Summary
From zero to heroes, thesemanhwa charactershave seen the edges of the gutter and climbed back against all odds. Such a glorious reversal of fate wouldn’t be fun if thecharacters didn’t learn anything in the process. Character development is one of the most important things in a story, and these protagonists have gotten their fair share of it.
This list includes manhwa main characters who have gone through tremendous changes during the continuity of their respective stories. Some of them are heroes, some of them just want to be left alone, and some are dark avengers capable of bringing pain and destruction to the world. But, how did they get there? That’s what makes these individuals such interesting characters.
If you are reading any of these series, and you are not up-to-date: Mind the spoilers ahead.
Updated on November 3rd, 2024, by Lucas Simons:There have been a great deal of character developments in all manhwa series mentioned in this list. In Star-Embracing Swordmaster, for example, Vlad has matured greatly, and he’s finally on the right path to becoming a Knight. On the other hand, Infinite Leveling Muring has entered a hiatus after its second season ended with Dan Yuuseong finally coming face to face with his archnemesis. Various characters in Reality Quest have suffered considerable changes, especially its main character, who is much more mature and has embraced the path of violence completely. The second season finale of Villain To Kill left fans tremendously excited about Cassian finally becoming one of the top villains in the world, beating Money King to a pulp, but it closed with a tremendous cliffhanger. There are a lot of new and exciting things happening in the top manhwa series, and two new contestants have joined this list of manhwa with the best character development. Let’s take a look at them.
12Desir Arman (A Returner’s Magic Should Be Special)
Desir Relived An Ordeal Time And Time Again Just To Save The Ones He Loved
Having witnessed everyone he loved fall during the Shadow World Crysis,Desir Armanturns to face his annihilation, being the one left standing. With all he went through and all his beloved friends buried in the wake of the worst catastrophe humanity has faced, he decided to go all out and die fighting.
Returning from certain death, Desir discovers he has another chance to do things right. Throughout his second life, Desir not only develops as a character, but he forges everlasting friendships with the least expected allies. Being the only one who remembers what happened, Desir carries a heavy burden. Nevertheless, he does so with dignity and stoicism while working his way toward a single goal: to prevent a worldwide disaster. He is a great example of character growth.
Went From Waif To Knight, Putting His Life On The Line
Raised in a brothel by one of the most dangerous gangs of Shoara,Vladhad to adapt to survive. At first, he was only a carefree waif roaming the streets alongside his friend Jemina. But after tragedy struck in the form of a ruthless gang war that ended with the murder of everyone he loved and the destruction of his foster home, Vlad swore to take revenge on the person who took away the closest thing he had to a family.
After going through a mercenary life, he managed to attune himself to a mysterious spirit who offered him guidance. He met Sir Joseph, one of the Elite of the Bayezid family, and took an oath to become a Knight. Vlad has undergone a seriously deep transformation, relinquishing his desire for vengeance and redirecting it towards the path of knighthood. He was able to channel all his rage into a just and righteous fury and set on a path to cleanse the world of darkness.
10Ed Rothtaylor (The Extra’s Academy Survival Guide)
Wanted To Be A Side Character, Ended Up Being In The Spotlight
The story is about a Korean gamer who gets transported into his favorite fantasy RPG/Galge, in the flesh of the worst trash character:Ed Rothtaylor. As Ed, our MC will need to do whatever is necessary to survive the harsh environment of the Magic Academy, while also trying to avoid all the bad endings that are constantly bombarding his path to survival. However, some developments have changed Ed for good: He is no longer regarded as a lout but as someone really valuable and capable of great feats.
What’s worse is he has attracted the attention of not only one, but six of the Academy’s main female characters, who are causing some serious ruckus around Ed’s (formerly) relaxed lifestyle in his cabin in the woods. This has led to some serious character development, including from the “maidens in love,” who have come to realize they have feelings for Ed and are ready to compete against each other for the bachelor’s attention. Suddenly, this dark action fantasy manhwa has become a rom-com.
9Knox (Time-Limited Genius Dark Knight)
Worked Damn Hard To Become The Sion Of The Family
Destined to die once more, and reincarnated asKnox, a terminally ill patient is now trying to survive in a dark fantasy world where every odd is against him. With a countdown indicating the exact time when he’s going to die (again), Knox will have to overcome many ordeals to reach adulthood. Knowing the outcome of the game world where he was isekai’d to is a great deal of help, and his experience min-maxing the characters is also helping him develop into a powerful Dark Knight.
This series not only showcases the MC’s growth throughout his adventure, but that of other side characters as well. Specifically, Djitri, Knox’s faithful maid, a former noble who has fallen from grace, and the straightforward and dutiful Talian Von Stilliner, who is destined to become a fearsome Knight and the one who kills Knox in the future. Both characters have come a long way and have developed into magnificent protagonists of this thrilling story. We will see how much they develop as the main plot moves towards the pinnacle of Knox’s journey.
8Dan Yuseong (Infinite Level Up In Murim)
He Showed Great Character And Built A Hoard Of Allies With Hard Work And Resilience
As a regressor,Dan Yuseonghad a tremendousadvantage over all martial artistsin Murim. He could have used that knowledge to become rich and powerful, but instead, he went back to the Murim Alliance Academy to build his strength and prepare for the future. From rock bottom to top of the class, he preached by example, gaining the trust and friendship of former enemies and new allies as well.
Many of his teachers and colleagues believe he doesn’t have a speckle of talent, only raw, pure willpower. He proves it at every step of his painful road to becoming the best in the world, gaining strength through suffering, training, and most importantly, by protecting those he cherishes.
7Bam (Tower Of God)
Proving That Friendship Can Beat Even The Cruelest Of Fates
Bamdecided to climb The Tower tofind his only friend, Rachel. And even when facing total annihilation, he never faltered and kept going, fueled by the desire to find the only person who he cared for. But, during this arduous path, he met a lot of Candidates, who soon became his friends and allies.
Even after being left for dead and taken hostage by the evil FUG group, he kept hiding his pain and pushing forward. The friendships he made along the way and his great character development came to fruition during the Workshop Battle Arc, where he learns that friendship can overcome any obstacle. The second season of theTower of Godanime is a good chance to watch Bam’s growth live.
6Ha Do-Wan (Reality Quest)
From Bullied Weakling To Gang Boss And Protector
Ha Do-Wanthought his life was over when his father died. He had already given up on finding the person responsible for his death and was being treated poorly at school. But when he was on the verge of being killed during a bully attack, he unlocked a strange System that granted him a chance to gain power. Instead of using that power to abuse others, he infiltrated a dangerous criminal organization and beat his way up until he became one of its leaders.
He has undergone many changes, not only becoming physically boosted and a martial adept but maturing enough to understand that he should not abuse others. Becoming a sort of protector of the weak, he seeks those who murdered his father and will stop at nothing to complete his quest.
5Ha Leeha (Arcane Sniper)
From Depressed Army Dropout To World Ranker And Top Gamer
Ha Leehaused to be a highly trained and accomplished military sniper, but after a rough accident in which he became unable to walk and was discharged as a consequence of it, he became severely depressed. But after diving into the world ofMiddle Earth,a VR game where he could be anyoneand earn money by playing, he saw a new chance to be free from his burdens.
Though he chose the worst possible class, Musketeer, through sheer effort and force of will, he overcame the class weaknesses and ended up as one of the top-ranked players. He was not only able to free himself from depression and find a new way of living through gaming, but he did so without giving away his passion and identity as a marksman. Leeha has become quite famous in the game, so much so that he is being showcased in streams and poached by many important guilds. He’s finally embarked on a journey with the other Three Musketeers to stop the Demon Lord Bluebeard from rising again.
4Sung-Jin Woo (Solo Leveling)
The Weakest Hunter Turns Into A God
Desperate to support his family,Sung-Jin Woodove into dangerous dungeons way over his level, knowing all too well that he was the weakest in the rankings. But even after facing total annihilation, he never gave up and was rewarded with a new beginning.
Relentless and dedicated to saving his mother, Jin Woo climbed the stairs of godhood as a Necromancer, beating every enemy on his path to supremacy. When facing the most dangerous of tests, he never let go of his humanity andhelped others whenever he could. The events that led him to become the ruler of darkness were all put in motion by his iron will and his ability to overcome pain and suffering.
3Cassian (Villain To Kill)
Betrayed, Killed, Reincarnated, And Now Fighting Back
Cassian, a former Psyker (Hero) betrayed, framed, and murdered by the same organization that trained him, revives as a bullied Korean student: Gangu Gwon. In this new body, he soon discovers that he has become a villain and is being aided by a mysterious dark entity in his quest for vengeance.
Deciding to uncover the corruption of the Lampas International Organization, he assumes his new identity as a Villain and joins the Gadam Vilzone in the hopes of gaining strength and allies to overthrow the corrupt Psykers and clear his name. He decides to re-take the moniker of Cassian as his villain name, and after a lot of hardship, he gains new allies and becomes a known “good” villain. He’scloser to an anti-heroic characterthan anyone in the series and has even gained the respect and support of both villains and Psykers alike.
