The closest manhwa like Academy's Genius Swordsman is A Returner's Magic Should Be Special: a veteran of the last war sent back in time and enrolled at an academy, knowing exactly what's coming. Ronan's setup, in WEBTOON's words: after the final battle against the giants, his dying commander "uses her last time slip to send him back to the past, so that he can enroll in the prestigious Phileon Academy." He's already the strongest. The eight picks below are ranked by how close they get to that: a hero who starts at the top and goes back to fix things.
Recent updates:
- October 16, 2026: Full fact check and re-rank. A Returner's Magic Should Be Special replaces Chronicles of the Heavenly Demon, which has no academy and no second chance at the same life. The Beginning After the End's image is gone (we couldn't confirm where it came from). Cut details we couldn't source, including a claimed "slow patch" in The Knight Only Lives Today and Volcanic Age's "seventy-plus years" of knowledge. Every status is rechecked.
- October 13, 2026: Season 2 status added.
Where Academy's Genius Swordsman stands
The Academy's Genius Swordsman Korean cover. © Sichi, Seo Gwan-do. Via AniList.
Season 1 ended with Episode 129 on February 13, 2026, and season 2 began on June 20. WEBTOON posts a new episode every Sunday; the latest on the website is season 2's Episode 146, from October 10, 2026, and eight more are already in the app. The gap confused readers. One asked in June: "The last chapter was 129, the finale of Season 1. I heard it came back a while ago." Our Academy's Genius Swordsman review rates it 7.8/10, and the reading guide covers the arcs.
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The eight at a glance
| # | Series | What it shares with Ronan | Status | Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Returner's Magic Should Be Special | Sent back from the end, academy | Completed, 269 Tapas episodes | Tapas, Tappytoon |
| 2 | The Knight Only Lives Today | Every death resets the day | Hiatus after season 1 (episode 112) | WEBTOON |
| 3 | Volcanic Age | An old master gets his youth back | Completed, 303 chapters | No official English |
| 4 | Mercenary Enrollment | A soldier no one at school sees coming | Hiatus after episode 276 | WEBTOON |
| 5 | The Extra's Academy Survival Guide | Academy, knows the plot | Ongoing, 118 episodes | WEBTOON |
| 6 | The Stellar Swordmaster | Sword school, a mentor in the blade | Ongoing, season 2 | WEBTOON |
| 7 | The Beginning After the End | Old king reborn, magic academy | On hiatus after Episode 259 (October 29, 2026), 302 Tapas episodes | Tapas |
| 8 | The Infinite Mage | Commoner at a noble's academy | Hiatus after season 2 | Tapas |
In print: Yen Press prints The Beginning After the End in paperback volumes, so it stays readable in English after Tapas closes.
Checked October 16, 2026.
1. A Returner's Magic Should Be Special
A Returner's Magic Should Be Special Korean cover. © Wookjakga, Usonan. Via AniList.
Completed: 269 Tapas episodes · Tapas and Tappytoon
The same story with magic. Tappytoon: Desir is "sent back in time to his early days of studying magic at the prestigious Hebrion Academy." Tapas adds that he goes back 13 years and "sees an opportunity to train his friends" before the end comes. Like Ronan, he starts as the best there is and uses school as a second run at saving everyone. Season 2 of the anime premiered on October 7, 2026, and our Manhwa Like A Returner's Magic list goes the other way and recommends Academy's Genius Swordsman.
Where it differs: Desir leans on his party more than Ronan does. The manhwa is finished, and Tapas closes on March 31, 2027, so read it there or on Tappytoon.
2. The Knight Only Lives Today
The Knight Only Lives Today Korean cover. © Soulpung, An Lee, Lee Hyeon-min, Ga Nara. Via AniList.
Hiatus after season 1: Episode 112, August 27, 2026 · WEBTOON
Second chances, many times over. WEBTOON: "Enkrid's life-long dream of becoming a knight looked to be forever out of reach, until one day he died... and woke up at the beginning of that same day!" Each death teaches him something, and he carries it into the next try. Our The Knight Only Lives Today review gives it 8.5/10.
Where it differs: Enkrid starts weak and has to earn every step, the opposite of Ronan. The season 1 finale ran on August 27, 2026, and WEBTOON's note says "The Knight Only Lives Today will return!"
3. Volcanic Age
Volcanic Age cover. © Tomato, Jeong-Jun. Via AniList.
Completed: 303 chapters · no official English edition
An old master given his youth back. AniList: Ju Seo-Cheon "survives the age of war through sheer luck and becomes the elder of the Hwasan faction, only to live a life full of regrets," and on his deathbed is "returned to the past." It's the closest to Ronan's feeling of starting over with everything he knew. Our Volcanic Age review rates it 7/10.
Where it differs: It's murim, not an academy, and AniList lists no official English edition, so English readers only have fan translations.
4. Mercenary Enrollment
Mercenary Enrollment Korean cover. © YC, Rakyeon. Via AniList.
Hiatus after Episode 276 · WEBTOON, as Teenage Mercenary
The soldier at school. WEBTOON: "At the age of eight, Ijin Yu lost his parents in a plane crash and became stranded in a foreign land, forced to become a child mercenary." He comes home with one year of high school left. Like Ronan, he's far more dangerous than anyone in the building guesses. Our Mercenary Enrollment review gives it 8.2/10.
Where it differs: No time travel; I-Jin's past is just a hard childhood. The last episode is 276, from June 23, 2026, with the note "Teenage Mercenary will return!"
5. The Extra's Academy Survival Guide
The Extra's Academy Survival Guide Korean cover. © Green Kyrin, Korita. Via AniList.
Ongoing: 118 episodes, up every Monday · WEBTOON
The academy pick with jokes. WEBTOON: "Ed Rothstaylor is a third-rate villain in a game, disowned by his family and kicked out of the dormitory." The hero knows the game's story and tries to stay out of it. Our The Extra's Academy Survival Guide review rates it 8.2/10.
Where it differs: Ed is weak and hiding; Ronan is strong and doesn't bother. If you like Ronan's goofy side (one reader summed him up as "a lovable dummy"), Ed's comedy will suit you.
6. The Stellar Swordmaster
The Stellar Swordmaster Korean cover. © Hong Dae-ui, Juno, Q10. Via AniList.
Ongoing: season 2, up every Wednesday · WEBTOON
The closest sword school. WEBTOON: "streetwise orphan Vlad" takes up the blade, "blessed with the ability to seek wisdom from his sentient sword," and joins "the powerful House Vayezid." The training grounds and rivalries feel like Phileon. Our The Stellar Swordmaster review gives it 8/10.
Where it differs: Vlad starts at the bottom and climbs. The latest episode is season 2's 133, from October 13, 2026.
7. The Beginning After the End
Hiatus: 302 Tapas episodes, Thursdays paused · Tapas
A king starting over. Tapas: "King Grey has unrivaled strength, wealth, and prestige in a world governed by martial ability," and is reborn into a world of magic, where he ends up at a magic academy. Like Ronan, he starts the story already knowing what real strength looks like. The anime has two 12-episode seasons; here is Crunchyroll's trailer for the second:
*Crunchyroll's main trailer for The Beginning After the End season 2 (YouTube).*Where it differs: He's reborn as a baby, so the academy comes much later. Our The Beginning After the End review rates it 7.5/10.
8. The Infinite Mage
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The Infinite Mage Korean cover. © Themis, kiraz, Kim Chi-woo. Via AniList.
Hiatus after season 2 · Tapas
The underestimated student. Tapas: Sirone, raised by hunters, learns how to enter the "spirit zone," the first step to learning how to use magic, and the question is whether, "although they say only nobles can be mages," he can prove "his infinite potential." Our The Infinite Mage review gives it 7.8/10.
Where it differs: Sirone has no past life to draw on; he's a genius, not a veteran. Tapas posted on April 24, 2026, that season 2 is over.
Our take
Read A Returner's Magic Should Be Special first. It's the same idea, a veteran sent back to school before the world ends, and it's finished. Then read The Knight Only Lives Today while season 1 is fresh. If you liked Ronan for the comedy as much as the fights, go to The Extra's Academy Survival Guide next.
Related Reading
- Academy's Genius Swordsman Review: our 7.8/10 verdict.
- Academy's Genius Swordsman Reading Guide: season 1 arcs and where season 2 stands.
- Best Academy Fantasy Manhwa: a ranked list across sword and magic schools.
- Manhwa Like A Returner's Magic: picks for the closest match's fans.
References
- The Academy's Genius Swordsman on WEBTOON
- The Academy's Genius Swordsman on AniList
- A Returner's Magic Should Be Special on Tapas
- The Knight Only Lives Today on WEBTOON
- Volcanic Age on AniList
- Teenage Mercenary (Mercenary Enrollment) on WEBTOON
- The Extra's Academy Survival Guide on WEBTOON
- The Stellar Swordmaster on WEBTOON
- The Beginning After the End on Tapas
- The Infinite Mage on Tapas
