Solo Leveling Crowned Anime of the Year at the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards

Solo Leveling is set in a world where mysterious gates connect reality to a realm filled with deadly monsters. Humanity’s only hope lies in hunters—individuals gifted with supernatural powers. The story follows Sung Jinwoo, known as the weakest hunter, who unexpectedly receives a second chance at life through a mysterious power that lets him grow stronger after each battle. As he uncovers the secrets behind the dungeons and his new abilities, Jinwoo rises from obscurity to become the most powerful hunter of all.

Solo Leveling as anime of the year (Photo from: Crunchyroll)

Solo Leveling has officially taken the anime world by storm, clinching the Anime of the Year title at the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards. Adapted from the hit South Korean web novel by Chugong, the series was praised for its stunning animation, powerful soundtrack, and compelling storyline centered on protagonist Sung Jinwoo’s transformation from the weakest hunter to the mighty Shadow Monarch.

The 2025 edition of the Crunchyroll Anime Awards saw millions of fans voting globally, with Solo Leveling emerging as the most decorated anime of the year, bagging a total of nine major awards.

Major Wins for Solo Leveling:

• Anime of the Year
• Best New Series
• Best Action
• Best Score – Hiroyuki Sawano
• Best Ending Sequence – “request” by krage
• Best Main Character – Sung Jinwoo
• Best VA Performance (English) – Aleks Le as Sung Jinwoo
• Best VA Performance (Castilian) – Masumi Mutsuda as Sung Jinwoo
• Best VA Performance (Portuguese) – Charles Emmanuel as Sung Jinwoo

This historic sweep not only marks a milestone for Solo Leveling as the first manhwa adaptation to win Anime of the Year but also highlights the growing global appeal of Korean content in the anime space.

Full List of 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards Winners:

Anime of the Year

Solo Leveling

Film of the Year

Look Back

Best Original Anime

Ninja Kamui

Best Continuing Series

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Hashira Training Arc

Best New Series

Solo Leveling

Best Animation

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Hashira Training Arc

Best Art Direction

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

Best Character Design

DAN DA DAN

Best Director

Keiichiro Saito – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

Best Cinematography

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Hashira Training Arc

Best Score

Hiroyuki Sawano – Solo Leveling

Best Opening Sequence

“Otonoke” – Creepy Nuts – DAN DA DAN

Best Ending Sequence

“request” – krage – Solo Leveling

Best Main Character

Sung Jinwoo – Solo Leveling

Best Supporting Character

Fern – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

“Must Protect at All Costs” Character

Anya Forger – SPY x FAMILY Season 2

Best VA Performance (English)

Aleks Le as Sung Jinwoo – Solo Leveling

Best VA Performance (Japanese)

Aoi Yuki as Maomao – The Apothecary Diaries

Best VA Performance (Spanish – Latin America)

Miguel Ángel Leal as Eren Jaeger – Attack on Titan Final Season THE FINAL CHAPTERS Special 2

Best VA Performance (Castilian)

Masumi Mutsuda as Sung Jinwoo – Solo Leveling

Best VA Performance (Portuguese)

Charles Emmanuel as Sung Jinwoo – Solo Leveling

Best VA Performance (German)

Daniel Schlauch as Monkey D. Luffy – ONE PIECE

Best VA Performance (French)

Adrien Antoine as Kafka Hibino – Kaiju No. 8

Best VA Performance (Italian)

Ilaria Pellicone as Kyomoto – Look Back

Best VA Performance (Arabic)

Hiba Snobar as Anya Forger – SPY x FAMILY Season 2

Best VA Performance (Hindi)

Lohit Sharma as Satoru Gojo – JUJUTSU KAISEN Season 2

Best Romance

Blue Box

Best Drama

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

Best Action

Solo Leveling

Best Fantasy

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

Best Comedy

Mashle: Magic and Muscles – The Divine Visionary Candidate Exam Arc

Best Isekai Anime

Re:Zero – Starting Life in Another World – Season 3

Best Slice of Life

Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines!

Best Anime Song

“Otonoke” – Creepy Nuts – DAN DA DAN

Global Impact Award

Attack on Titan

As the curtains close on the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards, the event once again showcased the diversity, creativity, and global reach of anime today. From emotional dramas to explosive action and heartwarming slice-of-life stories, this year’s winners reflect a vibrant and evolving industry. Solo Leveling‘s historic win signals a growing recognition for webtoon-based adaptations, while the range of international voice acting awards highlights anime’s expanding influence across cultures. With such strong entries across every category, 2025 is shaping up to be a golden year for anime fans around the world.