Solo Leveling Hits New Sales Milestone in Japan, Marking a Big Farewell

Japan has long been a global powerhouse for manga and anime, but South Korea is increasingly making its presence felt as well. Korean novels and manhwa are finding wider audiences year after year, and that momentum has been boosted by major breakouts like Solo Leveling. Widely regarded as the biggest manhwa series of all time, Solo Leveling has proven its appeal not only at home, but internationally too—including in Japan.

Even with a massive domestic manga market, Solo Leveling has still managed to break in and go toe-to-toe with top-selling releases. A recent Oricon report dated July 1, 2026, says Solo Leveling Volume 25—its manga finale—has posted strong sales in Japan and currently sits as the country’s second best-selling manga for the week.

Solo Leveling Final Volume 25 Finishes #2 In July 2026 Sales Chart In Japan

Solo Leveling originally began on July 25, 2016 as a novel by Chugong. The original run wrapped up on March 13, 2018, but the franchise didn’t slow down afterward thanks to its popularity. Shortly after, a manhwa adaptation was announced by Redice Studio, running from March 4, 2018 until December 29, 2021. That adaptation became a major hit, helping the story grow into one of the most well-known series in the country.

In 2024, the series expanded again with an anime adaptation produced by Japanese studios Aniplex and A-1 Pictures. Even with the anime’s strong reception, it wasn’t the first time Solo Leveling pushed into Japan’s market. Earlier, on December 23, 2019, Kadokawa released the manga adaptation in Japan.

In Japan, the manga was published under the title ‘Ore dake Reberu Appu na Ken.’ For localization, the lead character is Shun Mizushino rather than Sung Jinwoo. That serialization continued until very recently, with the release of Volume 25, the official final entry in manga form, which Kadokawa says launched on June 23, 2026.

Because this is the last volume, the expectations were understandably high. Final volumes often perform well, and Solo Leveling Volume 25 appears to be living up to that trend. In the Oricon report from July 1, 2026, the series is listed as having sold 52,236 copies during the June 22 to June 28 window, placing it second for the week—just behind Katainaka no Ossan, Kensei ni Naru Volume 9. The leader’s total is only about 20,000 copies ahead, making the race close.

Those numbers reinforce that Solo Leveling is still a massive hit in Japan, even if it doesn’t occupy the exact same tier as long-running juggernauts like One Piece or Jujutsu Kaisen. With its volume releases, the franchise has repeatedly proven it can take chart spots and hold attention in a competitive market.

Solo Leveling season 3 also has a fresh update, with new reporting tied to A-1 Pictures.

Solo Leveling Volume 25 Could Become The Highest Selling of the Franchise and Help the IP Break the 4 Million Sales Milestone

Solo Leveling Volume 25 was a particularly anticipated release in Japan because it closes out Sung Jinwoo’s rise as the strongest fighter. Japan has also seen more volume releases for Solo Leveling than some other regions—for example, South Korea, where the story sits at 15 volumes. One reason is that Japan’s publishing schedule divides the material differently, resulting in more physical volumes overall. Even so, it’s still the same Redice Studio story content, just packaged into more installments.

At the moment, the latest overall sales count for the Solo Leveling manga in Japan stands at 3.8 million copies. That figure was shared in May 2026, and it’s expected to have increased since then. What’s especially exciting is the likelihood that Volume 25 will push the total beyond the 4 million mark. Based on the current average of roughly 160,000 sales per volume—calculated from 3.8 million copies across the first 24 volumes—Volume 25 is projected to sell at least 150,000 copies during its run.

With the final volume delivering the endgame it’s built toward, the expectation is that it could also surpass prior performance records. Volume 25 is positioned as the most intense entry so far, featuring the story’s final confrontation alongside a prologue that explores Jinwoo’s fate afterward. If it reaches the higher end of projections, it could push Solo Leveling toward a new franchise milestone of 4 million copies sold in Japan—something fans have been waiting to see.

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Solo Leveling Continues To Grow In Japan, With New 2026 and 2027 Releases On The Way

Fans of Solo Leveling are eager to see the franchise keep expanding and scoring major wins in Japan. While the story’s roots don’t originate there, the series’ popularity in Japan is still crucial for what comes next. The biggest project isn’t the original novel or manhwa—it’s the TV anime. That production is currently handled by Aniplex and A-1 Pictures, whose primary audience is Japanese viewers. If Solo Leveling doesn’t perform in Japan, it becomes harder to justify further investment and adaptation from the studios’ perspective.

That said, Solo Leveling has already proven it can draw attention in Japan, even though it hasn’t reached the peak level of bigger names like One Piece, Dragon Ball, or Naruto. The studios’ goal is to keep building that momentum in Japan, and that intention has been echoed by the producer in the past.

“While thrilled with the response, I personally don’t feel like the series is known by everyone at this point. Solo Leveling isn’t as universally recognized in Japan yet. As a Japanese person living in Japan, the anime is not at the level of Dragon Ball, One Piece, or Naruto. But if season three happens, that’s when I want to truly break that boundary.” — Atsushi Kaneko, Solo Leveling Producer During Anime Expo 2025

As Solo Leveling grows more widely in Japan, more future projects become more likely. Right now, Season 3 is already in motion. The plan was confirmed through the D&C Media report, which places the target window for the next installment sometime between 2027 and 2028.

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To keep climbing, Solo Leveling may need to follow a strategy similar to what Demon Slayer did—going for a theatrical release. A successful movie could massively boost the franchise’s visibility. And based on new leaks dated July 3, 2026, that movie appears to be in development with a possible 2027 release. As expected, upcoming projects are also likely to funnel attention back into the manga, which can benefit from backlog demand whenever a new season—or ideally a film—lands. With the right timing, Solo Leveling could become an even bigger force in Japan and challenge the top tier of the market soon.