‘Solo Leveling’: Is Sung Jinwoo stronger than Goku?

The anime adaptation of Solo Leveling arrives soon, which means Sung Jinwoo will now be subject to cross-anime power scaling debates against other shounen protagonists. 

Son Goku, the legendary hero, and for many, the face of the shounen anime, is a classic choice for hypothetical anime battles. After all, no matter how many times he falls, he gets back up. In some sense, one could classify Goku as a level-up character as well. However, readers of the Solo Leveling light novel are aware that Jinwoo is also a phenomenal warrior, incapable of staying down for long. But who’s really stronger between the two? How does the latest anime hero Sung Jinwoo fare against the Dragon Ball icon? 

Sung Jinwoo, the second shadow monarch

By the end of Solo Leveling, Sung Jinwoo is practically a god. Though he starts out as the weakest hunter in the world, it doesn’t take too long for Jinwoo to level up — and keep leveling up. In fact, his list of abilities is nothing short of phenomenal. As a hunter, he has superhuman strength, speed reflexes, and durability, but his true power comes from the abilities granted to him by the System. Jinwoo gained the ability to level up in power after every battle he won. Moreover, he wields the power to take the souls of his opponents as loyal and powerful Shadows. 

In summary, as Jinwoo continued to level up, he gained multiple abilities, most of all the power of regeneration, even to the point of coming back from death. His power culminated when he was chosen to be the second reincarnation of the Shadow Monarch, granting him the powers of both a Monarch and a Ruler due to the Shadow Monarch’s unique skill set. Moreover, Jinwoo is immune to erasure, which means that even Rulers cannot destroy him. At the end of Solo Leveling, he also gained the power of Acausality, which allowed him to exist outside of time. Overall, as far as the popular webtoon is concerned, Jinwoo is Earth’s strongest protector, and truly a force to be reckoned with. But does he compare with the king of the shounen anime?

Son Goku, the king of shounen

Many people have argued that Goku is the strongest anime character to exist, and with good reason. From all his Super Saiyan transformations, to his Ultra Instinct powers, Goku has had a consistent stream of powerups that keep him at the top of the world of Dragon Ball. As a Saiyan, he already outpowers all beings on Earth, and is invulnerable to any weapons made of earthly materials. While he possesses the usual powers of super strength and speed, Goku rarely relies on his regular powers as a Saiyan — not for over a decade at least. 

He has impeccable mastery of Ki, utilizing his energy to improve on his already god-like abilities. His signature move — Kamehameha — is extremely versatile, and is easily incorporated into most of his other techniques. At his strongest (so far at least), Goku utilized the Mastered Ultra Instinct, a manifestation of his Divine Ki. In this form, Goku exists on the same plane as Angels, projecting his consciousness out to fight independently. This technique is widely considered to be true divinity. Evidently, Goku is also operating on the level of a god as well. So who wins?

Who is stronger? Jinwoo or Goku?

This might come as no surprise to longtime anime buffs, but Goku is most likely taking the cake here. While it will be a tough battle, Goku is the signature shounen protagonist, and has numerous other factors and abilities on his side. He’s faster, has a wider attack potency, and larger destructive capabilities. Let’s not begin to talk of experience in battle.

Goku’s Mastered Ultra Instinct is also no joke. He is in tune with spiritual and divine realms and is immune to magic. While Jinwoo boasts regenerative powers, and is much smarter than Goku, the latter has taken down gods in the past. It’s definitely going to be a Herculean task for the Saiyan, but it’s not an impossible one. However, what makes Goku the victor here is his sheer resilience. Has he died in the past? Yes, many times. But more often than not, he fights because fighting is his nature. It’s the only thing he knows how to do. Even if Jinwoo lands a death blow, Goku’s finding some way, any way, to return and finish the battle. The powerful hunter will put up a very good fight, but he would ultimately lose to the lovable icon.