'Solo Leveling' tops 'One Piece' and 'Demon Slayer' in Crunchyroll ratings — Fans hilariously defend the OGs

Solo Leveling came in, stole the crown at Crunchyroll, and left anime behemoths One Piece and Demon Slayer with a jaw-dropped reaction. The animated series of the popular Korean web novel has finally broken the record to become the highest-rated anime at Crunchyroll.

To newbies, it is an anime adapted from a South Korean web novel by Chugong, which was illustrated by DUBU.

It follows Sung Jinwoo, who begins as the weakest of the weak before an unknown system allows him to level up. Of course, he transforms from underdog to OP.

Though this was a big win for Solo Leveling, One Piece and Demonslayer enthusiasts were not going to remain silent. Rather, they began roasting and responding with memes, showing they weren't going to let this fly.

They defended their beloved anime, saying it hadn’t been airing for long, so it was only natural that another show would temporarily take the crown.

In their eyes, this wasn’t a loss—just a brief moment before OGs reclaimed its throne.

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Social media reacts to Solo Leveling taking over One Piece and Demonslayer on Crunchyroll

Some fans jokingly said that it only gained control because One Piece isn't even airing currently. They joked about how it's simple to occupy the first place when the true king is on vacation.

Some others claimed that nothing could surpass the long course of One Piece and that this alleged "victory" for Solo Leveling is only temporary.

A user @KermitZeDetect stated:

"Congratz you overtook one piece when its not airring for half a year 😂"

A user @MrJmoneyDeus added:

"Whenever a show can make 1000+ memorable episodes weekly like One Piece, nothing will top."

Some users brought up the normie vs. hardcore anime fans debate.

Firing multiple shots at once, a user @LocalWvlf mentioned:

"I believe it. I even have normies talking about it to me."

Another @vgw_idun added:

"'most-rated'? You mean like... more people gave their opinions, regardless of what that opinion is?"

At the same time, a user went all out and gave a full-blown analysis, attempting to persuade everyone why they shouldn't enjoy Solo Leveling. Some of them noted the unoriginality, claiming that it is merely the same narrative used repeatedly.

One user, @Pain91013059, in an explanatory diss, stated:

"You can't imagine how overrated this anime is. I coudln't even sympathize with his mother. Characters have no character, hero is invincible, doesn't know what losing is. Characters drawing is so bad, everyone looks the same. Didn't bring a new concept."

A user @pritzz7111 went on to say:

"Yea another anime about where the loser dies and gets reborn with powers and is not a loser anymore 🥱🥱🥱 so original."

Finally, some users pointed out that April is coming, meaning its reign won’t last much longer.

A user @Anonemuss_ issued a straight-up warning, saying:

"April is right around the corner, this won’t last long."

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Also read: 15 Funniest memes from ‘JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’

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Solo Leveling has skyrocketed up Crunchyroll’s rankings

By as early as 2025, the anime worked its way into the second most-rated anime position with close to half a million ratings.

Then, it continued to rise.

In March 2025, Solo Leveling, which had 594,500 ratings, finally passed One Piece (594,400 ratings) and Demon Slayer (587,000 ratings) to become the most-rated anime on Crunchyroll.

Let's put this in perspective: One Piece has well over 1,100 episodes, and Solo Leveling has just 24.

Even Demon Slayer, a new-age Sakuga animation and emotional trauma juggernaut, couldn't stop its tide.

Korean webtoons and manhwa have been inching their way into the world of anime. If an anime adaptation of a webtoon can defeat One Piece, what is to prevent other webtoons from doing the same?

With only 24 episodes released so far, it has already accomplished what most long-running shows can only hope for. At this point, Crunchyroll should make some shelf space free because Solo Leveling isn't going anywhere.

Also read: 60 Funny Naruto memes that even Madara would laugh at!