Murim manhwa, or manhwa with stories set in the Martial Arts world, is a favorite among action fans. Murim is a Korean word that means “a society hidden from the public”. Majority of murim manhwas are inspired by concepts in Chinese martial arts.
Most murim manhwa feature stories of revenge, good and evil and self-growth. All are jam-packed with battle scenes, exciting adventures, and some powerful characters.
Regardless if you’re a new fan of murim or not, you’ll enjoy this list we’ve curated for you! Read on to discover some of the best murim manhwa you have to read. Note that these manhwa are not ranked in any particular order.
The 15 Best Murim Manhwa Not To Miss
It was hard but we select for you only the best of the best! Check out below our list of the best Murim Manhwa you should read ASAP!
- The Breaker
- The Stormy Inn
- Chronicles of the Martial God’s Return
- In the Night Consumed by Blades, I Walk
- Legend of Asura: The Venom Dragon
- Gosu
- Spirit Hunter
- The Legend of the Northern Blade
- The Undefeatable Swordsman
- Star Instructor Master Baek
- Return of the Blossoming Blade
- Murim Login
- Nano Machine
- Master Villainess the Invincible!
- The Return of the Crazy Demon
1. The Breaker
The story follows the weak and cowardly Shi Woon Yi, who is constantly bullied by his peers. When a new teacher, Chunwoo Han, transfers to his school, his life takes an unexpected turn. After witnessing Chunwoo’s skills, it’s revealed that he’s actually a martial arts master!
Admiration turns to courage and Shi Woon Yi asks Chunwoo Han to take him in as a disciple. Now, Shi Woon Yi now has to face the dangers of being a part of the martial arts world. If you’re looking for intense action scenes and great characters, then this is a must-read.
2. The Stormy Inn
The Stormy Inn is slightly different from other murim manhwas. Zhang Qilin, wants nothing more than to live an ordinary life, away from the murim world. Known as a devil on the battlefield, Zhang Qilin resigns to become an inn owner on the well-known Gold Line Road.
He assembles his own team to repair and run the Stormy Inn, but not without any difficulties! Challenges arise when his competitors try to sabotage him. And these battles make his time in war seem like a piece of cake!
3. Chronicles of the Martial God’s Return
After being sealed for 1,000 years, the Unstoppable Demon God, Dan Uhyeon returns to a changed world. Upon his awakening, he meets Hwa Somi, a girl who seems to have lost her life’s purpose. Dan Uhyeon empathizes with her sense of emptiness, and they decide to join hands to face the world.
Apart from the great action scenes, the bonds between the characters will melt your heart! Hwa Somi and Dan Uhyeon become an unlikely family, both finding meaning in the present.
4. In the Night Consumed by Blades, I Walk
Out of compassion, The Mystic Lunar Sword Dance Troupe adopts Jin Sohan, an orphan. His peaceful time with his newfound family is soon disrupted. The Venom, a demon, kidnaps him and tests him as a disciple.
Jin Sohan was forced to leave his family in the troupe behind. After a decade, he returns, only to find that his past family had been destroyed by the Unorthodox Faction. This manhwa shows his struggles as he uncovers the truth, and how he can reclaim power from his enemies.
5. Legend of Asura: The Venom Dragon
Jagan Jin, known as the Venom Dragon becomes the enemy of the entire Martial Arts world. But before his awakening as a martial arts master, he was a young boy living a peaceful life. Until one day, their rivals annihilate his friends and family.
The Venom Sect, their rivals, took him in and performed cruel experiments on him. Because of that, he was able to absorb and nullify all poisons. When he escapes back into the world, he no longer has anyone left. Thus, he began his quest for revenge–but not without any dangers along the way.
Action-packed scenes, and a well-developed plot will hook you on Jagan’s story.
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6. Gosu
Gosu follows the adventures of Yongbi, an orphan boy raised by bandits in the mountains. As he grows up, he becomes a powerful martial artist, becoming a Gosu. Gosu is a title given to someone who’s the best in a certain field.
To find his purpose in life, he leaves this bandit family in the mountains. On his journey, he makes good friends and dangerous enemies. Intense martial arts battles and a detailed story makes Gosu a good read for fans of murim!
7. Spirit Hunter
In a world filled with good and bad spirits, Sehui Han hunts spirits and ghosts that threaten people’s lives. With his spirit companion, the Black Tiger, he becomes a well-known spirit hunter.
One day, he meets Hwimori, a young spirit of unknown origin. Sehui takes her in, vowing to protect her from her pursuers and restore her memories. The two join hands, while defending against both human and spiritual threats.
8. Legend of the Northern Blade
The Northern Heavenly Sect used to be the most powerful defenders of the world. They fought against the evil Silent Night Sect.
But, wars don’t just happen outside of their borders. Moowon’s father, the leader of the sect, was wrongfully accused of disloyalty and killed.
Unable to accept his father’s fate, Moowon sets out to avenge his father and restore his clan’s honor. The manhwa is well-known for its amazing fight scenes and detailed artwork. Any fan of murim would admire Moowon’s courage and strength in this tale.
9. The Undefeatable Swordsman
When Sung Woo-mun was young, nobody expected the weak and sickly boy to become a martial arts master! A painting gifted by a sage damaged his mental abilities and turned him into the village idiot. Upon turning 20, an undefeatable power grows within the mysterious painting.
A chance encounter with a Martial Arts master lets him Woo-mun practice martial arts. And the once fragile boy becomes an unbreakable force! Sung Woo-mun’s plight and struggles to build his own strength makes this manhwa an engaging read.
10. Star Instructor Master Baek
Instructor Master Baek is not your ordinary martial arts teacher! In his past life, he was an instructor of Blood Demon Cult. But, in a twisted turn of events, his Cult betrays him and decides to kill him.
Mysteriously, he reincarnates as Baek Suryong, a martial arts instructor from the countryside. There’s one catch: Baek’s body has a severe disease, and he’ll die in three years!
Later on, he discovers that the martial arts power he holds is the key to curing his new body. But to do that, he needed a LOT of money. So, he applies to become an instructor at a martial arts academy to earn enough money and live.
Lighthearted, yet action-filled, this manhwa is great if you’re looking for a unique read.
11. Return of the Blossoming Blade
At the height of the Mount Hua Sect’s power, they were fighting against the Leader of the Demonic Cult, Cheonma. Cheonmyeong, one of the sect’s warriors, fights valiantly and strikes down Cheonma, at the cost of his life.
100 years later, he awakens to a new world, one where no one even remembers the Mount Hua sect and their fierce battle. With his second chance at life, Cheongmyeong pledges to restore Mount Hua to its former glory. Heated battle scenes and an interesting plot makes this manhwa a great read.
12. Murim Login
When low-rank hunter Jin Tae-Kyung logs into a game set in the world of Martial Arts, his life is turned upside down. After several trials, he manages to escape back to his reality. He realizes that the skills he learned as a martial artist in the game transferred over into the real world.
While he could choose to make a living as a hunter, he decides to log back into the game for his friends. This manhwa is a combination of murim and isekai. It’s definitely one of the more interesting manhwas on the list!
Interested in isekai manhwa? Check out the 20 Best Isekai Manhwa!
13. Nano Machine
If you think murim and sci-fi are incompatible, wait until you read Nano Machine. After nearly dying, orphan Cheon Yeo-Woon, receives a visit from his future descendant. His descendant brought technology from the future!
Cheon Yeo-Woon gets nano machines injected into his body. The new technology activates some of his hidden strengths as a martial artist.
With this new strength, he sets out to surpass the Demonic Cult and rise to become the world’s best fighter! This manhwa is great for those into stories with powerful characters and great art.
14. Master Villainess the Invincible!
After an accident, Yeoju reincarnates as Haewon Tang, the villainess from a bestselling martial arts novel! She uses what she knows from her previous life to determine her fate.
But, things don’t always go her way. To survive, she has to figure out who to trust, harness her chi, and learn martial arts!
This manhwa is another unique combination of tropes: murim, villainess and isekai. It’s a must-read for fans of the genre who want something different.
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15. The Return of the Crazy Demon
Yi Zaha was known as a crazy demon crazy for martial arts. Known for pulling off some devilish feats, his adventure meets an anti-climactic end. While he was running away after stealing the heavenly pearl from the Demon Cult, he fell off a cliff.
To his surprise, he wakes up again to see that he returned to the time when he was an inn helper looked down on by everyone. How will he use this second chance at life? If you want a more serious read with impressive art, then this manhwa is definitely for you.
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Murim manhwa remains a well-loved genre of action manhwa. And all of them interpret the tenacity of martial arts differently! It’s a vast genre and more people should know about it.
Have you tried reading any of these manhwa? What do you think about them? We’d love to know what you think in the comments!
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