Solo Leveling was one of the biggest winners at last year’s Crunchyroll Anime Awards, taking home 9 awards out of the 13 categories it was nominated in. Given that Solo Leveling Season 2 was also one of the most record-breaking anime releases of the past year, it was widely expected to appear in this category again. However, despite earning nominations in 10 categories this year, Solo Leveling Season 2 has been excluded from the Anime of the Year category, and the decision appears to be intentional.
Crunchyroll Leaves Solo Leveling Season 2 Out of Its Most Prestigious Anime Awards Category (And It Feels Intentional)
Image Courtesy of A-1 Pictures
While fans might assume that Solo Leveling Season 2 was excluded from this category because it was nominated, and even won, last year, that reasoning doesn’t fully hold up. Other anime like The Apothecary Diaries and Dandadan have returned to the category for a second consecutive year with their new seasons. As a result, leaving Solo Leveling Season 2 out of the lineup feels intentional. This decision may stem from last year’s controversy, where many speculated that Solo Leveling’s win was largely driven by the hype surrounding Season 2, effectively boosting the first season to victory, which it didn’t deserve. It became one of the biggest debates at the time, with fans seemingly voting based on Season 2’s impact rather than the first season itself.
Additionally, since the winners of the Crunchyroll Anime Awards are determined entirely by fan votes, it’s possible that Crunchyroll anticipated a similar outcome this year and chose to exclude Solo Leveling from the top category. That said, Season 2 is still recognized in several major categories, including Best Continuing Series, Best Action Anime, Best Animation, and Best Main Character, all of which are well-deserved nominations. Fans of Solo Leveling can still support the series in these categories, making up for its absence from Crunchyroll’s most prestigious award of 2026.
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