Sung Jin-Woo’s Biggest Mistakes In Solo Leveling

Summary

• Killing Kim Chul was an inhuman and cruel mistake.
• Underestimating Hwang Dong-soo’s desire for revenge led to a dangerous trap that could have been costly for Jin-woo.
• Voting for the Double Dungeon exploration led to many deaths, even though the decision worked in Sung’s favor eventually.

Sung Jin-woo, like other hunters in the Solo Leveling universe, is frequently pushed into horrific situations where he has to make decisions under immense pressure. His problems only multiply as he gains powers beyond his wildest imagination and takes the responsibility of saving the world.

Jin-woo naturally makes many mistakes along the way as his obligations pile up and his life is threatened by powerful ancient monsters. While some of these blunders have far-reaching consequences, others work in his favor in the grand scheme of things. So, here are Sung Jin-woo’s biggest mistakes in the series, which could have been avoided.

1

Killing Kim Chul

Jin-woo Was Too Cruel to Kim

• Arc: Red Gate Arc
• Webnovel: Chapters 56 to 64

In the Red Gate dungeon, A-rank hunter Kim Chul betrayed his party and abandoned weaker hunters. When his group was killed and he realized that Sung Jin-woo’s team had thrived, he was overcome by jealousy to the point that he attacked him.

The system uses me, and I use the system.

While Kim Chul was a horrible leader and human being, Sung went too far by killing him, considering their power difference. Jin-woo even added him to his shadow army, which was an inhuman thing to do. Sung could have still punished the hunter by reporting him, but he took matters into his own hands, and that too in the cruelest way imaginable. This incident further desensitized him to murder considering he had already killed several people by this point. Since Kim Chul’s killing was the first one in which he had a real choice, he should have retained his humanity by not letting his animalistic instincts take over his mind.

2

Underestimating Hwang Dong-soo’s Burning Desire For Revenge

A Brilliant Trap That Could Have Proved Deadly For Jin-woo

• Arc: International Guild Conference Arc
• Webnovel: Chapters 183 to 199

In the International Guild Conference arc, Sung Jin-woo visited America to represent Korea at the reputed conference organized by the Federal Bureau of Hunters. While he was busy, Yoo Jinho was kidnapped by Hwang Dong-soo and was beaten black and blue. By this point, Jin-woo had single-handedly cleared an S-rank dungeon, and Hwang understood their power difference.

By targeting Jinho, he had planned to infuriate Sung with the hope that the resulting chaos would lead to a conflict between him and Thomas Andre. Jin-woo fell right into the trap and ended up fighting with the world’s strongest national-level hunter. Although he won comfortably, things could have just as easily gone south had Hwang succeeded in implementing a similar plan just a few weeks earlier.

3

Underestimating The Threat Of The Double Dungeon

Sung Voted In Favor Of Exploring The Double Dungeon

• Arc: D-Rank Dungeon Arc
• Webnovel: Chapters 1 to 7

When Jin-woo used to be the weakest hunter in the world, he had to put his life in danger to support his family. So when the decisive vote for exploring the double dungeon or not came down to him, he thought of his family and voiced his support for the mission. But this was unlike any other mission Sung had encountered in his life.

After sustaining injuries already, Jin-woo should have known that he was not prepared for what came ahead. It would have been wiser to vote against the double dungeon exploration, which would have saved the lives of many other hunters. While it is true that his decision, in the grand scheme of things, did allow him to save his world, at the time, Jin-woo did not have this insight. Based on the circumstances and his powers, Sung made a horrible decision, and many hunters paid for it.

4

Not Prioritizing Investigation Into His Father’s Disappearance

Sung Couldn’t Get To His Father In Time In The Original Timeline

• Arc: International Guild Conference Arc
• Webnovel: Chapters 183 to 199

After his second awakening, Sung Jin-woo was bombarded by the system’s requests to evolve and complete missions constantly. Despite the many responsibilities that followed, he managed to get his hands on the ingredients for the Holy Water of Life and cured his mother’s Eternal Slumber. But even when Jin-woo learned that his father was still alive, he did not put nearly the same effort into looking into his whereabouts.

I am saying you should get ready to become hunted.

By the time the father and son finally reunited, it was unfortunately too late, and Jin-woo witnessed Il-Hwan’s death. Although the Cup of Reincarnation later allowed him to live a normal life with his father, the trauma of watching him die could have been avoided.

Jin-woo Failed To Inquire Kandiaru Properly

• Arc: Double Dungeon Arc
• Webnovel: Chapters 150 to 164

Ever since Sung Jin-woo woke up in the hospital bed following the double dungeon disaster, he was puzzled by the strange system that chose him as a player and followed him like a shadow everywhere. He tried his best to understand the true nature of the magical program, but most of his questions remained unanswered until he returned to the double dungeon and met the boss and the moderator of the system, Kandiaru.

The Architect put Sung Jin-woo into a trance-like state, expecting Ashborn’s arrival and hoping to satisfy his agreement with him. But somehow, Sung gained access to ancient memories that revealed groundbreaking truths about the potential origins of the gates. As he regained his composure after witnessing the glimpse of war between Monarchs and Rulers, Sung Jin-woo did not push Kandiaru enough to understand his true purpose or the larger conflict that influenced his world.

6

Not Joining The Jeju Island Raid Party

Sung Could Have Prevented Many Deaths

• Arc: Jeju Island Arc
• Webnovel: Chapters 111 to 127

When the Jeju Island raid party was preparing for the high-stakes mission, everyone eagerly waited for Sung’s decision. But in a bizarre twist, Jin-woo decided to stay home. Since his mother had just woken from Eternal Slumber, it made sense that he wished to spend more time with his family.

If the pain doesn’t kill me, it will almost make me stronger.

But a hunter of his stature not joining the raid from the start ended up having horrific consequences. Not only were the Korean hunters cornered and severely wounded by the Ant King, but S-rank healer Min Byung-Gyu also lost his life. Had Jin-woo joined the raid from the start, the Korean hunters would have been left unharmed, and perhaps the Japanese party would not have suffered so many casualties.

7

Overconfidence Against The Monarchs

Jin-woo Almost Lost The Battle Against Sillad, Querehsha, And Rakan

• Arc: Monarchs War arc
• Webnovel: Chapters 200 to 224

In the Monarchs War arc, Sung Jin-woo faced a crisis as Sillad attacked Go Gunhee in his absence. By the time he used Shadow Exchange to return to Korea, the chairman of the Korean Hunters Association was on the verge of death and decided to accept his fate, refusing Jin-woo’s attempt to revive him by using the Holy Water of Life. Sung’s brief encounter with Sillad, the Monarch of Frost, should have raised serious concerns, but he failed to prepare as well as he should have.

Sillad went on to plan an ambush with the help of Querehsha and Rakan. Jin-woo fought bravely and even managed to kill the Monarch of Plagues but was soon overpowered and fatally stabbed after a brief battle with the other two Monarchs. This could have been deadly for Jin-woo had Sung Il-Hwan not intervened at the right time and allowed him to recover. Sung seemed unprepared for the battle, considering his earlier encounter with Sillad. However, his over-fixation of handling things by himself and not trying to form strategic alliances almost backfired in the worst way imaginable.