Summary
One of the most common elements in fantasy manhwa is the existence of gods and goddesses. Whether they’re completely made up orinspired by real mythologies, they are often used for the story’s exposition, expanded world-building, or as a source of conflict. The inclusion of deities usually implies the existence of a greater world beyond what is seen on Earth, broadening the scope of the story to a universal level.
In most manhwa, the gods don’t actually appear in the story physically. Instead, they’re represented by a pseudonym or symbol and interact with characters through system windows or via other proxies. However, in some stories, they are their own characters and play an active part in the plot, working with or against the protagonist to complete their goal.
8Is This Hero For Real?
A Stranded Hero Finds Help From A Loner God
In isekai, it’s normal for a goddess to suddenly summon an entire classroom full of heroes, and usually, the protagonist is abandoned by his peers. However, that doesn’t happen to Kang Hansoo. He requests to go back home, but the goddess strands him in a forest instead, cursing him and leaving him to die. Luckily, a lone god finds him and offers their assistance. Now Hansoo is looking for revenge and a way back home.
This world has many gods, and the summoned heroes need to impress them to receive a blessing that will make them stronger. While they can’t interact directly with the world, they can send messages and speak through text. This type of system is seen in other manhwa, but in this story, they feel more like full characters rather than a member of the audience.
7I’m A Part-Timer For The Gods
The Gods Need Help With Divine Chores
Dungeons in manhwa are usually represented by a portal leading to a space in a separate dimension, alluding to a connection to another world, but what if gods made the dungeons to test humanity? InPart-Timer for the Gods, that’s exactly the case. After being struck by lightning, Yoo Damduk somehow becomes a low-ranking god and becomes able to take part-time jobs from other gods, including dungeon construction. With the money he earns, he’s able to buy strong abilities to help him as a hunter.
This manhwa features gods from around the world, focusing on popular names like Poseidon, Hephaestus, and Thor. Although it’s a pretty standard hunter manhwa, it expands on the idea by raising the stakes of the story. Damduk isn’t just fighting monsters; he’s also fighting other gods who want to control the world. It’s an interesting fight between the past and present.
6The Divine Twilight’s Return
An Evil God Gets A Second Chance At Life
Having a god as a protagonist can be difficult to manage, but if they’re stripped of their power like in this manhwa, it can be interesting. Lee Chanseong was once a normal person, but he became aviolent god after being isekai’dfor many years. After being executed for killing too many gods, he was given a second chance by the king of the underworld. As long as he stopped foreign gods from invading Earth, he could live as a human once again.
Like many regression manhwa, Lee Changseon begins the story at his weakest, and his strategy to become strong quickly is to gain the attention of gods watching the dungeons. By showing overwhelming talent, some gods will show interest and eventually give quests and rewards. Otherwise, they ignore humans altogether.
5The Return Of The Disaster-Class Hero
One Man’s Revenge Against The World’s Heroes
In most manhwa with towers, many people can take the challenge and climb, but in this story, only thirteen are awakened to protect the world from calamities. After being betrayed in the Tower of Demons, Lee Geon reawakens after twenty years to get revenge on the saints chosen by the twelve Zodiac gods. With his body restored and a new power, he starts his crusade on the people who stabbed him in the back.
While many manhwa draw inspiration from existing pantheons of gods, this one uses constellations from Western astrology instead. The saints act as antagonists in this story, using their patron god’s power to fulfill their greedy desires, which sets up Lee Geonas the anti-hero. While most of the plot is about Lee Geon’s dealings with the saints, the gods do have their own arc and lore.
4Second Life Ranker
Seeking Revenge In The Sun God’s Tower
After the death of his brother, Yeonwoo finds a hidden audio diary detailing his sibling’s secret life. His brother had gone to the obelisk of the Sun God to find medicine for their mother, and after years of climbing, he was betrayed and killed. To learn more about what happened, Yeonwoo decides to challenge the obelisk to find out whokilled his brother and take revenge.
Yeonwoo faces many challenges as he climbs the obelisk, and some of them come from the gods. In this story, all the divine entities are restricted to the 98th floor of the tower, but using special techniques and abilities, they can influence other players by forming clans and alliances or assigning apostles to do their work.
3Level Up With The Gods
Ascending To Godhood By Climbing The Tower
Most regression manhwa start the same: with failure. After a defeat at the hands of the Outer Gods, Kim Yuwon is urged by his fellow warriors to restart his journey in the Tower to unite all the challengers to prepare for the inevitable threat that awaits them. With the wisdom of his friends, he begins the tutorial once more and starts climbing again.
Unlike other tower manhwa, the gods in this story are alsochallengers who climb the tower. As the title suggests, Kim Yuwon is climbing with people who will eventually become gods once they reach the top floor, including notable figures like Sun Wukong and Hercules. It’s a very interesting depiction and use of legendary myths and folktales.
2SSS-Class Revival Hunter
Going Back In Time With The Most Painful Skill
This is one of the most interesting regression manhwa currently available. It stars Kim Gong-ja, a normal man who dreamed of climbing the tower. One day, his extreme envy rewards him with a skill that can copy other skills, but only when he dies. It seems useless at first, but when he’s killed by the rank 1 hunter, he’s able to copy theability to time travel. Using his two skills, he’s able to go back and restart his tower-climbing adventure.
The constellations ofSSS-Class Revival Hunterare gods that rule over individual floors of the tower, and it’s their job to protect the world they govern. While most act as overseers, others take part in challenging hunters who arrive at their floor. There are even situations where Gong-ja is forced to fight constellations as he climbs the tower, which has proved to be some of the best scenes in the story.
1Omniscient Reader’s View Point
Living In A Death Game Live Stream For The Gods
While they are constantly mentioned throughout the story, their involvement in the plot is relatively minimal. They donate coins or give hints to the characters, but the constellations are mostly observers and only step in when things get interesting. Kim Dokja is able to survive partly because he knows how to manipulate and entertain the constellations watching him.
