This article contains spoilers from the Solo Leveling anime and manhwa.
Solo Leveling is pure action and adrenaline, delivering non-stop moments of Sung Jin-Woo's toughest battles, dungeon raids, and shadow extractions. The power fantasy anime series barely has time to explore Jin-Woo's personal life, especially his relationship with Cha Hae-In, as bigger and more powerful threats emerge one after another.
While Cha Hae-In is falling deeper in love with Jin-Woo in Solo Leveling, the strongest hunter in Korea has been taking her feelings for granted, barely acknowledging her affection as he focuses on far more crucial goals. This left a bitter taste, as fans began to look back at the many times Sung Jin-Woo disrespected Cha Hae-In in the most unexpected ways possible.
Jin-Woo Thinks Cha Hae-In's Weapon Is a Miner’s Pick
Cha Hae-In Only Wants to Help Jin-Woo
- Jin-Woo unveils his powers to Cha Hae-In.
- Cha Hae-In uses a sword as her main weapon.
When Cha Hae-In borrowed a pickaxe from a miner in Solo Leveling Season 2, Sung Jin-Woo was one of the hunters who thought it was her main weapon. Understandably, Cha Hae-In was holding on to the pickaxe with so much strength and determination, turning what looked like a simple mining tool into a symbol of strength and resolve to help her fellow hunters in the A-rank dungeon.
Unfortunately, Jin-Woo clearly mistook Cha Hae-In's main weapon, thinking the pickaxe was all she had, not realizing she could wield far deadlier tools with precision, strength, and grace. This proves that Jin-Woo doesn’t really know Cha Hae-In, despite her massive reputation as the ninth S-rank hunter in Korea and the vice-master of the Hunters Guild.
Jin-Woo Scolds Cha Hae-In for Getting Carried Away
Jin-Woo Overshadows Cha Hae-In Once Again
- Cha Hae-In effortlessly wins against Kanae Tawata.
- Cha Hae-In directly hit Atsutshi Kumamoto 14 times.
It’s rare for Cha Hae-In to step up her game in Solo Leveling, as the series often focuses on Sung Jin-Woo and his most intense showdowns. So, when Cha Hae-In took the spotlight in the sparring session between Korean and Japanese S-rank hunters right before the fourth Jeju Island raid, she seized the moment by defeating Kanae Tawata and overwhelming Atsushi Kumamoto.
However, Jin-Woo quickly steals the spotlight away from Cha Hae-In after he stops her solo match with Atsushi Kumamoto, who went berserk. Instead of complimenting Cha Hae-In's combat prowess, he scolds her for getting carried away, failing to recognize her skills and abilities.
Jin-Woo Doesn’t Want Cha Hae-In in His Guild
Jin-Woo Chooses Another Hunter Over Cha Hae-In
- Cha Hae-In attempts to join Jin-Woo's guild.
- Jin-Woo rejects Cha Hae-In's application for her suspicious motives.
Joining Jin-Woo's newly established guild, Ahjin, proves to be a major challenge for Cha Hae-In in the Ahjin Guild story arc. All she wanted was to fight by Jin-Woo's side until the end, but in order to accomplish that, she was forced to overcome not just one but two elite shadows in Jin-Woo's army.
Cha Hae-In was the only hunter who went out of her way to apply to the Ahjin Guild, but Jin-Woo did not trust her immediately. He questioned her real motives, forcing her to prove herself in a way no other applicant had to. She was the ideal guild member for Yoo Jin-Ho, but Jin-Woo eventually rejected her application to make way for a female A-rank hunter, Yoo Soo-Hyun, to join.
Jin-Woo Underestimates Cha Hae-In's Real Power
Jin-Woo Always Doubts Cha Hae-In's Strength
- Cha Hae-In takes down Igris in a solo match.
- Cha Hae-In faces Beru after defeating Igris.
It’s not unusual for Jin-Woo to underestimate hunters, especially after he has grown incredibly stronger in just a short amount of time. This time, however, he was caught off guard by Cha Hae-In's combat prowess when she took down Igris while wielding a backup weapon from the Korean Hunters Association’s gym in the Ahjin Guild arc.
That’s not all, as Cha Hae-In also showed courage when she had to face Beru, the same monster who put her out of the final stage of the Jeju Island raid. She originally demanded Jin-Woo summon Beru as her opponent, but the Shadow Monarch was confident that Cha Hae-In wouldn’t be able to defeat Igris in a solo match. For the first time, Jin-Woo was wrong.
Jin-Woo Doesn’t Notice Cha Hae-In's Growing Feelings
Jin-Woo Shows Consistent Emotional Detachment
- Jin-Woo has no idea about Cha Hae-In's romantic feelings for him.
- Jin-Woo has zero interest in dating Cha Hae-In for most of Solo Leveling.
It’s not difficult to notice Jin-Woo's emotional detachment from other characters, including Cha Hae-In. He often acts cold, reserved, and guarded toward Cha Hae-In, refusing to show any signs of vulnerability or affection. No wonder Jin-Woo was surprised when Cha Hae-In confessed her interest in him when he asked what her motivations were in joining the Ahjin Guild.
All along, Jin-Woo was indifferent to Cha Hae-In's feelings, probably seeing her as an above-average hunter and ally rather than someone with personal feelings for him. If it weren’t for Cha Hae-In's confession, Jin-Woo wouldn’t notice her romantic interest, let alone consider her a potential partner in life and on the battlefield.
- 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.
- Creator(s)
- Chugong
- Number of Episodes
- 25
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
- MyAnimeList Score
- 8.28 (Season 1); 8.86 (Season 2)
- Where To Watch
- Crunchyroll
