This article contains spoilers from the Solo Leveling series.
Fans of the Solo Leveling franchise have been left hanging since the end of Season 2, which came back in the beginning of 2025. It goes without saying that 2025 was an absolutely massive year for the franchise that is Solo Leveling. However, fans did not get the update that they were waiting for following the conclusion of the second season of the series.
Even though 2025 is now over, Solo Leveling Season 3 is yet to be announced. In fact, fans don't even know if Solo Leveling Season 3 is happening or not. The production team has kept the future plans of the franchise largely to themselves, which has raised doubts just about everywhere in the fanbase.
Solo Leveling Season 3 Could Kill The Anime Forever
Solo Leveling season 3 has yet to even be confirmed. The long wait could kill the hype.
At this point, it is safe to assume that Solo Leveling Season 3 is not coming in 2026. Had that been the case, fans would have already received at least a production update on the series, and of course, potentially even a teaser or a key visual. It is safe to assume that fans will have to wait longer for Solo Leveling Season 3. However, there could be a major replacement on the way, especially when recent reports are taken into consideration.
Solo Leveling Season 3 Isn't Coming In 2026
- Solo Leveling Studio Doesn't Plan On Releasing Season 3 For Now
- The Goal Is To Aim For A Bigger Project
Solo Leveling Season 3 was quite easily one of the most anticipated anime for 2026. This goes without saying, especially when taking a look at the success that the franchise has had for the past two years. It would be disingenuous to say that Solo Leveling wasn't always massive. The manhwa was incredibly big in Korea, and even globally among the fans. However, it was not as mainstream as it has become after the release of the first season of the series. Solo Leveling Season 1 absolutely took the world by storm, breaking all kinds of records on Crunchyroll. If Season 1's success was huge, then Season 2 managed to level up on that and become even bigger, shattering some records that fans thought were untouchable, and beating series like One Piece when it comes to reviews on platforms like Crunchyroll.
Solo Leveling Season 1 was even voted the anime of the year at the Crunchyroll Awards 2025 and it is in the running for Anime of the Year once again in 2026 as well, thanks to its incredible second season. For a franchise as big as this, its future remains in the dark, and as mentioned earlier, Season 3 does not look like it will happen in 2026. This is incredibly unfortunate for the fans, especially given how big it is at the moment, and how much it could grow with a season that could be the biggest in the entire story.
Solo Leveling Season 3 Has A Replacement In The Works, But A Release Date Isn't Set In Stone
- A New Solo Leveling Movie Could Be Coming Soon
- Fans Hope For A Canon Adaptation
While Solo Leveling Season 3 does not have a confirmation or a release date just yet, fans do know that the studio, A-1 Pictures, as well as Aniplex, have been brainstorming and they have some plans for the future of the series. Solo Leveling, by the looks of it, is planning to replicate Demon Slayer's success. 2025 was absolutely massive for Demon Slayer, and that is largely down to the Infinity Castle movie. It blew everything out of the water and set the bar so high that other franchises can only hope to ever come close to half of its success. Solo Leveling is one franchise that fans think has a shot at aiming for the top.
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. — Solo Leveling Producer
New Solo Leveling Movie Is Reportedly Coming In 2026
Solo Leveling is getting unexpected content - a brand new movie. This movie could be coming as early as 2026.
Of course, toppling Demon Slayer is still going to be impossibly difficult for it, but reaching newer heights for the franchise is now possible.
That is precisely why, based on the production committee report of A-1 Pictures, it appears that the next step for the Solo Leveling franchise is to deliver a top-notch theatrical release movie. If that truly is the plan, then it lines up with why there is no Solo Leveling Season 3 confirmation. It could simply be that there is going to be a movie before Solo Leveling Season 3 happens, and that is why things are taking as long as they are.
Plans For A 2026 Solo Leveling Movie Are Already Underway
Based on the production committee report, Solo Leveling's movie is set for a 2026 release. Unfortunately, the production committee report does not clearly state what the contents of this movie are, but any logical person would deduce that it is a continuation of the anime and picks up right where season 2 left off. If Solo Leveling wants to make a name for itself in the movie department, then it has to follow the formula set by Demon Slayer of adapting canon material into movies. This means that the next arc, that is, the Double Dungeon, will most likely be featured in the upcoming Solo Leveling movie, and fans should be excited for that.
I am the record of your struggles, the evidence of your resistance, and the reward of your sufferings. I am death, I am eternal rest, I am terror. - Ashborn to Sung Jinwoo, Solo Leveling Manhwa
As far as the 2026 release date goes, there isn't an exact month or a day provided to the fans yet. The production report also states that the movie is in the pre-production phase, which means that the release date could actually even be pushed back.
If Delayed, The Next Solo Leveling Project Will Come Out In 2027
If there is some kind of delay in the production phase, or things simply take longer than expected, then fans should expect the Solo Leveling movie to drop in 2027, possibly at the beginning of the year. If that truly does happen, then fans will have to spend 2026 without Solo Leveling.
For a franchise as big as Solo Leveling, not having any major release in 2026 is certainly disappointing, but at the very least, fans do have an idea of where the franchise is headed at the moment. As long as the big theatrical release that was highlighted in the production committee report is delivered, fans should largely be happy. It might require a bit more patience from them, but Solo Leveling could actually end up going bigger than ever before with the upcoming project, and fans simply need to hold tight for a bit longer.
Solo Leveling has two seasons out right now, one with 12 episodes, and the other with 13, for a combined episode count of 25 episodes available to watch right now. The series can be streamed on Crunchyroll for fans to enjoy while awaiting any more news concerning the third season. There have been no major announcements about a third season so far. Fans can get more Solo Leveling content via the Manhwa.