5 Years Later, Solo Leveling's Biggest Isekai Killer Rival Officially Confirms Anime

Aug 10, 2026 - 04:14

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5 Years Later, Solo Leveling's Biggest Isekai Killer Rival Officially Confirms Anime

Jinwoo from Solo Leveling wearing his big fur coat and looking incredibly surprised.

Published Aug 9, 2026, 8:00 PM EDT

Merlyn De Souza is a freelance writer and anime enthusiast based in Goa, India, with a Bachelor's in English Literature. When she isn't writing, she can be found exploring various realms of entertainment, including, but not limited to, K-dramas, novels, and even the occasional manhwa. She also enjoys all things creative, like sewing and makeup.

A manhwa just as popular and acclaimed as Solo Leveling's sequel is coming for the isekai genre with a brand-new anime adaptation, and it's not Omniscient Reader or any action series for that matter, but a villainess manhwa. Between releases like From Bureaucrat to Villainess, May I Ask For One Final Thing and the latest Though I Am An Inept Villainess anime by Doga Kobo, the last couple of years have truly delivered some great villainess and otome isekai anime.

Even so, compared to mainstream isekai and fantasy series, both otome isekai and the villainess genres, which are often synonymous with each other, have yet to definitively leave their mark, at least as anime. That said, the biggest villainess manhwa in recent years is preparing to throw its hat into the ring with an anime of its own, and it could single-handedly push this entire subgenre into the mainstream spotlight.

Villains Are Destined to Die Is Getting An Anime Adaptation

Just a month after concluding its main story, Villains Are Destined to Die has officially announced an anime. The announcement was made with the release of the manhwa's final main story chapter on Piccoma on August 8, through a message from the series' creators. According to this message, the Villains Are Destined to Die anime adaptation has not only been greenlit but is already in production.

The message from the series' writer and the creator of the original web novel reads:

Hello, this is Gwon Gyeoeul, author of the novel Villains Are Destined to Die. Thanks to the tremendous support from our readers, the anime adaptation of this work has finally been decided. I am very happy that we will be able to deliver the characters moving vividly on screen! And congratulations on the long-awaited completion of the manga! Please look forward to the Villains Are Destined to Die anime.

And the message from the webtoon's illustrator, SUOL reads:

Thanks to the warm support we have received from our readers, the TV anime adaptation of Villains Are Destined to Die has been decided! In addition to the completion of the work, I am thrilled to be able to deliver this wonderful news. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who is breathing new life into the work. Please look forward to and support the Villains Are Destined to Die anime which is currently in production!

Seeing as the announcement was made following the Japanese release of the final chapter, it is likely that the adaptation will be a Japanese production instead of a Korean aeni. That said, it has yet to be revealed which animation studio will be in charge of this very promising project.

Villains Are Destined to Die's Anime Could Finally Break A Long-Running Bad Streak

penelope from villains are destined to die with medea from your throne and edith and killian from not your typical reincarnation story

While anime adaptations of Japanese villainess manga come around every year, adaptations of Korea manhwa are still quite rare. And, unfortunately, those that have received adaptations have failed to leave a lasting impression in the past, whether that's Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke's Mansion, Who Made Me A Princess, or Doctor Elise. The precedent suggests that these anime adaptations rarely ever manage to live up to their source material or attract mainstream audiences.

That said, no other otome isekai manhwa has had the same amount of momentum as Villains Are Destined to Die. The manhwa recently ended its six-year-long run with a perfect rating, shared an award with Solo Leveling: Ragnarok, and a total of 138 million cumulative views across KakaoPage, Tapas, and Tappytoon.

All that said, as long as the anime can do the series' gorgeous visuals justice, there's no reason Villains Are Destined to Die's anime won't be a success. In fact, it might just break the streak and put the otome isekai genre on the map. Furthermore, considering how isekai anime has been feeling stagnant for quite some time, otome isekai like Villains Are Destined to Die could prove to be just the breath of fresh air everyone needs.