Solo Leveling: National Level Hunters, Explained

In the Solo Leveling universe, humanity is haunted by the mysterious spawning of countless otherworldly Gates teeming with dangerous monsters immune to modern weapons. Luckily, hunters ranked from S to E, gifted with unique powers, are always ready to step in and eliminate these threats before a dungeon break occurs.

While S-rank hunters are some of the strongest and highly sought-after by guilds, there are a handful of unique hunters who have surpassed all traditional metrics of strength. Known as National Level Hunters, these individuals are rare to find but are incredibly influential. To understand what makes them so special, let’s explore their origins, achievements, and significance.

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Who Are National Level Hunters?

The Five Brave S-Rankers Who Fought Dragon Kamish

• Webtoon Debut: Chapter 78
• Skills: Spiritual Body Manifestation and Ruler’s Authority

Sometime before the events of the actual storyline, the first S-rank gate spawned on the West Coast of America. When the dungeon break eventually occurred, it went on to become one of the deadliest in human history. Over 1,000,000 civilians lost their lives in the chaos, and the S-rank hunters who were summoned for the mission were slaughtered. The dungeon boss, Kamish, was an intimidating dragon with powers that surpassed even the strongest hunters of the time.

Kamish seemed almost impossible to stop until five brave and powerful S-rankers banded together to bring the bloodthirsty dungeon boss to its knees. They were able to end the death and destruction unleashed by the mysterious dragon and save countless lives. Kamish went on to be remembered as humanity’s greatest calamity, while the five brave hunters were given the title of National Level Hunter for their impressive achievement.

Each one of them also received political and monetary rewards for their troubles, which were so monumental that they almost rivaled the influence of an entire country. So, the first S-rank gate created the circumstances that led to the birth of the National Level Hunter title. But the manhwa only mentions four of these five hunters: Thomas Andre, Liu Zhigang, Christopher Reed, and Siddharth Bachchan. The fifth one is an unknown healer-type hunter.

What Does It Take to Become a National-Level Hunter?

One Must at Least Clear an S-Rank Dungeon

National Level Hunters enjoy political and other benefits that most other hunters can only dream of. They lead a luxurious life and are often quite arrogant because of the influence they have. So, what does it take to join their ranks?

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As mentioned earlier, all National Level Hunters in the current storyline achieved their title after defeating the dragon Kamish. Joining their ranks is no small feat and requires achievements that are almost impossible to replicate for most hunters. A National Level Hunter is expected to be significantly stronger than a regular S-ranker. They must also possess powers that are beyond the reach of any other hunter.

However, the true test of their worth lies in their ability to clear dungeons. A strong S-rank hunter like Cha Hae-In can clear most A-rank dungeons without much help. Unfortunately, that’s not enough to be on par with National Level Hunters. To join their ranks, a hunter must clear an S-rank dungeon, something that even the top-ranked hunters struggle with.

Only a hunter who has become significantly stronger than other S-rankers and has cleared an S-rank gate can hope to be recognized as a National Level Hunter. Since such dungeons rarely spawn, it is extremely difficult to find one. Even if one does, clearing them is dangerous and requires investments beyond the capability of a hunter alone.

Is Sung Jinwoo a National Level Hunter?

Despite His Achievements, Jinwoo Still Has a Lot to Prove

As mentioned above, a hunter must satisfy a few requirements before they can be considered for the title of National Level Hunter. When Jinwoo was reevaluated, he was officially recognized as an S-rank hunter. Baek Yoonho, who had met him before, even admitted that he had appeared to evolve and was now significantly stronger than him.

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In the Hunters Guild Gate arc, Sung went a step further and showcased how dangerous he truly was. He single-handedly fought S-rank high orc shaman Kargalgan and his army of A-rank minions, clearing the dungeon without any help. It seemed that Jinwoo barely felt challenged during the battle and defeated the monsters with relative ease. By this point, he had already cleared the Red Gate dungeon alone, without his team’s help.

Hunters who have seen him in action and have heard about him already recognize his talent. After the Hunters Guild Gate was cleared and Guild Master Choi Jong-In came to know about the incident, he admitted that he wouldn’t have been able to clear the dungeon alone. These achievements signify that Sung Jinwoo is already significantly stronger than most S-rankers. But does that make him a National Level Hunter?

Despite his achievements, Jinwoo is far from being considered on par with National Level Hunters. He has achieved a lot, but Sung has never officially cleared an S-rank dungeon. It needs to be stressed that it has not happened officially because Jinwoo did clear Demon Castle, the S-rank instant dungeon ruled by Baran, the Monarch of White Flames.

Naturally, the Korean Hunters Association is not aware of this achievement, and it is also unclear if instant dungeons are comparable rank-wise to those in the real world. However, defeating Baran was no small feat, and Jinwoo’s achievement cannot be overstated. But to be truly considered a National Level Hunter, Sung Jinwoo still needs to officially clear an S-rank dungeon.

Since the Korean Hunters Association’s chairman and Japan’s strongest hunter, Goto Ryuji, has planned another Jeju Island S-rank dungeon raid, this might be Sung Jinwoo’s opportunity to truly ascend to National Level Hunter status. So far, only two S-rank gates have spawned—the first one in America led to the deaths of over 1,000,000 people, and the second one was on Jeju Island, which has claimed so many lives so far. As the monsters there continue to evolve, the world faces another existential threat. Clearing it would prove Sung Jinwoo is special and deserves the elusive title that most hunters can only dream of.

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Solo Leveling

Release Date

January 7, 2024

Directors

Shunsuke Nakashige

Writers

Noboru Kimura

• 

  Taito Ban

  Shun Mizushino (voice)

• 

  Genta Nakamura

  Kenta Morobishi (voice)