Summary
The manhwa medium has witnessedmany characterswith different abilities and powers. Still, from these characters, a specific power attribute stands apart from the rest: characters with dark powers or dark-attributed powers. Unlike any other, these characters derive their powers from the essence of darkness itself.
From necromancers capable of toying with life and death to wielders of dark magic capable of bending reality to its whims, these characters epitomize the supernatural and all it entails. Through these characters, readers bear witness to how these characters strike a delicate balance betweenthe allure of unbridled powerand the consequence of wielding such powers. Concerning these characters in context, here are some of the best that readily come to mind.
10Han Sungyoon ( Boundless Necromancer)
Anime-Planet Ratings: 3.9 / 5
All life, including Han Sungyoon’s, was suddenly thrown into chaos following the first-ever dungeon break. Losing both parents, Sungyoon swears revenge by doing whatever it takes to gain enoughpower in this new world. However, it doesn’t all go according to plan, as Sungyoon can not even raise any of his stats after several years of tirelessly trying to take the hunter exams.
On the verge of giving up on his goals, Sungyoon is suddenly summoned into the Tower of Trials, an alternate dimension where he can awaken and unlock unique skill traits, giving him the power of necromancy. With his newly acquired skills, Sungyoon finds himself on a faster path to his goals.
9Seongwu ( Solo Necromancy)
From the title of the manhwa, Seongwu’s abilities originate from necromancy. After time stopped and all humans were left to decide on whichever class and sub-classes to pick, Seongwu was the only one logical enough to consider the necromancy class.
Through it, Seongwu gains the power to summon dead creatures and even makes them his subordinates. Leaning on his experience as an ex-special forces soldier, Seongwu can combine his necromancy abilities with close combat skills, making him a fearsome opponent for his enemies in the story.
Anime-Planet Ratings: N/A
Earth’s greatest Defender, Atlas, is theDemon Defense Agencymanhwa protagonist and the best DDA agent ever. Atlas is a man whose sole mission isthe elimination of demonsfrom society. With the highest confirmed demon kills of all DDA agents, Atlas’s power comes from his Imperium, which is made from the strongest demon core to have been extracted.
The story starts with Atlas being announced as a traitor to the Demon Defense Agency and is on the run. What follows through the story is the gradual justification of Atlas’s betrayal of the agency and the risk it poses for the world.
7Jin Runcandel (Swordmaster’s Youngest Son)
Anime-Planet Ratings: 4.3 / 5
Born the youngest of the Runcandel Household, Jin Runcandel is the story’s protagonist and one of the twelve heirs of the Runcandel Household. Immenselytalented in magic and swordsmanship, Jin is the first magic swordsman of the family since the founder, Temar Runcandel.
However, the shining light in his armory of abilities is his contract with the God of Shadows, Solderet. Capable of wielding all forms and manner of shadow magic and essentially becoming one with all shadows, Jin finds himself on a path to surpass even the founder of the Runcandel Household.
6Cassian Lee ( Villain To Kill)
Anime-Planet Ratings: 4.1 / 5
Cassian is the central figure of a world with only good and evil sides. Good and bad in this context are represented by the Psykers and villains; Cassian, before his murder, was one of the top-rated Psykers in the world.
Betrayed by his psyker colleagues and murdered, Cassian awakens in the body of high schooler Gangu Gwon, and in his rage,he awakens as a villainwith dark-attributed abilities and the potential of the Catastrophe class. With his previous life experience as a psyker, Cassian grows rapidly and, along the way, becomes the Gadam vilzone’s boss and simultaneously develops his abilities.
5Kim Gi-Gyu (The Player Who Can’t Level Up)
Anime-Planet Ratings: 4.0 / 5
The main character ofThe Player Who Can’t Level Upmanhwa, Kim Gigyu, has suffered a troubling early life, and things weren’t looking any better into his middle twenties as he was the only player of the Tower who could not level up, earning him the titular nickname.
All of his woes take a fortunate turn when he gains access to Egos, sentient beings that can grant powers to their users, one of which turns out to be the King of Hell, Lucifer, also known as Lou, who gives him the power of death. Through these Egos, Kim Gigyu finally begins his life as a player of the Tower.
4Kim Sehan (Return To Player)
The central character ofthe Return To Playerseries, Sehan Kim, is the only survivor of the first playthrough. Still, he didn’t survive by being the strongest, the fastest, or even the most skillful; he just possessed a tenacious will to survive no matter the odds.
Given the chance of another playthrough, Sehan is more than determined to turn the game on its head and avert a future that only he has experienced. By killing the constellation, Karas, Sehan gains the Eye of the Crow ability, making him the constellation of dark origins: a power with which he will beat the gods at their own game.
3Frankenstein (Noblesse)
Frankenstein is the main deuteragonist of theNoblesseseries and the right-hand man to the story’s protagonist, Raizel. Extremely loyal and devoted to his master, Frankenstein has served Raizel foreight hundred and twenty yearsbefore and after his awakening. Frankenstein shares the same views as his master regarding the protection of humans and, because of this, is very wary and spiteful of the vampire nobles.
His empathy for humans is so great that all he does to obtain his powers is experiment on himself. These experiments led to the creation of his Soul Weapon, the Dark Spear, a significant component of his abilities. Despite being so powerful, Frankenstein only has one wish and goal: to protect his master and humans from the powers of the vampire nobles, the werewolves, and the Union.
2Jin Mu-Won (Legend Of The Northern Blade)
Anime-Planet Ratings: 4.4 / 5
The fifth-generation sect leader of the Northern Heavenly Sect, Jin Mu-Won, is also known in the series as the Northern Blade. Having watched his father die as a result of a devious plot that ended up marking the desecration of the Northern Heavenly Sect, Mu-Won is forced to live and learn martial arts in his home.
He is also the sole practitioner of the dark secret martial arts' Gathering of the Ten Thousand Shadows', and in tandem with his martial arts, he wields Snow Flower, a sword created from a meteorite that Mu-Won came upon which also holds a dark a vengeful spirit. After honing his skills thoroughly, Mu-Won sets on the path of revenge against all those responsible for the fall of the Northern Heavenly Sect.
1Sung Jing-Woo ( Solo Leveling)
Anime-Planet Ratings: 4.7 / 5
Famously the world’s E-Rank Hunter, Sung Jing-Woo had spent most of his early adult life as a weak hunter who could barely make ends meet. His life takes a dramatic turn after a dungeon raid that goes wrong when he is left as the lone survivor of the expedition.
He gets chosen as a player of the System, a reward that brings him to inherit the Shadow Monarch’s powers and memories. Through his new-found skills, Sung Jing-Woo finds himself on the path to becoming Earth’sgreatest Hunter.
