This article contains spoilers for Solo Leveling.
For Sung Jinwoo, being weak in Solo Leveling equals death, betrayal, and loss. Weakness isn’t new to him, so he fully understands what it means for a hunter to be the weakest link. Though he endured every near-death encounter and overcame every betrayal, it’s never a pleasant experience to feel powerless and to realize how easily everything can be lost.
This Forgotten Solo Leveling Character Is the First to Know About Jin-Woo's Ability to Level Up
For the first time ever, Sung Jin-Woo reveals he can level up to this forgotten character.
While Sung Jinwoo has soared through the hunter rankings with the powers of the Shadow Monarch in Solo Leveling, there are key areas where he still needs to grow and improve. If he lets his guard down, he can still be defeated. Thankfully, the fear of losing his power and being weak claws at Jinwoo’s resolve, driving him to grow stronger than ever.
Jinwoo Relies on the System and Its Abilities
-
As long as the system is still in place, Jinwoo lacks true independence. The system can still save him from the most life-threatening situation, fulfilling its main purpose of keeping him alive until Ashborn takes over his body. The system can simply exhaust all its abilities to push Jinwoo to his limits and bail him out when necessary.
All the system prompts, daily quests, and instant dungeons are still essential in Jinwoo’s journey. These functions guide his growth, pushing him closer to his full potential. Unfortunately, he can’t easily deactivate the system or conquer it if he wants to, as the system’s architect or moderator is still stronger than him.
-
Jinwoo's Mana Limitations
One of Jinwoo’s biggest problems in Solo Leveling is his mana pool. Even with large reserves, Jinwoo often burns through his mana whenever he summons or revives his shadows, especially when he’s up against a powerful opponent.
While Jinwoo can expand his mana reserves through relentless leveling, the fact that his mana has a limit in place keeps him from reaching his full potential. This problem always gets in the way of Jinwoo’s plans, creating obstacles that force him to manage his resources wisely and efficiently.
Jinwoo Needs More Shadows
While it's fun to see Jinwoo extract shadows in Solo Leveling, his shadow preservation skill becomes a problem and limitation at the same time. It can only store a finite number of shadows, forcing him to release weaker foot soldiers that could have been more useful in fights that demand a larger force.
In addition, a lot of powerful shadows still await Jinwoo in Solo Leveling, even after gaining Kargalgan, Igris, and Beru. His current lineup of elite shadow soldiers is strong, but their combined force is not enough to propel Jinwoo to new heights.
Jinwoo's Unstable Emotions
Each time Jinwoo grows stronger, or levels up, a part of his humanity slips away. Killing humans becomes easier for him, and the act of killing feels less and less like a choice. While all of this is true, Jinwoo is not yet immune to emotional breakdowns. He can still lose his temper, act recklessly, and make impulsive decisions, putting both himself and those he cares about in danger.
Beyond everything, Jinwoo remains capable of fear. The fear of losing his power, dying for real, and losing his loved ones. While it’s good for him to retain his human emotions, they also make him vulnerable to pain and hesitation that could cost him dearly.
Jinwoo Isn’t the Strongest Yet
At this point in the anime, Sung Jinwoo is far from being the strongest character in Solo Leveling. He might be the strongest S-rank hunter in Korea after the Jeju Island raid, but there are higher beings that possess more power than him in the upcoming story arcs of the series.
From the Monarchs to the Rulers, some beings could still take down Jinwoo after the Jeju Island raid. He can’t just throw himself into battle against these monsters alone, as that would be a sure path to death.
Find all 10 pairs
Find all 10 pairs
Jinwoo Can’t Protect Everyone
Jinwoo isn’t a god in Solo Leveling who can assume responsibility for all the people in his country. Even after gaining hundreds of soldiers, it's impossible for him to protect everyone, especially against cunning opponents who will use all his weaknesses to their advantage.
Perhaps the perfect example is Go Gun-Hee, who, as manhwa fans know, died fighting the Frost Monarch before Jinwoo could come to his aid. Despite Jinwoo’s efforts to look out for all the people he cares about, including the KHA president, the Frost Monarch still found a way to slip past his defenses.
Jinwoo Needs Time to Grow Stronger
Jinwoo has one of the simplest ways to grow stronger in Solo Leveling. He can level up by slaying monsters, killing dungeon bosses, and clearing gates. However, Jinwoo usually spends a lot of time leveling up, allowing his opponents to catch up with his progress.
During battles, Jinwoo usually takes the upper hand, but against powerful opponents like the Architect, he needs time to adjust and fully utilize his abilities. Unlike ordinary monsters, he can’t one-shot these high-level foes instantly.
Jinwoo Is Still an Incomplete Monarch
The Monarch trio, composed of Sillad, Rakan, and Querehsha, loves to call Jinwoo an incomplete monarch. He is, after all, a human who can’t use the powers of the Shadow Monarch in its full potential without consent from Ashborn and fulfilling the requirements to gain access to them.
Because of this, the Monarch trio is confident in their combined force to eliminate Jinwoo before he can receive the full power of the Shadow Monarch during their invasion of Seoul. While Jinwoo can defeat at least one of these monarchs, he can’t handle three of them on his own, even with the help of the shadow army.
Jinwoo Refuses Combat Support
Jinwoo rarely allows his allies to join him in battle, as the power gap is simply too large for them to make a significant impact. Yet, help and support remain crucial for covering his blind spots and ensuring success.
Just because Jinwoo works best alone doesn't mean he should avoid relying on others. At times, Jinwoo has to lean on his fellow hunters, proving that asking for help doesn’t make him weak. He could ask for help from Cha Hae-In, Thomas Andre, Sung Il-Hwan, or even Yoo Jin-Ho to watch his back when the situations become too dangerous or overwhelming.
- 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
- Creator(s)
- Chugong
