Highlights
- Monarchs and Rulers are the most powerful in Solo Leveling, but Hunters are also incredibly strong.
- Hunters' power rankings are determined at awakening and cannot change, except for exceptions like Sung Jin-woo.
- The series showcases a diverse range of powerful characters, including mages, archers, and physical fighters.
The action-packed manhwa series, Solo Leveling, is filled with powerful characters in different categories, ranging from Hunters and Monsters to Monarchs and Rulers. Out of these four categories, the Monarchs and the Rulers stand out as the strongest groups with their immense abilities and immeasurable power. However, that doesn't mean the Hunters are weak; they are extremely powerful humans, some strong enough to 'solo' dangerous S-Rank dungeons with little to no assistance.
In the different countries outlined in Solo Leveling, each of them possesses a unique power ranking used to measure Hunters' abilities. With the exception of double awakeners like Sung Jin-woo, the rankings of Hunters never changes because they can't increase their strength beyond what manifested during the early stages of their awakening. In Solo Leveling, certain hunters are the most powerful, following their abilities and iconic feats. Here are the strongest hunters that fit this category.
Updated May 27, 2024, by Emedo Destiny: The Solo Leveling series displayed power and strength in many refreshing ways, and the series had more than its fair share of powerful characters. These characters are categorised into Monarchs, Rulers, Hunters, and Monsters, with the Monarchs and Rulers being the most powerful of the four categories. The focus, however, is on the Hunters, who, despite being humans, are some of the most powerful beings in the series. These hunters are humans who appeared when the gates and monsters first began to emerge. They possess magical abilities and are the only ones who can close gates. Ranked by the S-E system, S being the strongest and E being the weakest, a hunter's strength is determined at awakening and cannot be changed. The exception of which is Sung Jing-Woo. So, regarding these hunters, here are the most powerful to be introduced in the series.
20 Jay Mills
Guild: Unaffiliated
Classification | S-Rank Hunter |
Abilities | N/A |
Ranked 17th worldwide and officially Canada's strongest Hunter, Jay Mills was no ordinary S-Rank. Much like Goto Ryuji, Mills was boastful and had excessive confidence in his abilities, a trait that ultimately led to his demise in the story.
However, despite losing to Antares during the Final Invasion, Mills' power was only surpassed by the National Level Hunters, a feat suggestive of his actual capabilities in battle despite not having the best head on his shoulders, which would put him on par with Goto in terms of power.
19 Ippei Izawa
Guild: Draw Sword Guild
Classification | S-Rank Hunter |
Abilities | Enhanced Speed |
One of the S-Rank Hunters under the Draw Sword Guild headed by Goto Ryuji, Ippei Izawa made his debut in the 90th chapter of the series at the beginning of the Jeju Island Arc, which left the Draw Sword Guild desecrated by the Ant King.
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Being an S-Rank recognized by Goto, Izawa is competent for his title. Still, very little is displayed of his abilities as he takes no part in sparring bouts in preparation for the Jeju Island raid. His most notable contribution came during the raid after he found that the Ant King had already murdered Team Charlie, ultimately resulting in his death.
18 Ma Dongwook
Guild: Fame Guild
Classification | S-Rank Hunter |
Abilities | Enhanced Strength, Enhanced Durability, Gigantification |
Guildmaster of the Fame Guild, Ma Dongwook, is one of Korea's S-Rank hunters, albeit below the pecking order of strength among other S-Ranks. However, in comparison to every other class below, Dongwook is still extremely powerful, a feat that alludes to how mighty S-Rank hunters are compared to the other Hunter ranks.
Dongwook makes his debut in the story in the 90th chapter during the Jeju Island Raid, with his most notable contribution also coming during the Raid. Dongwook manages to survive the Raid despite the number of S-Rank hunters who died at the hands of the Ant King.
17 Lim Tae-Gyu
Guild: Fiend Guild
- Classification: S-Rank Hunter
- Abilities: Enhanced Durability, Master Archer
Classification | S-Rank Hunter |
Abilities | Enhanced Durability, Master Archer |
Lim Tae-Gyu is the master of the Fiend Guild and one of Korea's S-Rank Hunters. Specializing in archery magic, Tae-Gyu is one of the series' deadliest ranger-class hunters and Korea's best, primarily suitable for long-distance battles.
Due to never wanting to do more than what's necessary, his abilities are only briefly displayed, with his most notable action coming during the Jeju Island Arc, during the 4v4 sparring match, and the actual raid. He is perceivably weak among other S-Ranks due to his laid-back and straightforward attitude.
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16 Baek Yoonho
Guild: White Tiger Guild
Classification | S-Rank Hunter |
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Abilities | Transformation Magic, Enhanced Speed, Enhanced Strength |
Baek Yoonho is one of the first S-Rank hunters revealed in the Solo Leveling series. Before the more powerful S-Rank Hunters made their appearance, most readers would have assumed he was one of the strongest hunters in the series. This assumption isn’t far-fetched when one considers his abilities.
Baek Yoonho is the guild master of the White Tiger Guild and is one of the few hunters capable of transformation magic. This ability increases his overall strength and agility, making him formidable in battle.
15 Kenzo Tanaka
Guild: Draw Sword Guild
Classification | S-Rank Hunter |
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Abilities | Enhanced Speed, Enhanced Strength, Enhanced Durability |
Kenzo Tanaka is a member of Goto Ryuji’s Draw Sword Guild, a guild hosting Japanese S-Rank hunters who volunteered to help out in the Jeju Island Raid. Before going on the mission, the hunters decided to test each other’s strengths by sparring with each other. In a 4v4 sparring session, Kenzo easily defeated Ma Dangwook, one of Korea’s S-Rank hunters with ease.
During the Jeju Island Raid, Kenzo was able to defeat many of the evolved creatures with his abilities; however, he was beheaded by the Ant King, a tribute to the Ant King’s absurd strength.
14 Reiji Sugimoto
Guild: Draw Sword Guild
Classification | S-Rank Hunter |
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Abilities | Unknown |
Reiji Sugimoto is one of the two guild masters of the Japanese Draw Sword Guild in Solo Leveling. Interestingly, Reiji is a character that only appears in the Solo Leveling manhwa, so fans of the webnovel may notice the addition in the series.
However, despite being one of the strongest members of the Draw Sword Guild, Reiji didn’t participate in the Jeju Island Raid. Furthermore, Reiji wasn’t involved in any key battle throughout Solo Leveling, so it’s hard to gauge his strength. Regardless, readers can assume that his strength is almost equal to that of Goto Ryuji.
13 Choi Jong In
Guild: Hunters Guild
Classification | S-Rank Hunter |
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Abilities | Flame Manipulation, Enhanced Speed |
Choi Jong is the leader of the Hunters Guild, one of Korea’s strongest guilds. Although Chae Hae In is the strongest member of this guild, it doesn’t mean Choi Jong In is any less formidable. Choi Jong In is Korea’s strongest mage-type hunter, and he specializes in fire magic.
Using the flames he controls effortlessly, Choi Jong In can create powerful attacks such as Flame Spear and Flame Dragon to attack his opponents. In addition, he can use flames as a form of defense against assailants. One such ability is Flame Prison, which he remarked as strong enough to stop B-Rank dungeon monsters.
12 Cha Hae In
Guild: Hunters Guild
Classification | S-Rank Hunter |
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Abilities | High-level Perception, Enhanced Strength, Enhanced Speed, High-level Swordsmanship |
Chae Hae In, who worked as the Vice-Master of the Hunters Guild, is one of Korea’s strongest Hunters. One unique ability Chae Hae In possesses is heightened perception; she can sense mana fluctuations and identify Hunters based on their mana signatures, even without looking at them. Sung Jin-woo, the protagonist of the manhwa, acknowledged her as stronger than even the Hunter Guilds’ master.
This turned out to be true after she killed twice the number of ants Choi-Jong In defeated during the Jeju Island arc. Among Korea’s S-Rank Hunters, Cha Hae In is among the top five strongest.
11 Goto Ryuji
Guild: Draw Sword Guild
Classification | S-Rank Hunter |
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Abilities | Enhanced Strength, Enhanced Speed |
Solo Leveling first introduced Goto Ryuji, a powerful Hunter from Japan, during the Jeju Island Arc. Revered as the strongest Hunter in Japan, his mere presence could intimidate powerful Korean S-Rank Hunters. Goto Ryuji leads the Draw Sword Guild as the Guild's master and was able to play a crucial role in the Jeju Island Raid.
Furthermore, Goto Ryuji is one of the few Hunters who could match the Ant King’s incredible speed. This same ant almost decapitated Cha Hae In, a powerful S-Rank Hunter, so its power is not one to be underestimated. Ryuji's ability to even stand against the Ant King, albeit for a short period, makes him one of Solo Leveling’s Strongest Hunters.
10 Yuri Orloff
Guild: Unaffiliated
Classification | S-Rank Hunter |
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Abilities | Barrier Magic |
Yuri Orloff is a powerful S-Rank Mage from Russia. Even though he couldn't stand a chance against the gate he was contracted to seal; his other feats make him an unquestionably powerful hunter. Despite having a large ego, he was able to 'easily' subdue two highly ranked Hunters from Goto Ryuji's Draw Sword Guild without much effort.
Yuri Orloff is rumored to have cleared S-Rank dungeons without any assistance. The fact that Yuri is powerful is impressive because his abilities fall within the Support-Type range. He can pretty much create barriers and seal his opponents. Apart from this ability, little is known about Yuri’s other strengths.
9 Lennart Niermann
Guild: Richter Guild
Classification | S-Rank Hunter |
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Abilities | Charge, Enhanced Strength, High-Level Perception |
The German Hunter, Lennart Niermann, is the Guild Master of the Richter Guild. Lennart is revered as the 12th strongest Hunter in the world. Although Lennart Niermann was only shown to fight once in the Monarch’s War Arc, he was able to put up a decent fight by creating blasts using a pair of gauntlets. Like Hunter Chae In Lennart, Niermann possesses heightened senses, sharper than most Hunters.
Lennart sensed Sung Jin-woo's Shadows, which most hunters never notice in the Guild Conference Arc. Lennart Niermann was also depicted as an intelligent individual. Unlike most hunters that try to pick a meaningless fight with Sung Jin-woo, he tried getting on the Hunter’s good side – a smart & practical decision.
8 Jonas
Guild: Unaffiliated
Classification | National Level Hunter |
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Abilities | Immense Strength, Immense Speed, Spiritual Body Transformation |
Although Jonas made no physical appearance in the Solo Leveling manhwa, he is still one of the strongest hunters in the series. Officially, Jonas is ranked 6th among the national-level hunters in the world of Solo Leveling. Known as Brazil’s strongest hunter, Jonas met a tragic fate before he was revealed in the series.
Jonas would have been introduced to readers if he had made it to the International guild conference; however, he was killed by the monarchs before the meeting. Based on this fact, it is highly probable that Jonas was a Ruler’s vessel who the monarch had decided to eliminate.
7 Go Gun Hee
Guild: Korea's Hunter Association
Classification | S-Rank Hunter |
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Abilities | Immense Strength, Immense Speed, Ruler's Authority, Spiritual Body Transformation |
During his prime, Go Gun Hee was Korea's strongest S-Rank Hunter, unrivaled by most Hunters in this category. Despite his old age, Go Gun Hee was able to exude a powerful aura, strong enough to intimidate strong Hunters. Before he was killed by the Monarchs, Go Gun Hee revealed his true power as the vessel for the Fragment of Luminosity.
In other words, Go Gun Hee possessed the power of a Ruler – an apex external being created by the Ultimate One. This is enough the rank the old Hunter above most hunters in the series.
6 Siddarth Bachchan
Guild: Unaffiliated
- Classification: S-Rank Hunter
- Abilities: Ruler's Authority, Spiritual Body Manifestation
Classification | S-Rank Hunter |
Abilities | Ruler’s Authority, Spiritual Body Manifestation |
Ranked 4th in the world and the strongest hunter in India, Siddarth Bachchan is also one of the five National Level Hunters in the series. Due to never appearing in the series, his power level is unknown
To top it off, like Chairman Go Gun-Hee, Siddarth is also a vessel for a Ruler and possesses the skill of the Ruler's Authority. Never making an appearance, his level of power and strength are never displayed, but his strength is undeniable even to the most powerful existences of the series.
5 Christopher Reed
Guild: Unaffiliated
Classification | National Level Hunter |
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Abilities | Immense Strength, Ruler's Authority, Spiritual Body Transformation |
Despite being assassinated by the Monarchs after being warned of his impending death, Christopher is able to rival any Hunter in Solo Leveling, with the exception of Thomas and Sung Jin-woo in a heated battle. Christopher is among the five National level Hunters in Solo Leveling. Officially, he is the third-strongest Hunter in the series.
Bearing a similarity with Go Gun Hee, Christopher is a Ruler’s vessel. He is also one of the few characters in the manhwa that can use Spiritual Body Manifestation, and this was revealed in his fruitless effort to defeat the Monarch of the Iron body.
4 Liu Zhigang
Guild: Unaffiliated
Classification | National Level Hunter |
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Abilities | Immense Strength, Immense Speed, Ruler's Authority, Spiritual Body Manifestation |
In the world of Hunters, Liu Zhigang has many titles to his name. He is the only Seven-Star Hunter in China, which is compared to an SSS rank by Korea's standard. As the strongest Hunter in China, he also bears the title of the 'Hero of China.' Initially, before the rise of Sung Jin-woo, he was the strongest Hunter in Asia.
One of Liz Zhigang’s known biggest feats is eliminating a large number of monster ants on Jeju Island with little effort. Most likely, Liu Zhigang would have been able to kill Beru if he had met him. Finally, Liu is a Ruler's vessel, and therefore, he can use Spiritual Body Manifestation.
3 Thomas Andre
Guild: Scavenger Guild
Classification | National Level Hunter |
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Abilities | Immense Strength, Immense Speed, High-Level Durability, Spiritual Body Transformation, Ruler's Authority, Physical Reinforcement |
The big, muscular blondie is one of the strongest Hunters in Solo Leveling. Officially, Thomas Andre holds the title of the strongest Hunter in the Solo Leveling world. He is also the Guild Master of the Scavenger Guild and one of the few National Level Hunters of the series. Due to his large, imposing build, Thomas is popularly called the “Goliath.”
The only Hunter known to match or surpass him in raw physical power is Sung Jin-woo. Although Thomas was defeated by Jin-woo, he was able to stand against the Beast Monarch while utilizing Spiritual Body Manifestation.
2 Sung Il Hwan
Guild: Unaffiliated
Classification | S-Rank Hunter |
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Abilities | Stealth, Immense Strength, Immense Speed, High Durability, Ruler's Authority, Spiritual Body Transformation |
There is no official ranking for Sung Il Hwang; however, based on his battle feats, it’s clear that he supersedes all hunters in Solo Leveling except Sung Jin-woo in terms of strength. Sung Il Hwan, Jin-woo’s father, was trapped in an S-Rank dungeon for a decade. Consequently, he gained most of his powers within that period. After he escaped from the dungeon, he defeated the S-Rank Hunter, Hwang Dong Su, without much effort after he threatened his family.
Furthermore, Sung Il Hwan was able to fight against the Ice Monarch and Beast Monarch single-handedly. As a Ruler’s vessel, Il Hwan is able to use Spiritual Body Manifestation and a bunch of other powerful abilities.
1 Sung Jin Woo
Guild: Ahjin Guild
Classification | S-Rank Hunter/Shadow Monarch |
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Abilities | Colossal Strength, Immense Speed, Shadow Extraction,, Shadow Exchange Immense Durability, Monarch's Domain, Detoxification, Astralization, Acausality & More |
Sung Jin-woo is the protagonist of Solo Leveling. Even though he is not officially recognized in the series as the strongest Hunter, Jin-woo is above the level of all Hunters and even the Monarchs in powers and abilities. With the aid of his mighty Shadow Army, he was able to conquer all the Monarchs a second time after the Rulers permitted his request.
As a Necromancer, Sung Jin-woo possesses the ability to convert anyone he defeats, with the exception of the Monarchs, to his Shadow soldiers. Coupled with many other exclusive abilities passed down by the Shadow Monarch, Sung Jin-woo is unarguably the strongest character & Hunter in Solo Leveling.
Solo Leveling
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