INTRODUCTION
Who doesn’t love a little action to get the blood boiling? The thrill of a fist fight between two legendary warriors or the struggle against evil forces, these are just a few example of how the action genre can be put into nearly any story. With so many manhwa out there, though, finding that action centered story may be a bit daunting. As always we here at Honey’s Anime have gone through the chaotic battles of war and school turf wars to bring you a new list specifically centered on action. That’s right everyone welcome to our Top 10 Action Manhwa list.
Action can indeed be mixed into any one of the dozens of manhwa genres out there. It’s one of those genres that most manhwaga can cleverly use to infuse a slow scene and ramp it up by adding just a tinge of action. Surprisingly, or maybe not in reality, there are hundreds of action manhwa so this list wasn’t easy to make. We made sure to really check not only our own mindsets but those of fans to rank some of the best of the best and we think we accomplished that without an issue. Are you ready to begin reading this action packed list? Well you don’t have to wait till a bell goes off, go right at it now.
10. Girls of the Wild’s
- Manhwaga: Kim, Hye-Jin- Hun
- Genre: Action, Comedy, Drama, Martial Arts, Romance, School, Harem
- Volumes: 1
- Published Date: Aug, 2011- Oct, 2016
Wild High has been known to produce some of the most prestigious elites in the nation. The all girls academy has women who have been trained in various martial arts such as boxing to karate. These women train to hopefully be given the chance to fight in the world viewed Wild League. However, deciding to break tradition, Wild High has opened their doors to males for the first time and one of the new applicants come in the form of Song Jae Gu. Despite having no skills in combat and mediocre grades, as a means to attract new people, the school gave Song a 3 year scholarship, but can this young man survive a school full of tough as nails girls like the Queen?
Martial arts is always a great means of providing action to any manhwa. Manhwagas Kim, Hye-Jin and Hun have done an excellent job making Girls of the Wild’s a cool action story all while throwing in some humor, romance and a smidge of a harem plot. Each page is done remarkably well and really is a beautiful art style thanks to Kim, Hye-Jin’s style. We here at Honey’s Anime felt it best to start with such a well-crafted action manhwa such as Girls of the Wild’s and we’re sure you’ll agree once you start reading. We guess it just shows there are plenty of butt kicking women out in the manhwa world…this story however is chock full of them.
9. Yongbi Bulpae
- Manhwaga: Mun, Jung-Hoo- Ryu, Ki Woon
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Historical, Martial Arts
- Volumes: 23
- Published Date: 1998 to Present
A true bounty hunter needs to be fearless and tough as nails, all of these qualities and more are embed into bounty hunter Yongbi. While Yongbi might seem like a scary person, he can still charm almost anyone. One day a young boy approaches the bounty hunter asking for protection. Yongbi notices a strange medallion the boy has he decides to help keep him safe. These two will go forth with dangers lurking everywhere, but Yongbi is ready.
Beautiful art, an amazing story of camaraderie, and plenty of action, what’s not to love about Yongbi Bulpae? This series has still continued to wow readers for twenty years and once you try it out you won’t be surprised. The true take away though is the incredible action scenes, Yongbi isn’t afraid after all and you can see that ideal captured thanks to ,anhwagas Mun Jung-Hoo and Ry Ki Woon. Get ready for an epic adventure, and be sure to take a break every so often because we’re sure you’ll be hooked to Yongbi Bulpae from the first page.
8. The Legend of Maian
- Manhwaga: Im, Dal Young- Jeong, Soo Cheol
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Ecchi, Fantasy, Shounen
- Volumes: 14
- Published Date: 2007- 2012
Long ago the world faced potential destruction thanks to the nightmare inducing sorceress Felicia Rand Philistin. Yet, unbeknownst to Felicia, her dark reign would come to a closure quickly. A man rose up and fought this sorceress coming out victorious when he was able to seal Felicia away. Our story however takes place one thousand years later when Fenix Maian makes an incredibly foolish mistake. Fenix releases Felicia from her imprisonment and now the young boy must somehow stop her from somehow rising again.
An adventure story with action and ecchi doesn’t seem like a bad mix. The Legend of Maian is a fantasy story that will really leave readers wanting more. Coming from the famous Im Dal Young and Jeong Soo Cheol, it’s not a surprise that while this story may have some amazing sword play and cool martial arts scenes, there’s plenty of fan service in terms of some of the ladies. We can say this though, The Legend of Maian is such a fun read you’ll find nothing wrong about it. We do warn though, don’t binge it too fast otherwise you’ll miss it when it’s all over.
7. Threads of Time
- Manhwaga: Mi, Young Noh
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Historical, Psychological
- Volumes: 11
- Published Date: Dec, 1999- Sep. 2003
Who am I? That is the question on Moon Bin Lee’s mind every night. When he falls asleep Moon finds himself chasing some girl he doesn’t recognize in another man’s body by the name of Sa Kyoung Kim. Time passes and Moon’s situation worsens to the point that his other world self begins to bleed into the present. Who is moon supposed to be himself or this warrior Sa Kyoung Kim?
Honestly, we’ve all wanted to be heroes at some point in our lives or at the very least someone else. However, for poor Moon that reality seems to be a curse rather than a blessing. Welcome to Threads of Time by the manhwaga Mi Young Noh a great action story with a tinge of psychological aspects to keep the reader guessing. If you delve into this manhwa you’ll find yourself truly immersed like Moon thanks to some clever dialogue, some strong art and a great story. If you love the action genre as much as we do, check out Threads of Time.
6. Witch Hunter
- Manhwaga: Jung-man, CHO
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Ecchi, Fantasy, Romance, Supernatural
- Volumes: 17
- Published Date: 2006- Present
One day without warning, the witches are fed up with humanity. Not only do the witches declare war on humans, but they destroy a large portion of the world in their anger. People begin to wonder why this is even happening but the answers will have to wait, something needs to be done about the witches. Those who have power and the ability to summon creatures become witch hunters. Tasha Godspell just so happens to be one of the best witch hunters thanks to his expert shooting naming him The Marksman and his summon Jack O Lantern, but while he fights witches Tasha has no malevolence to them for some reason…
You didn’t think we’d forget magical action in our list did you? Witch Hunter boasts a lot of genres in this still continuing story but its strength is indeed in its action. Tasha and Jack are two seemingly perfect fighters and bring a nice mix of gun and swordplay in Witch Hunter. Jun-Man CHO really did an amazing job and we’re sure you’ll be thanking this manhwaga for it. We’d be out of our minds if Witch Hunter wasn’t on this list somewhere.
5. Afterschool War Activities
- Manhwaga: Ha, Il-Kwon
- Genre: Action, Drama, School, Sci-Fi, Military, Psychological
- Volumes: 5
- Published Date: Nov, 2012- Dec, 2013
One day, the event occurred that began the slow death of the world. Strange objects began falling from the sky and they came with ill intent. The military in Korea began fighting but found themselves outnumbered by these alien like enemy. Despite being high schoolers and college students, people like Yeon Bo Ra, Wang Tae Man and Woo Hui Rak joined the military in hopes of lending their aid. The question remains though, can these young nonmilitary men and women fight back against the unknown threat?
When many think of the end of the world by odd natures we think of zombies or monsters but forget the very possible alien life form as a threat to be added. However, Ha Il-Kwon sure didn’t forget in Afterschool War Activities. This action and drama story really will make you feel for each character as they risk their young lives to fight for humanity’s survival. Thanks to some impressive storytelling and amazing art that greatness is allowed even more room to show in this impressive manhwa. Truly one of the best works that comes from Korea’s impressive manhwa library.
4. Id
- Manhwaga: Kim, Daewoo
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
- Volumes: 29
- Published Date: 2002- 2013
Chunwha was one momentin his kingdom and then suddenly transported to a new world thanks to a shift in dimensions. Chunwha notices odd elf like people and strange beings roaming around. Afraid that his name would cause too much attention from this world’s residents, Chunwha changes his name to Id. With seemingly no way home, Id begins to wander this new world in search of answers. However, Id won’t be alone gaining both companions and enemies alike.
Id may have a lot of cliché sounding themes and ideals but manhwaga Kim Daewoo’s work is far from cliché. The elegant art and the very cool story make Id such a pleasant action story filled with some cool characters and odd twists in the plot. We here at Honey’s Anime were overjoyed with some of the amazing action set pieces we were truly surprised this hasn’t gained more popularity yet. You need to check out Id and when you do leave a comment down below saying thanks.
3. Ares
- Manhwaga: Ryu, Geum Chel
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
- Volumes: 26
- Published Date: Sep, 2001- Jan, 2008
Ares and Mikael have a simple dream: to become part of the Temple Mercenaries, a renowned mercenary like group in the world of Chronos. There are joined by another new warrior named Baroona and the three now allies find themselves part of the same unit. They find that their skills are needed when Icarus decides to attack Minos in a preemptive strike. While the battle begins to wage on, Icarus takes note of the three young warriors. What lies in store now for these talented but still green warriors?
Ares is easily one of the most unique works we’ve seen in a long time. Not only is the story a cool twist on roman mythology, but the art style is so unlike anything we’ve seen in manhwa. Besides those great elements Ares is just an overall great action story. The fights range from realistic to almost video game levels. We’re sorry if we seem to be gushing about Ares, but honestly we just love this work so much, thanks to Ryu Geum Chel for creating this simply epic manhwa series.
2. Noblesse
- Manhwaga: Son, Jae- Ho- Lee, Gwang-Su
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, School, Supernatural
- Volumes: 6
- Published Date: Dec, 2007- Present
Cadis Etrama Di Raizel known as Rai has slept for nearly 900 years unaware of the world’s changing elements. Coming out of his slumber, Rai awakens to a world of technology and new developments. Luckily, Rai is not alone as he is accompanied by his loyal servant Frankenstein. Aware that he needs more knowledge, Rai joins a local South Korean High School blending in as a transfer student. As the story progresses, we learn Rai went into slumber to escape his troubled past filled with enemies that wanted his head. While Rai believes his enemies are gone, in reality they are still around.
First let’s be straight with you, Rai is an awesome character. Besides his goofy antics due to his lack of existing age technology, when he has to fight he becomes a whole other person. Noblesse will impress any reader with some amazing art and even cooler action thanks to Manhwagas Son Jae-Ho and Lee Gwang Su. There is an OVA that explains the beginning elements of the first volume, but if you want the whole experience you’ll have to read the manhwa. Noblesse acts an action vampire tale and while it may make you laugh at times the fights Rai has will be what truly grips you the most.
1. The Breaker
- Manhwaga: Park, Jin- Hwan- Jeon, Geuk, jin
- Genre: Action, Comedy, Drama, Martial Arts, School
- Volumes: 10
- Published Date: Jun, 2007- Jul, 2010
Shioon has got it rough thanks to constant bullying and harassment from his peers. While he is about to give up on the thoughts of being free from this daily torment a new teacher steps in. Chun-Woo the new English teacher quickly shows he’s not your average teacher and is in fact an amazing fighter. Shioon quickly asks Chun-Woo to allow him to become his student so he can fight back. Chun-Woo says he will allow it if Shioon does one thing to prove his determination, jump off a nearby bridge…
Our list ends on easily one of the best if not the best action manhwa The Breaker. The Breaker is literally nonstop martial arts action and drama with some down time of comedy in between for good measure. Readers will come to love seeing the growth of Shioon as he becomes a capable fighter right before their eyes. Thankfully manhwagas Park Jin Hwan and Jeon Geuk jin tag team with an impressive art style and amazing story that never ceases to be amazing. Once you finish with The Breaker you will be glad to know there is a sequel called The Breaker: New Waves ready and waiting for your reading pleasure. Martial Arts stories don’t get much better than The Breaker and that is why we end our amazing action manhwa list with this incredible title.
Final Thoughts
Hold on we need to catch our breaths a bit. Action is such an amazing genre because it really can allow for a wide assortment of scenes to occur in any manhwaga’s work. Our work is done so now you can go and enjoy some great action manhwa. As always we here at Honey’s Anime love hearing from you amazing people out there. Leave a comment down below and let us know what you thought of this list, agree with something on it or maybe would have liked a different series on here. To show us even more love, make sure to keep checking out our great site for even more lists such as this one.
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