As a die-hard Solo Leveling fan, I still get goosebumps thinking about Sung Jinwoo’s transformation from the “weakest hunter” to the unstoppable Shadow Monarch, his shadow army rising to epic beats in A-1 Pictures’ stunning animation. Binge-watching Season 2 on Crunchyroll, which wrapped on March 30, 2025, felt like leveling up alongside Jinwoo, and I’m not alone—fans across X are clamoring for Season 3. In a recent Deadline interview, Crunchyroll President Rahul Purini fueled that fire, sharing cautious optimism about a third season while highlighting the challenges of anime’s booming demand. Here’s why his comments have me both hyped and nervously refreshing X for updates, as Solo Leveling’s future hangs in the balance.
A Record-Breaking Phenomenon
Solo Leveling has been a juggernaut for Crunchyroll, the anime streaming giant with over 15 million subscribers. Adapted from Chugong’s hit South Korean manhwa and web novel, the series follows Jinwoo, a low-rank hunter who gains a mysterious “System” that lets him level up like a video game character. Season 1, airing from January to March 2024, was Crunchyroll’s most popular show of the year, and Season 2, Arise from the Shadow, cemented that dominance, topping the platform’s charts in Q1 2025 with over 700,000 user reviews, outpacing One Piece and Demon Slayer. I remember staying up late to catch each episode, texting friends about Jinwoo’s Red Gate Arc battles, my heart racing like I was in the dungeon with him.
Purini attributes this success to the manhwa’s pre-existing fanbase, the video game-inspired narrative that resonates with RPG lovers like me, and A-1 Pictures’ jaw-dropping visuals. “The theme of the story has a lot of themes from gaming… it’s a language [gamers] speak, and that makes it much more compelling,” he told Deadline. That hits home—playing Elden Ring while watching Jinwoo’s power-ups felt like living in both worlds. But with Season 2 covering the Demon Castle Arc and ending at chapter 110 of the 179-chapter manhwa, fans are itching for more, and Purini’s comments are the closest we’ve got to hope.
Season 3: Hopeful, But Not Guaranteed
When Deadline asked if Season 3 is on the horizon, Purini’s response was a tantalizing mix of enthusiasm and caution: “We hope so. The [series] creators want to work on a lot of shows. Anime is really popular, so there’s a lot of demand, and so we have to find the right time to get started on the next season.” This isn’t a green light, and as someone who’s waited through anime hiatuses before (Hunter x Hunter, anyone?), it’s a gut punch. A-1 Pictures, the studio behind Solo Leveling, is juggling multiple high-profile projects, and Purini hinted they’re prioritizing other shows, a sentiment echoed by X user @AnimeMojo: “Crunchyroll President hints A-1 Pictures… likely wants to work on other things before tackling season 3.”
The delay isn’t about lack of interest—Solo Leveling’s global hype is undeniable. Aleks Le, Jinwoo’s English dub voice actor, teased Season 3’s potential in a social media video, saying it “won’t be coming out for a while,” per CBR. Producers Sota Furuhashi and Atsushi Kaneko, in a Reddit AMA, invoked Dragon Ball’s Spirit Bomb, urging fans to lend their “energy” to make Season 3 happen, a plea shared by @animecornernews on X. I felt that call to action, retweeting fan art and joining the chorus of #SoloLevelingS3 posts, hoping our collective hype might tip the scales.
Why the Wait? Anime’s Packed Pipeline
Purini’s comments reflect a broader truth: anime’s global boom is stretching studios thin. A-1 Pictures, also behind Sword Art Online and Kaguya-sama, faces a packed schedule, and rushing Season 3 risks the quality that made Jinwoo’s shadow battles so epic. “Pushing ahead too quickly can risk burnout or compromise quality,” Purini noted, per ScreenRant. I get it—Season 2’s Demon Castle Arc, with its haunting visuals and Hiroyuki Sawano’s score, set a high bar. I’d rather wait for perfection than get a rushed product, like the time I hyped a game sequel only to be let down by glitches.
Still, the manhwa’s remaining 69 chapters, plus web novel content, offer enough material for at least two more seasons or even a theatrical film, as ScreenRant speculated. Demon Slayer’s movie model, with arcs like Mugen Train hitting theaters, could inspire Solo Leveling to adapt its final arcs on the big screen. I’m already imagining Jinwoo’s Monarch battles in IMAX, my popcorn trembling with every shadow summon. Purini’s focus on quality over speed gives me hope that A-1 will deliver, even if it means a wait until 2027, as some fans on r/anime predict.
Shaping Crunchyroll’s Bold Future
Solo Leveling’s success is steering Crunchyroll’s strategy, with Purini citing it as a blueprint for risky bets like Ghost of Tsushima, a 2027 anime based on the PlayStation game, produced with Aniplex, Sony Music, and PlayStation Productions. “It makes us want to take more experiments,” he told Deadline. As a gamer who sank hours into Tsushima’s samurai epic, I’m stoked, but it underscores why A-1 might be stretched thin. Solo Leveling’s gaming-inspired DNA—Jinwoo’s “System” feels like a Final Fantasy HUD—has Crunchyroll doubling down on game-to-anime adaptations, which could delay Season 3 but expand the anime world I love.
A Fan’s Heart on the Line
For me, Solo Leveling is more than an anime—it’s a reminder of grinding through tough times, like when I pushed through a brutal work project, channeling Jinwoo’s relentless drive. Purini’s “we hope so” isn’t a promise, but it’s a spark. With no official announcement post-Season 2 (unlike Season 1’s quick renewal), the wait feels agonizing, especially after Season 2’s cliffhanger left Jinwoo at a crossroads. Yet, the manhwa’s depth, A-1’s talent, and Crunchyroll’s investment make cancellation unlikely—CBR calls the odds “slim-to-none.”
I’m holding onto hope, streaming Seasons 1 and 2 on Crunchyroll to keep the vibe alive, and eyeing Solo Leveling: ReAwakening, the Season 1 compilation film with Season 2’s first two episodes, still in select theaters. Purini’s comments, paired with fan passion on X, have me believing Season 3 will come, maybe in early 2027 if A-1’s schedule aligns. Until then, I’ll be hyping the series online, dreaming of Jinwoo’s next dungeon dive, and praying Crunchyroll finds that “right time” soon. Jinwoo’s story isn’t over, and neither is our fight
