The Korean equivalent of manga, manhwa boasts many appealing genres for which the industry is famous. One particularly beloved and popular subgenre revolves around overpowered main characters, with most of these stories falling under the fantasy banner. These protagonists 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 OP 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 in a manhwa, making for a more engaging read.
If a manhwa is on Webtoon, a link will be provided.
Updated July 25, 2025, by Mark Sammut: Manhwa with overpowered protagonists are fairly common and tend to be pretty similar as well, at least the most popular ones. Therefore, this time around, I’ve decided to prioritize two shows that are slightly different from the traditional OP MC stories. Author of My Own Destiny and My Dad Is Too Strong have been added as recommendations.
22
Return of the Mad Demon
Jaha Lee
- Author: JP, Hi Lee, Jinseong Yu
- Other Genres: Action, Fantasy, Murim
- Release Years: Ongoing
- Webtoon
OP MC manhwa are generally all about action and aura farming, providing exhilarating escapes from reality filled with enemies who are extremely out of their depth. While not unheard of, laughter is not usually the priority, although exceptions naturally exist. So, if you are craving a power fantasy with a wicked sense of humor, you need to read Return of the Mad Demon – Jaha Lee lives up to his name.
Yearning to become the God of Martial Arts, Jaha dies unfulfilled, only to reawaken as his younger self, who has yet to start on his ambitious journey. He has retained about half his power, and his experiences allow him to grow far quicker this time around. Now, Jaha is not so overpowered that he can demolish anyone in the world, but he also paces himself to ensure he is just going up against enemies who are nowhere near his current level. He is also a bit of a jerk, in the best possible way.
21
Author Of My Own Destiny
Fiona Green
- Author: Gyeoulip, Jeokbal
- Other Genres: Isekai, Romance
- Release Years: Ongoing
Villainess stories do not often go down the OP MC route, and they tend to make their protagonists somewhat vulnerable. It is not unusual for the female leads in these stories to be weaker than their male love interests, even if they might surpass them intellectually. So, Author of My Own Destiny is at least somewhat novel, as Fiona is a very competent fighter who is well-above nearly anyone she fights in the story, and she is just as strong as the main guy (Siegren).
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As an actual manhwa, Author of My Own Destiny tells a fairly typical tale about a novel writer who gets sucked into their world, finding themselves cast as the female villain. Naturally, they are 100% good, and they quickly start to convince everyone that they might not be evil. Before long, the male lead falls head-over-heels for Fiona, which is an issue as he is destined to form a strong world-saving partnership with the story’s heroine.
The manhwa is, honestly, quite repetitive, but the art is beautiful and Fiona is a great protagonist. Some of the secondary characters are also fun, especially Abel.
20
The Legendary Moonlight Sculptor
Hyun Lee
- Author: Do-gyeong Lee, Hui-seong Nam, Tae-Hyung Kim, Grimza
- Other Genres: Action, Comedy
- Release Years: Complete
A relative classic that served as a gateway into manhwa for plenty of people, The Legendary Moonlight Sculptor is not your typical OP fantasy, although it can scratch a similar itch. Hyun has a lot of debt he needs to clear, and his main skill is playing games. He dives into a new virtual reality RPG, hoping to build up a character that can earn real cash. However, he ends up picking the sculptor class, only to quickly realize that it is incredibly powerful and useful.
The Legendary Moonlight Sculptor has plenty of awesome fight sequences that showcase Hyun’s unique skills, but the manhwa is arguably at its best when focusing on the protagonist’s more human moments. As everything takes place in a game, the stakes are relatively minor, at least when it comes to the fights.
19
My Dad Is Too Strong
Dojun Lee
- Author: Gaebyeok S, Modain
- Other Genres: Action, Comedy, Fantasy
- Release Years: Ongoing
Now, here is something a touch different from the norm. My Dad Is Too Strong lives up to its title by revolving around a father-daughter dynamic, with the overpowered Dojun Lee finding himself taking care of a teenager named Yunhee Seol. While not devoid of action by any stretch of the imagination, the story focuses on the duo’s dynamic above everything else, resulting in quite a lighthearted journey that has a strong heart.
Dojun has already lived his isekai Murim life, and he is now back on Earth and looking to take things easy. That is when Yunhee comes into his life, giving him a challenge that his ridiculous abilities cannot overcome.
18
Solo Max-Level Newbie (Or I’m the Max-Level Newbie)
Jinhyeok Kang
Solo Max-Level Newbie embraces overpowered protagonist tropes wholeheartedly, so it can be a satisfying read if somebody is primarily craving a story that does not hold back the power fantasy element. While its name and premise might conjure up memories of Solo Leveling, Solo Max-Level Newbie does just about enough to set itself apart from its more well-known contemporary, making it worth a read by both fans and non-fans of that manhwa.
After more than a decade, Jinhyeok finally managed to clear a notoriously difficult trash game. However, that accomplishment sparks an odd development: the game’s Tower of Trials appears in the real world. Also, if it is not cleared within a fairly short time limit, all of humanity will be destroyed. Yes, not great. Guilds form to try and work their way through the challenges, but Jinhyeok is pretty much the only one who stands any real chance due to his insider knowledge of the game.
17
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.
16
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.
15
Doom Breaker (Or Reincarnation of the Suicidal Battle God)
Zephyr
- Author: Cheong Dam
- Other Genres: Action, Fantasy, Time Travel
- Release Years: Ongoing
- Webtoon
There is nothing wrong with sticking to a well-worn formula, and Doom Breaker handles the OP MC structure well. After dying at the hands of a god, Zephyr is sent back a decade by the gods, who find him amusing and want to see him go through hell again. They give him a few powers, but each one comes with caveats that force Zephyr to carefully consider how and when he uses them.
Doom Breaker knows what type of story it is, and it incorporates enough twists to feel refreshing. The art is fantastic, while the writing is generally quite good. While powerful, Zephyr never comes across as invulnerable, which ensures battles have an element of tension.
14
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.
13
Return Of The Mount Hua Sect (Or Return Of The Blossoming Blade)
Chung Myung
- Author: LICO, Biga
- Other Genres: Action, Adventure Fantasy
- Release Years: Ongoing
- Webtoon
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 lack of accomplishments in his previous life, Chung Myung embarks on a quest to restore Mount Hua to its former glory.
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