It happened. Finally. After years of fans screaming into the void of the internet, the Solo Leveling anime arrived and basically broke Crunchyroll’s servers. If you’ve spent any time on Reddit or Twitter, you know the hype wasn't just noise. But honestly, if you’re just getting into it now, trying to track down a clean Solo Leveling ep list can be a bit of a headache because of how the industry labels "seasons" versus "cours."
The first season, produced by A-1 Pictures, consists of 12 episodes. That’s it. For now.
Most people expected a 24-episode run right out of the gate, especially given the massive length of the webtoon. Instead, we got a tight, high-budget first cour that ends right as things get truly insane. Sung Jinwoo’s journey from the "World's Weakest Hunter" to a literal shadow-monarch-in-the-making is a slow burn that suddenly hits Mach 10.
Why the Episode Count Matters
The structure of the show follows the "cour" system. In the anime world, a cour is a three-month block of broadcasting. Season 1 of Solo Leveling wrapped up its 12th episode, titled "Arise," which—without spoiling too much—is probably the most iconic moment in the entire franchise. If you are looking for the Solo Leveling ep list to see if there's a hidden 13th episode floating around, I've got bad news. There isn't. Not yet.
Here is how the first season actually breaks down. Episode 1, "I'm Used to It," sets the grim tone. You see Jinwoo getting absolutely mauled. It’s brutal. By the time you hit Episode 6, "The Real Hunt Begins," the power scaling starts to shift. Then, the finale of the first batch, Episode 12, changes the genre of the show entirely.
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Watching the progression is wild. You see a guy who can barely survive a low-rank dungeon turn into a tactical genius who exploits a "system" only he can see. It's basically a gamified version of a hero's journey, but with way more blood and a much higher body count.
The Definitive Solo Leveling Ep List for Season 1
Let's look at the actual episodes that have aired.
The first episode is titled "I'm Used to It." It introduces the Double Dungeon incident. It's traumatizing. Then we move into "If I Had One More Chance," where the "System" is introduced. Episode 3 is "It's Like a Game," focusing on the physical training—yes, the 100 push-ups and 10km runs that every Shonen fan recognizes.
By Episode 4, "I've Gotta Get Stronger," we see the first major boss fight in the subway. Episode 5, "A Pretty Good Deal," and Episode 6, "The Real Hunt Begins," cover the lizard-man dungeon and the betrayal that forces Jinwoo to make a choice: kill or be killed. This is a massive turning point. The morality of the show shifts here. He isn't just a hero; he's a survivor.
Mid-Season Momentum
Episode 7, "Let's See How Far I Can Go," deals with the aftermath and the introduction of the S-Rank hunters like Choi Jong-In. Episode 8, "This Is Frustrating," focuses on the tea-sipping politics of the Hunter Association. Honestly, some people find the talking-head scenes boring, but they build the world. You need to know why the gates exist.
Episode 9, "You've Been Hiding Your Skills," is the showdown with Kang Taeshik. It's one of the best-animated fights in the series. Then we get "What Is This, a Picnic?" and "A Knight Who Defends an Empty Throne." Finally, the big one. Episode 12. "Arise."
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If you haven't seen "Arise" yet, you haven't seen Solo Leveling. It’s the Job Change Quest. Jinwoo fights an endless horde of knights while his timer runs out. It’s desperate. It’s loud. It’s perfect.
The Mystery of the Recap Episode
One thing that confuses people looking for a Solo Leveling ep list is the "Episode 7.5." It was a recap episode titled "How to Get Stronger." In the middle of the season, the production team needed a week to catch up, so they dropped a clip show. Most streaming platforms don't count it as a numbered episode, but if you see a list with 13 entries, that's usually why. You can skip it. Truly. You won't miss anything except a few minutes of Jinwoo breathing heavily while a narrator explains things you already saw.
What happens after the first 12 episodes?
Everyone wants to know about Season 2. Officially titled Solo Leveling: Arise from the Shadow, the second season has been confirmed. The "ep list" for the future is expected to cover the Jeju Island Arc, which is basically the "Infinity War" of this series.
Wait.
I should clarify. Season 1 covered roughly the first 45 to 50 chapters of the Manhwa. The Manhwa has 179 chapters total. That means we are barely a third of the way through the story. If they keep this pace, we are looking at a total of about 36 to 48 episodes across the entire series.
The Animation Quality Gap
A-1 Pictures (the studio behind Sword Art Online and 86) handled the first season. There was a lot of skepticism early on. Fans were worried they would "nerf" the violence or the art style of the late Chugong and Dubu (the illustrator).
They didn't.
In fact, they added scenes. The anime actually gives more screen time to the side characters—like the S-Rank hunters—than the early chapters of the webtoon did. This is a smart move. In the original source material, everyone who isn't Jinwoo eventually becomes irrelevant. The anime is trying to fix that. It makes the world feel bigger.
Common Misconceptions About the Episode Order
You might see different titles depending on where you watch. Crunchyroll uses the English titles I mentioned above. However, if you're looking at Japanese TV guides, the titles translate slightly differently.
- Some sites list the episodes by their Japanese kanji translations.
- The "Special Episode" (7.5) often breaks the numbering on pirated sites.
- There is a "Director's Cut" vibe to some of the Blu-ray releases that adds tiny bits of gore back in.
If you’re a purist, you want the Blu-ray version. The TV broadcast had some slight "dimming" during high-motion scenes to prevent seizures (a common practice in Japan since the 90s). The streaming versions on Crunchyroll are usually the high-quality masters, but nothing beats the physical release for the absolute crispest shadows.
Where to go after the Ep List ends
Once you finish the 12th episode, you have a choice. You can wait for Season 2, which is agonizing. Or, you can jump into the Manhwa.
If you decide to read, start at Chapter 46. That’s exactly where Episode 12 leaves off. You’ll be able to see the art that made the series famous in the first place. Alternatively, there’s the Solo Leveling: Arise game. It follows the episode list pretty closely and lets you play through the boss fights yourself. It's surprisingly decent for a gacha game, though it's a massive time sink.
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Actionable Steps for New Viewers
If you are just starting your binge-watch, here is the most efficient way to handle it:
- Watch Episodes 1 through 7 back-to-back. The pacing is better when viewed as a movie.
- Skip Episode 7.5. It's a recap. Don't waste your twenty minutes.
- Pay attention to the background characters in Episode 8. The show is planting seeds for Season 2 and Season 3 here.
- Finish with Episode 12 and then immediately go watch the Season 2 teaser trailer to keep the adrenaline going.
- Check the Manhwa Chapter 46 if you can't handle the cliffhanger. The transition is seamless.
The Solo Leveling ep list is short right now, but the impact is huge. We are witnessing the rise of a new "Big Three" contender in the anime space. Don't get bogged down by the filler talk; just enjoy the ride from E-Rank to whatever comes next.
Wait for the "Arise" moment. It’s worth the wait.