| Quick facts | |
|---|
| Format | Webtoon, 223 chapters |
| Run | 2020–2024 · ongoing |
| Community score | AniList 6.8 · MangaUpdates 6.7 |
| Content | Violence |
| Where to read | WEBTOON — official |
Overview
The Advanced Player of the Tutorial Tower is an action webtoon adapted from a Korean web novel (the original title roughly means "the old-timer of the tutorial tower"). The hook is simple and fun: in a world full of monster gates, most people clear the beginner "tutorial tower" in a short time. Our guy, Hyunwoo Seo, got stuck in it for about ten years. Instead of breaking him, all that time turned him into a monster. By the time he finally walks out, he's absurdly overpowered compared to everyone in the real world. The appeal is watching someone who over-trained in the starting zone casually wreck challenges that terrify everyone else.
What it does well
The overpowered-hero payoff is the entire point, and it delivers. Hyunwoo is calm, competent, and way stronger than he has any right to be, and the series leans into how satisfying that gap is. Every time a room full of experienced hunters panics and he just handles it, you get the exact hit this genre promises.
The art helps a lot. It's clean, full color, and built for the vertical scroll — fights have a good sense of impact and are easy to follow as you swipe. Nothing is muddy or hard to read, which matters in a series that's mostly action.
It also moves fast. Episodes are short, fights resolve quickly, and the story doesn't drown you in long talky arcs or endless setup. That makes it a great binge or a low-effort weekly read. There's a light comedic streak too — the "grizzled veteran of the beginner zone" gimmick keeps the tone from getting too self-serious, and a few moments are genuinely funny.
Where it falls short
The big issue is that it's formulaic. If you've read Solo Leveling, Return to Player, or SSS-Class Revival Hunter, you already know the beats: gates, hunter rankings, an OP loner, and weaker side characters who exist mostly to gawk at him. This one does the formula well, but it doesn't add much new to it.
Tension is the other problem. Because the hero is so far ahead of everyone, fights rarely feel like he could actually lose, so the stakes stay low. And the cast is thin — it's carried by the power fantasy, not by deep characters or relationships. If you need real risk or people to care about, this won't scratch that itch.
Verdict
The Advanced Player of the Tutorial Tower is a fun, easy power fantasy that does the overpowered-hero thing well without trying to reinvent the wheel. If you like the genre and just want more of it — quick fights, a strong lead, clean art — it's an easy recommendation. If you're tired of tower-and-gate webtoons, or you want real stakes and a cast you'll remember, this isn't the one to convert you.