Best Murim Manhwa, Ranked

Return of the Blossoming Blade

Anime-Planet: 4.46/5

• Author: Biga, Lico
• Chapters: 152+
• Status: Ongoing (But The Main Story Is Currently On Break)
• Webtoon

Dying in battle is a thing of honor for most martial artists, but the protagonist, Chung Myung, disagrees. Dying in battle, the Sword Saint awakens after a century in the body of a young boy. Determined to reclaim his former status as the Sword Saint, he returns to the Mount Hua Sect, but what he finds on his return is not what he expected.

Disgraced and nearly penniless, the Mount Hua Sect is a shadow of its former self and in rapid decline. Unable to let go of the past, Chung Myung is determined to restore the sect to its former glory. Return of the Blossoming Blade is among the most popular murim manhwa, earning a very positive reputation due to featuring a lovable protagonist, brilliant art, and an interesting take on reincarnation. The manhwa balances action, comedy, and drama incredibly well, all the while focusing on character development.

Legend of the Northern Blade

Anime-Planet: 4.4/5

Legend of the Northern Blade is an intense and captivating tale of the Northern Wall. The story follows Jin Mu-Won, who inherits the position of sect leader of the Northern Heavenly Sect from his father, a martial master acknowledged by the whole of Jianghu, another name for murim in the series. Portrayed as weak and hopeless, Mu-Won only uses this as a front as he seeks revenge on the Central Heavenly Alliance, the organization responsible for his father’s death.

Determined to carry out his revenge, Mu-Won disappears without a trace and re-emerges years later, having mastered the Northern sect’s ultimate techniques. The story, first thought to be one of revenge, becomes a chaotic storm that threatens to bring the murim world to its knees, with Jin Mu-Won at the heart of it all.

Fist Demon of Mount Hua

Anime-Planet: 3.93/5

• Author: Woogack
• Chapters: 182
• Status: Canceled

Born with a lame leg and discriminated against, Dam-Ho has the worst possible condition for a martial artist due to his disability. Despite being severely mocked and told that it is impossible to become a martial artist, Dam-Ho is persistent in his training to overcome his limits. Thought to be dead in an unfortunate expedition, Dam-Ho is abandoned by his sect under the rubble of a mountain. Still, with a burning desire to survive and go beyond his limits, Dam-Ho re-emerges as a master at the mention of whose name all the murim will come to fear and acknowledge.

Due to being canceled, Fist Demon of Mount Hua is a bit harder to recommend nowadays since the story will likely never be complete. That said, the available content is generally fantastic, offering great art and a fascinating story with a strong protagonist. Even in its current state, Fist Demon of Mount Hua is still one of the best murim manhwa.

Chronicles of a Doomed Prodigy

Anime-Planet: 4.3/5

• Author: Cheongsiso, Seung-Ki Yoon
• Chapters: 58+
• Status: Ongoing
• Webtoon

A relatively new manhwa, Chronicles of a Doomed Prodigy has spent the last year building up momentum, and its Webtoon accessibility has brought some eyes to it. As far as stories go, this manhwa tells a fairly typical murim tale about an outcast with immense energy and the potential to become a supremely powerful martial artist. Sadly, he is born into a family that does not respect or nurture his abilities, and he also has a seemingly limited lifespan. Consequently, Yeonshin is not only trying to find a way to improve his skills, but also to expand his limited time among the living.

Chronicles of a Doomed Prodigy does not hold too many surprises, opting to tell a fairly conventional murim story with a largely average MC. Don’t misunderstand, Yeonshin is quite powerful and has a talent for creating new martial arts, which allows him to stay a step ahead of most opponents. However, personality-wise, he is fairly unspectacular and nowhere near as unpredictable and dangerous as most murim leads.

Absolute Sword Sense

Anime-Planet: 4.12/5

• Author: TI, Durumi Kim, Hanjungwolya
• Chapters: 155+
• Status: Ongoing
• Webtoon

Absolute Sword Sense is like the quintessential murim manhwa. Not necessarily in terms of popularity, but the story is about as “traditional” for the genre as it gets. Woonhwi So, a weakling who can’t use this universe’s main power source, dies while on a mission for his clan, only to be sent back in time to the day that changed his life forever. More importantly, he gains a unique ability that gives him an edge in battle. After that, we get the usual clan warfare, epic battles, politics, and an MC who goes on a gradual journey to become stronger.

Yes, Absolute Sword Sense can come across as slightly generic or predictable at times, but this formula is popular because it works. While not telling the most original story ever, this manhwa excels in nearly every other aspect, be it art, pacing, fight sequences, or just plain old world-building. Absolute Sword Sense might not be the best in class in any specific area, but it is respectable in all of them.

Return of the Mad Demon

Anime-Planet: 4.29/5

• Author: JP, Jinseong Yu
• Chapters: 175+
• Status: Ongoing
• Webtoon

Return of the Mad Demon has a catchy title that raises some expectations, primarily of a protagonist who is a bit more outlandish and over-the-top than usual. Surprisingly, the manhwa sticks to its title and premise, as Jaha Lee is genuinely quite ridiculous and often acts in ways that defy logic. He lives up to the “mad demon” moniker, which is refreshing.

So, what is the story? Well, Jaha aspired to become the God of Martial Arts, but he never quite managed to reach that level. His dream also saw him making plenty of enemies, all setting the stage for a climactic and, ultimately, fatal battle. However, rather than drift into the unknown, Jaha travels back in time and reawakens in his 20s. Armed with details of the future and the martial arts skills he acquired over decades, Jaha has to now decide how to use this knowledge, while fully aware that decisions have consequences.

Gosu

Anime-Planet: 4.15/5

Gosu follows the protagonist, Gang Ryong, a martial artist burdened with his master’s revenge. His master, Dokgo Ryong the Heavenly Destroyer, once the most feared martial master of the murim, was betrayed by his followers and allies.

As a dying wish of his master, Gang Ryong takes up his master’s request for vengeance, armed with his master’s overwhelming martial arts. Raised to be the ultimate weapon for his master’s enemies, Gang Ryong grows immensely powerful and ensures to fulfill his master’s dying wish. While a bit long in the tooth at times, at its peak, Gosu is phenomenal, featuring some of the best fight sequences in the murim genre. The manhwa should be receiving an anime soon, which is exciting.

Murim Login

Anime-Planet: 4.27/5

• Author: Zerobic, Cheol-Byuk Jang
• Chapters: 239+
• Status: Ongoing

The story, set in a world of monsters and hunters, follows Jin Tae-Kyung, a low-ranking monster hunter struggling to make a living. He comes across a peculiar VR machine and accidentally logs into a game, which is, in fact, another world: a murim world.

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With no choice but to survive in the hope of escaping the game, he is forced to level up, and after several attempts, he finally returns to his world. He soon finds out that all the skills and abilities gained in the game have been transferred back to his reality. Out of care for the comrades he makes in the game, he chooses to return to the game. Incorporating isekai elements, Murim Login manages to do justice to all its popular themes, with top-notch fights and art. While the real world is kept around by the plot, the majority of the story takes place in the murim realm, and that is for the better.