Solo Leveling is our latest anime obsession, but did you know it got its start as a manhwa (okay, if you’re reading We Got This Covered, you almost definitely know that already but humor me)?
If you’re a fan of pretty much any popular shonen manga (think Naruto or Bleach) or any of the manhwa on this list, you’ll like Solo Leveling. The series follows Sung Jinwoo, an incredibly weak hunter in a world where hunters clear monstrous dungeons to keep the human world safe from harm. After a particularly disastrous dungeon experience, Jinwoo is offered the chance to level up and become the strongest hunter of all.
We love a good underdog story and Solo Leveling is a spectacular one. Since the anime’s just warming up, eager fans might be tempted to get ahead by reading the manhwa.
Is Solo Leveling over?
While the anime only began in 2023, the Solo Leveling manhwa ended in 2021. Jinwoo’s long leveling-up journey took three years and 179 chapters to come to an end. If you can’t wait to watch it unfold in the anime, you can absolutely finish the entire manhwa first; but be warned: some fans consider the ending controversial.
What happens at the end of Solo Leveling?
Warning: Solo Leveling spoilers ahead!
Jinwoo’s journey ends with him facing off against Antares, the Monarch of Destruction. With his shadow army by his side, Jinwoo goes head to head with Antares but finds himself on the edge of defeat. Antares offers Jinwoo a deal, but Jinwoo sees through this deception and they resume their battle. Jinwoo, seeing flashbacks of his father and his past self, lands the final blow against Antares using his father’s dagger. It’s an extremely satisfying moment narratively and, along with some of the best artwork in the entire series, would be considered a perfect ending.
Except, the battle doesn’t end there. Jinwoo doesn’t finish off Antares and the Rulers pop in and defeat the Monarch with a single blow. Some fans consider the moment a deus ex machina that spoils all of Jinwoo’s development up until that point.
Jinwoo also chooses to use the Cup of Reincarnation to resurrect his father and the friends he lost along the way. He also brings back all the Monarchs, fighting them once again (off-screen!). Ultimately, Jinwoo saves humanity and the Rulers without actually suffering any permanent losses but ends up living in a world where nobody remembers him or even hunters as a concept.
Some find the ending unsatisfying because Jinwoo’s entire journey can be seen as pointless after he went back in time to fix everything. Others think the ending fits — it’s called “Solo” Leveling for a reason — and that it fits Jinwoo’s character to do everything on his own. There are good arguments for both viewpoints, but I think the series is worth a try to see what you think yourself.