Summary

  • Sung Jinwoo was launched into new heights with the help of Yoo Soohyun and her media attention on the Ahjin guild.
  • Laura, as Thomas Andre's right hand, remains composed and respectful, adding depth to the Scavengers Guild in Solo Leveling.
  • The female characters in Solo Leveling, like Querehsha and Cha Hae-In, bring unique powers and depth to the series.

Solo Leveling came out in 2016 and became a cultural phenomenon, gripping the imagination of fans everywhere. It introduced the world to Sung Jinwoo, an adventurer who gained another shot at life with some terrifying powers.

Baek Yoonho Yuri Orloff AND Sung Jin-Woo
Solo Leveling: 11 Most Overpowered Hunter Abilities

These abilities are the broken ones in the Solo Leveling series. Possession of one is enough to pose a massive threat to society.

While most of the story focuses on the protagonist, there is a plethora of side characters in Solo Leveling, and some pretty fun female cast members are scattered throughout the series. These characters each enrich Solo Leveling in one way or another and prove to be great additions to the overarching story.

Updated February 4, 2025, by Famutimi Oluwafemi: Solo Leveling is one of the most popular manhwa ever made. Not only has it spawned a pretty decent sequel, but the anime has also been well received. With a second season underway and the anime going a bit more in-depth with its characters than the manhwa, now is a great chance to have a look at some of the incredible women who dominate the cast.

Some of the entries here will spoil elements of the story that are yet to be explored in the anime.

14 Akari Shimizu

The Cute Sweet-Loving Healer Was a Cheery Personality In The Story...Until She Wasn't

Akari Shimizu Solo Leveling

First Appearance (Manhwa)

Chapter 90

First Appearance (Anime)

N/A

Affiliation

Draw Sword Guild

The Draw Sword Guild were a top guild from Japan that was involved in the Jeju Island raid, in which they were all decimated by the Ant King. Before then, Akari had been portrayed as an S-class healer who had a penchant for requesting payment for her services.

She was a cheerful personality, and with how they were introduced, one would have been forgiven for thinking they would play a major role in the story. Perhaps some sort of true rivalry could have developed, but, unfortunately, she was more or less canon fodder.

13 Yoo Soohyun

Launched Sung Jinwoo Into The Stratosphere

Yoo Soohyun in Solo Leveling

First Appearance (Manhwa)

Chapter 67

First Appearance (Anime)

N/A

Affiliation

Yoojin Guild

Yoo Soohyun didn’t do too much in the webcomic, but she was a pivotal character to Sung Jinwoo’s plans. A cousin to Sung’s sidekick, Jinho, she agreed to be the third member of the Ahjin guild, even though she knew she’d have little to nothing to do.

Soohyun gave the Ahjin guild some great attention, especially with her post on social media getting the media excited about Sung’s first official raid as the Ahjin guild. She's a fun side character and one of the best female presences in Solo Leveling.

12 Kanae Tawata

Goth-Girl Fashion, But A Sweetheart Who Cares For Her Team

Kanae Tawata in Solo Leveling

First Appearance (Manhwa)

Chapter 90

First Appearance (Anime)

NA

Affiliation

Draw Sword Guild

Kanae is also a member of the Draw Sword Guild, and she has the distinct honor of being one of the few who made it out of the Jeju Island raid against the Ant King. She is an S-Rank hunter, but compared to absolute powerhouses like Cha Hae-In, she isn't that strong.

Her care for her team is one of her most endearing traits; she will do what she can to protect them. On top of that, she was also brave enough to fight the giants when they invaded Japan, even though she was ultimately unable to really put a dent in their onslaught. That said, she does deserve major props for surviving, which is an essential element for heroes.

11 Park Heejin

Heejin Makes Wise Life Choices

Park Heejin Solo Leveling anime

First Appearance (Manhwa)

Chapter 49

First Appearance (Anime)

Episode 13

Affiliation

White Tiger Guild

Park Heejin is a member of the White Tiger guild and was part of the crew that was involved in the Red Gate incident which put Sung Jinwoo on the radar of the top guilds. She had the good sense to stay with Jinwoo, which is what saved her life during the Red Gate saga.

Her healing abilities are decent, and she was on hand to help civilians when the Beast Monarch came to destroy her city. As a hunter, knowing one's abilities and the extent of them is an underrated skill that Heejin has in spades. She also tried to get Jinwoo to join the White Tiger guild, but she failed.

10 Laura

Thomas Andre’s Unofficial Right Hand

Laura in Solo Leveling

First Appearance (Manhwa)

Chapter 26

First Appearance (Anime)

Episode 7

Affiliation

Scavengers Guild

Laura is the general secretary of the Scavengers Guild, led by Thomas Andre who, until the appearance of Sung Jinwoo, was the most powerful hunter in the world.

Solo Leveling: Every S-Rank Hunter featured image
Solo Leveling: Every S-Rank Hunter

The S-Rank hunters, renowned for their extraordinary strength and profound abilities, are the pinnacle of the hunter system in Solo Leveling.

Laura also doesn’t appear much, but she gives off an interesting personality that seems aloof, composed, and respectful to those more powerful than she is. She is reminiscent of such character archetypes like Mercy Graves from DC Comics. She was always on hand to help Thomas Andre, and one can just imagine that anyone who can keep a guild like Scavengers running must be seriously competent.

9 Hanekawa

Quiet And Reserved But Incredibly Strong

Hanekawa in Solo Leveling

First Appearance (Manhwa)

Chapter 85

First Appearance (Anime)

NA

Affiliation

Draw Sword Guild

Hanekawa first appeared in the webcomic while escorting Goto Ryuji into South Korea before the Jeju Island arc took off. She also acted as the translator for the Japanese guild with the South Koreans.

Her proficiency in language and her ability to fight (she is an A rank) puts her as one of the more interesting characters in the Solo Leveling webcomic. Despite her reserved manner, she is also quite arrogant, which was showcased when she fought against Park Jongsoo.

8 Esil Radiru

A Helpful And Loyal Escort In The Demon Castle

Esil Radiru in Solo Leveling

First Appearance (Manhwa)

Chapter 81

First Appearance (Anime)

Season 2

Affiliation

Demon Castle

Esil was one of the many demons that Sung Jinwoo encountered in the demon castle. She begged for her life when her compatriots were slaughtered and was even beginning to show a bit of affection towards Jinwoo.

Solo-Leveling-Sung-Jin-Woo's-Strongest-Weapons,-Ranked
Solo Leveling: Sung Jin-Woo's Strongest Weapons, Ranked

Sung Jin-Woo collects a lot of weapons throughout Solo Leveling, with some being pretty average strength, and others being extremely powerful.

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She was also pretty helpful in battle, distracting Baran enough for Jinwoo to land the finishing blow. Considering the win against Baran was pivotal in Jinwoo getting his mother out of Eternal Slumber, she was a great asset to the story and a fun character to read about.

7 Querehsha

A Monarch And Incredible Female Villain

Querehsha in Solo Leveling

First Appearance (Manhwa)

Chapter 140

First Appearance (Anime)

N/A

Affiliation

Monarch Of Plagues

The only female monarch in the webcomic was Querehsha, the Monarch of Plagues. Everyone loves a beautiful woman playing the role of villain, and Querehsha in Solo Leveling had the right amount of malice.

While powerful, she was out of her depth against Jinwoo, who is the vessel for Ashborn, and her defeat was quite grisly. But much like Lust from Fullmetal Alchemist, she has a quality of staying in the minds of readers even after the story ends.

6 Norma Selner

Has One Of The Most Unique Powers In The Whole Story

Norma Selner in Solo Leveling

First Appearance (Manhwa)

Chapter 109

First Appearance (Anime)

N/A

Affiliation

Federal Bureau of Hunters

Norma Selner was initially a fortune-teller who, after awakening, gained some truly valuable abilities. She could see things before they happened and could even improve the abilities of hunters, something no one else in the world of Solo Leveling seemed to be able to do.

With all this, one of the most distinct things about Norma was her style. Her large hat and dress made her look like someone from the 1950s, and her taste for cake made her a lot more relatable in the eyes of many.

5 Han Song-Yi

The Other Little Sister Jinwoo Never Asked For

Han Song-Yi in Solo Leveling

First Appearance (Manhwa)

Chapter 11

First Appearance (Anime)

Episode 1

Affiliation

Jinwoo's Raid Party

When Jinwoo first met Han Song-Yi, she was a surly teenager looking to be a hunter and make a living off it, and she got just that when she was recruited by Jinho to join him and Jinwoo while not having to do anything.

strongest characters in the manhwa
Solo Leveling: 21 Strongest Characters In The Manhwa, Ranked

From the Absolute Being to Sung Jin-Woo, the Shadow Monarch, Solo Leveling has remarkably powerful characters.

She dropped out of school, but after surviving the Red Gate incident, she became closer to Jinwoo, seeing him as some sort of older brother. She was like the bratty sister that her friend and Jinwoo’s sister, Jinah, was not.