If you finished Solo Leveling and are now staring at the anime calendar wondering what could possibly scratch that dungeon-crawling, overpowered-protagonist itch, Crunchyroll may already have an answer. Tomb Raider King, which premiered on July 8, 2026, brings mysterious tombs, supernatural relics and a protagonist with an almost unfair advantage to the screen.
The comparisons to Solo Leveling are obvious—but calling Tomb Raider King a replacement would miss what actually makes it interesting. Beneath the familiar action-fantasy setup is a much stranger idea: what if the myths, legends and historical figures humans have remembered for centuries could become sources of supernatural power?
More Streaming Lineups Worth Bookmarking: If Tomb Raider King has you hunting for what else to watch this month, there’s plenty more on the way. For more, check out our roundup of everything landing in Netflix’s stacked September 2026 anime lineup.
Why Tomb Raider King Feels Familiar to Solo Leveling Fans
At first glance, Tomb Raider King seems almost perfectly designed for viewers who loved Solo Leveling.
In Solo Leveling, Sung Jinwoo starts out as the weakest hunter before gaining access to a mysterious System that allows him to grow stronger. He enters increasingly dangerous dungeons, battles monsters and enemies, and eventually develops abilities that put him on an entirely different level from ordinary hunters.
Tomb Raider King takes a different path toward a similar fantasy.
Mysterious tombs begin appearing around the world, and hidden inside them are relics capable of granting supernatural abilities. Jooheon Suh—known as Ryoga Goriki in the Japanese adaptation—is an experienced tomb raider who is betrayed and left to die.
Then everything changes.
Instead of simply getting a second chance at life, Jooheon is sent 15 years into the past. Suddenly, the future he remembers becomes his greatest weapon. He knows where relics will appear, who will obtain them and how the supernatural world is going to develop.
Rather than allowing powerful people to claim those artifacts first, Jooheon intends to get there before them.
That creates a familiar power-fantasy appeal. Like Jinwoo, Jooheon understands that knowledge, strategy and access to extraordinary abilities can completely change someone’s position in a world dominated by stronger opponents.
But the real twist is not the time travel.
It is the relics.
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Tomb Raider King Relics Turn Mythology and History Into Supernatural Powers
Instead of relying primarily on RPG-style classes and a conventional game-like progression system, Tomb Raider King builds its supernatural world around relics connected to myths, legends, traditions and historical figures.
One of the earliest examples is the Gold and Silver Axes.
The anime connects the relic to the familiar story of a woodcutter who is tested over whether he will honestly identify his own tool. The episode refers to the tale as a famous story and connects it to the wider tradition of “Mercury and the Woodcutter.”
That detail matters because the artifact isn’t simply a powerful object with a random ability attached to it.
Its power reflects the story behind it.
Honesty becomes part of the mechanism through which the artifact can be obtained, meaning the mythology itself effectively becomes part of the relic’s rules.
And that opens up a much bigger possibility for the series.
A relic doesn’t have to be merely a sword, weapon or stat boost. Its identity can be rooted in the cultural story that surrounds it.
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The Body of Achilles Turns Greek Mythology Into a Relic
The series pushes this idea even further with one of its most recognizable mythological inspirations: Achilles.
The Body of Achilles—also described in source material as the body of Achilles dipped in the River Styx—is based on the famous Greek myth surrounding the legendary warrior.
According to the myth, Achilles’ mother, Thetis, attempted to make him invulnerable by immersing him in the River Styx. However, she held him by the heel, leaving that part of his body vulnerable.
Tomb Raider King transforms that mythology into a supernatural relic.
The artifact is associated with extraordinary defensive abilities, while the legendary weakness of Achilles remains an important part of its identity.
This is what separates the relic concept from simply borrowing famous names.
The series takes the central idea behind the legend and turns it into the rules of a fictional supernatural object.
That means a legendary warrior, ancient ruler or famous story can potentially provide the foundation for a completely different type of supernatural ability.
More Manga Milestone News: Mythology and legend aren’t the only things getting reimagined in anime right now. For more, read our story on the new Black Clover digital artbook and what it could mean for fans of Yuki Tabata’s finished series.
Qin Shi Huang’s Search for Immortality Becomes a Healing Relic
The historical inspiration doesn’t stop with Greek mythology.
Chinese history enters the picture through Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of a unified China.
Tomb Raider King’s Qin Shi Huang’s Elixir Plant draws on the historical emperor’s famous pursuit of immortality. In the series’ supernatural setting, that obsession becomes the foundation for a relic connected to healing and rejuvenation.
The source material identifies the artifact as an SS-rank relic with medical and healing functions.
The connection is especially fitting because Qin Shi Huang is famously associated with attempts to discover an elixir of life.
In Tomb Raider King, that historical obsession is transformed into something tangible: a supernatural relic capable of producing extraordinary healing effects.
So instead of simply placing Qin Shi Huang into a fantasy storyline, the series essentially asks a much more interesting question:
What kind of supernatural artifact could emerge from the legend surrounding him?
That question sits at the heart of the entire relic system.
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Alexander the Great Adds a Military Edge to the Relic System
Another major historical inspiration is Alexander the Great.
The Alexander the Great relic is classified in the source material as an SS-rank possession-type relic with a general-oriented function. Its abilities are connected to Alexander’s reputation as one of antiquity’s most successful military commanders.
Again, history becomes mechanics.
Alexander’s legacy as a conqueror and military strategist isn’t merely background lore. It becomes a template for supernatural power associated with military command and conquest.
And this is where the scale of Tomb Raider King’s concept starts becoming much clearer.
The broader source material includes relics associated with figures ranging from rulers and military commanders to artists, philosophers and legendary characters.
Among those figures are:
| Historical / Legendary Figure | Relic System Connection |
| Achilles | Extraordinary defensive abilities and the River Styx mythology |
| Qin Shi Huang | Elixir Plant, healing and rejuvenation |
| Alexander the Great | SS-rank possession-type relic with a general-oriented function |
| Augustus | Historical figure represented in the wider relic catalogue |
| Constantine | Historical figure represented in the wider relic catalogue |
| Robin Hood | Legendary figure represented in the wider relic catalogue |
| Confucius | Historical/philosophical figure represented in the wider relic catalogue |
| Genghis Khan | Historical military figure represented in the wider relic catalogue |
| Admiral Yi Sun-sin | Historical military figure represented in the wider relic catalogue |
| Cleopatra | Historical ruler represented in the wider relic catalogue |
| Cao Cao | Historical military and political figure represented in the wider relic catalogue |
| Mozart | Historical artistic figure represented in the wider relic catalogue |
The catalogue therefore becomes far more than a collection of supernatural weapons. It effectively turns human history, mythology and cultural memory into a gigantic supernatural playground.
What Has the 2026 Tomb Raider King Anime Actually Shown So Far?
There is an important distinction fans should keep in mind.
Not every relic associated with the broader Tomb Raider King source material has already appeared in the television anime.
The anime began broadcasting on July 8, 2026, with STUDIO EEK handling animation production and Seung Wook Woo serving as director and series composer. Crunchyroll is streaming the series internationally, including in India, with its official listing providing the Korean-language season alongside dubbed and subtitled options.
By early September, the Japanese broadcast had reached Episode 9, titled “The One Who Rules Relics.” The official anime website confirmed that the series was still actively releasing episodes, with Episode 9 scheduled around September 2 and Episode 10 following afterward.
At this stage, Jooheon’s collection of relics and his increasingly strategic approach to using them are continuing to develop.
That means viewers following only the anime should not assume that every historical or mythological example associated with the franchise has already appeared on screen.
Some of the examples involving Alexander the Great and Qin Shi Huang, for example, come from the broader source material.
That distinction is important—and it also hints at just how much larger the relic system could become as the anime progresses.
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Why Tomb Raider King Could Be a Strong Solo Leveling Alternative in 2026
The Solo Leveling comparison makes sense because both series understand the appeal of watching an underestimated protagonist acquire an enormous advantage and systematically rise through a supernatural world.
But Jooheon isn’t simply another version of Sung Jinwoo.
He doesn’t receive a System that displays statistics and provides structured progression.
His greatest advantage is knowledge.
He remembers what happened.
He knows what is coming.
And he intends to exploit that information before everyone else can.
That makes his journey as much about strategy and manipulation as raw strength.
Then there is the relic system.
A folktale can become a supernatural mechanism. Greek mythology can become a defensive ability. An emperor’s search for immortality can become a healing artifact. A legendary conqueror’s reputation can become a military power.
That combination gives Tomb Raider King a flavor of its own.
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Is Tomb Raider King Really Replacing Solo Leveling? Not Exactly
Calling Tomb Raider King a “replacement” for Solo Leveling is best understood as a fan-oriented comparison, not an official franchise connection.
Solo Leveling itself remains an active franchise.
After the second season, Solo Leveling: Beyond the System was officially announced at Anime Expo 2026 as a theatrical anime movie continuing Sung Jinwoo’s story from where Season 2 ended.
Crunchyroll announced that it would co-produce the film alongside Aniplex, Netmarble, D&C Media and Kakao Piccoma, with A-1 Pictures returning for animation production.
So, realistically, Tomb Raider King is better viewed as a series that can fill part of the viewing gap for fans waiting for more Solo Leveling, rather than an actual replacement.
The franchises are based on separate Korean webtoon properties, and they have different protagonists, worlds and power systems.
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The Relic System Could Become Tomb Raider King’s Biggest Advantage
The most exciting thing about Tomb Raider King may ultimately be the sheer possibilities created by its supernatural relic system.
The premise starts with a deceptively simple idea: mysterious ancient tombs appear around the modern world, and inside them are relics capable of granting extraordinary powers.
From there, the story creates a fictional reality where humanity’s myths, legends and historical memories can become tangible objects.
For Jooheon, that means the world isn’t simply filled with stronger and weaker weapons.
It is filled with stories that have become power.
His ability to exploit that world is what makes his journey different. He isn’t merely searching for the strongest artifact available. He understands the significance of these relics and uses his knowledge of the future to change who gets them—and ultimately how the balance of power develops.
For Solo Leveling fans who enjoyed dungeons, escalating abilities, strategic battles and an increasingly overwhelming protagonist, Tomb Raider King offers plenty of familiar ingredients.
But it isn’t simply copying the formula.
Its mythology-driven relic system gives it another identity, and as the anime continues, that increasingly expansive catalogue of historical and legendary powers could become the feature that truly separates Tomb Raider King from the action-fantasy crowd.
More Community Remembrance: As the anime industry keeps moving forward, it’s also taking a moment to honor those who shaped it. For more, read our story on the passing of veteran director and animator Yuji Yanase, whose career spanned Akira through Naruto: Shippuden.
Disclaimer
This article is based on thorough research of the sources listed below and distinguishes between information already established in the 2026 Tomb Raider King anime and information originating from the broader source material. The description of Tomb Raider King as a Solo Leveling “replacement” is an editorial comparison for viewers and is not an official designation by Crunchyroll or the creators. The historical and mythological elements discussed in the series are fictionalized within its supernatural setting.
Sources
- Crunchyroll — Tomb Raider King Episode 1 Now Live on Crunchyroll
- Tomb Raider King — Official Japanese Anime Website
- Fuji TV — Tomb Raider King official program information
- Fuji TV — Tomb Raider King July 2026 broadcast announcement
- Crunchyroll — Solo Leveling: Beyond the System official announcement
- WEBTOON — Tomb Raider King: End Line official series page
- Tomb Raider King source-material reference — Alexander the Great’s Relic
- Tomb Raider King source-material reference — Qin Shi Huang’s Elixir Plant
- Tomb Raider King source-material reference — Body of Achilles / River Styx relic
Featured Image Credit: A-1 Pictures
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