Sung Jinwoo Misses No. 1 in Crunchyroll’s 2025 Top Anime Crushes Ranking

Sung Jinwoo, the protagonist of the anime Solo Leveling, failed to claim first place in Crunchyroll‘s official ranking of the biggest crushes of 2025. The annual survey, which highlights the characters who captivated fans most over the past year, was released on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, and placed the former E-rank hunter in a lower-than-expected spot despite his triumphant return in the Winter 2025 season. The result surprised many fans, who eagerly followed Jinwoo’s transformation from a weak recruit into the most powerful of hunters.

The win went to Julius, the charming prince from the anime May I Ask for One Final Thing?, while second place went to Jinshi from The Apothecary Diaries. The survey, which reflects the preferences of the global streaming audience, showed that in 2025 viewers clearly favored characters with noble traits and refined beauty over the rising-warrior archetype. As a result, Sung Jinwoo’s meteoric popularity was not enough to overcome the established appeal of these other contenders.

Who the winners are and why they succeeded

Julius, the overall winner, won fans over with his captivating personality and striking good looks, factors frequently highlighted by the Crunchyroll team in its analysis. His long-standing relationship with protagonist Scarlet, full of teasing and flirting, appears to have been the key to his first-place finish. Jinshi, in second place, built his fame on the duality between his humble role in the imperial palace and the mysterious aura of his possible royal lineage, not to mention his androgynous beauty, a point constantly praised by protagonist Maomao.

Third place brought a surprise: Caesar Gatturo from the donghua (Chinese animation) Dragon Raja. His presence on the podium underscores the growing popularity and quality of Chinese productions on the global animation scene. Like Jinshi, the character’s extraordinary beauty within his own series was a decisive factor in his high placement. Meanwhile, Dragon Raja fans are awaiting news about the third season, announced in August 2025 but still without a confirmed premiere date.

So despite Sung Jinwoo’s strength and the runaway success of Solo Leveling, audience tastes in 2025 leaned toward a different character profile. The three winning productions — May I Ask for One Final Thing?, The Apothecary Diaries, and Dragon Raja — are all available to stream in the Crunchyroll catalog, letting fans discover or revisit the crushes that dominated last year.