Solo Leveling continues to top anime charts worldwide, and it’s not hard to see why. The animation is top-tier, and the original story has been adapted incredibly well, with extra scenes and streamlined plotlines. The original manhwa was already quite popular, and the stars have aligned to propel the series to incredible heights.
When it comes to villains, the show has a library of fascinating characters. A lot of villains have a very particular character arc that readers of the manhwa will be familiar with. Sung Jinwoo takes the idea of “keep your enemies close” to a whole new level, and it brings an interesting perspective to the story.
Solo Leveling: 8 Most Overpowered Hunter Abilities
These abilities are the broken ones in the series. Possession of one is enough to pose a massive threat to society.
Major spoilers from the Solo Leveling manhwa below.
8 Kang Taeshik
B-Rank Hunter, Assassin
Kang Taeshik appears fairly early in the series, as a hunter that excels at assassinating other hunters. As a B-Rank Assassin, he uses speed and his Stealth skill to overpower his opponents, enjoying himself in the process.
At the time he encounters Sung Jinwoo, they seem to be at a similar level of power. The fight is relatively close, and Jinwoo has to resort to healing and buffs to defeat him. Taeshik's motivation for the prisoners’ assassination was well written, but his personal bloodlust led to his ultimate downfall.
7 Goto Ryuji
S-Rank Hunter, Fighter
Goto Ryuji is considered one of the most powerful Hunters from Japan, and is the leader of the Draw Sword Guild. He and his strongest fighters have come to Korea to join the Jeju Island Raid against the swarm of ants, but he had a hidden agenda all along.
Solo Leveling: 8 Strongest Fighter Class Hunters, Ranked
These characters are undeniably the most powerful members of the Fighter class hunters in Solo Leveling.
The plan was to weaken the strongest Korean Hunter guilds by betraying and leaving them to die. However, all of that failed when the raiding party met the strongest enemy on Jeju Island. Goto's death was surprisingly short, given how strong he seems to be, but it was ultimately used to foreshadow another villain.
6 Rakan
King of Beasts
Rakan was shown to be an incredibly powerful enemy, long before his true nature was revealed. He was capable of defeating multiple opponents at once, as well as toying with some of the strongest Hunters in the world. Yet, it pales compared to his true power.
Once Rakan unleashed the manifestation of the Monarch of Fangs, even Thomas Andre — a USA National-Level Hunter — was no match for him. Joined by other Monarchs, he was even able to deal a fatal blow to Sung Jinwoo. But once the Shadow Monarch had reached his full potential, even Rakan had to try and escape his wrath.
5 The Frost Monarch
The King of Snow Folk
The Monarch of Frost was a dangerous enemy for many reasons. Unlike other Monarchs, he saw the dire need to take care of the new Shadow Monarch’s vessel, before he grew to full power. While some of the Monarchs refused out of fear, it was arguably the wisest choice in terms of the upcoming war.
Solo Leveling: 7 Strongest Mage Class Hunters, Ranked
The mage class of hunters are the supporting members of a hunting party and these mages are the most powerful in the Solo Leveling story.
The Frost Monarch was also able to take down Go Gunhee, even after the latter unleashed his Fragment of Brilliant Light manifestation. His icy powers were among the most powerful elemental magic seen in the series. But ultimately, they were no match for the unleashed Shadow Monarch.
4 The Hwang Brothers
C-Rank Hunter and S-Rank Hunter
Both of the Hwang brothers play a crucial role in the story, as they both push Sung Jinwoo to new levels. Hwang Dongsuk tried to kill Jinwoo and Yoo Jinho while in a Dungeon. However, that evil plan failed when the system forced Jinwoo to kill him and his comrades.
Hwang Dongsoo, the older and much stronger of the two, has vowed to avenge his brother and has set out for Korea. Both of the brothers forced Jinwoo to rapidly grow, and their effect on him is shown throughout the series.
3 Antares
King of Dragons, Monarch of Destruction
Antares is the strongest enemy Sung Jinwoo ever had to face, and he is the final antagonist in the series. As the oldest and most powerful of Monarchs, he possessed unmatched strength in his true Dragon form. His army of Beasts could topple entire continents.
Solo Leveling: 7 Strongest Magic Beasts In The Manhwa, Ranked
Solo Leveling's Sung Jin Woo rarely breaks a sweat when fighting magic beasts, but there are some through the manhwa's history that gave him trouble.
Antares has been at the front of the Rulers and Monarchs' war for eons, and the Shadow Monarch is perhaps the sole being that can meet his immense power. Had it not been for Jinwoo, humanity’s fate would have been sealed, no match for this legendary foe.
2 Architect
Creator of the System
The Architect appears as early as Chapter 3, but its true nature is only revealed in the second half of the series. Originally, the Architect created the system to aid the previous Shadow Monarch and use it to find a suitable vessel. Over the years, however, he continued to murder countless people in the Double Dungeon, all to no avail.
The Architect’s influence on Sung Jinwoo is seen throughout the story, haunting and pushing him with visions and questions. That raw fear grips both the hero and the audience. It is unmatched by anything else in the series, and is one of the most memorable aspects of both the show and the manhwa.
1 Beru
The Ant King
Jeju Island has truly haunted the Hunters and the countries surrounding it, with many raids failing. The Ants’ ability to evolve and get stronger over time has led to an arms race of sorts. The Ant King is the culmination of that evolution.
Possessing incredible power and speed, the Ant King has killed multiple S-Rank Hunters, even taking on several at once. But what makes him an incredible villain is his full character arc. He goes from a rampaging monster loyal to his queen, to one of Sung Jinwoo's most valuable allies. More than any other villain, Beru undergoes a surprising amount of personal growth over the years.
