Solo Leveling: High Orcs, Explained

In the fifth episode of Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-, Sung Jinwoo joins the secondary strike team of the Hunters Guild on an A-Rank Raid which gives him a very bad feeling that turns out to have been warranted, as they are attacked by a legion of High Orcs.

These are insanely powerful, not to mention intelligent monsters that lure the Hunters deeper into their den of horrors, and if it weren’t for Sung Jinwoo’s stealthy intervention, the entire strike team would surely have been wiped out. Just what are High Orcs, and how dire is an encounter with such a monster for a high-ranked Hunter?

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What Kind of Monster is a High Orc?

Red Ogre, Blue Ogre

For those who may not be familiar with them or haven’t had many encounters with fantasy narratives, orcs are monstrous humanoid creatures that often have putrid, unnaturally coloured skin, a taste for human flesh and a penchant for cruelty. They are often large, grotesque and otherwise unpleasant, and can be compared to other mythological beings such as trolls or ogres, which are often depicted as giants of some effect.

In fantasy, the standard races or types of being present in the story can evolve and become something beyond the standard iteration, in which case the race is prefixed with the word “high-“. To that effect, “High Orc” denotes a type of orc that is for all intents and purposes, further along the evolutionary line than their standard counterpart, and thus more powerful, or capable of wielding magic, in addition to gaining various new characteristics.

In Solo Leveling, the High Orcs are a race of red-skinned orcs that are the strongest type of orc, and therefore, extremely powerful, with an individual being able to contend with an A-Rank Hunter. They should also only appear at A-Rank Gates (or higher). They are intelligent and capable of strategizing and communicating with humans.

During the Hunters Guild secondary strike team’s Raid of an A-Rank Gate, they are attacked by a pack of Dungeon Jackals that Jinwoo notices are fitted with collars, indicating domestication and possibly training. During the events of Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow- episode 5, the A-Rank Tank Son Kihoon saw his shield break after a single attack from a High Orc, demonstrating the intense power these monsters wield.

The Only Known Named High Orc

Introducing Kargalgan

Towards the end of the fifth episode of season 2, the Hunters Guild secondary strike team is in a bad situation when, after the group leader, Son Kihoon, makes the great decision to retreat, it turns out that their only way out of the Dungeon has been blocked off by a powerful barrier; one so powerful that it further justifies Kihoon’s retreat order as whatever wields such powerful magic is not within the ability of the present Hunters to defeat. Except, of course, for Sung Jinwoo. The Boss of the Dungeon is a High Orc shaman named Kargalgan, who possesses one of his fellow orcs to deliver a message to the group: fight now and die, or come see him deep within the territory of the beasts.

Unlike the other High Orcs, Kargalgan had an array of neon teal tattoos covering most of his body, a hood cloaking his face which is covered by a mask of bone, and a necklace of human skulls. As the Boss of an A-Rank Dungeon, Kargalgan is about as strong as an S-Rank Hunter, and highly proficient in the use of various forms of magic, including various curses that inflict pain, undermined defenses and status effects, not to mention invoke various debuffs that make fighting him and a legion of other bloodthirsty orcs a tall order. Kargalgan was also capable of striking fear into the hearts of his enemies, and its effect was so powerful that it could be felt by Woo Jinchul standing outside the Gate. While most magic-users have to consider their Mana reserves, it appears that Kargalgan has no limit to the variety and strength of the spells he can use, factors which might make Jinwoo’s upcoming battle to survive in Kargalgan’s castle in episode 6 his hardest challenge yet.

Solo Leveling

Release Date

January 7, 2024

Directors

Shunsuke Nakashige

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  Taito Ban

  Shun Mizushino (voice)

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  Genta Nakamura

  Kenta Morobishi (voice)

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  Haruna Mikawa

  Aoi Mizushino (voice)

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  Reina Ueda

  Shizuku Kousaka (voice)