Solo Leveling Characters Whose Storylines Fell Short, Polygon Lists Five

Solo Leveling is a power fantasy built on Chugong’s web novel, which was later adapted into an acclaimed webtoon. Its world is full of hunters who wield supernatural abilities to fight dangerous beasts and keep humanity from extinction. Hunters are ranked by strength. A video game-like interface called the System lets the protagonist, Sung Jin-woo, climb those ranks and grow stronger at a startling pace.

Jin-woo starts out as a weak E-Rank hunter struggling to survive. Before long, he becomes an unstoppable force. His progression feels steady and earned, and his search for the source of his abilities leads him through a series of memorable fights.

The appeal is easy to see. The series is an ever-escalating power fantasy that stays flashy and fun, even when spectacle matters more than depth. That doesn’t make the story less enjoyable. A relatable, easy-to-root-for protagonist can carry straightforward world-building and likable supporting characters, especially in an anime with impressive animation.

Still, a story about an overpowered hero who keeps leveling up can leave other characters behind or kill them off before they make an impression. That isn’t necessarily a flaw, since Solo Leveling is a story about Jin-woo’s solitary growth. But characters like Christopher Reed and Liu Zhigang had plenty of intriguing potential in the source material, only to be pushed aside.

Here are five Solo Leveling characters who deserved better.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Solo Leveling.

Esil Radiru

Esil has an intriguing backstory. She is a demon noble and the eldest princess of the Radiru Clan. She meets Jin-woo after her knights try to kill him on the 80th floor of the Demon Castle. He quickly defeats her troops, and just as he’s about to kill her, Esil begs for mercy and offers to help him climb the tower. She eventually plays an important role in his fight against the Demon King Baran.

Her introduction makes her feel full of promise. She recognizes that she’s outmatched and tries to save herself, but she later shows remarkable courage. She also brings some levity to an otherwise tense story. Her arc ends prematurely in the source material. Solo Leveling: Ragnarok, the spin-off sequel centered on Jin-woo’s son, Sung Suho, gives her a much larger role.

In Ragnarok, Esil returns as Suho’s ally under the title Monarch of Gluttony. She eventually gives him the rare Demon King’s Purified Blood, which he needs to craft the Holy Water of Life. The expanded role helps make up for how quickly her original story ends. Even so, Esil is one of several characters who could have been developed further alongside Jin-woo.

Christopher Reed

Christopher Reed is one of five National Level Hunters and one of America’s two strongest hunters. Yet Solo Leveling never gives him much time to show what he can do. His story begins with a warning that he’s going to die. Hoping to avoid that fate, he tries to get Jin-woo’s help. Reed’s formidable abilities finally come into view during the International Guild Conference Arc, when three Monarchs ambush him inside a dimensional gap.

Reed fights valiantly, but he dies soon after. His mutilated body is later found in the ruins of his mansion. His sudden exit feels like a waste, especially since it offers only a glimpse of his fire magic and his standing as a National Level Hunter.

Ragnarok brings Reed back in its revised timeline. Then the Itarim, a race of gods responsible for creating all of existence, target him. That arc ends with Reed dead again. He becomes little more than a hunter repeatedly condemned to a violent fate despite his apparent strength.

Lee Joohee

Lee Joohee is a B-Rank Healer who was close friends with Jin-woo back when he was an E-Rank hunter. Her story in Solo Leveling is heartbreaking. During the D-Rank Dungeon Arc, she looks out for Jin-woo and keeps healing him throughout a dangerous raid. But the horrifying events at the Cartenon Temple, also known as the Double Dungeon, leave her deeply traumatized and terrified of dungeons. She eventually retires from hunting.

Joohee’s choice to pursue a peaceful life instead of returning to the dangers of being a hunter could be a fitting end to her story. It also reflects how far apart her priorities and Jin-woo’s have become. He’s chasing ever-greater power and higher stakes, while she wants a quiet life. She is a compassionate source of support for him early on, so her abrupt disappearance feels like a convenient way to clear the path for bigger fights. The two drift apart because their lives take different directions, but the story leaves us wondering what might have been.

Sung Il-Hwan

Jin-woo’s father, Sung Il-Hwan, left his job as a firefighter and became what would later be recognized as one of Korea’s first S-Rank Hunters. The ranking system wasn’t yet in place, so he never got to enjoy the privileges that came with the rank. During a raid, Il-Hwan became trapped inside a dungeon for more than a decade. His wife and children were left to believe he was dead. The Rulers, an ancient race of angelic warriors, eventually rescued him. In exchange, he had to become their vessel and accept their mission to kill the soon-to-be-born Shadow Monarch.

Il-Hwan’s long absence devastates his family, and even his return to Earth doesn’t give him a chance to reconnect with them. He dies soon after reuniting with Jin-woo and never gets to live as a family man again. He also can’t give his son the emotional closure he deserves. Il-Hwan disintegrates before he can explain why he disappeared or what the Rulers asked him to do. Father and son both deserved a more meaningful final encounter than one that ends with Il-Hwan making a thankless sacrifice.

Goto Ryuji

Goto Ryuji is introduced as Japan’s strongest hunter and the Guild Master of the Draw Sword Guild. Like several other powerful supporting characters in Solo Leveling, he’s discarded once he has served his purpose in the story. Goto isn’t as sympathetic as the others on this list. He’s ruthless and shows little concern for human life. But his political ambition and survival-of-the-fittest worldview make him an interesting foil for Jin-woo.

During the major Jeju Island raid, Goto loses contact with his guild members and finds them dead. Their deaths don’t move him, because he had secretly planned to eliminate the Korean S-Rank Hunters and never intended to help reclaim Jeju. Then the Ant King ambushes him and quickly beheads Goto and his allies. His death fits his hubris, but it also cuts short the story of an antagonist whose powers had been hyped since his introduction. His abrupt exit clears the way for Jin-woo to take center stage as the chosen one who can challenge the Ant King.

Source: Polygon