When it comes to reading manhwa, some of the best of all time can be found on the popular comic website Webtoon. With new titles releasing every other week and countless titles across every genre, there’s no shortage of excellent reads for fans of every trope and every genre. While some of the most underrated manhwa of all time can be found on Webtoon, some of the most popular can be found there as well.
Regardless of whether someone’s looking for heart-racing romances or action-packed thrillers, the best manhwa offer a wide variety of experiences that are sure to please fans of every genre. From exceptional art to social commentary and themes that make the reader question the human condition itself, each of the best manhwa has something unique to offer that has earned them a spot among the best graphic stories ever told.
10 The Remarried Empress
The Remarried Empress by Alphatart and SUMPUL is a fantasy drama series beloved by many for its romantic art style and swoon-worthy love interest. The manhwa follows Empress Navier and her budding relationship with Prince Heinrey which takes off when her husband, the Emperor acquires a new mistress. Despite being simplistic, the plot is far from predictable despite the very first chapter dropping the ball about the eventual divorce between the Empress and the Emperor and her subsequent marriage to the Prince. The story and art remain consistent in quality throughout with each new character introduced adding depth to the plot.
The Empress herself is kind and capable, very much the typical strong female lead, but with an air of composure befitting her status. Her developing relationship with the mysterious Prince Heinrey amidst the underlying politics of the high society and the ensuing melodrama brought about by the power-hungry mistress makes this manhwa an absolute page-turner.
9 See You In My 19th Life
See You in My 19th Life by Lee Hey follows the story of a girl who can remember all of her past lives. When she reincarnates for the nineteenth time, now known as Ban Jieum, she vows to find a boy named Mun Seoha she befriended as a child in her eighteenth life. As her relationship with Seoha develops, she unravels several mysteries including why her eighteenth life was cut short, why she can’t seem to remember her first life, and what caused her to retain her memories in the first place.
While the concept of past lives is nothing new in manhwa, See You in My 19th Life certainly has a fresh take on it. The art is simple yet adorable and while the Netflix adaptation does mostly do the story justice, there are definitely some major differences that set the two apart that make the manhwa worth a read.
8 Bastard
Bastard is a thriller series by Youngchan Hwan that follows the life of Jin Seon, a young boy whose father is a murderer. Following the death of his mother, Jin is forced into being an accomplice to these murders for fear of his father getting rid of him as well. That is until his father sets his sights on Yoon Kyun, a girl from school that Jin manages to befriend. Jin is forced to take a stand against his father and thus begins his journey to get stronger in order to break away from his father’s influence. While the art itself is simplistic, the muted sepia tones do a wonderful job of conveying the ominous atmosphere and mostly bleak tone. The author also does a great job of portraying the cold terrifying nature of the father with some panels being certifiably bone-chilling.
7 Lookism
In terms of premise, Taejun Pak’s Lookism is as unique as it gets. After being bullied relentlessly, seventeen-year-old Daniel transfers to another school hoping to turn over a new leaf and maybe even make some friends. In a mysterious turn of events, he wakes up one night in a tall, fit body with a face handsome enough to make heads turn. However, to his horror, he discovers he still has his old body and has somehow been split into two bodies that he can switch between. While one is awake, the other sleeps. Thus begin Daniel’s adventures with his two selves—tall and attractive by day and his short and chubby old self by night.
The series as a whole is a critique of beauty standards and the attractiveness bias that pervades society while also managing to be lighthearted and entertaining. All in all, Lookism is definitely worth checking out, especially for those looking for more after watching the Netflix adaptation.
6 Wind Breaker
Wind Breaker by Yongseok Jo centers around Jay, an extremely talented biker and the student president of Sunny High. Coming from a family of doctors Jay spends all his time focusing on studying with biking providing a brief respite outside of academics. However, Jay’s life takes a turn when he is forced to join the Hummingbird Crew, the school’s biking team. Full of exciting races and well-developed characters, this series is the perfect blend of action, humor, and slice-of-life with grungy, trendy art that only gets better. Moreover, the author displays extensive knowledge about biking techniques and a contagious passion for biking which all add to the appeal of the series for Webtoon fans looking for a little more sports action out of their manhwa.
5 Tower of God
One of Webtoon’s most popular manhwa series of all time, Tower of God by SIU follows Bam, a young boy who enters a tower that’s said to fulfill the wishes of anyone who reaches the top. However, Bam’s motivations are different from the rest as he enters the tower solely to find a girl named Rebecca, a dear companion who once kept him company in the dark cavern under the tower, told him stories about the beautiful world outside, and taught him everything he knows. In order to make his way up the tower, Bam is forced to complete a dangerous challenge at every level. Luckily, he finds several companions along the way who help him along his journey.
While the plot sounds generic, much like any fantasy series out there, Tower of God offers much more in terms of world-building, the universal themes it explores, and how well it fleshes out each of its side characters alongside the protagonist. While the art style leaves much to be desired at first, it improves exponentially as the story progresses and should not be a reason to shy away from the series.
4 The Horizon
Set in a post-apocalyptic landscape ravaged by war and ideology, The Horizon by JH follows a young boy and girl struggling to survive in a kill-or-be-killed world that forces them to lose the innocence of childhood. The two children are motivated to move forward in hopes of finding a safe haven. Along the way, the boy is confronted with the choice of whether to abandon his humanity for the sake of survival and must decide how far he is willing to go in order to protect his dear companion.
The series stands out among other Webtoon manhwa due to its surprisingly dark, serious tone and the lack of color throughout the series which represents how the relationship between the girl and the boy is the only spot of color in their otherwise dark, dull lives. Although there is very little dialogue or narration the rugged art style is highly evocative and haunting. In all, The Horizon is a deep, heartbreaking story about finding hope even in the darkest of moments.
3 The Boxer
From the same author as The Horizon, The Boxer is far from a simple sports Webtoon. The series starts off with the renowned Coach K recruiting Yu, a hidden prodigy, with the aim of coaching him into the next big name in the boxing world. Although Yu starts off as the protagonist, he is hardly the central focus of the story. Instead, the story explores each of its side characters and their vibrant personalities in great depth which helps set up the sheer contrast between Yu and the rest even better. That said, the story does eventually explore his traumatic past and his struggle to find meaning in fighting, violence, perseverance, ambition, and life itself. In that sense, boxing isn’t the central focus of the anime either but rather the backdrop against which the author explores these deep existential issues.
While the plot of The Boxer can get a little slow and the fight scenes can get a tad repetitive, the manhwa does tell an excellent story and explores several serious themes with charming character designs and well-handled character arcs that make it worth sticking through.
2 Eleceed
Eleceed by Jeho Son and ZHENA takes off when Jiwoo, a boy with cat-like reflexes and speed meets Kayden, a dangerous assassin stuck in the body of a fat orange tabby cat. What ensues is a charming action-comedy with plenty of cat-related gags and shenanigans. Moreover, Kayden and Jiwoo’s contrasting personalities make for an interesting dynamic with both characters being extremely likable. While Jiwoo is chatty, kind, and selfless, Kayden is every bit the prideful loner, not unlike a cat much to his irony.
Overall, Eleceed makes for a fun casual read that will leave Webtoon readers chuckling after every episode. Not only is the art undeniably stunning with no shortage of attractive characters, but the series also handles its characters and their development really well. All things considered, the series is highly entertaining and full of silly antics, with humor that hits the mark every time, stellar action, and lots of cats.
1 Omniscient Reader
Omniscient Reader by singNsong and Sleepy-C follows Kim Dokja as his favourite novel suddenly becomes a reality after releasing its final chapter, The world is plunged into chaos with monsters and mythical creatures of varying kinds making an appearance. Rather than being plunged into the world of his favorite novel in typical isekai fashion, Omniscient Reader reinvents the isekai trope with Dokja watching as his favorite novel takes shape around him. However, Dokja has an advantage. As the only reader who read along faithfully till the end of the novel, only he knows the ending as well as what to expect and how to survive in this post-apocalyptic world.
Although the premise of the series isn’t anything new, watching Dokja rise to the top is addicting even more so because of the video game-like format. Moreover, the series has beautiful art and stunning fight sequences with a plot that only gets more intriguing as it progresses.
Webtoon Manhwa stands out for their distinct style of narration and illustration. While there are surely plenty of other amazing manhwa on Webtoon that may not have made it onto this list, the ones that did each have something special that sets them apart from the rest. Whether fans are just discovering manhwa or are a veteran reader with multiple titles read, Webtoon offers some of the best manhwa ever made.
