A webtoon running well past a decade. How long serialisation builds a world.
Tower of God is a fantasy webtoon about characters climbing a tower and the tests they face along the way. Serialisation began in 2010, divided into parts, and it has continued for many years. It is among the titles most frequently mentioned when discussing how Korean webtoons reached readers abroad.
The story is arranged as passing tests while ascending floors. That structure suits long serialisation: each new floor can introduce new rules and characters, and each test forms a self-contained unit that readers joining midway can follow. At the same time, the fixed direction of climbing keeps the whole from scattering.
A common problem in long serialisation is that characters multiply until nobody is distinct. This work uses team formation per test to introduce new figures naturally, and rather than forcing out characters whose role has ended, it moves them into the background. Leaving room for later reappearance gives the impression of a widening world.
Over more than a decade of serialisation, the difference between early and recent art is large. Readers starting from the beginning experience that change as a series of steps, which is common in long-running webtoons. Some stop at the rougher early line work, so choosing which part to start from is a practice readers use.
The volume is considerable, and catching up from the beginning is demanding. Reading part by part, or keeping a character reference alongside, are commonly recommended approaches. The animated adaptation compresses the early part, so it differs from the original in length and pace.
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