Highlights
- Episode 9 of Solo Leveling continues its upward trajectory with epic animation and references to Dragon Ball for fans.
- A dark secret and corruption of justice are exposed as Taeshik's criminals take a bloody and remorseless path in the D-Rank Dungeon.
- Jinwoo's hidden abilities, intense battle with Taeshik, and the gripping narrative make Episode 9 one of the series' best entries.
The following contains spoilers for Solo Leveling, Episode 9, "You've Been Hiding Your Skills", available on Crunchyroll. It also contains mentions of suicide, and gender-based violence, which may be distressing for some readers.
The ninth episode of Solo Leveling was an epic ride, picking up from the setup presented by episode 8, this episode was a well-directed, beautifully animated entry in the series that continues its upward trajectory. For Dragon Ball fans, the episode also featured a beautifully-placed reference to Son Goku.
A certain agent of the Association has been hiding a dark and bloody secret. With great build-up, and a near-total improvement of the series' flaws up to this point, Solo Leveling episode 9 was a real treat.
All The Easter Eggs in Solo Leveling So Far
Solo Leveling has had some pretty interesting easter eggs scattered around the anime so far. Here's a look at all of them.
The Diverging Path
A Jinwoo Raid Is a Safe Raid... Supposedly
"Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you."
– Friedrich Nietzsche
In the D-Rank Dungeon that Jinwoo and the others entered, goblins are the only kind of monster they encounter throughout the cavernous depths. The bloodthirsty nature of the criminal Hunters supervised by Hunter Association Surveillance Team member, B-Ranked Kang Taeshik is in full view as they make quick work of the goblins, and even crave a bigger challenge to satiate their bloodlust. Eventually, the party comes across a set of three diverging paths. Jinwoo can tell which lane leads to the Boss, so he opts to take the left-hand path with Song and Joohee; while Kang Taeshik and his criminals take the right-hand path and Kim Sangshik and Jungho take the middle path. We follow the last two as they talk about their regret for having abandoned Jinwoo after he kept them alive throughout the Cartenon Temple ordeal. Sangshik wishes to properly apologize to Jinwoo, but he doesn't expect forgiveness.
Those With a Taste For Blood
The Hunter Economy's Corruption of Justice
Taekshik's criminals cleared their path but weren't satisfied. He asks if they'd be just as vicious against human enemies, but for them, it really makes no difference. As he listens to them, a nice transition to a memory Taeshik has of a father begging him for his assistance in delivering justice to three criminal Hunters who assaulted his daughter, leading her to take her own life while his wife was hospitalized from the trauma of losing their daughter. Despite their crimes, those men will be freed in a few years; and allowed to retain their Hunter licenses, which in turn enables them to participate in raids to reduce their sentences. The father brandishes a duffle bag filled with 3 billion won (just under 2.3 million US$) and requests that Taeshik kill them, citing the fact that what happens in the Dungeon stays in the Dungeon.
By now, it's clear that the men in question are the very criminals Taeshik brought to this raid, and now that they're at the end of their path, he enlightens them to the reality of their situation. Up to this point, Kang Taeshik seemed aloof and difficult to read, but that was to hide his deranged personality. Kim Sangshik and Jungho are unfortunate to have taken the middle path, which links with the right-hand path, where they find two dead criminals, and Taeshik preparing to kill the last one. Before the man can even finish screaming for help, Taeshik decapitates him. Evidently, the series is communicating something about the bad decisions made by Hunters that inadvertently lead them to the same dead end.
The Misfortune of Being a Witness
An Overdue Apology
Hearing the screams and commotion in the path furthest from them, Jinwoo races back to investigate, finding the bloody mess and the bodies of both Kim Sangshik and Jungho. The latter is dead, but Jinwoo implores Joohee to heal Sangshik's wounds. Song can tell that this wasn't the work of a magic beast. Despite Joohee's healing, the wounds are too numerous and too deep, but he manages to cough up a few last words with the brief respite the healing has brought him. Jinwoo can barely contain his intense emotions as he watches the man die after uttering a bloodsoaked apology. The earlier conversation was a clear death flag.
As life drains from Sangshik's body, the visuals take on a greyish, overexposed look. Kang Taeshik attacks from a hidden vantage point, but Jinwoo intercepts. Taeshik sadistically tells them the story he planned to tell the Association after killing them all. Jinwoo is angered, but Song steps in as the higher-ranked combat-type Hunter, and as a swordsman. Bolstered by Joohee's support buffs, Song uses his mastery of the blade to put up a fight, but he is overwhelmed by the Assassin-Type's speed, and Joohee's inability to keep her wits about her in tough situations soon catches up, despite how well she's fared so far. As Song accepts his fate, Jinwoo steps into the fray.
Winter 2024 Anime Season – Complete Guide
Solo Leveling, Classroom of the Elite, and Frieren: Beyond Journey's End are just a few shows airing as part of the Winter 2024 anime lineup.
Sung Jinwoo, E-Rank Hunter
What Kind of Hunter ARE You?
Taeshik tries to figure out what type of Hunter Jinwoo is to no avail. He comes down to the conclusion that Jinwoo has been hiding his true ability, and because he has allies, he cannot be a False Ranker. He soon learns that Jinwoo is the same weakling E-Ranker they once suspected of having had a Second Awakening, and holds onto that as an explanation for Jinwoo's strength; however, no one knows when such an awakening could have taken place. Taeshik really enjoys killing people, more so than magic beasts; merely using social justice as an excuse to kill without remorse. The ensuing battle is a show of immense speed and midair clashes.
Jinwoo powers up, emboldened by the System, before leaping into another lightning-fast clash. Even with effects of the Kasaka's Fang, Taeshik remains swift and deadly, employing his Stealth skill, which completely conceals his presence and is only available to a select number of Assassins. He puts Jinwoo on the defensive because he fights dirty, and even slashes an Achilles tendon to restrict Jinwoo's movement. When Joohee tries to interfere, Taeshik threatens her; however, Jinwoo grants himself Full Recovery. Preparing to Dash, Jinwoo bounces side to side on the balls of his feet much like Goku does in the Dragon Ball Super: Broly movie, a reference that may have been made in lieu of the unfortunate passing of Dragon Ball author Akira Toriyama.
Anger Dulls the Blade
Jinwoo Kills Once More
Jinwoo's anger dissipates when he decides to kill Kang Taeshik, who realizes that they both have human blood on their hands. The fact that they entered opposite pathways was a nod to them being kindred spirits, and with both being fast and armed with daggers, it seems like Jinwoo is also an Assassin type, but this is a red herring. Using his Murderous Intent Skill, Jinwoo severely undermines Taeshik's stats, before sinking the Kasaka's Fang into his chest.
As he bleeds out, Taeshik remarks that Jinwoo's shadow is seemingly endless, and dies with a reference to Nietzsche's famous quote. Jinwoo heads back to the Boss's room alone. Outside, Woo Jinchul questions the group about what happened, and Song takes credit for Taeshik's death, knowing it's the most believable course of events. With awesome combat, beautiful visuals, an interesting narrative, and a clear juxtaposition of two similar characters, episode 9 is one of the series' best.
Solo Leveling
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.
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