Solo Leveling features an overpowered protagonist, Sung Jin-Woo, who levels up after hunting different Dungeon bosses. There’s no limitation to Jin-Woo’s abilities and skills, so it’s no wonder he quickly becomes the strongest S-Class Hunter and eventually defeats the Monarch of Destruction, Antares.
Throughout the series, the Solo Leveling fandom worships Jin-Woo for his tremendous one-sided battles and victories. However, there are several other strong characters in the Korean manhwa besides Jin-Woo. These characters hold power to destroy an entire planet in the blink of an eye. So, before we see Sung Jin-Woo and his enemies in the anime adaptation, let’s revisit the manhwa to talk about the most powerful characters in the series.
10. Legia, Monarch Of Beginning
After the Absolute Being’s death, Legia spent several years in captivity. Legia was unlike any other Monarch as he was a spiritual being with no physical body, and the Rulers had to contain him with manga-absorbing chains. Rulers realized that Legia was immensely powerful, and it would be a waste if they didn’t use the Monarch’s power to their advantage.
Rulers finally unleashed Legia on the human world, where our beloved Jin-Woo confronted him. Legia proved his prowess by manipulating wind pressure and demonstrating his “Truth Inducement” ability. Fortunately, Jin-Woo was too powerful at the time, so he decapitated Legia with only one attack.
9. Baran, Monarch Of White Flames
Initially, Baran fought alongside the Shadow Monarch and the Beast Monarch against the Rulers. The Monarch butchered countless soldiers of the Rulers, but after that, he turned his back on Ashborn. Of course, Ashborn was too mightly for Baran to handle alone, so he was killed.
Eons later, the Architect resurrects Baran, who occupies the Demon Castle’s 100th floor. Sung Jin-Woo finally gets a chance to fight Baran, but the Monarch of White Flames overwhelms the Ashbon’s vessel with his strength and the demon army. Baran could have easily killed Jin-Woo at the time, but fortunately, Esil Radiru created a distraction that rewarded Jin-Woo with an opportunity to defeat the Monarch.
8. Iron Body Monarch
While it’s true that Iron Body was nowhere close to other Monarchs in terms of skills, he was still one of the most powerful and ruthless characters in Solo Leveling. The Monarch demonstrated his powers when he mutilated Christopher Reed, America’s strongest Hunter, and left his body for the world to see.
Iron Body Monarch had incredible physical strength and telepathic ability that allowed him to communicate with his allies during battles. However, despite being all-powerful, Iron Body met his end at the hands of Thomas, Bellion, and Beru in the Final Battle Arc.
7. Bellion
Born from the World Tree, Bellion was the most vital member of Sung Jin-Woo Shadow’s army. Bellion commanded the entire Shadow Army for Sung Jin-Woo, the vessel of Ashborn. He arrived in Korea with the rest of the Shadow Army after Jin-Woo defeated the three Monarchs.
Bellion instantly defeated Beru to gain the rank of Grand Marshal in Jin-Woo’s army. For a while, Beru was considered the most potent follower of Jin-woo, but Bellion proved his superiority by quickly countering Beru’s attack with his immense speed. Bellion’s raw strength made Beru fall to his knees, and the Ant King’s Shadow accepts defeat while coughing up blood.
6. The Beast Monarch
The Beast Monarch was the most cowardly and hypocritical character in the Solo Leveling series. He was always the first one to leave the battlefield in a moment of crisis. However, that doesn’t change the fact that the Monarch possesses excellent physical strength and speed. Since the Beast Monarch had faith in his powers, he agreed to join the Frost Monarch and Querehsha to defeat Jin-Woo.
The Beast and Frost Monarch overpower Jin-woo in the fight and almost kills him. However, their actions lead up to the moment where Jin-woo takes control of Ashborn’s power completely. The Shadow Monarch’s resurrection was enough reason for the Beast Monarch to escape. However, Jin-woo catches up with the Beast and ends his life in just four strikes.
5. Sung II Hwan
Sung II Hwan, Jin-Woo’s father, was one of the seven vessels of the Rulers. To survive in a Dungeon, Hwan accepts the Ruler’s offer to become a weapon against the Shadow Monarch. At the time, Hwan didn’t know he was heading on a journey to kill his son, Jin-woo. Fortunately, the Rulers started seeing Jin-woo as an ally, and they asked Hwan to protect Ashborn at all costs instead of killing him.
When the Frost and Beast Monarch tried to finish Jin-woo, Hwan stepped in to protect his son. Of course, Hwan was more than capable of standing against the Monarchs, but the fact that he was fighting for his child gave him more strength. He stabbed the Beast Monarch in the jaw and kept the Frost Monarch at bay, giving Jin-woo enough time to heal.
4. The Frost Monarch
Unlike the Beast Monarch, the Frost Monarch stood his ground after the Ashborn’s awakening (We all know how that ended, though). The Frost Monarch wanted to kill Jin-woo before the human could learn the true potential of Ashborn’s powers. Sung II Hwan, one of the Ruler’s vessels, tried stopping the Frost Monarch, but the King of the Snow Folk pushed the human back with his Ice Magic.
It was the Forst Monarch’s strength that pushed Jin-woo beyond his limits. Also, it was his efforts that allowed the Beast to stab Jin-woo from behind; however, it was this very moment that led to his demise.
3. Ashborn, The Shadow Monarch
Ashborn was the only Monarch who fought at the behest of the Absolute Being until the very end. The Shadow Monarch was so mighty that both Rulers and Monarchs feared him, but Ashborn never craved violence and only wanted peace. Ashborn alone commanded the army of millions, so he could have easily turned the battle in the Monarchs’ favor. However, when Beast and Baran turned against him, Ashborn left the battlefield, which allowed the Rulers to devastate the Monarchs.
Ashborn was so incredibly strong that he crushed Baran’s skull with one hand. However, what made the Shadow Monarch truly dangerous was Shadow Extraction, the ability that allowed him to add the shadows of the dead enemies to his army.
2. Antares, the Monarch of Destruction
Antares, the King of Dragons and Monarch of Destruction, was Sung Jin-Woo’s final opponent. Ashborn was the only Monarch who was strong enough to stand against Antares’ might. The Shadow Monarch never intended to fight Antares, but the Monarch of Destruction’s betrayal left him with no choice.
Antares was so strong that no mortal being could become his vessel. After learning about Jin-woo, Antares arrived in the human world with his massive army. He instantly destroys Canada with the Breath of Destruction and kills millions to bring Jin-Woo out in the open. The Monarch’s army was enough to turn several S-Class Hunters to ashes. Moreover, Antares was almost invulnerable during the fight and defects Jin-Woo’s most attacks. Finally, the vessel of Ashborn had to take the Rulers’ help to bring down the strongest Monarch in Solo Leveling.
1. Sung Jin-Woo
Sung Jin-Woo is the most dominating S-Class Hunterin Solo Leveling who defeats the all-powerful Antares. He single-handedly overpowered all the Monarchs, and even the vessels of the Rulers were no match for the Korean Hunter. Jin-Woo was able to cut Antares in half with his dagger, even though the Monarch of Destruction was invulnerable to all forms of attacks.
Jin-Woo can perform telekinesis, Shadow Extraction, Regenerative Healing, and Shadow Exchange. The Hunter can also create armor by concentrating the energy around his body. Apart from that, he possesses all the other abilities of both the Monarchs and the Rulers, which clearly makes him the strongest character in Solo Leveling.
