, Drama, Super Power
- Author: Sleepacross
- Illustrator: Sleepacross
Sayeon Lee hates aberrants, people with powers that are prone to violence and aggression. To keep them in control, they are government-mandated to work in an aberrant police force, risking their lives to fight off other aberrants. Unfortunately for Sayeon Lee, she’s an aberrant too. Now undergoing training to become an official officer, she must work with her team to rise in the ranks.
This manhwa shows the unique journey of a protagonist becoming a dark hero in her story. Sayeon Lee seems like a morally upright character with just a few family problems, but as the world she knows continues to change, she does too, making for an interesting path toward her goals.
7 I Don’t Want This Kind Of Hero
MyAnimeList Score: 7.47
- Chapters: 301
- Published: 2011 to 2017
- Genres/Themes: Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Supernatural, Super Power
- Author: Samchon
- Illustrator: Samchon
Overpowered protagonists have been popular for a while now and for good reason. It’s incredibly satisfying to see bad guys get what they deserve along with all the great visuals. However, some strong characters prefer to stay out of the spotlight. Naga is a normal student on the outside, but he’s capable of amazing things. He has x-ray vision, telekinesis, and teleportation. He only works for SPOON because it’s a government job with a guaranteed future.
This manhwa leans heavily toward the comedy side, but there are some great lessons to learn and understand through the story. It’s a great parody of all the clichés that are present in all superhero media, and with superheroes being so popular for so long, it’s a breath of fresh air.
8 Hero Killer
MyAnimeList Score: 7.53
- Published: 2021 to Present
- Genres/Themes: Action, Super Power
- Author: Kkulbeol
- Illustrator: Beolkkul
In this story, Ihwa is out for revenge. Her sister had been killed by Heroes, and now she is looking for the reason and the perpetrator behind it all. Underneath the grand facade, hero society has a dark underbelly, and Ihwa plans to expose it. However, she can’t do it alone. The villains in the world are the perfect partners for her since she’s ready to kill anyone who gets in her way.
Hero Killer contains a vast and complex world of superpowers, and the author does a great job showing the world and the status quo. Each aspect of this manhwa has depth, making it easy to be immersed in the story. There’s also a great balance between the dark moments and the lighthearted, comedic scenes.
9 Villain With A Crush
MyAnimeList Score: 7.63
- Published: 2022 to Present
- Genres/Themes: Romance, Super Power
- Author: Seyoon
- Illustrator: Seyoon
In a world where many people have superpowers and abilities, society relies on the special police to keep everyone safe. Han Doryeong is the face of the police, a powerful and kind officer with many fans. One of them is Park Rosa. She’d been saved by Doryeong once and has been obsessed since. However, every attempt at getting closer failed and sometimes caused catastrophic misunderstandings. Eventually, she became known as Blackdog, an S-rank villain set on killing Han Doryeong.
Stories of coincidence and untimely events can be great when done correctly and very frustrating when it isn’t. For these types of stories, the protagonist is very important, and luckily, Rosa is endearing enough for the story to be fun and not annoying. The cast of characters does a great job at adding variety to the story as well, so nothing feels repetitive.
10 Superhuman Era
MyAnimeList Score: 7.75
- Published: 2019 to Present
- Genres/Themes: Action, Super Power
- Author: Seop-I
- Illustrator: Seop-I
The world faces a threat called Inhumans, monsters that land on Earth and cause havoc and destruction. Modern weaponry does little in the way of protection, so the world must rely on superhumans. They are people who have unlocked/gained amazing abilities. As a baseline, they’re stronger and tougher than the average person, but each one also has a unique power.
This may seem like a normal superhero manhwa, but it’s a much more complex story about the contention between two existences. Many factions and agendas are happening concurrently, expanding the scope of the plot past a high school student playing vigilante around the city. It’s a story that is definitely worth picking up.
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