Sung Jin-Woo’s Toughest Fights In Solo Leveling

Summary

• Sung Jin-Woo faced tough battles with C to S rank hunters, architects, and monarchs.
• Even with power-ups and allies, Sung Jin-Woo barely survived some particularly challenging battles.
• The battles against Kasaka, Cerberus, and Igris reveal Sung Jin-Woo’s growth and determination.

The Solo Leveling series is known far and wide by many, and with the anime adaptation of the series, its popularity has skyrocketed. The series portrays how Sung Jin-Woo goes from being the weakest hunter to the strongest.

Along the way, Sung Jin-Woo encountered many hardships and battles. As he got stronger, he became able to take on many adversaries without breaking a sweat; however, he also encountered stronger adversaries that pushed him to his limit. From B rankers to S rankers and even national-level hunters and powerful monarchs, Sung Jin Woo faced a plethora of adversaries, but which of his battles were the toughest?

WARNING! Spoilers ahead!

Updated February 10, 2025, by Oluwatokiloba Folami: For years, Sung Jin-Woo was known as humanity’s weakest hunter, narrowly escaping death time and again. While his mind was sharp, his body struggled to keep up. However, after gaining the system’s support, his strength grew rapidly, leading many to believe his battles would become easier. However, that wasn’t necessarily the case, as the stakes only grew higher. Beyond his high-stakes clashes with Antares and the Architect, even earlier battles against foes like Igris and Cerberus proved to be formidable challenges—especially before he fully awakened as the Shadow Monarch. Despite the overpowered character that he is, even Sung Jin-Woo has participated in battles that drove him to the edge.

11

Sung Jin-Woo Vs. Blue Venom-Fanged Kasaka

Humanity’s Weakest Hunter Tests What It Means To Become A ‘Player’

Despite being a C-rank monster, Sung Jin-Woo’s battle against Kasaka was no easy one at the time. The hunter had newly started his solo leveling adventure as a ‘player’ and not merely as humanity’s weakest hunter. Despite the hardships, Sung Jin-Woo’s battle against Kasaka showed him what was possible.

During the course of the battle, Sung Jin-Woo had to think on his feet and quickly utilize other methods of attack aside from simply swinging a sword. He was weak, and with his sub-par equipment, he couldn’t damage and cut through Kasaka’s scales. Luckily, Sung Jin-Woo realized that he didn’t have to and instead used his strength to crush the monster. While Kasaka was not the strongest of monsters, it was a tough battle due to Sung Jin-Woo’s weakness at the time, and the hunter only barely succeeded. However, it was a success whose importance cannot be discounted.

10

Sung Jin-Woo Vs. Cerberus

Jin-Woo’s First Real Test To Overcoming The Demon Castle

As the gatekeeper of the Demon Castle, Cerberus showed Sung Jin-Woo that the Demon Castle wasn’t so easily climbed. The Solo Leveling anime series particularly drove this point home as Sung Jin-Woo got injured multiple times during the fight, even losing his arm. In terms of overall attack abilities and patterns, the hunter could barely respond to the attacks he was facing.

In comparison to his usual boss thrashing, Sung Jin-Woo’s battle against Cerberus was a wake-up call for the hunter, revealing to him that, even with his new leveling abilities, motivation and determination aren’t enough to win fights. He needed actual skill. Thankfully and quite luckily, Sung Jin-Woo bested the Demon Castle’s three-headed gatekeeper. However, the hard-won battle made him painfully aware that continuing at the time would be paramount to suicide.

9

Sung Jin-Woo Vs. Baruka

Speed And Strategy Clashed As Jin-Woo Adapted To The Fight

At the time Sung Jin-Woo fought the Ice Elf, he was stronger than the average A-rank hunters but nowhere close to S-rank. In his battle against Baruka, he himself stated that he was weaker than the Ice Elf and compensated by sacrificing the hate and revenge-driven Kim Chul, effectively turning him into Iron. As a Shadow soldier, Iron was stronger than many of Sung Jin-Woo’s soldiers at the time and banded with him and Igris to battle Baruka.

Despite the three-on-one, the battle wasn’t as one-sided as many would’ve expected, and Sung Jin-Woo only managed to win by employing poison and stealthy assassin attacks. While his combat method was effective nonetheless, it shows how a direct confrontation would’ve been that much harder to win, even with Igris.

8

Sung Jin-Woo Vs. Stone Statues

The World’s Weakest Hunter Stood No Chance

The beginning of Sung Jin-Woo’s ability to level up started with a colossal defeat. As an E-rank hunter with the title of the world’s weakest hunter, Sung Jin-Woo had barely held on to his life multiple times. However, in the Cartenon Temple (Double Dungeon), it seemed like that would be his end.

In the Cartenon temple, Sung Jin-Woo and many others faced off against giant statues. These statues attacked if the hunters in the dungeon didn’t follow the laid-out rules. Even B-rank hunters were weaklings in the face of the statues, not to mention the world’s weakest hunter. Luckily, his supposed death turned into a stroke of good fortune.

7

Sung Jin-Woo Vs. Blood Red Commander Igris

One Of Ashborn’s Former Commanders Vastly Outclassed Him

Igris was one of Ashborn’s former shadow commanders, and he was tasked with facing off against Ashborn’s potential successor. Sung Jin-Woo faced off against Igris during his job change quest, and Igris outclassed him in every way.

In terms of strength, speed, and even toughness, Sung Jin-Woo was outclassed. Moreover, when he saw his daggers were unable to penetrate Igris’ armor, he opted to use his hands, and Igris opted to drop his sword. Perhaps this was what saved Sung Ji Woo’s life, as had Igris used his sword, he would’ve died. Even without Igris using his sword, Sung Jin-Woo only won due to luck, even by his acknowledgment.

6

Sung Jin-Woo Vs. Demon King Baran

The Last Boss Of The Demon Castle Proved Formidable

The Demon King Baran was not the strongest of Sung-Jin-Woo’s adversaries; however, at the time he fought Baran, Sung Jin-Woo was weaker than him. The original Baran was the Monarch of White Flames; however, Baran was defeated by the Shadow Monarch Ashborn eons ago.

The Baran Sung Jin-Woo fought was a magical copy of the original set on the Demon Castle’s 100th floor. He was set there as one of the tests for Sung Jin-Woo to grow stronger and prove that he was worthy of being Ashborn’s successor. Despite fighting against Baran with all his shadow generals, Sung Jin-Woo proved weaker; however, after a young demon girl (Esil of the Radir clan) distracted Baran, Sung Jin-Woo managed to end him.

5

Sung Jin-Woo Vs. The Architect

The Creator Of The System Had Sung Jin-Woo Dancing In The Palm Of His Hands

Early on in the Solo Leveling series, Sung Jin-Woo faced the stone statues that allowed him to become a hunter who could level up and continually grow stronger. As Sung Jin-Woo became more powerful, he was invited back to the place where it all began, and he realized that the real perpetrator of the events that took place was the Architect—the statue that stood with wings from which the hunters read the rules.

As the architect introduced himself as the creator of the system, he revealed that everything up until that moment had been planned. To get answers from the architect, Sung Jin-Woo had to defeat him; however, the architect was no easy adversary.

4

Sung Jin-Woo Vs. Thomas Andre

America’s Strongest Hunter Was No Walk In The Park

As one of the five national-level hunters and America’s strongest S-Class hunter, Thomas Andre, also known as the Goliath, was a power-type hunter who many feared. He was one of those whose powers came from being a fragment of brilliant light and a vessel for the rulers.

While Thomas was aware of Sung Jin-Woo for a while, he and Sung Jin-Woo were forced to battle when an S-class hunter and member of Thomas’ Scavenger Guild kidnapped Sung Jin-Woo’s vice chairman and tortured him. To stop Sung Jin-Woo from killing Hwang Dongsoo, Thomas stepped in; however, he was ultimately defeated by Sung Jin-Woo. That said, the battle was by no means an easy one.

3

Sung Jin-Woo Vs. Beru

The Most Formidable Of The Jeju Island Ants Could Defeat S-Class Hunters With Ease

Before Beru became a Shadow monster of Sung Jin-Woo’s army, he had no name. He was simply a tool of murder, born from the queen of the ants on Jeju Island. Initially, Sung Jin-Woo had no plans to participate in the raid; however, Beru’s appearance made it a necessity, as he killed many of Japan’s S-Rank hunters.

Even Japan’s most notable hunter, Goto Ryuji, who thought it was time for him to become a national hunter, stood no chance against Beru, who sliced him apart. Moreover, unlike other monsters, Beru possessed high intelligence from when he hatched, and he could absorb the powers of hunters that he killed.

2

Sung Jin-Woo Vs. Three Monarchs

One Human Vs. Three Monarchs Was Not An Easy Battle

Of the many times that Sung Jin-Woo had been closest to death, his battle against the Frost Monarch, Monarch of Plagues (Querehsha), and Monarch of Fangs (Rakan) stands out. Facing three monarchs was no easy feat, especially as Rakan, the King of Beasts, was a terror with access to immense destructive power.

Although Sung Jin-Woo quickly takes care of Querehsha amidst his three-way struggle, a moment of carelessness causes him to be impaled by Rakan. Sung Jin-Woo only survived because of the awakening of Ashborn, who gave him his full legacy at the time and unlocked the restriction on him inheriting his full powers.

1

Sung Jin-Woo Vs. Antares

As A Being That Rivaled Ashborn, Sung Jin-Woo’s Predecessor, Antares Was Destruction Itself

As the King of Dragons and Monarch of Destruction, Antares proved to be Sun Jin Woo’s toughest adversary. Among the eight monarchs, only Ashborn, the former Shadow Monarch and the greatest fragment of brilliant light, held a candle to him.

As the King of Dragons, his body was extremely durable, and his power was so great that he couldn’t find a vessel to possess, as none could withstand his power. To defeat Antares, Sung Jin-Woo lured him to a remote island in the world and had the rulers come to impale him after he (Sung Jin-Woo) and Antares had been fighting for a long time.