This article contains spoilers from the Solo Leveling anime and manhwa.

Summary

Lee Joo-Hee is a B-rank healer with personal struggles despite her strong magic output.
Joo-Hee retired gracefully from the hunter industry and left a mark on Jin-Woo and fans.
Joo-Hee's potential return in Solo Leveling season 3 remains uncertain but possible.

Solo Leveling fans are divided when it comes to the B-rank healer, Lee Joo-Hee. Some fans like her as a potential match for Jin-Woo, while others believe she’s unfit for the strongest hunter. Whether fans like her or not, many are still eager to see her return in Solo Leveling season 3. After all, the second season added more anime-original content featuring the beloved healer.

During the Jeju Island arc, Lee Joo-Hee was one of the few hunters who came out of retirement to help fight the mutated ants before they entered the mainland. She was accompanied by C-rank hunter Song Chi-Yul, with whom she shared many moments, including the double dungeon incident and the encounter with Kang Tae-Shik during the Dungeon and Prisoners story arc.

solo leveling creator confirms jin woo feelings for joo hee

Solo Leveling Creator Confirms Sung Jin-Woo Had Feelings for Lee Joo-Hee

Most fans are right about Jin-Woo's feelings for Lee Joo-Hee all along.

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By Cathlyn Melo

Lee Joo-Hee's Departure From the Hunter Industry

Joo-Hee's Retirement

Lee Joo-Hee is one of the highest-ranking healers in Solo Leveling, classified as a B-level, making her a valuable support member in dungeon raids. Despite her strong magic output, she struggles to use her abilities in higher-level gates due to fear, trauma, and anxiety. It’s unclear why she has trouble dealing with these personal issues, but based on her backstory in the Solo Leveling: Arise game, it likely stems from the events surrounding her hunter awakening.

As much as fans want to see her fighting in a dungeon again, Joo-Hee ultimately decided to throw in the towel and exit the industry gracefully. Her retirement also ends her run in Sung Jin-Woo's heart. Despite this closure, which fans witnessed at the end of the Dungeon and Prisoners arc, and a statement from Solo Leveling’s creator, Chugong, about her ending, many fans still rally behind her and Jin-Woo.

"If I back down now, I won't be able to get back up!"—Lee Joo-Hee

Jin-Woo and Joo-Hee's final scene together marks a major heartbreak among their shippers. Thankfully, the anime adaptation did not completely remove Joo-Hee out of the narrative, as she received a good amount of anime-original content sprinkled throughout the second season of the series. It’s fair to say the anime treats Joo-Hee better than the manhwa, all thanks to these newly added original scenes.

Solo Leveling Season 2 Offers Anime-Original Content for Joo-Hee

Joo-Hee Remains Present in the Narrative Unlike the Manhwa

solo leveling lee joo hee return in season 3 — solo leveling lee joo hee watching jin-woo

As mentioned, Joo-Hee appears in Solo Leveling season 2 despite her retirement in the first season. Her presence is felt during the most crucial moments for Jin-Woo, as the anime added more original scenes, possibly to deepen the emotional weight of her relationship with Sung Jin-Woo. Regardless of how brief Joo-Hee's appearance was in the second season, it had a meaningful impact on the fans.

For instance, Joo-Hee had a cameo after Jin-Woo was proclaimed Korea’s newest S-rank hunter. It was an unbelievable feat that an E-rank hunter had risen to S-rank in such a short amount of time and Joo-Hee was shown watching from home. She later appeared in the last few episodes of the second season, alongside Song Chi-Yul. She was concerned about Jin-Woo's safety and the outcome of the fourth Jeju Island raid.

"I don't want an apology, I'm worried about you (Jin-Woo)"—Lee Joo-Hee

That said, Joo-Hee may have stepped away from the frontlines, but she wasn’t entirely absent in the second season. It may be a small thing for some fans, but for others who continue to root for her, it’s a meaningful one.

Will Joo-Hee Return in Solo Leveling Season 3?

Her Potential Appearance

solo leveling joo-hee return in season 3 — solo leveling crying joo-hee

For now, it’s unclear whether Lee Joo-Hee will appear in Solo Leveling season 3, but considering her presence in the second season, there’s a fair chance she will also get the same treatment in the next season. She may receive a cameo before or after Jin-Woo's rematch with the system’s architect in the Cartenon Temple, given her significant involvement in the double dungeon incident.

Joo-Hee could also receive a cameo before Jin-Woo flies to Japan with Yoo Jin-Ho to deal with the massive gate that emerges in the middle of the streets. It’s a major incident which could potentially push the anime adaptation to bring Joo-Hee back once more for the purpose of emotional weight. Similar to her small appearances in the second season of Solo Leveling, she might appear at home, watching TV, while waiting to get a glimpse of Jin-Woo.

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