Solo Leveling’s second season has ended, and while a third season has yet to be confirmed, most anime fans agree that it is a safe bet that we’ll see the return of Jinwoo Sung. The original manhwa series has plenty of story that the anime has yet to cover, and considering the popularity of the franchise, a comeback shouldn’t come as that big of a surprise. To prepare for season three and celebrate the series overall, we thought now would be the right time to highlight the strongest hunters and monsters that aren’t the protagonist of this anime adaptation.
To start, let’s set some ground rules. We are only going to look at the first two seasons of the anime adaptation, rather than diving into the source material. For the most part, a lot of this evidence will be put together using story events and commentary from the characters themselves. Luckily, there were plenty of characters to choose from when it comes to those who are powerhouses in their own right, both weaker and stronger than Jinwoo.
10.) Baruka The Ice Elf
Baruka, leader of the ice elves, was the first villain to be introduced in Solo Leveling’s second season and skirts the line between A-Rank and S-Rank. The ice elf sorcerer was quite the worthy challenge for Jinwoo to start, but he paled in comparison to the other heroes and villains on this list. Baruka would eventually become a worthy addition to Jinwoo’s shadow army, and the elf gave the protagonist a tough time to start, but Sung would go on to such higher levels that the malicious knife-wielder now seems like a minor threat compared to what else we witnessed in season two.
9.) Baek
Baek, aka the hairiest hunter that is weaker than Jinwoo, is a bit stronger than Baruka, thanks in part to his S-Rank. Having the power to transform into a wolfen form, adding to his strength, speed, and ferociousness, we can’t imagine that the ice elf would survive a full assault. Baek was introduced before Jinwoo in episode one, thanks to the ant island making its arrival in the premiere episode. Still, even his powers pale in comparison to the other hunters on the list.
8.) Cha Hae-In
It’s debatable who would officially win a fight between Cha Hae-In and Baek here, but we would lean far more into Jinwoo’s future love interest versus the werewolf. Her hunter powers and her ability to keep her composure would most likely give her the victory here, and she has earned her high status in the hunter world because of them. While we might not get to see her brawl as much as we should, it’s easy to place Cha Hae-In here in the list of the top ten strongest warriors in Solo Leveling.
7.) Go Gunhee
Go Gunhee might be retired from the battlefield, but his power level clearly puts him above the likes of Cha Hae-In and Baek during the events of the second season. While we could see either of these aforementioned hunters potentially getting some good hits on the elder hunter statesman, Gunhee’s mix of power and experience would help him ultimately win the day. There are numerous times throughout season two when Go wants to jump into the fight, and it would have been quite interesting to see how he would have stacked up against the monsters of the various dungeons.
6.) Hwang Dongsoo
Hwang Dongsoo is coming for Jinwoo Sung, thanks to our hero killing his brother in the first season of Solo Leveling. Dongsoo might not have been seen in combat much in Solo Leveling’s second season, but his power puts him above the other three hunters that are listed so far. Unfortunately, his power level isn’t good news for Jinwoo, not just thanks to his hunt for revenge, but the fact that his malicious nature gives him a killer edge and puts him above even Go Gunhee in a straight-up fight. There’s an argument to be made that Gunhee could score a victory, but his age makes for a big detriment in a death match.
5.) Goto Ryuji
Goto Ryuji was the strongest hunter in Japan, this side of Jinwoo Sung, and there’s a good reason for that. Unfortunately, despite being stronger than the other hunters on this list, it didn’t mean that he was strong enough to survive his encounter with Beru the Ant King. The Black Ant took Goto’s head, showing just how powerful the antagonist was, but Goto’s rank makes him a worthy pick for this spot on the list. Unfortunately, we wish we could have seen more of Ryuji in action, but at least we can honor him here in this list post-mortem.
4.) Kargalgan
The “High Orc Shaman” would decimate the other hunters on this list, thanks in part to his magic and death curses that Kargalgan could unleash upon them. Thanks to Jinwoo’s wild power level and his huge shadow army, he was able to dispatch the monster from this mortal coil, but we simply couldn’t imagine those lower on this list doing the same. Even not throwing the Orc’s vast army alongside him in a confrontation, defeating Kargalgan would be no easy feat and thus earns this high rank here.
3.) I take
Beru the Black Ant King was a force to be reckoned with, killing a member of this list and decimating many others when they had their respective confrontations. The killer insect was easily the biggest villain of the anime adaptation to date, and Solo Leveling’s second season proves it. Ultimately, Jinwoo Sung manages to both defeat Beru and make him a part of his shadow collective, though the ant sure showed how much damage he can do. There is one hunter that could defeat Beru in a fight that we’ve witnessed, who isn’t Jinwoo, however.
2.) Sung Il-Hwan
Jinwoo’s father has yet to fully demonstrate his power in action, but it’s clear that he is stronger than everyone else on this list, including Beru. The fact that Sung Il-Hwan appeared after his son defeated the ant with little to no recognition of the battle goes to show that he might just be far stronger than both combatants. Rest assured, should Solo Leveling’s third season be confirmed, expect Il-Hwan to have a major role to play, and should he fight his son, we’re not entirely sure if Sung would claim victory against his old man.
1.) The Architect
The one creature responsible for the system Jinwoo Sung finds himself under hasn’t physically fought most of the combatants on this list, but the “Architect” is surely the strongest creature we’ve witnessed in the anime to date. Responsible for both saving and cursing Jinwoo to his current fate, the smiling ghoul seems like a force to be reckoned with, who we imagine is set to be the overall “big bad” of the anime’s grand finale. We can’t see any of the hunters and/or villains on this list coming close to defeating the Architect, so Jinwoo has quite the terrifying battle ahead of him, despite his massive gains.
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