Summary
- Baran was once an ally of Ashborn and a Monarch who fought the Rulers for eons.
- Jinwoo faces Baran during the Return to Demon Castle arc in Solo Leveling.
- Being a Monarch, Baran proved to be a fearsome and powerful opponent to Jinwoo.
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Solo Leveling has several forms of powerful entities that lead its narrative forward. So far, the anime series has introduced us to some powerful S-Rank Hunters while also featuring some deadly outer-world monsters. However, the anime fans are eager to see a Monarch featured in the series, and well, that’s going to happen very soon.
The Return to the Demon Castle arc in Solo Leveling pits Jinwoo against Baran, the Monarch of White Flames. Baran is a fierce and deadly Monarch who is also called the King of Demons, and he puts a great fight against Jinwoo. After witnessing the massive and satisfying battle between Jinwoo and Baran, it’s normal for fans to wonder who exactly the King of Demons is and how he ends up in the Demon Castle.
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WARNING: This post contains MAJOR SPOILERS from the Solo Leveling Manhwa series.
Baran Faught Rulers Alongside Other Monarchs For Eons
He Was Once An Ally Of Ashborn
Baran, like other Monarchs and Rulers, was created by one of the Itarim Gods. The Monarch of White Flames fought against Rulers for eons at the behest of their God, for whom this war was nothing but a means of entertainment. Even after the Rulers killed their God after turning against him, Baran and other Monarchs continued to fight the Rulers. Ashborn, who was initially a Ruler, was the only one who stayed loyal to his God until the very end. After his God’s death, Ashborn awakened the Shadow Monarch’s powers and joined the Monarchs to fight against the Rulers. So, you could say that Baran was once an ally of Ashborn, and he fought the Rulers alongside the Shadow Monarch for eons.
Ashborn didn’t feel any loyalty towards Monarchs, but he joined their side anyway to prevent the Rulers from winning the war. Even though Ashborn’s support was crucial for Monarchs, Antares, the Monarch of Destruction, started fearing the Shadow Monarch’s powers. So, he asks two of his trusted pawns, Baran and Rakan, to kill Ashborn. Unfortunately, the element of surprise didn’t work in their favor, and Ashborn defeated them both quite easily. While Rakan successfully escaped a painful death, Baran met his dark fate at the hands of the Shadow Monarch. Now, you may wonder if Baran got his skull crushed by Ashborn, who exactly fought against Jinwoo in the Return to Demon Castle arc? Well, the answer might surprise you.
Baran’s Appearance In ‘Return To Demon Castle’ Arc
Interestingly, the Baran that fought against Jinwoo in the Return to Demon Castle arc was actually a clone, not the real Monarch of White Flames. Apparently, when Monarchs and Rulers took their egoistical fight to Earth, Kandiaru created a clone of Baran to serve as the final boss of Demon Castle. For the unacquainted, Kandiaru is the same person who created The System and decided to prepare Jinwoo to become Ashborn’s vessel.
He has a remarkable force! Will I be able to….defeat this monster? – Jinwoo upon seeing Baran.
Baran also had a powerful and massive dragon when he was alive, and after his death, the dragon remained captive to Ashborn. However, Kandiaru decided to use the dragon in Demon Castle, and the silver wyvern served Baran’s clone as its master. Also, it’s worth pointing out that despite having the same appearance and exactly similar powers, Baran’s clone was much weaker than the real Monarch. If it was the real Baran in the Demon Castle, he would have easily killed Jinwoo. Of course, Jinwoo was incredibly powerful, but he couldn’t have won against a Monarch without the Shadow Monarch’s full powers.
Jinwoo’s Fight With Baran In The Demon Castle
Jinwoo Faces Him Upon Reaching The 100th Floor
Jinwoo decided to take on Demon Castle to level up significantly and reap its rewards; however, his primary motive was getting all fragments of the Holy Water of Life. Upon his first visit to the Demon Castle, Jinwoo was able to get his hands on the two fragments, but he had to defeat Baran to get the third fragment.
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Baran was surely the strongest opponent Jinwoo faced up till this point in the story. He wasn’t any puppet monster Jinwoo found inside a Dungeon; it was the clone of King of Demons. Of course, Jinwoo was able to easily kill countless pawns of Baran, but our protagonist had some difficulty defeating Baran’s clone. Baran was about to gain the upper hand in the fight, but Esil, the demon girl who had been accompanying Jinwoo since the 80th floor, created a distraction. Jinwoo then used that opportunity to land a powerful blow on Baran’s face, ultimately defeating the final boss of the Demon Castle. Yes, Jinwoo doesn’t like to take anyone’s help when fighting against an opponent, but he couldn’t have won against Baram if it wasn’t for Esil.
Solo Leveling
- Release Date
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January 7, 2024
- Directors
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Shunsuke Nakashige
- Writers
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Noboru Kimura
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Taito Ban
Shun Mizushino (voice)
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Genta Nakamura
Kenta Morobishi (voice)
