Solo Leveling follows the story of an E-Rank Hunter, Sung Jin-Woo, who suddenly becomes one of the strongest in the world after becoming a Player of the System. Though it is incredibly impressive to watch his improvement throughout the series, it unfortunately leads to the sidelining of many secondary characters. A lot of these characters have potential that goes unnoticed.
Solo Leveling: Does Sung Jin-Woo's Sister Become a Hunter?
Sung Jin-Woo's sister is an ordinary high school student, but does she ever awaken and become a hunter like her brother in Solo Leveling?
Sung Jin-Woo takes over most of the spotlight, leaving these characters to fall behind as 'cheerleaders', allowing Jin-Woo to take the reins for the majority of battles. These are the top 6 characters in Solo Leveling who were completely wasted and could have had their abilities and character arcs fleshed out more.
6 Yoo Jin-Ho
D-Rank Hunter
- Becomes a Vice-Guild Master
- D-Rank Hunter but upgrades his abilities with high-quality equipment
- One of Jin-Woo's first allies
Though Yoo Jin-Ho is certainly not one of the strongest Hunters by any means, especially since he is a D-Rank, he still had the potential to improve. As he was one of the first true allies to Sung Jin-Woo, he had already paired up with another powerful Hunter, and he had grown in his bravery and strategic abilities.
However, despite all his positive traits, he begins to lose significance in Solo Leveling's plot line. He had the potential to aid others in battle with preparations and strategy creation, but was put to the side as many other characters did once Jin-Woo began to reach Monarch-level power. Yoo Jin-Ho could have been much more useful as not only a strategist, but a friend to keep Jin-Woo grounded.
5 Min Byung-Gyu
S-Rank Healer
- Close to Baek Yoon-Ho
- Was part of the Jeju Island Raid Party
- Defeated by the Ant King
Min Byung-Gyu was one of the most powerful S-Rank Healers, including during the Jeju Island Raid. He would frequently aid his teammates by giving them stat buffs, and healing them whenever it was needed. However, instead of getting the opportunity to improve his abilities and continue aiding his friends, he is quickly killed by the Ant King.
Solo Leveling: 7 A-Rank Hunters in Solo Leveling Who Deserved More Recognition
Sometimes, the real heroes are in the background. Meet the A-Rank Hunters whose stories are worth a second look in Solo Leveling.
Min Byung-Gyu was killed off much too soon in Solo Leveling, and because of this, his character was absolutely wasted. Even outside of being a strong healer, he was also known for being a caring person with strong morals, and was a close friend to Baek Yoon-Ho. He deserved to continue working alongside his friends, or choose to retire from the stressful Hunter life.
4 Baek Yoon-Ho
Guild Master of the White Tiger Guild
- Has the rare Beast Transformation ability
- S-Rank Hunter
- Physically and tactically powerful
Like many other people on this list, Baek Yoon-Ho is a powerful S-Rank Hunter that quickly becomes overshadowed by Jin-Woo. He is a special case, as well, possessing a rare Beast Transformation ability that allows him to significantly increase his strength and speed. However, he never gets significant screen time.
Along with his physical strength, he also treats his fellow guild members as real people who have lives to protect, as well. His potential is wasted when Jin-Woo passes everyone else, and he no longer has much pull in battle. Baek Yoon-Ho never even got a significant solo battle on screen.
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3 Choi Jong-In
S-Rank Mage
- Guild Master of the Hunters Guild
- Is the strongest mage-type Hunter
- Also known as the "Ultimate Soldier"
Choi Jong-In's abilities as a mage-type are rare with other classes, including incredible crowd control, wide-range attacks, and knowing how to beat opposing forces strategically. As the Guild Master of the Hunters Guild, he is often tasked with finding the right people for a job, and being the best leader possible. However, he does not have significant screen time.
Solo Leveling: Red Gate Arc, Explained
Although the series has several exciting arcs, here's why the red gate arc stands out as one of the most intense.
Choi Jong-In could have been a great way to show the behind-the-scenes process of preparing to take on Gates and how to strategically complete them. However, he is completely put to the side and wasted, even though he could have shown that there's more to being a Hunter than just defeating enemies in battle.
2 Goto Ryuji
Guild Master of Draw Sword Guild
- Was the strongest Hunter in Japan
- Used raw strength to win battles
- Was defeated by the Ant King
Goto Ryuji's character had one of the most tragic endings. He was considered the strongest Hunter in all of Japan, using pure strength and significant speed to defeat his enemies. A lot of fans disliked his personality due to his arrogance and condescending nature, but his swift death was truly unfair.
He would have made a great long-term rival to Sung Jin-Woo, even if it was mostly through emotion (since Jin-Woo was already significantly stronger than him). It seems almost unreal that the strongest Hunter in all of Japan would be killed so quickly by the Ant King, before their fight had even begun.
1 Cha Hae-In
Vice-Guild Master of Hunters Guild
- Wife of Sung Jin-Woo
- S-Rank Fighter
- Possesses a rare 'Mana Smell' ability
Cha Hae-In is considered one of the strongest S-Rank Hunters in all of Korea, possessing a multitude of rare and powerful abilities. This includes her ability to easily smell Mana, so she can tell when another Hunter or a monster is nearby. Along with this, she is incredibly proficient in swordsmanship and can swiftly take down enemies in a few swings.
Solo Leveling: 14 Best Female Characters, Ranked
Solo Leveling is home to a vast collection of great characters. Here are the best women who feature throughout the anime and manhwa.
However, as with many female characters who are the love interest to the main male character, her presence on the battlefield begins to be pushed to the side. Jin-Woo not only surpasses everyone else in strength, but she eventually marries him and has their child, making her unable to participate on the field. Cha Hae-In was completely wasted in this respect, as she was one of the closest to Jin-Woo in terms of power.
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
-
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.
- Based On
- Manhwa
- Creator
- Chugong
- Number of Episodes
- 25
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
- MyAnimeList Score
- 8.28 (Season 1); 8.86 (Season 2)
- Where To Watch
- Crunchyroll
