In Solo Leveling, a hunter's power level remains the same no matter how hard they work, except for Sung Jinwoo. Whereas all other Hunters are stuck in the ranks at the time of their awakening except in the rare case of a second awakening, Jinwoo is the only one who can grow stronger infinitely through his "System". But it is not his speed or strength that is the most terrifying thing that he could have—it is his position as a Shadow Monarch. By saying the words Arise, he is able to draw the mana of a slain enemy and turn it into a loyal Shadow soldier.
However, not every Shadow is an equal. The Shadow Army is a hierarchical machine that is arranged in Shadow Grades, which rank intelligence, autonomy, and total destructive power. The key to understanding how Jinwoo became the strongest hunter of all time lies in the comprehension of these grades when it comes to his transformation beyond a 'solo' player into a leader of a cosmic legion.
Every Shadow Part Of Sung Jin-Woo's Army In The Solo Leveling Anime (So Far)
Jin-Woo’s shadow army in Solo Leveling has many terrifying, powerful beings with great skills and strength.
The Dark Genesis: Understanding the Mechanics of Shadow Extraction
The Three Chances of the Sovereign’s Command
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A shadow is extracted by the Shadow Extraction by chanting a secret command and, in Jinwoo's case, he chose "Arise." Jinwoo can only attempt to extract a soul three times before it's gone forever. When the ego of the target is too strong or the period between death is too long, the soul disappears permanently. These soldiers are then kept in the shade of Jinwoo after being bound. They are actually immortalized, and if Jinwoo has enough mana to support them, they keep regenerating.
Shadows are still able to use the skills and memories of life. However, their personality is distorted through total obedience to the Monarch. Interestingly, Shadows is also able to level up next to Jinwoo, and actually go through experience, and even improve in grades in the long run. This development is the primary reason as to why his army is still viable even as he starts being threatened by gods.
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Shadow Army Grades
- Normal and Elite Grades
The lowest grades on the ladder are the Normal and Elite grades. These are ordinary members of the Shadow Army.
Normal Grade: This is the weakest type of extraction, which is mostly in the form of foot soldiers. They compare in terms of Hunter rank with E-rank to C-rank fighters. They do not have any personality and are commonly created to conquer the enemy by sheer numbers.
Elite Grade: These are slightly more skilled than ordinary hunters. Elite Grade Shadow is comparable to a B-rank Hunter. They are tankier and stronger than the normal grades and generally obtained by killing middle-grade dungeon monsters or High Orcs. Although these ranks are not flashy, they give "Shadow Space" its volume. The power of Jinwoo to summon hundreds of these soldiers at a time was demonstrated to be the fact that even fodder can turn into a nightmare when it is immortal, as in the High Orc arc.
Solo Leveling: Is Kargalgan Stronger Than Choi Jong-In?
Can the strongest mage hunter stand up against the magically empowered boss monster of an A-ranked dungeon?
- Knight and Elite Knight
This is where the Shadow Army begins to be interesting. When a Shadow has acquired a Knight Grade, they have the right to be named by Jinwoo. Knight Grade: Knight Grade Shadow is almost on the level of an A-rank Hunter. The most popular one is Igris (the Bloodred Commander) as he was initially pulled out of the Job Change Dungeon. Knights have a great measure of fighting prowess and strategy, but are unable to talk.
Elite Knight: These are those that fill the gap to the elites. A high A-rank Hunter is comparable to an Elite Knight. Among the prominent ones are Tusk (the High Orc Shaman Kargalgan), Tank (the head of the Ice Bears) and Iron (the shadow of the human Hunter Kim Chul). Such Shadows are able to command small groups and have sufficient brute power to break into gates of higher levels with only limited support.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
- General Grade
It is the General Grade where the leap of power and intelligence takes place. Shadows at this level can combat up to S-rank Hunters and more to the point, they are very intelligent and are able to talk.
The most remarkable Grade Shadow General is Beru and, later on, Tusk. Although Beru started off as a General but was later promoted to Marshal in the manhwa. This rank is also taken up by Greed (the shadow of S-rank villain Hwang Dong-Su). Shadows at this level are not mere tools; they are warriors. They are able to think about complicated hierarchies, command whole armies, and display unique personalities in the sort of person Beru is, a drama queen and loves watching K-dramas too, or Greed, whose bitterness still lingers.
- Marshal Grade
The Marshal Grade is the epitome of personal fighting strength on the highest scale possible. A Marshal can fight National Level Hunters and even win. The most recognizable Marshal is Beru, the Ant King. When his shadow was extracted during the Jeju Island arc, he was powerful to the extent that he killed S-rank hunters like flies even though he was General at that time.
Solo Leveling: Beru Is The Strongest, But This 1 Jinwoo Shadow Is Leagues Above
Beru is strong, but he’s no match for Jinwoo’s most overpowered shadow.
Marshal Grade shadows are completely sentient, incredibly protective of Jinwoo, and they have a mana signature that can be felt miles away. Later, the manhwa would lead both Beru and Igris to the rank which he had since regained in his service to the previous Shadow Monarch. Marshal Grade is awarded to those who are capable of ending wars on their own.
- Grand Marshal
The history of Solo Leveling has only one Grand Marshal Grade shadow, Bellion. He was the first servant of the first Shadow Monarch, and he looked close to the end of the series alongside the rest of the ancient Shadow Army.
The most powerful force at the command of Jinwoo is Bellion. He is so strong that he easily repelled Beru when they had a duel to occupy the post of Head Servant. Having huge wings and a segmented sword which serves as a whip, Bellion illustrates the absolute power of the Shadow Monarch. He does not only fight, but runs the whole legion of hundreds of thousands of soldiers.
Why Grades Matter in The Series
How Shadow Evolution Fuels the Infinite Power Crawl
The grading system is not merely a display, but it determines the effectiveness of the Monarch's Domain. Since Jinwoo increases in level, his shadows are also able to level up and get stronger at the same time. As we saw, Igris went from an Elite all the way to a Marshal. This implies that a Marshal Grade shadow at the peak of the power of Jinwoo is much more dangerous than the same creature was during his life.
It is the development of these grades that makes the crawl of power in Solo Leveling so rewarding. We could see Jinwoo, struggling to get a single Knight (Igris) out, and finally, becoming a Grand Marshal capable of leveling cities. It transforms a mere necromancy ability into a complicated, developing military rank.
Solo Leveling
- 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
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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.
- Main Genre
- Animation
- Seasons
- 1
- Studio
- A-1 Pictures
- Producers
- Kanako Takahashi, Kang Kyewon, Kim Ayoung, Park Jin-hae, Sota Furuhashi
- Based On
- Manhwa
- Creator
- Chugong
- Number of Episodes
- 25
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
- MyAnimeList Score
- 8.28 (Season 1); 8.86 (Season 2)
- Creator(s)
- Chugong
- Where To Watch
- Crunchyroll
- Executive Producer(s)
- Asa Suehira, Kwak Hae-eun, Masanori Miyake
