Bully culture is a major plot device in almost every high school-based manhwa, but what’s more compelling in their stories is the protagonists’ rise above it. The heroes in these manhwas refuse to be defined by their past experiences and, instead, channel their pain and hardships into personal growth.

Such stories depicting main characters overcoming bullying and ultimately emerging as powerful figures offer readers inspiring and relatable narratives. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the best manhwa where MC is bullied but gets strong. So, without further ado, let’s get started.

10. Supernova

Supernova doesn’t have a solid premise but with time it materializes into a wonderful masterpiece with compelling character development. The story features a high schooler who lives in a modern world where the strong and rich decide everything meanwhile the poor and weak get bullied.

Yushin is neither strong nor weak, he is just average and that’s how he lives until his friend kills himself after sick of getting bullied. Soon after Yushin meets a mysterious talking cat who offers him to teach his martial arts techniques so that he can become a “fighting god”.

9. Questism

A real-life role-playing game setup of Questism is nothing new but the mystery and comedic aspects make it a fun read. The series is centred on gaming geek Suhyeon Kim who hates school and wishes his life to be more like a web novel or the everyday quest games he plays.

Suhyeon’s wish is granted when a quest prompt pops up in real life with an enticing reward. With nothing to lose, he takes the chance and one quest soon leads to another, allowing Suhyeon to go from being an ostracized nobody in school to the top of the hierarchy.

8. Juvenile Offender

If you like revenge manhwa and want to turn off your brain for quite some time then Juvenile Offender is the right place to start with. The story offers a vengeful and emotional rollercoaster ride through the courtesy of Yunseong Lee who’s a victim of school bullying and loses his sister in it.

Months later, he decides to take revenge on his school bullies by becoming a juvenile offender. Thus begins Yunseong’s path of revenge against the products of a failed judicial system. Juvenile Offender contains strong themes and graphic depiction of violence that brings out the modern-day issues of the working class.

7. Player

Player is an underrated piece of gem amongst the isekai manhwa genre that is heavily invested in world-building and story development. The manhwa is about Heo Seoljin who’s a real loser at school and is despised by everyone, including his so-called close friends.

To escape this harsh reality, Seoljin digs into action webtoons, imagining himself in the place of heroes. While leaving a comment on his favorite series “Player”, Seoljin’s life completely changes as soon he finds himself stuck in the very universe of this webtoon!

6. The Devil’s Boy

Reincarnation, demons, and supernatural powers are all thrown together to create a manhwa like The Devil’s Boy. Even though the story is average at best, it offers a great setting that deals with Jungho who’s bullied to the point of self-harm, until one day, his prayers are answered by the archdevil “Mephisto”.

Mephisto offers Jungho magical powers that would allow him to take revenge on his bullies, and in return, asks for his soul. What seems like an easy choice for Jungho, turns out to be a sham when he realizes that there are greater forces at work, and he is just a pawn in a much larger game played by demons and exorcists.

5. DICE

DICE starts with a very generic backdrop – what if you can restart your life with a different setting just like a game? – which culminates into a thrilling series that sees a madness mania. The story follows Dongtae who lives a miserable life and wonders why the life is so unfair to him.

Dongtae begins to see light with the entry of a new boy in his class who asks him to play a little game. Hesitant at first, Dongtae gets involved with a strange game called “DICE” which opens a door for making his life better in all aspects as long as he completes the tasks at hand.

4. Boxer

Soon-to-be a big name in the boxing anime community, Boxer is a critically acclaimed sports manhwa that follows a depressed young man named Yu whose intense mental trauma from a childhood of abuse has given him a savant-like ability to perceive time as if in slow motion.

Despite his knack for talent, Yu prefers to let his perpetrators beat him down as he finds no meaning in his survival. Things begin to look up when Yu encounters a legendary boxing coach who takes him under his wing and thrusts him into a world where Yu must fight powerful foes for the first time.

3. Weak Hero

The title can give you a wrong idea about this series however, Weak Hero is one of the best manhwa with op MC. The story starts with Gray Yeon who gets enrolled in Eunjang High, a breeding ground for some of the worst kind of delinquents whose favorite hobby is tormenting the weakest kids in class.

However, Gray threatens to dismantle the established order upon his arrival. Despite being scrawny and small in stature, his calculative and brutal fighting leaves unsuspecting opponents lying on the floor begging for mercy. Now, the school’s toughest bullies have to scramble to take down this new and unusual hero.

2. The Breaker

The Breaker may live up to the taste of manga readers since it exhibits a similar story style and almost feels like one thanks to its frame layout. This fighting manhwa follows first-year student Haje Kang who’s a victim of consistent bullying and is on the verge of committing suicide.

Sick of being weak and helpless, Haje meets a strange upperclassman named Si-un Lee who happens to be one of the most powerful martial artists. Right after, Haje comes under Si-un Lee’s wings which kicks off his journey into the tumultuous underworld of martial arts.

1. Lookism

The most popular manhwa on Naver Webtoon, Lookism centers around the themes of bullying and body shaming. Set in the outskirts of Seoul, the series is about Park Hyung Seok who is bullied because of his obesity and looks. Getting utterly sick of it, he transfers schools in the hopes of starting anew.

Following that, a miraculous opportunity emerges as Hyung Seok awakens in a tall, handsome, and strangely athletic body. Feeling like he has won the lottery of life, Hyung Suk enters his new school as this attractive and strong young man to achieve everything he couldn’t before.

Which one of the following manhwa where MC is bullied but gets strong is your favorite? Feel free to comment down your thoughts and make sure to recommend some other manhwa like the ones listed above, also don’t forget to share this article with your fellow otaku friends.

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