The Solo Leveling anime debuted in Winter 2024 and became a global phenomenon with its amazing animation and thrilling action scenes. The second season of the anime was released as part of the Winter 2025 lineup and broke several records.
The story is about Sung Jinwoo, an E-rank hunter known as the weakest hunter in humanity. Ten years ago, mysterious portals filled with monsters and treasures suddenly appeared around the world. These monsters are extremely powerful because even modern weapons have no effect on them. After the gates appeared, people also began to awaken special abilities to fight those threats.
Hunters are ranked from S-Rank to E-Rank based on their strength. Once a hunter awakens their power, it will be impossible to increase their rank, no matter how much they practice. Despite not having enough strength, Jinwoo continued to raid dungeons to earn money for his family.
However, after a near-death experience in a double dungeon, Jinwoo obtained a system that allowed him to level up infinitely. In a short period of time, he surpasses almost every character in the story. However, because Solo Leveling has such a strong main character, some fans may not like the series.
Solo Leveling's super-strong protagonist is the focus of the plot
The plot mainly revolves around Sung Jinwoo, who levels up after each battle. He constantly raided dungeons and showed significant growth after that. However, because of his unparalleled strength, Jinwoo won almost every battle with ease.
The image of an underdog rising to possess overwhelming power is easily the strongest point of this series. Following his journey as he becomes the strongest is extremely rewarding. Jinwoo's unparalleled strength also placed a heavy burden on his shoulders.
Many times, he finds himself in situations where he not only has to defeat his enemies, but also has to protect others. Sometimes, even the most famous hunters struggled with powerful monsters, but not Jinwoo. Jeju Island is a perfect example.
Most of the strongest hunters from Korea and Japan joined forces to conquer the S-rank dungeon, and thousands of others were gathered to fight monsters. However, even the collective efforts of thousands of hunters were not enough, but Jinwoo handled it all alone. His strength goes beyond simply winning every battle, but challenges him to grow emotionally and make difficult decisions.
Focusing on Jinwoo's growth didn't appeal to everyone
Since Jinwoo becomes extremely strong from the beginning of the story, it reduces the tension in battles. Most anime fans are used to watching intense battles that the main character barely wins. This makes them nervous knowing that the battle could go either way. For example, character development is often appreciated in Shonen shows like Jujutsu Kaisen.
One reason is that as the show focuses mainly on the main character, it means that the supporting characters are not given much emphasis. Viewers who appreciate a well-developed cast or character relationships may feel disappointed, as supporting characters often do not receive significant attention.
