The best hand-to-hand combat action manhwa

Summary

• Manhwa offers many titles that showcase heroes with incredible fighting skills that use hand-to-hand combat.

• Some isekai manhwa characters refuse to be heroes, becoming anti-heroes, villains, or simply adapting to a new world.

• Stories like “The Breaker” and “Weak Hero” feature intense action, character development, and stunning artistry in martial arts narratives.

Manhwa is characterized by thousands of tropes and specific genres where characters only fight using hand-to-hand combat, e.g. In this particular case, there are countless titles about how the main characters develop incredible fighting skills that use the whole body as a deadly weapon to fight evil.

However, in some cases, evil fights back and they have to fight some of the most dangerous street fighters in the world. Heroes fall, heroes rise, and anti-heroes also roam these stories of martial prowess and cool fight scenes. This thread is dedicated to the best action manhwas that focus on hand-to-hand combat, considering how good their action scenes, character designs, and story quality are.

7

Switch

An intense hands-on experience

• Genres: Urban Fantasy, Martial Arts, Drama, Shounen, Action, Adventure
• The author: Jeon Geuk-jin
• Artist: Kamaro (Park Jin-hwan)

Switch became a classic among fans of Manhwa martial arts. Its impressive story follows a mild-mannered student named Shiung Yi who, after a fateful encounter with a mysterious martial artist, begins his training and journey to become the strongest in the world.

With its beautiful art, intense action scenes and a growing hero as the main character, Switch and its direct continuation The Breaker: New Waves– these are stories created for those who love real fighting action without an ounce of filler.

6

ELECEED

Quickly rising in the rankings as one of the best battle manhwa

• Genre: Shonen, Action, Comedy, Urban Fantasy, Martial Arts
• The author: Jeho Son
• Artist: WIFE

Eleceed tells the story of Jiu, a young man with special abilities who has been hiding it from the rest of the world for the past fifteen years, fearing that he will be seen as a freak and taken in by the government for experimentation. But when he meets a stray cat who turns out to be a superhuman in disguise, his life takes a turn.

Accompanied by his master Kaiden, he begins training as an Awakened, and many hand-to-hand battles accompany his entry into the secret world of super-powered humans fighting for dominance from the shadows. A great story about friendship, filial love and overcoming weakness through hard work.

5

The reality of the quest

His fists punch a bloody path to the truth

• genre: Urban fantasy, martial arts, drama
• Author: Lee Joo-woon
• Artist: Lee Joo-woon

One of the best manhwa to start reading this year, The reality of the quest offers a gripping tale of self-recovery through hard work through a mysterious quest system that guides the protagonist to the truth about what happened to his father. An orphan seeking justice, a sad group of young criminals and a battle for supremacy that sets the stage for a series of dramatic encounters.

This series is a must read for every martial arts and hand-to-hand combat fan. With stunning art and incredibly detailed action scenes, the story of the timid Ha Dowan from a bullied weakling to a powerful street thug who will destroy everything (and everyone) on his way to justice is a masterpiece.

4

Mr

Underrated, but one of the best fighting manhwas

• Genres: Historical Drama, Martial Arts, Comedy, Adventure, Battle Manhwa
• The author: Giun Ryu
• Artist: Mun Jeong Hoo

A revenge story about Gang Ryong, a martial artist like few others in the world. Behind his jovial manner hides a tiger, a mighty warrior, disciple of a sage known as the Destroyer of Heaven. Gun Ryeong works as a delivery boy at an inn and has traveled extensively, experiencing dozens of adventures and fateful encounters with many other martial artists and memorable characters.

Gosu is a masterfully crafted martial arts story, heavily inspired by classic martial arts films, with a touch of humor and beautiful art that captures the fluidity of martial arts like few other stories in the genre.

3

A weak hero

Good enough to deserve its own movie

• Genres: Martial Arts, Drama, School Life, Action, Shonen
• The author: Seopass
• Artist: Rosen (Kim Jin Seok)

This is a story about Gray Yoon, a skinny student who is abused by everyone because they think he is weak. But Gray Yon hides a sharp mind and audacity that few can emulate. His unique fighting style makes him a master of improvised tactics, using his environment and whatever is at his disposal to confront and defeat his enemies despite his weaker physique.

This manhwa is great because it focuses on the friendship and strength of those in the minority instead of focusing on the most popular kids in school like most shonen series do. Over the course of this story, Gray One develops greatly, reaching the pinnacle of human physical capabilities and earning the moniker White Mamba. It's a cool and refreshing take on street fighting/martial arts dramas.

2

Enrollment of mercenaries

The battle-hardened young man decided to become a defender of the weak

• Genres: Action, Drama, Martial Arts, Manhwa Battle, Adventure, School Drama
• The author: YC
• Artist: Rakeon

Yijin Yu lost his parents at a young age and was thrown into a spiral of violence, survival, and constant danger. Forced to become a mercenary in a foreign land, he has developed a powerful set of abilities, a very special set of skills that make him a nightmare for those who oppress the weak.

And if readers managed to catch this link, it is because the main character of the series is the true embodiment of this hero of the film. Cool and collected, determined, ruthless and relentless. He will use his fighting skills not only to survive the bullies in the academy, but also to protect those they oppress. Great story, with great fight scenes.

1

Endless Level: Murim

A warrior returns to the past and becomes the most powerful martial artist

• Genre: Martial Arts, Adventure, Action, Time Travel, Shounen
• The author: Gonbung
• Artist: Jinwoo Kim

Deng Yuseong died on the battlefield while desperately trying to protect a mysterious item from a band of robbers. He then went back in time to his days before he became a mercenary and soldier for the Murim Alliance. Deciding to do things differently this time and unlocking a mysterious quest system, he began his journey to becoming the most powerful martial artist in the world.

Through incredible fight scenes, heartfelt moments of friendship and dramatic stories, Endless Level: Murim tells an incredible story of adventure and overcoming weakness through sheer willpower. A must read for those who like hand-to-hand combat scenes, even though the main character is also a master of weapons.