Highlights
- Adventure stories in manhwa often focus on journeys towards a goal, whether it’s revenge, power, or regret.
- Popular manhwa like Noblesse may fall into a formulaic cycle, but still offer a mix of action and slice-of-life.
- Tower of God stands out with its intricate world-building and epic battles as Bam discovers more about himself.
Adventure is one of the most common and popular genres in the media, and many big titles can be categorized as adventure stories. The most common mark of an adventure is a journey, the path a character must go on to reach their goal. That goal could be a destination, a person, or an ideal, but the completion of that goal is usually the focus of the plot.
In manhwa, some of the most common motivators are revenge, a yearning for power, and regret. Any number of protagonists can fall under just those three categories, but what is important is the way they resolve those feelings.
10 Noblesse
MyAnimeList Score: 8.12
- Chapters: 544
- Published: 2007 to 2019
- Genres/Theme: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Supernatural, School
- Author: Jae-Ho Son
- Illustrator: Gwang-Su Lee
Noblesse follows a vampire named Cadis Etrama Di Raizel (Rai) after he awakens after 820 years of sleep. Finding himself in the modern age, he must learn about the world and acclimate himself to live a normal life. Luckily, his servant Frankenstein is the principal of Ye Ran High School, which is the perfect place to do that.
While this manhwa is very popular, readers have said the story is formulaic, repeating the same cycle without much divergence. The mixture of action and slice-of-life became too repetitive, so people lost interest later in the story.
9 Nano Machine
MyAnimeList Score: 8.13
- Published: 2020 to Present
- Genres/Theme: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Martial Arts
- Author: Hanjung Wolya
- Illustrator: Geumgang Bulgoe
Cheon Yeo-woon is an illegitimate child in his household, and because of his status, he is constantly ridiculed and abused. On the night when his half-siblings finally decide to assassinate him, he’s saved by someone from the future. Yeo-woon is saved from death by the nano-machines coursing through his blood.
In most Murim stories, the setting is usually some undefined historical period, so seeing the introduction of future technology is exciting. It differentiates this story from the many other martial arts manhwa. The plot does drag on after a while, but the beginning is still fun to read.
8 SSS-Class Revival Hunter
MyAnimeList Score: 8.22
- Published: 2020 to Present
- Genres/Theme: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Time Travel
- Author: Sinnoa
- Illustrator: Bill K
A common theme in fantasy adventures is the Tower, a mysterious structure that tests humanity and gives them power. In this manhwa, the Tower is a multidimensional space that tests players, and it’s treated as a new frontier to conquer with plenty of new resources. The story follows Kim Gong-ja as he ascends the tower.
Of course, it’s not as simple as that. Each floor in the tower is its complete world with its own rules to learn and discover. Kim Gong-ja is an incredibly complex character who drives the story through his sense of morality and responsibility as he confronts the Tower’s challenges.
7 Tower Of God
MyAnimeList Score: 8.38
- Published: 2010 to Present
- Genres/Theme: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery
- Author: SIU
- Illustrator: SIU
In Tower of God, a young boy named Bam enters the tower in search of his friend, but the inside of the Tower is complicated and vast. Bam goes through many worlds and hops through dimensions to reach his goal, and along the way discovers more about himself and the Tower.
Bam begins the story as a simple boy who knows absolutely nothing, but as he travels up the tower, he’s able to learn about the world and the people who inhabit it. It’s a great story that includes epic battles and intricate world-building.
6 Return Of The Blossoming Blade
MyAnimeList Score: 8.47
- Published: 2021 to Present
- Genres/Theme: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Martial Arts, Reincarnation
- Author: Biga
- Illustrator: LICO
After losing his life defeating the leader of the Demonic Cult, Cheongmyeong wakes up many years later in the body of a young boy. With a second chance to live, he returns to his home in the Mount Hua Sect, but when he arrives, the sect is nothing like it used to be. It’s poor, destitute, and using incomplete martial arts.
Martial Arts manhwa are known for their great fight sequences and action shots, but this manhwa is also quite wholesome. Cheongmyeong was once the wildcard of the Mount Hua Sect, but now he must learn to lead and teach the other disciples.
5 The Legend Of The Northern Blade
MyAnimeList Score: 8.51
- Published: 2019 to Present
- Genres/Theme: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Martial Arts
- Author: Woogack
- Illustrator: Min Hae
The Northern Heavenly Sect was known for protecting the world from the Silent Night, a group of evil warriors, but after four generations, their power had grown too great, leading to their ultimate downfall. After being betrayed, the Northern Heavenly Sect disbanded, and the leader died to protect his son, Jin Moowon.
This revenge story is a great example of the hero’s journey, utilizing the plot structure perfectly to draw in readers. The author does a great job of making readers care about the characters and their well-being, and following their story is entertaining.
4 Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint
MyAnimeList Score: 8.53
- Published: 2020 to Present
- Genres/Theme: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
- Author: sing N song
- Illustrator: Sleepy-C
Kim Dokja is a normal office worker who lives the same run-of-the-mill life every day. The only joy he has is the web novel he’s been reading since high school. One day, while taking the subway, the world changes, and the events of the web novel happen in real life. Having been the sole reader of the web novel, Kim Dokja is the only one who knows what will happen.
Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint is an engaging story that does a great job of building the world as it changes and developing all of its characters. Each story arc brings something new to the narrative, which makes it more fun to read as it goes on.
3 Solo Leveling
MyAnimeList Score: 8.68
- Published: 2020 to Present
- Genres/Theme: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Adult Cast
- Author: Chugong
- Illustrator: Sung-rak Jang & Disciples
In a world of dungeons and hunters, Sung Jin-woo is known as the weakest. For him, each raid is a near-death experience. That all changes when he almost meets his end in a sinister double dungeon that took the lives of over half the party. Sung Jin-woo reawakens, and unlike other hunters, he can get stronger.
As one of the most well-known manhwa, SoloLeveling sets the trend of overpowered protagonists, showcasing Jin-woo in high-stakes circumstances that are beautifully rendered. His journey from weak to strong is one of the best that exists in manhwa.
2 The Greatest Estate Developer
MyAnimeList Score: 8.68
- Published: 2021 to Present
- Genres/Theme: Adventure, Fantasy, Isekai, Reincarnation
- Author: Back-kyung Moon
- Illustrator: Hyunsoo Kim
One day, ordinary college student Kim Suho transmigrates into a novel and becomes the deadbeat character Lloyd Frontera. As someone destined to die in the original plot, he decides to fix Lloyd’s reputation and rehabilitate the Frontera family and its territory. Using his knowledge of Civil Engineering, he begins improving people’s daily lives with amenities and infrastructure.
This story is great because of how it applies contemporary knowledge to a historical setting. As Lloyd continues to develop his land, expansion is expected, leading him to learn more about the world he’s in and other elements that weren’t in the novel.
1 The Horizon
MyAnimeList Score: 8.70
- Chapters: 21
- Published: 2016 to 2016
- Genres/Theme: Adventure, Drama, Psychological
- Author: Ji-Hoon Jeong
- Illustrator: Ji-Hoon Jeong
The Horizon is a harrowing war story of two children who are desperate to survive. Their only hope is that they can continue moving forward each day despite facing many challenges. This manhwa highlights the cruelty of war and the lengths people will go to survive. Though it is only 21 chapters, it is able to convey its message through simple illustrations.
Unlike other adventure manhwa, this story is neither grand nor epic, but it’s still one of the best examples of visual storytelling, even if it was mostly in black and white. Though tragic, this story is incredibly profound.
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