Warning: The following contains HUGE spoilers about Solo Leveling beyond the anime!
Summary
Many S-Rank Hunters lost their lives during the Jeju Island Raid, including Min Byung-Gu and Goto Ryuji. The National Hunter and Go Gun-Hee are the Ruler’s vessels and have the right to use the Ruler’s Authority. Sung Jin-Woo is both the Shadow King and the strongest Hunter in Solo Leveling.
Level up alone has established itself as one of the most popular anime of the year. The series is adapted from a very successful webtoon, based on the Korean web novel Chugong. The story’s eye-catching visuals and iconic main character have made it a household name among manhwa fans.
In Solo Leveling, people with special powers protect the world from monsters. After a disastrous raid, an extremely weak Hunter named Sung Jin-Woo gains unlimited power-ups. This allowed him to grow stronger and rise through the ranks to become one of the most powerful individuals in the world. Throughout his journey, he encounters many of the strongest Hunters in the series.
10 minutes Byung-Gu has A-rank fighting ability
S-class physician from Korea
Min Byung-Gu’s healing ability often overlooked in favor of combat-oriented Hunters like Baek Yoon-Ho and Choi Jong-In. After the third Jeju Island raid, he retired and wished to become a teacher. He initially declined his friend’s invitation to participate in the upcoming Jeju Island Raid, but quickly changed his mind and joined the Korean group. Byung-Gu was brutally killed by the Ant King, who later gained the ability to heal as a shadow.
On Jeju Island, the compassionate Hunter was able to single-handedly support five S-Ranks. He instantly healed two of his colleagues from a poison attack and regenerated a pair of arms after the Ant King tore them apart. A testament to Byung-Gu’s strength comes from his ability to resist Jin-Woo’s exploitation through sheer willpower alone. As a shadow, he easily healed Cha Hae-In, one of the strongest Hunters in Korea, from the brink of death. Ber then inherits his superior healing abilities from Byung-Gu, the most powerful healer to appear in the series.
9 Goto Ryuji is known as Japan’s greatest hunter
S-rank warrior from Japan
Goto Ryuji is introduced as a powerful Japanese Hunter and the Master of the Sword Drawing Guild. When ants from Jeju Island attack Japan, he meets Go Gunhee and offers to help the Korean government defeat the monsters. He was unfazed by the deaths of his team members during the raid and revealed that his true intention was to destroy Korea’s S-Rank Hunters. Ryuji was then beheaded and killed instantly by the Ant King.
As the strongest Hunter in Japan, Ryuji is known for his formidable fighting abilities. During their fight, he injured Jin-Woo’s cheek and forced the magician to fight more seriously. After Korea’s S-Rank Hunter was defeated, the Ant King recognized him as the strongest person today. While Ryuji deflected the monster’s initial attack, he was quickly killed by a stronger enemy.
8 Cha Hae-In was known as a fairy because of her beautiful swordsmanship skills
S-rank warrior from Korea
Although stronger than the Guild Leader, Cha Hae-In still holds the position of Vice President of the Hunter Guild. She has impeccable fencing skills and exceptional sensitivity to the smell of mana. When she learned Jin-Woo’s scent didn’t bother her, she became interested in his abilities. Hae-In participated in the 4th Jeju Island Raid as one of Korea’s S-Rank Hunters, but was seriously injured by the Ant King.
Hae-In’s strength is acknowledged by powerful Hunters such as Sung Jin-Woo and Goto Ryuji. The ant king recognized her as the most dangerous person in the group and immediately knocked her down with a fatal blow. Hae-In defeated Igris, one of Jin-Woo’s strongest shadows, in their match. The fighter easily overwhelmed the Japanese S-Rank Hunter and defeated the Ant Queen with just one of his blades.
7 Lennart Niermann is the strongest hunter in Germany
S Rank (Class Unknown) From Germany
Lennart Niermann is The strongest guild of the German Master and ranked 12th in the world. Unlike many Hunters in the series, he is humble and respectful of Jin-Woo’s immense strength. As Rakan attacks, the German Hunter arrives on the scene and activates his Charge skill to save Thomas Andre. When Jin-Woo arrived, he left the scene to help his injured American colleague.
Little is known about Lennart’s abilities, but his powers are occasionally mentioned. While ranking is not always an accurate indicator, his position as the 12th strongest person in the world shows his prowess as a Hunter. Another sign of his strength is his ability to sense Jin-Woo’s shadows when they are hidden. It is revealed that only individuals with extremely high power or awareness can detect them. During the battle against the Beast Monarch, Lennart was strong enough to temporarily weaken the monster with an energy blast.
6 Go Gun-Hee was once the strongest hunter in Korea
Grade S (Class Unknown) From Korea
Once a talented S-rank Hunter, Go Gun-Hee becomes President of the Korean Hunter Association after retirement. He tried to recruit Jin-Woo after he regained consciousness, but the young man refused the offer. However, Gun-Hee continued to support him, even using his influence as President to allow Jin-Woo to raid the dungeons alone. After the Frost Monarch suddenly appears in his office, he participates in the battle but quickly dies from his injuries.
As the Ruler’s vessel, Gun-Hee is one of the most powerful Hunters in the world. He dodged many of Frost Monarch’s attacks and deflected them with his bare hands. While the Chairman stood firm against the monster, his aging body could not keep up with the fight. Gun-Hee’s vessel state grants him an ability called Ruler’s Power, which allows him to move objects via telekinesis. While Go Gun-Hee is a talented Hunter, his declining health prevents him from using his full power.
5 Christopher Reed fought the three kings himself
S Rank (Class Unknown) From the United States and National Hunter
A national level hunter, Christopher Reed is extremely confident in his abilities. After Norma Selner warned him about her vision, he refused to believe that anyone could kill him. However, he accepted her advice after thinking carefully. A few days later, Christopher woke up to a strange silence in his house. He faced three Kings, but lost his life after fighting them.
Very little is revealed about Christopher, except that, as a vessel, he can wield the Power of the Ruler. He is also one of the few people, other than Thomas Andre, who can activate The manifestation of the spiritual body. This surprised the Monarchs and implied that he was very powerful. The fire emitting from Christopher’s body was so strong that it quickly engulfed the surrounding area. It took over 1800 firefighters and 14 S-rank Hunters to extinguish the fire.
4 Liu Zhigang is rated seven stars in the Chinese system
S-rank warrior from China and national level Hunter
Liu Zhigang is a national level Hunter and the strongest person in China. Along with Lennart Niermann, he is one of the few S-Ranks who respect Jin-Woo and acknowledge his strength. After the raid on Jeju Island, Zhigang defends the Chinese coast from bribed ants. He killed a giant from Tokyo’s S-Rank Gate and became curious when he heard how easily Jin Woo defeated the monsters. After witnessing both warriors in action, a navy captain commented that Zhigang’s was far stronger than Japan’s strongest Hunter, Goto Ryuji.
Like Go Gun-Hee and the National Hunter, Zhigang is the vessel of the Ruler. He possesses the Power of the Ruler, giving him incredibly powerful telekinetic abilities. He is also an exceptionally powerful fighter, shown by how he slaughtered hundreds of ants in a single blow. He easily killed a giant from Tokyo’s S-Class Gate and easily slashed monsters in the final battle. Even from afar, he was still sharp enough to sense the intense mana emanating from Jin-Woo and Antares.
3 Thomas Andre is ranked number one in the world
S-class Tanker from the United States and National-level Hunter
Thomas Andre is the strongest national level Hunter. After fighting Kamish, he transformed the dragon’s fangs into a pair of daggers which he later gave to Jin-Woo. Thomas was defeated by the magician Hunter after he refused to spare Hwang Dong-Soo. During his visit to Korea, he fought the Beast Monarch but was seriously injured by the monster’s attack. As the Iron Body Monarch rampages across Canada, Thomas defeats him with help from Jin-Woo’s darkness.
As a vessel, Thomas can use the Ruler’s Powers. When combined with his Reinforcement ability, this power will create a black hole strong enough to pull Jin-Woo. Shadow Monarch comments on how he would be defeated if he did not possess the Ruler’s Powers. When the Beast Monarch appeared, Thomas held his ground against the monster for a remarkable amount of time. He also defeated the Iron Body Monarch along with the shadow soldiers. Along with Christopher Reed, he is one of the few users of Spiritual Body Manifestation.
2 Sung Il-Hwan has the potential to become a national level hunter
Unofficial S rank (Class unknown) from Korea
Sung Il Hwan is Jin Woo’s father and a Hunter trapped in a dungeon for 10 years. Because the ranking system was established after his disappearance, he was never officially recognized by the public. During his isolation, the Rulers sent him on a mission to destroy the Shadow King. However, they later changed their mind and ordered him to protect their new ally. After Jin-Woo learned that his father was alive, the two reconciled and Il-Hwan apologized to his son before passing away.
Several years ago, Il-Hwan was made the Ruler’s vessel and given the right to wield the Ruler’s Authority. After defeating Hwang Dong-Soo and destroying the Federal Hunter Bureau headquarters, he shows his strength by holding his ground against the Monarch. His clash with the Frost Monarch causes a powerful explosion, but he escapes without injury. In a later encounter, Il-Hwan easily kept up with the monster’s movements and kicked him away; he also pierced the Beast Monarch’s jaw. Although he was never officially ranked, Il-Hwan has proven that he is strong enough to become a National-level Hunter.
1 Sung Jin-Woo is the most powerful individual in the world
S-class mage from Korea and the second Dark Emperor
Once a weak E-Rank Hunter, Sung Jin-Woo survived the Double Dungeon and became the System’s Chosen Player. His reawakening gave him the ability to level up without restriction and he quickly became stronger as he trained. After obtaining the Necromancer class, Jin-Woo gained the power to turn dead enemies into darkness. His strength was acknowledged by the Hunter Association, who recognized him as the 10th S-Rank Hunter. However, he soon rose to become the world’s strongest Hunter and the new Shadow King.
Jin-Woo is the vessel of the Shadow King, and thus possesses the Power of the Ruler. He commanded a powerful army of darkness and single-handedly defeated enemies such as Thomas Andre and the Ant King. However, after unlocking the true power of the Dark Monarch, Jin-Woo destroyed the rest of the Dark Monarch. He possesses other powerful abilities, such as hypnosis and memory manipulation, and causes fear among the Rulers. Sung Jin-Woo’s limitless power makes him both the strongest Hunter in Solo Leveling and the strongest character in the series.