Summary

Jeju Island ants are formidable, posing a challenge even to S-rank hunters due to their strength and rapid adaptation.
To defeat a Jeju Island ant without an S-rank hunter, at least one A-rank hunter is necessary.
The overwhelming strength of the Jeju Island ants lies in their numbers, rapid evolution, and adaptability.

Solo Leveling’s Jeju Island arc is widely known for its intense fights between Korea’s strongest hunters and Jeju Island’s mutated ants. With a raid party consisting of 16 S-rank hunters, along with Jin-Woo, the fourth attempt to reclaim Jeju Island is a success. But without an S-rank hunter or Jin-Woo himself, how many hunters would it take to defeat a Jeju ant in Solo Leveling?

Unlike the dungeon ants in Seoul, the Jeju Island ants are clearly on a different level. Even S-rank hunters struggle to defeat one, especially when facing a higher-level ant guard with enhanced strength and durability. While these ants pose no real challenge to Jin-Woo, non-S-rank hunters would struggle to take down even a single one. Worse, the longer the fight drags on, the more casualties would inevitably accumulate.

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By Cathlyn Melo

How Strong Are Jeju Island Ants?

Their Strength Is in a Different League

The Jeju Island ants show rapid mutation, quickly learning the ability to fly.
The mutated ants are far stronger than most dungeon monsters.
Strength varies depending on the ant's level.

Unlike most dungeon monsters, particularly the ants defeated by Jin-Woo during the incident with Hwang Dong-Suk's group, the Jeju Island ants are more formidable. They’re a force of nature so powerful that a single ant attacking a village can kill over a hundred civilians, even when confronted by a group of non-S-rank hunters. Due to their rapid evolution and adaptation, these ants learned to fly, in addition to their ability to sense danger. Even the Korean Hunters Association has begun to see them as more bee-like than ant-like because of their unexpected ability to take to the skies.

In Solo Leveling chapter 95, the ants exhibit their resistance to Choi Jong-In's flame attacks, forcing the ultimate weapon to concentrate his attacks more. Their exoskeletons are extremely tough, making them highly resistant to most physical and magic attacks. On top of that, their speed and reflexes far surpass those of typical dungeon monsters, not to mention their sharp claws and mandibles that could pierce through armor with ease.

"It looks even more like a human and has wings on its back." — News Reporter referring to the mutated ants

In essence, the longer the ants roam free on Jeju Island, the stronger they become. Still, their adaptation to the island comes with drawbacks. Ants that stay near the colony’s hatchery experience eye degeneration from spending so much time in the dark. These worker ants are on a lower level than the flying variants, as their main role is to sustain the colony rather than fight. But that doesn’t mean they can’t evolve further.

How Many Non-S-Rank Hunters Would It Take to Defeat a Jeju Ant?

Solo Leveling Chapter 83 Reveals the Details

The strength of an A-rank hunter is required to defeat a Jeju Island ant without an S-rank hunter.
Korea lacks the necessary manpower to dispatch capable hunters to every island.

Based on Solo Leveling chapter 83, the decisive factor in eliminating one mutated Jeju Island ant without an S-rank hunter or Sung Jin-Woo himself is the presence of at least one A-rank hunter. Without an A-rank hunter on the scene, a high-level Jeju Island ant can easily wipe out four E-rankers, one D-ranker, and one C-rank hunter. In short, to eliminate just one mutated flying ant, Korea needs the power of an A-rank hunter at a minimum. Without that level of strength, there's no telling how many more low-level hunters or civilians could fall victim to its rampage. Who knows, it could even surpass its 294-kill count record in Japan.

"Steel your nerves. If you don't, the ants can most likely sense your fear and attack you first."—Park Jong-Soo

What Happened in Japan?

solo leveling go gun hee heart — Solo leveling go gun hee

When a Jeju Island ant attacks one of Japan’s islands, the Japanese Hunter Association dispatches 108 hunters of mixed ranks to eliminate the threat. It’s not an excessive number, given the ant’s ability to fly and escape if it senses danger. With its mobility, it can simply leap from one island to another, repeating the cycle of destruction.

However, Japan still ends up with heavy casualties despite its advanced hunter system. If the same thing happens to Korea, the nation would face severe manpower issues even if the KHA sends one or two low-ranking hunters to deal with a single ant. Worse, these low-rank hunters would likely end up as food for the ants, turning the situation into an even more serious crisis.

"The ants have evolved quite a bit. They are much different from last time"—Choi Jong-In

While Korea has a lot of hunters, it also has a lot of islands that need protection. This is exactly why reclaiming Jeju Island has become a top priority. Ultimately, the strength of the Jeju Island ants lies in their overwhelming numbers, rapid evolution, and remarkable adaptability. When these factors combine, it’s easy to see why the previous attempts to clear the island all failed in Solo Leveling.

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