In Solo Leveling, power is not something that you train for; it is something that is inherited. During the initial awakening of a person as a Hunter, mana is counted once. This gives them a rank, which remains permanent. An E-Rank will always be an E-Rank, and even the most gifted A-Rank hunter will spend a lifetime knowing that he or she can never become an S-Rank. It is the ugly truth of the system: you are born lucky, or not.
That is why S-Rank Hunters are a special class on their own. They are an exception in a world where power does not shift easily. But these unmeasurable elites are again divided into another layer: Hunters so strong that they are more of a weapon of the nation than a person. National-Level Hunters are not ranked in the system; they are beyond the system.
Solo Leveling: The S-Rank Korean Hunters, Explained
Korea's ten S-Rank hunters stand at the peak of power, each possessing unique abilities that shape the world of Solo Leveling.
The S-Rank: The Ceiling of Mana Measurement
Why S-Rank Isn’t The True Peak As We Initially Thought
The reason why S-rank is a term is that measuring technology cannot be done with a specific mana value. In the case when the Association is not able to measure the energy of a Hunter, it gives the highest possible classification. This does not imply that all S-Ranks are the same; it only signifies that they are all off the charts. As a result, the difference in the strength between S-Rank hunters is tremendous. Hunters, such as Choi Jong-In and Baek Yoonho don't even compare to how strong a hunter like Goto Ryuji is, yet he was instantly defeated by the Ant-King. It's clear that they are able to clear high-level gates, but they are still not at the same level as characters like Thomas Andre or the late story Sung Jin-Woo.
S -Rank is not a category as much as it is a catch-all category of the unmeasurable. S-Rank Hunters, in spite of their good reputations, are simply Awakened humans. They draw on personal reserves of mana; their bodies are finite, and they can be swamped by foes of the Monarch's level of power. They symbolize the highest capacity of humans, yet they are still subject to world rules.
Find all 10 pairs
Find all 10 pairs
National Level Hunters: The Special Authority Rank
The Special Rank Created After The Kamish Disaster
The name of the rank, National Level Hunter, or also known as the strongest hunters in the world, was formed following the Kamish disaster, the first S-Rank Gate break in the United States. Kamish was a massive dragon magic beast that brought havoc of such a magnitude that humanity had never witnessed before. Few Hunters survived the battle, which later brought the creature down,and those who survived were crowned as National Level Hunters.
In contrast to S- Rank classification, status at the National Level is not identified by mana measurement only. It is a military and political title that recognizes those who have the ability to serve as deterrents on a global scale. Governments do not consider these hunters as merely citizens but as strategic property, and, therefore, they gain a lot more influence and autonomy than the average hunters are granted. Their very existence can alter the balance of world power.
Solo Leveling: 7 Strongest Dungeon Bosses, Ranked
Solo Leveling features many dungeon bosses that are far more powerful than even top hunters. Among them, these stand out.
The Elite Five: Kamish Raid Survivors
Five Individuals Recognized By The World As The Strongest
Five known National-Level Hunters in the Solo Leveling world are known. Thomas Andree can be seen as a symbol of the United States, which is the most powerful amongst them, and Liu Zhigang is the strongest Hunter of China. The known survivors of the Kamish raid in the original story are filled in by Christopher Reed (the 2nd strongest hunter in the United States) and Siddharth Bachchan, the strongest hunter from India, but very little is known about him throughout the series.
The fifth National-Level Hunter who was recently revealed in Solo Leveling: ARISE is Antoine Martinez, although not much has been confirmed about him as of now, except that he was a healer and the only one who is not a ruler's vessel. In the game, he's a wind attribute hunter, so we can safely assume he provided healing and strong buffs to the rest of the National Hunters during the Kamish Raid. Combined, the five of them are the greatest military-comparable force of humanity before the Monarch war reaches its peak. They are not only reputed in their positions but also survived one of the devastating events in the history of the Hunter.
The Ruler’s Authority: The True Power Gap
The Power That Separates National Level Hunters
The fact that National-Level Hunters and S-Rank Hunters differ not only in pure mana output but also in the existence of the Authority of Ruler is what really makes the difference between the two. These Hunters are vessels of the Rulers (the ancient enemies of the Monarchs), and as such, they have telekinetic powers which enable them to influence objects and enemies without spending mana in the traditional way. This power in itself is indicative that they are unlike regular Hunters in their source of power.
7 Strongest Guild Masters In Solo Leveling, Ranked
Very few hunters can go toe-to-toe against these guild masters in Solo Leveling.
This difference is best demonstrated by Thomas Andre. His power to reinforce his body transforms it into almost the same thing that cannot be destroyed, whereas the Ruler's Authority enables him to rule the battlefield without being affected directly. Liu Zhigang also exhibits such excessive fighting skills that he is way beyond the normal S-Rank Hunters. To them, their strength is not only bigger, but it is of another origin altogether.
When S‑Rank Isn’t the Peak of Power
S -Rank Hunters to the masses are generally celebrity hunters, concerned with the safety of the world in a place where gates and monsters abound. They are very few, strong, and crucial to the existence of humanity. But the scale of National -Level Hunters is such that the ranking system becomes meaningless. They are not only evaluated based on the capability of clearing out dungeons but also on their potential to protect entire nations.
That is why the distance between S-Rank and National-Level Hunters seems to be gigantic in the story. One of them is the ultimate awakening of human beings; another one is nearer to divine intervention. When Sung Jin-Woo starts to outshine National-Level Hunters, the story reflects a surety that he is no longer operating under the Hunter system in any way — he has become something completely different and far above it.
- 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
-
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
