Solo Leveling’sSung Jinwoo has quickly become one of the strongest characters in his series, but that doesn’t mean that he’s untouchable. He started the series as the weakest Hunter in the world, and he’s encountered quite a few powerful foes on his way to the top.There aren’t many, but there are a few characters inSolo Levelingthat actually pose a significant threat to Sung Jinwoo.
Jinwoo is a very honest character and not one to lie about his or his opponent’s strength. He’s faced a few Hunters and Magic Beasts who are beneath him power-wise, and a few who certainly aren’t. After a battle, Jinwoo will usually reveal his power level in relation to his enemies. Most of the time, Jinwoo is miles ahead of whoever stands in front of him; sometimes, however, he only wins a fight due to luck, his Shadows helping him out, or another Hunter coming to the rescue.
10Baruka
Jinwoo Needed to 3v1 the Leader of the Ice Elves
Baruka is one of the most interesting, underused characters inSolo Leveling.He’s the boss of the Red Gate that Jinwoo finds himself in when he’s trying to show Song-Yi just how dangerous being a Hunter can be.Baruka is unbelievably charismatic, intelligent, and above all, dangerous.
He’s one of the few characters in the series that Jinwoo admitted that he couldn’t fight alone. Jinwoo had to ask Igris for help when facing Baruka (also known as Barca), and even the two of them weren’t enough. Jinwoo then goaded Kim Chul into attacking him so he could turn the A-Rank Hunter into another Shadow, barely beating Baruka three-versus-one.Baruka would have been an excellent Shadowas he was one of the few characters to push Jinwoo past his limits.
9Blood-Red Commander Igris
Jinwoo Admitted He Would’ve Lost if Igris Used His Sword
The Blood-Red Commander Igris isthe final boss of the first season ofSolo Levelingand another character to push Jinwoo past his limits. Jinwoo had faced plenty of tough enemies before Igris, but the Blood-Red Commander was different. He was ferocious, devastating, and inches away from killing Jinwoo.
Jinwoo admitted after their fight that if Igris hadn’t put his sword down, he would have died.After Jinwoo’s daggers broke, Igris put his sword down, giving the Second Shadow Monarch a chance to come back.
8Go Gunhee
In Go Gunhee’s Prime, Jinwoo Would’ve Gotten Obliterated
Go Gunhee is one ofthe most powerful Korean S-Rank Hunters inSolo Leveling. He became the Chairman of the Korean Hunters Association after he became too old to continue fighting. In his prime, however,most people cite Go Gunhee as one of the strongest Hunters in the entire world.
Jinwoo is smart enough to see Gunhee’s power. The first time they met, the Second Shadow Monarch remarked that there were few like the Chairman. Go Gunhee’s calm demeanor hides his ridiculous power, and part of it is finally seen at the end of the series. The Chairman is one of the Vessels of the Rulers, putting him on an entirely different level than even the strongest S-Rank Hunters.
7Liu Zhigang
China’s 7-Star Hunter
Liu Zhigang is China’s strongest Hunter inSolo Levelingand one of the few Hunters stronger than S-Rank.Not much is shown of him, but every time he makes an appearance, he dominates.He’s ranked as the second-strongest Hunter in the entire world behind Thomas Andre for most of the series.
Liu Zhigang makes his first appearance in theSolo Levelinganime at the end of the second season when a swarm of Ants is heading towards China. Instead of having a fleet of battleships deal with the problem, Zhigang destroys them with a single swing of his sword. It’s an absurd feat of strength that shows just how much stronger the Chinese Hunter is than Sung Jinwoo.
6Thomas Andre
The Top-Ranked Hunter in the World
Thomas Andre is ranked asthe strongest Hunter inSolo Levelingfor a reason. He’s the Guild Master of the Scavenger Guild, the strongest Guild in America, and one of the few Hunters who ranks above National Level. Thomas Andre is so strong that he’s best compared to an entire nation in terms of military might, showing just how absurd his abilities are.
By the time Thomas Andre and Sung Jinwoo face off, Jinwoo is on an entirely different level than any other Hunter. Before that, however,Thomas Andre would have wiped the floor with Jinwoo in a fight.Jinwoo is lucky that he didn’t have to fight the number one ranked Hunter in the world before he was ready, because it was a fight he wouldn’t have walked away from.
5The Architect (Kadiaru)
He Can Stop Jinwoo from Summoning His Shadow Army
Kandiaru, known as the Architect, is one ofthe strongest and most mysterious characters inSolo Leveling.He’s called the Architect because he built the System that Jinwoo uses to get stronger. Kandiaru never meant to actually help Jinwoo, as he intended to make Jinwoo into the perfect vessel for Ashborn, the first Shadow Monarch.
The Double Dungeon Arc is one ofthe best arcs inSolo Levelingbecause it finally reveals the background of the mysterious System. It also shows off how powerful Kandiaru is, as he’s able to take away a lot of Jinwoo’s best abilities during their fight. If it wasn’t for some of the strongest Hunters in the series coming to save Jinwoo, he might have been a goner.
4The Rulers
The Rulers are the enemies of the Monarchs and somewhat allies of Sung Jinwoo inSolo Leveling.They don’t play too big of a role in the series until the very end, when they help Jinwoo defeat Antares and give him the Cup of Reincarnation to rewind time by 10 years and undo all the damage that the Monarchs caused.
There are no named Rulers in the series like there are Monarchs, but they’re shown to be some of the strongest characters in the series regardless. Their ability to kill Antares, the strongest of the Monarchs, proves that they could have easily taken Jinwoo down as well.Jinwoo is lucky to have them on his side to take down Antates, and even luckier that he never had to fight them in the first place.
3The Monarchs
Each of the Monarchs Is Stronger than Even National Level Hunters
The Monarchs are unbelievably strong, especially when compared to Hunters.The strongest Monarchs inSolo Levelingcould kill even National Level Hunters without too much effort. Rakan, the Monarch of Fangs, took on Thomas Andre without much effort, and he was the top-ranked Hunter in the world at the time.
Jinwoo gets killed for the second time inSolo Levelingwhen three of the Monarchs team up to kill him. Rakan, Sillad, and Querehsha form an alliance to take down their joint enemy.If it wasn’t for Sung Il-Hwan’s last-minute intervention, they would have killed Jinwoo for good.
2Sung Il-Hwan
Sung Il-Hwan was a beast before he was trapped in a Dungeon for 10 years. When he got out, he somehow was able to get even stronger. By becoming a Vessel for the Rulers, Sung Il-Hwan gained access to some of the strongest abilities in the series,dominating S-Rank Hunter Hwang Dongsoo as if the two were in entirely different leagues.
Sung Il-Hwan was released from the Dungeon by the Rulers because they made a deal. They would release Il-Hwan back onto Earth if he killed the Second Shadow Monarch. Il-Hwan learned that his son Jinwoo was the new Shadow Monarch, and the Rulers had a change of heart when they saw Jinwoo’s character. It’s lucky for Jinwoo that they did, because Il-Hwan might have killed him otherwise.
1Antares
The King of Dragon and the Monarch of Destruction
Antares is the Monarch of Destruction, the King of Dragons, andthe strongest villain inSolo Leveling. He’s so ridiculously powerful that the second he enters the series, the Earth itself is at risk of being destroyed. He’s overwhelmingly powerful, extremely confident, andone of the few characters that Jinwoo needed help to beat.
Antares had Jinwoo’s number for most of their fight. Jinwoo had all the powers of the former Shadow Monarch, all of his own powers he’d earned over the course of the series, and some of the strongest Shadows in existence, and he could still barely keep up. If it wasn’t for the Rulers intervening at the last second, Jinwoo would’ve died.
