The Legend of Zelda Anime Can Finally Dethrone Solo Leveling on Crunchyroll

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Crunchyroll’s most popular new fantasy series continues to be unmatched. To challenge its success, a new series would need a pre-existing fanbase even larger than the one for Solo Leveling. A series based on a video game, like , would be a strong contender.

Akira Himekawa’s manga adaptation of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess began in Shogakukan’s MangaONE app in 2016 and ran for six years, concluding with its 58th chapter on January 30, 2022, after eleven volumes. Given its length and popularity, this manga is a strong contender for an anime adaptation. With a large and dedicated fanbase already in place, Zelda: Twilight Princess would likely be successful on Crunchyroll. Himekawa’s visually stunning manga provides an excellent base for a new dark fantasy series that could become as popular as Solo Leveling.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess’ Manga Adaptation Is Still Akira Himekawa’s Magnum Opus

Akira Himekawa is the joint pen name of manga artists A. Honda and S. Nagano. They’ve gained a dedicated following by creating manga adaptations of popular games. While they usually condense game storylines into single volumes, their adaptation of Twilight Princess is an exception. This version is a much larger, 11-volume series that not only retells the game’s story accurately, but also adds new details and expands on the original narrative.

What makes Himekawa’s versions of the classic Zelda games so compelling is their focus on Link’s inner life. While Link is usually a silent character in the games, meant to be a stand-in for the player, Himekawa gives him a unique personality and explores his feelings and motivations. This makes Link feel much more real and developed than he often does in the games themselves.

Sometimes, the manga versions of the story actually add interesting details to the Zelda universe – like Himekawa’s take on the origins of the first hero, which came before Skyward Sword. The manga adaptation of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess does this beautifully. It’s a moving story of revenge and finding forgiveness, just like the game, where Link tries to rescue his friend, but gets caught up in a very old and dangerous plan.

While Twilight Princess is already a more mature Zelda game (and the only one rated T for Teen), the manga adaptation by Himekawa takes the darkness to a whole new level. A key scene that sets Link on his journey, for instance, feels like a toned-down version of the Eclipse from Berserk, even showing Link getting hurt in a similar way to the character Guts.

Like the original game, this manga adaptation of Twilight Princess features Link facing scary monsters, solving difficult puzzles, and teaming up with useful allies. The manga was already set up for success thanks to its engaging characters and unexpected story turns. However, it truly shines by diving deeper into Link’s thoughts and feelings, combined with beautifully drawn artwork and exciting action sequences, making it a unique and compelling story in its own right.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess’ Anime Might be the Last Series Left That Can Match Solo Leveling’s Popularity

The Twilight Princess manga by Akira Himekawa is a fantastic, yet often overlooked, shonen series. It would make a perfect basis for a full anime adaptation, and it’s almost certain to be a hit.

The Legend of Zelda has a large and dedicated fanbase that overlaps significantly with anime fans. Many players grew up enjoying both the Zelda games and anime, and the games’ visuals often draw inspiration from anime styles. With the recent announcement of a new project, fans have been discussing whether Zelda would actually work better as an anime series.

While the upcoming Zelda anime will likely face strong competition, Solo Leveling currently dominates Crunchyroll. As of March 2026, it’s the highest-rated anime on the platform by a considerable margin—nearly a million ratings! Even popular, long-running series like One Piece and Jujutsu Kaisen, which have many more episodes than Solo Leveling’s 25, haven’t been able to surpass it. However, if any series has a chance to challenge Solo Leveling, it’s Zelda.

According to Akira Himekawa, the creator of Zelda, the series has a remarkably dedicated fanbase worldwide. This is especially true now, as Zelda is more popular than ever. Tears of the Kingdom, the latest 3D Zelda game, sold 10 million copies in its first three days, and Breath of the Wild remains one of the best-selling games of all time, with over 35 million copies sold, ranking it 24th overall.

Comparing Zelda to Solo Leveling based on trailer views, the Tears of the Kingdom release trailer currently has significantly more views than any Solo Leveling anime trailer on YouTube. The most popular Solo Leveling trailer has 7.5 million views, while Breath of the Wild‘s trailer has 32 million. Even Solo Leveling‘s most viewed official video, the Jinwoo vs. the Ant King fight, has 34 million views – only slightly more than Breath of the Wild‘s trailer. These numbers demonstrate that the Zelda series consistently performs as well as, or better than, Solo Leveling in terms of viewership.

The Legend of Zelda Has All the Ingredients for a Great Anime If Nintendo Would Allow It

With excitement building for a possible new game and a live-action movie planned for 2027, the Zelda series is gaining a lot of attention, which strengthens the idea that it would be a successful anime.

The main reason we haven’t seen a Zelda anime yet is Nintendo itself. Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa recently explained to Kyoto Shumbin that while an anime adaptation is possible in the future, it would be difficult to create one unless it could offer something truly special and unique to the Nintendo brand. Essentially, Nintendo needs to be convinced it’s worth doing.

Nintendo’s main hurdle in turning a series like Zelda into an anime is finding a studio that truly understands and respects its creative vision. While Nintendo could easily afford a top studio like MAPPA or Ufotable, they seem to prioritize quality over simply hiring the biggest name. They want an adaptation that feels fresh and unique, adding something special to the Zelda franchise rather than just copying existing anime styles.

As a huge Zelda fan, I truly believe the series is made for anime! The Twilight Princess manga proved it – it took a classic Zelda story and presented it in a way that felt both familiar and fresh. Honestly, fans of shows like Solo Leveling should be crossing their fingers that the creators don’t tackle Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom just yet. There’s something special about how Twilight Princess was handled, and I’d love to see that approach maintained!

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2026-04-01 03:39