Solo Leveling: The Best Villains, Ranked

Summary

• Solo Leveling’s success is due to top-tier animation, a faithful adaptation from manhwa, and captivating villains.
• Sung Jinwoo’s unique take on keeping enemies close adds depth to the storyline.
• Memorable villains like Matsumoto, Baran, Kargalgan, Yogumunt, and Querehsha contribute to the series’ excellence.

Solo Leveling continues to top anime charts worldwide, and it’s not hard to see why. The animation is top-tier, and the original story has been adapted incredibly well, with extra scenes and streamlined plotlines. The original manhwa was already quite popular, and the stars have aligned to propel the series to incredible heights.

When it comes to villains, the show has a library of fascinating characters. A lot of villains have a very particular character arc that readers of the manhwa will be familiar with. Sung Jinwoo takes the idea of “keep your enemies close” to a whole new level, and it brings an interesting perspective to the story.

Major spoilers from the Solo Leveling manhwa below.Updated on February 15, 2025, by Mirza Aaqib Beg: Like the first installment, Solo Leveling Season 2: Arise from the Shadow has been received with overwhelming zeal by both critics and fans alike. The updated list includes some villains who don’t appear until the last arcs of the series but eventually end up making a significant impact on the story.

13

Matsumoto Shigeo

The Arrogant Leader Who Led Japanese Hunters to Their Death

The former Chairman of the Japanese Hunters Association, Matsumoto Shigeo, was a morally bankrupt and dangerous individual who was willing to sacrifice others to advance his own agenda. In the Jeju Island arc, he joined hands with Japan’s greatest hunter, Goto Ryuji, to plan a massacre of Korean S-rankes, so that the country would be left at the mercy of hunters from other countries.

We’ve also achieved our ultimate goal, the annihilation of South Korean S-ranks. So pull out of there.

However, Matsumoto’s plan backfired as some of Japan’s top hunters, including Goto, died on Jeju Island, while Korea only suffered one casualty. He eventually turned himself in, following which his fate remains unclear.

12

Baran

Monarch of White Flames

A long time ago, when monarchs and rulers were engaged in an endless cycle of violence and destruction, Ashborn, the King of the Dead, became so powerful that even his comrades started fearing him. Driven by envy, Antares ordered Baran to attack him, hoping that Ashborn would die in the ensuing violence. Despite having fought alongside the King of the Dead, the Monarch of White Flames tried to take down his comrade to please Antares.

Baran not only lost the battle but was also killed by Ashborn, who was understandably disturbed by the betrayal. He was later cloned by the Architect of the system and died once and for all at the hands of Sung Jin-Woo.

11

Kargalgan

Bloodthirsty High Orc Shaman

The boss of the Hunters Guild Gate, Kargalgan, was a high orc shaman who was as strong as an S-rank hunter and capable of destroying entire raid teams on his own. Capable of casting dangerous spells, he savored violently crushing his targets.

Kargalgan was also too prideful and looked down on humans as weak and inferior beings until he met Sung Jin-Woo. Unfortunately, his arrogance led to his downfall, as he was conceited enough to invite Son Kihoon’s strike team to his chamber for entertainment, not realizing that they were with the chosen successor of the Shadow Monarch. He was eventually defeated by Jin-Woo and ended up becoming a shadow soldier named Tusk.

10

Yogumunt

The King of Demonic Spectres

Yogumunt was an arrogant and conniving monster whose portal-creation ability was unrivaled. He was among the monarchs who refused to participate in Sung Jin-Woo’s ambush plan, fearing that he was too powerful. Yogumunt was not wrong in his judgment, as Sillad, Querehsha, and Rakan lost to Ashborn’s successor. Despite being too conceited, he understood the limits of his powers and was also smart enough not to underestimate Sung Jin-Woo.

In the final battle, Yogumunt sided with Antares, the King of Dragons. The Monarch of Transfiguration helped Antares by creating portals that facilitated the movement of the dragon army. However, he also faced the same fate as his peers and could not manage to escape the wrath of Sung Jin-Woo.

9

Querehsha

The Queen of Insects

The Monarch of Plagues, Querehsha, was a ruthless and violent monster who relished playing with her victims before taking their lives. She was one of the monarchs who agreed to help Sillad in his ambitious mission to kill Sung Jin-Woo before he was able to receive his full strength.

However, this was not the first occasion when Querehsha had jumped on an opportunity to assassinate someone. In the Japan Crisis Arc, she teamed up with Sillad and Tarnak and killed the National Level Hunter Christopher Reed. Unfortunately, in Sung Jin-Woo’s case, her bloodthirsty nature and desire to take down humanity’s greatest soldier, a.k.a. the Shadow Monarch, turned out to be a monumental miscalculation, as she was killed in the battle.

8

Kang Taeshik

B-Rank Hunter, Assassin

Kang Taeshik appears fairly early in the series as a hunter who excels at assassinating other hunters. As a B-Rank Assassin, he uses speed and his Stealth skill to overpower his opponents, enjoying himself in the process.

If You Gaze Long Into an Abyss, the Abyss Also Gazes Into You.

At the time he encounters Sung Jinwoo, they seem to be at a similar level of power. The fight is relatively close, and Jinwoo has to resort to healing and buffs to defeat him. Taeshik’s motivation for the prisoners’ assassination was well written, but his personal bloodlust led to his ultimate downfall.

7

Goto Ryuji

S-Rank Hunter, Fighter

Goto Ryuji is considered one of the most powerful Hunters from Japan and is the leader of the Draw Sword Guild. He and his strongest fighters have come to Korea to join the Jeju Island Raid against the swarm of ants, but he had a hidden agenda all along.

The plan was to weaken the strongest Korean Hunter guilds by betraying and leaving them to die. However, all of that failed when the raiding party met the strongest enemy on Jeju Island. Goto’s death was surprisingly short, given how strong he seems to be, but it was ultimately used to foreshadow another villain.

6

Rakan

King of Beasts

Rakan was shown to be an incredibly powerful enemy long before his true nature was revealed. He was capable of defeating multiple opponents at once, as well as toying with some of the strongest Hunters in the world. Yet, it pales compared to his true power.

Once Rakan unleashed the manifestation of the Monarch of Fangs, even Thomas Andre — a USA National-Level Hunter — was no match for him. Joined by other Monarchs, he was even able to deal a fatal blow to Sung Jinwoo. But once the Shadow Monarch had reached his full potential, even Rakan had to try and escape his wrath.

5

The Frost Monarch

The King of Snow Folk

The Monarch of Frost was a dangerous enemy for many reasons. Unlike other Monarchs, he saw the dire need to take care of the new Shadow Monarch’s vessel before he grew to full power. While some of the Monarchs refused out of fear, it was arguably the wisest choice in terms of the upcoming war.

The Frost Monarch was also able to take down Go Gunhee, even after the latter unleashed his Fragment of Brilliant Light manifestation. His icy powers were among the most powerful elemental magic seen in the series. But ultimately, they were no match for the unleashed Shadow Monarch.

4

The Hwang Brothers

C-Rank Hunter and S-Rank Hunter

Both of the Hwang brothers play a crucial role in the story, as they both push Sung Jinwoo to new levels. Hwang Dongsuk tried to kill Jinwoo and Yoo Jinho while in a Dungeon. However, that evil plan failed when the system forced Jinwoo to kill him and his comrades.

Hwang Dongsoo, the older and much stronger of the two, has vowed to avenge his brother and has set out for Korea. Both of the brothers force Jinwoo to grow rapidly, and their effect on him is shown throughout the series.

3

Antares

King of Dragons, Monarch of Destruction

Antares is the strongest enemy Sung Jinwoo ever had to face, and he is the final antagonist in the series. As the oldest and most powerful of Monarchs, he possessed unmatched strength in his true Dragon form. His army of Beasts could topple entire continents.

Antares has been at the front of the Rulers and Monarchs’ war for eons, and the Shadow Monarch is perhaps the sole being that can meet his immense power. Had it not been for Jinwoo, humanity’s fate would have been sealed, no match for this legendary foe.

2

Architect

Creator of the System

The Architect appears as early as Chapter 3, but its true nature is only revealed in the second half of the series. Originally, the Architect created the system to aid the previous Shadow Monarch and use it to find a suitable vessel. Over the years, however, he continued to murder countless people in the Double Dungeon, all to no avail.

The System Uses Me, and I Use the System.

The Architect’s influence on Sung Jinwoo is seen throughout the story, haunting and pushing him with visions and questions. That raw fear grips both the hero and the audience. It is unmatched by anything else in the series and is one of the most memorable aspects of both the show and the manhwa.

1

Beru

The Ant King

Jeju Island has truly haunted the Hunters and the countries surrounding it, with many raids failing. The Ants’ ability to evolve and get stronger over time has led to an arms race of sorts. The Ant King is the culmination of that evolution.

You Sure Had a Lot to Say for Someone Who’s About to Die.

Possessing incredible power and speed, the Ant King has killed multiple S-Rank Hunters, even taking on several at once. But what makes him an incredible villain is his full character arc. He goes from a rampaging monster loyal to his queen to one of Sung Jinwoo’s most valuable allies. More than any other villain, Beru undergoes a surprising amount of personal growth over the years.