7 strongest characters in ‘Solo Leveling,’ ranked

Solo Leveling is all about power scaling and contests of strength, so it’s no surprise that there are frequent debates on who the strongest characters in the manga and anime are. 

Sung Jin-woo starts as the weakest hunter in the world but goes on a journey of many power-ups that lead to him facing off against some of the most powerful beings in the universe. From the Monarchs and Rulers, to The Absolute Being, here are the 7 strongest characters in Solo Leveling ranked.

7. Baran (Monarch of White Flames)

Also known as the King of Demons, Baran was a powerful Monarch who was killed by Ashborn before the story started. A clone of Baran was created in the Demon Castle arc to serve as the final boss for Jin-woo to face. Despite only being a clone, he posed a formidable threat to Jin-woo, who only got the upper hand against Baran due to the latter being distracted. Baran was likely even stronger than the clone when he was alive and his brash and headstrong nature also makes him a fearsome opponent. 

6. Sillad (Monarch of Frost)

Despite his deceptively weak appearance, the King of Snow Folk was one of the most powerful Monarchs. His calculating personality kept him out of most conflict as he preferred to consider the offs before joining any battles. He is cold and swift in battle as is shown in the Jeju Island arc when he immediately incapacitates all the humans on the island instead of reveling in a massacre like many other Monarchs would. He has powerful ice magic that he can use to fashion all kinds of weapons and his Spiritual Body Manifestation increases his power while giving him a more youthful and agile look. He was ultimately killed by Jin-woo though he put up a good fight against the Shadow Monarchs’ vessel. 

5. The Rulers

The Rulers were among the first things created by the Absolute Being, alongside the Monarchs. While the Monarchs were created to destroy the world, the Rulers were created to protect it. When they eventually realized that the Absolute Being was just a sadistic puppeteer using their war for his amusement, seven of the eight Rulers banded together to kill him. After this, they went after the Monarchs and, harnessing the remnants of the Absolute Being’s powers, they created the Gates to awaken humans with magical powers so they could be used as vessels. The Rulers act as a hive mind, unlike the Monarchs, and are not individually named. 

4. Ashborn (Monarch of Shadows)

Ashborn is unique among the Monarchs because he was a Ruler first. Bearing the moniker of King of the Dead, he joined the Monarchs after being betrayed by the Rulers. Both Rulers and Monarchs alike fear him and he has defeated other Monarchs such as Baran and Rakan with ease. As the Monarch of Shadows, he can take the shadows of corpses and add them to his army as well as use shadows for all kinds of things like teleportation. He passed on his title and powers to Jin-woo to see his dream of an end to the war between Monarchs and Rulers come to pass. 

3. Antares (Monarch of Destruction)

Monarch of Destruction and King of Dragons, Antares was the oldest and most powerful Monarch. He was even more fearsome because of the obvious delight he took in the death and destruction he caused. Jin-woo could only defeat Antares with the help of the Rulers in the last moment as, before then, Antares had been winning their fight. His powers include the Dragon’s Fear shout which causes anyone weaker than him to succumb to their fear and the Spiritual Body Manifestation power which allows him to transform into a massive, fire-breathing dragon. 

2. The Absolute Being

Creator of both the Monarchs and Rulers, the Absolute Being was a cruel, cold god with immense power. While The Absolute Being had the powers of creation and destruction at his disposal, he wasn’t able to utilize them for combat, making it possible for the Rulers to kill him. He created the Rulers and Monarchs to engage in eternal war, but his carelessness and short-sightedness led to his demise at the hands of his own creations. 

1. Sung Jin-woo

Jin-woo is undeniably the strongest character in the world of Solo Leveling, not just because of the raw power of the Shadow Monarch that he possesses, but because of his tactical battle abilities that allowed him to defeat every enemy he battled. Jin-woo has a wide array of skills such as Dragon’s Fear, telekinesis, memory manipulation, and many more. Furthermore, he was the chosen vessel of the Shadow Monarch which gave him all of Ashborn’s abilities such as mastery over shadows which he can either use as soldiers in his army or as a storage space. His physical and mental strength are leagues above any other being in the universe, to the point that the Rulers don’t even consider battling him for his power like they did with the Absolute Being.