The following article contains some minor spoilers for the series.
Solo Leveling is notoriously referred to as The Sung Jinwoo Show. However, the world-building of the manhwa points to a centuries-long history that is far more bloody than the level-up story of a single man. Although Jinwoo changes into the literal god out of what was just referred to as the Weakest person in the World, the sheer magnitude of his might at times caused secondary characters to be standing behind his back. Between National Level Hunters and the cosmic beings that existed prior to time, the series is ready to be spun into a spin-off series that explores the possibilities of life without a "System" to lead the way.
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Beyond the shining blue eyes of the Shadow Monarch, there are legends, the backstories of which might effortlessly support a series in their own right. These characters did not exist to be overcome; they symbolize the politics, survival, and ancient wars that created the world of Hunters. The following are seven Solo Leveling characters who shouldn’t be treated only as backup, and they have a right to be highlighted.
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Solo Leveling Officially Unveils Sung Jinwoo's New Overpowered Transformation
Jinwoo has gained a new transformation, and it might be his best one to date in Solo Leveling.
Go Gun-Hee
Go Gun-Hee was the Lion of Korea, a man whose strength was so great that it was literally eating him up. His body could not hold the divine energy as a vessel of a Ruler because he was old and affected by the syndrome of the Eternal Slumber. A spin-off centered around Gun-Hee would be a fascinating political prequel, as it would demonstrate how he leveraged his declining abilities to establish the Korean Hunter Association and push arrogant S-Ranks such as Hwang Dong-Su into line merely by sheer presence of his power alone.
His narrative would not be a tale of battle; it would be a masterpiece of supernatural administration and the weight of authority. We would have a younger and a stronger Go Gun-Hee, in the first years of the Gates, who made his rules in a new world. Although he was never able to fight in his prime, seeing the struggle of having such power and authority and not being able to use it would be a great story to watch.
Thomas Andre
The Goliath, Thomas Andre, is the pinnacle of American might and the head of the world-famous Scavenger Guild. Being a National Level Hunter and a vessel to a Ruler, he had the "Reinforcement" and "Capture" abilities that rendered him almost invincible. A series about Thomas would be a fast-paced, ego-driven show and would delve into the life of a man who has it all and nothing to fear until he encounters the real Shadow Monarch.
Such a spin-off has the potential to explore the Scavenger lifestyle, where the best guild in the US could be seen dealing with humongous dungeon raids and corporate interests. A full change of pace, with Jinwoo being serious and staying true to his objective-only type of character, whereas Thomas, a bombastic, violent protagonist, who sees the world as his playground. It would be basic popcorn with a huge budget to see him deal with the burden of being the ultimate deterrent of his country and, at the same time, being a human tank.
Solo Leveling: Thomas Andre's Most OP Moments, Ranked
These OP moments cemented Thomas Andre’s reputation as a national level hunter in Solo Leveling.
Liu Zhigang
Liu Zhigang is the ultimate enigma of Solo Leveling, arguably everyone's favorite national level hunter. Although he is the only 5-star hunter in China and a National Level legend, his screen time in the manhwa was surprisingly low, but still adored by every fan. But his mastery of the dual swords and his careless rule in the aftermath of Jeju Island made him an immediate fan favorite with the fact that he has one of the best designs in the entire series. He is already a fan obsession in the Solo Leveling: Arise game, with fans anxiously waiting for him to be released and also anticipating him to actually flex his full power in the anime version.
A sequel to Liu Zhigang would be about exploring the Hunter system in China and the distinctive collection of stars they employ. Being the carrier of a Ruler, his fights with the Giant-like monsters would be epic in nature. It would be one of an experienced veteran who has experienced it all, offering a more mature, worldly view on the war against the Monarchs and to present the breathtaking dual-blade choreography which the fans had been dying to see.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Ashborn (Shadow Monarch)
He was the great One, the most potent of the Rulers, before he was the Shadow Monarch, the greatest Fragment of Brilliant Light. The story of Ashborn is an epic tale with a cosmic scope, covering the war between the Rulers and the Monarchs at the beginning of the eons. His story of how he was a faithful servant of the Absolute Being and then betrayed and then turned into the Monarch of Shadows and wandered the vacuum seeking a worthy heir would be the subject of a prequel series.
It would be an interdimensional, high fantasy saga far outside the contemporary streets of Seoul. We would see the birth of the original Shadow Army—the original Bellion, the original Igris—and the conflict between a deity who was weary of the deadly war of self-destruction. It is the final creation narrative, which reveals how the "System" works, and how unfortunate the life of the man who created the whole mess is.
Woo Jin-Chul
The most realistic and grounded character and arguably the most respectable character in the series is Woo Jin-Chul. Being the Chief of HSS, he was among the few hunters who had the real moral sense of justice, who had to clean up the messes made after the proud S-Ranks used to leave. He is the only one among very few individuals who Sung Jinwoo respected, not only due to his power, but due to his integrity and commitment to the safety of the people.
Making a series titled Woo Jin-Chul would be a noir kind of police procedural in the Hunter world. It would track his day-to-day experiences as the manipulator of the grey zone of the law who makes sure that the ruthless hunters are not beyond reproach. His tale would offer a human take on the messiness, highlighting the genius strategy that an A-Rank hunter needs to control an entire world of S-Rank monsters.
Solo Leveling: 6 Characters That Were Wasted
Due to Jinwoo's fast improvement and incredible strength, a lot of other characters in Solo Leveling unfortunately get pushed to the side.
Sung Il-Hwan
The story of Sung Il-Hwan is a survival thriller with a heartbreaking story. He was selected by the Rulers to be their vessel and comes back to Earth to stop the Shadow Monarch after being trapped inside a Gate in Seoul for a period of 10 years. His existence was a years-long survival game of high stakes in hostile territory, and the ensuing depressing revelation that his task entailed the possibility of killing his own son.
Don’t Ever Set Foot In Korea. I’m Not Saying This For My Son’s Sake; I’m Saying It For Yours. You Will Never Rest In Peace, Even In Death. - Sung Il-Hwan
This spin-off would be a gritty, Castaway-like adventure into interdimensional rifts. We would witness how he would change from an ordinary firefighter and family man to a warrior that can run into the Frost and Beast Monarchs. His dilemma between loyalty to the Rulers and the obsession with his family is what makes him one of the most tragic and heroic characters in the Solo Leveling legacy and worthy of an in-depth examination of those so-called lost years.
Igris (Sian Halat)
The undisputed fan favorite of the Shadow Army is Igris, who was at one time the most loyal knight of Jinwoo, but a legendary warrior before that. In the manhwa, he is initially introduced as the Red-Blooded Commander Igris in the Job Change Quest (Originally known as Sian Halat), a person who is guarding an empty throne. A prequel to the dark fantasy would be about his life as a human knight, his code of honor and how he ended up there bound to that throne forever.
Igris has a silent charisma, and his skill with a sword that can only be compared to an S-Rank hunter. His narrative would be a kind of epic of the Middle Ages, explaining in more detail how he was betrayed and killed, how his kingdom declined and how he was later recruited into the army of Ashborn. His actions reveal his personality even as a Shadow and making him look like a living hero would be the best present to the Solo Leveling fandom that would make his name the most memorable figure in the series.
Solo Leveling
- Release Date
- 2024 - 2025-00-00
- Network
- Tokyo MX, Gunma TV, BS11, Tochigi TV
- Directors
- Tatsuya Sasaki, Toru Hamasaki
- Writers
- Shigeru Murakoshi, Shingo Irie, Fuka Ishii
Cast
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Taito BanSung Jin-woo -
Genta NakamuraYoo Jin-ho
A-1 Pictures' Solo Leveling is an anime based on Chugong's popular web novel. Set in an unforgiving fantasy world where hunters explore dungeons filled with monsters, the vulnerable Sung Jinwoo gains a significant power boost after he is picked to be a solo player by the System.
- Main Genre
- Animation
- Seasons
- 1
- Studio
- A-1 Pictures
- Producers
- Kanako Takahashi, Kang Kyewon, Kim Ayoung, Park Jin-hae, Sota Furuhashi
- Based On
- Manhwa
- Creator
- Chugong
- Number of Episodes
- 25
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
- MyAnimeList Score
- 8.28 (Season 1); 8.86 (Season 2)
- Creator(s)
- Chugong
- Where To Watch
- Crunchyroll
- Executive Producer(s)
- Asa Suehira, Kwak Hae-eun, Masanori Miyake
