Martial arts manhwa have become a dime a dozen in recent years. However, findingthe best manhwais rarer than most readers would admit, and Nano Machine is as good as it comes in terms of quality. The series follows the dangerous life of the illegitimate heir of the Heavenly Demonic Cult, Cheon Yeon-Woo, as he rises to become history’s most feared demon lord.
While the series is ongoing, readers are expected to be interested in manhwa, which has potential similar to the series. Like Nano Machine, these manhwa present thrilling action sequences alongside exciting narratives and, most importantly, showcase martial arts in different forms. Therefore, here is a list of the best manhwa series, like Nano Machine.
10Infinite Leveling: Murim
Anime-Planet Rating: 4.2 / 5
Infinite Leveling: Murimpresents the story of the central character, Yuseong Dan, who wants to live a life of glory in battle and as a martial artist but dies in an obscure battle with nothing but regrets. However, fate does not allow Dan to mull over his regrets in death; he’s given another chance when he reawakens to a time in the past as his younger self.
With this new opportunity in the form of a mysterious quest system, Dan is forced to grow in ability and power as his quests keep getting harder and harder. Desperate not to repeat the mistakes of his old life, he must push through and become the mighty warrior he dreamed himself to be.
9Fist Demon of Mt. Hua Sect
Anime-Planet Rating: 4.0 / 5
A disability of the limb is the most devastating thing that can happen to a martial artist, and theFist Demon of Mount Huahighlights this very well through its central character, Dam-Ho, the sole survivor of a raid on his village that left him with a lame leg. In this series, resilience and a spirit of vengeance collide, creating an unstoppable force of fear. This staple is also very much present in theNano Machineseries.
Due to his lame leg, Dam-Ho is pressured to give up on learning martial arts, but he refuses to give up on his dream. Shortly after, and by pure coincidence, Dam-Ho is left to die beneath the foot of a mountain. However, after several years, what emerges from beneath the mountain is no longer a man but Murim’s most dangerous martial master.
8Return To Player
Return to Playeralso features a central character who, through some divine encounter, finds himself on the path to becoming extremely overpowered, like inNano Machine. The series follows the life of the protagonist, Sehan Kim, who is the only survivor of a mysterious game played by a group of gods on Earth that led to the destruction of the Earth.
Through a loophole, Sehan returns to the past, just before the game of death begins, and is given the chance of a second playthrough. Armed with a lifetime of experience and knowledge of the game, Sehan setshis sights on revengeon the gods behind the game, and maybe this time, he will beat them at their own game.
7Murim Login
Anime-Planet Rating: 4.3 / 5
Murim Loginthrives onits complicated world-building, just likeNano Machine, and this is, in fact, its most significant advantage. It is set in a world with two realms layered over one another. In contrast, man-eating monsters are the norm in the real world, and the other is in the world of a game where the main character can level up.
The series focuses on the protagonist, Jin Tae-Kyung, a low-rank hunter who accidentally finds a VR machine and logs into a game that essentially takes him to a world of martial arts. Stuck in the game, Jin endures and gets stronger until he can escape the game. After escaping, Jin tries to continue his life as a hunter but ultimately returns to the Murim world solely out of care for the allies he left behind.
6Heavenly Demon Reborn!
TheHeavenly Demon Rebornheavily explores and centers around martial arts, likeNano Machine. The series takes place in a world where a person’s martial arts strength is the only right he/she can have. The story is centered around the protagonist, Unseong, who is unable to do anything but watch as his master is brutally beaten to death over an accusation of practicing the forbidden demonic arts.
In an effort of revenge, Unseong fails to avenge his master and instead is about to meet his end, too. However, instead of reuniting with his master in the afterlife, Unseong awakens in the past as a child soldier of the demonic sect. Given another shot for his revenge, Unseong embraces the dark arts and begins his journey for vengeance.
5Return of the Mt. Hua Sect
Anime-Planet Rating: 4.5 / 5
The common denominator between this series andNano Machineis their shared exploration of martial arts and theirridiculously overpowered protagonists.The Return of the Mt. Hua Sectrevolves around the central character, Cheonmyeong, who in his previous life was the Plum Blossom Sword Saint who defeated the demon lord, Cheon Ma.
However, his defeat came at a very steep price, which was the near extermination of the Ten Great Sects and the eventual death of Cheonmyeong. Death, however, is not the end of Cheonmyeong as he awakens to a new life a century after his previous life. Curious to find out about the welfare of his beloved sect in the present day, he is shocked to find the once-renowned sect almost in ruins. Filled with guilt, Cheonmyeong decides to restore the fortunes of the Mount Hua Sect.
4The Reaper of the Drifting Moon
Similar toNano Machine, theReaper of the Drifting Moonrevolves heavily around martial arts and the fact that both protagonists have their hearts set on revenge. The series revolves around the protagonist, Pyo Wol, an orphan and wanderer who wanders, according to his whims, across the continent. Pyo Wol’s life of freedom ends when mysterious men kidnap him.
Drugged and taken, Pyo Wol awakens in a dark and confined space. After months of complete darkness and isolation, he is released and quickly realizes that he’s not alone. Alongside himself, 299 other children have also been kidnapped to betrained as assassins. With no means of escape, Pyo Wol decides to put a lid on his ravings of revenge until he is free of his captors. It remains to be seen whether he can become strong enough to remain alive.
3The Legend of The Northern Blade
Anime-Planet Rating: 4.4 / 5
The Legend of the Northern Bladepresents a tale of vengeance told through the life of the central character, Jin Mu Won, the 5th Sect of the Northern Heavenly Sect, the sect tasked with keeping the world safe from the evil Silent Night. As a child, Mu Won is forced to watch his father commit suicide, and their sect disbanded after the sect is accused of joining hands with the enemy and becomes the sole survivor of the sect.
What follows for Mu Won is a long and arduous childhood without the opportunity to learn martial arts coupled with tight surveillance. Mu Won is afforded an escape when the Silent Night suddenly attacks what is left of his sect, and he barely escapes with his to the mountains. Free from his enemies, Mu Won begins his quest to avenge his father.
2The Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint
Aside from the quality of both series’ art styles, martial is the only common theme among the two; however, unlike inNano Machine,The Omniscient Reader’s Viewpointexplores martial arts asa part of a bigger worldview. The series revolves around the protagonist, Kim Dokja, a solitary young adult whose only hoobby is reading the web novel; Three Ways To Survive The Apocalypse.
With not much of a life outside reading the novel, Kim Dokja finally concludes the book after a decade. Chaos descends shortly after as Kim Dokja realizes that this fictional novel has now become his reality. As the singular reader of the novel, it remains to be seen whether his knowledge of events will be enough to guarantee his life.
1Solo Leveling
Anime-Planet Rating: 4.7 / 5
Solo Levelingis largely different fromNano Machinefor many reasons. However, one front both share is their ridiculously overpowered protagonists alongside aplethora of action scenesand battle sequences.Solo Levelingfollows the life of the central character, Sung Jing Woo, the world’s weakest hunter and infamous E-Rank Hunter of a world where a mysterious Gate connects the human world to a world of magic and monsters.
Jin Woo’s life is altered when he manages to survive an expedition raid that saw a party of adventurers get wiped in a mysterious dungeon. Following the dungeon raid, Jin Woo awakens and discovers that he can get stronger through a mysterious ‘System.’ With nothing to lose and with the help of the System, Jin Woo begins his journey to becoming the world’s most powerful hunter.
