Fans Accuse Tomb Raider King Anime of Ripping Off Solo Levelling—Is the Criticism Fair?

So, in the wonderfully petty world of anime fandom, we can't even get a new poster without an all-out brawl in the comments section. The latest target: ‘Tomb Raider King’, an upcoming anime that hasn’t aired a single episode, but is somehow already branded as a ‘Solo Leveling’ knockoff. And to be totally fair, this is one of those times where fans aren’t pulling accusations out of thin air.

Why 'Tomb Raider King' Is Getting Called Out

As soon as the first trailer and poster for ‘Tomb Raider King’ hit the internet (credit: @TombRaider_King on X), people started screaming about déjà vu. There’s a reason for it: the show’s got some pretty blatant parallels to ‘Solo Leveling’—enough so that your average viewer could swap the logos out and mostly not notice. It’s not just the vibe. The story structure, the power fantasy arc, even the glossy-loner protagonist—it’s all sitting really close together.

Here’s how the audience is breaking it down:

• Power Fantasy Formula: ‘Solo Leveling’ made this recipe cook—start with a weak, betrayed protagonist, feed them into a world of supernatural upgrades, then watch as they get godlike and stick it to their enemies. ‘Tomb Raider King’ does the same thing, down to the protagonist (Seo Joo-Heon) being left to die. Only difference: this time, the supernatural stuff comes from tombs and relics instead of dungeons, and Seo Joo-Heon gets a time-travel twist, with all his future knowledge intact. But it’s still about watching the formerly powerless guy outplay his backstabbers.
• Visual Overlap: The trailer basically ticks the same style boxes—sharp illustrations, dramatic lighting, glowy magic effects, brooding main character. It feels more than ‘inspired by’. And here’s the kicker: both projects share art DNA. The ‘Tomb Raider King’ webtoon was drawn by REDICE STUDIO—the same crew (founded by DUBU) that brought us ‘Solo Leveling’. They even illustrated ‘Solo Leveling: Ragnarok’. So yeah, if both shows look like they walked out of the same factory, it’s because they did.

Some of the actual comments sum it up bluntly:

"Is this a clone of Solo Leveling?" – @smakosh
"Thats Jin Woo and you can't convince me otherwise" – @cdzfit
"They copied Jin woos whole flow" – @TheToonKn1ght

Right Place, Wrong Timing?

Another big piece to this puzzle: timing. ‘Solo Leveling’ didn’t just do well, it basically exploded anime streaming records. It brought the whole ‘webtoon-adaptation’ genre into the mainstream, which makes it tough for any similar project releasing soon after. Now, every time a studio dares to adapt a manhwa with RPG elements and a chip-on-the-shoulder protagonist, fans start sharpening their torches.

Honestly, some people barely give ‘Tomb Raider King’ a chance. I’ve seen plenty of ‘Why does this look like a knockoff?’ and ‘I already watched Solo Leveling, I’m good’ comments floating around.

"Why does this kinda look like a solo leveling knockoff tho?" – @claramelonss
"I already watched Solo Leveling, I'm good" – @0xBricks

To Be Fair, It’s Not a Total Copy-Paste… But Will Anyone Notice?

Honestly, calling ‘Tomb Raider King’ a ‘cheap copy’ ignores some important differences. It’s not just time travel for the heck of it—Seo Joo-Heon uses brains as much as brawn, and the show’s about beating the power system by knowing how relics work. If they actually lean into these tweaks (and don’t just play it safe), the anime could, in theory, make its own mark.

But right now, the shadow of ‘Solo Leveling’ is just massive. When two shows look this similar—and when one already set records on Crunchyroll—‘Tomb Raider King’ is going to have to work overtime to shake off the copycat label.

What to Watch and Where

Here’s what we know so far:

• ‘Solo Leveling’ – Season 1 dropped in January 2024. Season 2 is out in January 2025. Animated by A-1 Pictures and streaming on Crunchyroll, naturally.
• ‘Tomb Raider King’ – Launches July 2026, produced by Studio EEK. Platform's still under wraps, so if you care, keep an eye out.

Will ‘Tomb Raider King’ prove the haters wrong? No clue yet. But anime fans love the drama almost as much as the stories, so buckle up—this debate is only just kicking off.