Who Is Beru? The Ant King, Explained

Solo Leveling Season 2 has finally begun the much-awaited Jeju Island Arc. It is one of the very best story arcs of the Manhwa series that features several S-Rank Hunters going against the Ant army on Jeju Island.

Fans are excited to witness this story arc in the second season of Solo Leveling because it will establish Jinwoo as the ultimate savior of humanity. Jinwoo will do so by going against the incredibly powerful Ant King, who is powerful enough to slaughter several S-Rank Hunters at once. The Ant King gets disappointed after several S-Rank Hunters get defeated in single hits, but he feels true fear while facing Jinwoo.

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WARNING: This post contains SPOILERS for Solo Leveling Season 2 and the Manhwa series.

The Ant King Is The Final Boss Of Jeju Island Arc In Solo Leveling

He Appears During The Fourth Raid On The Island

The Ant King is, in simple terms, an evolved form of the Ants on Jeju Island. He is a strong humanoid creature made by the Ant Queen to conquer the planet. Right after his birth, the Ant King starts killing S-Rank Hunters that were present on the island at the time. Unlike other Ants, the King flaunts incredible speed and strength, so much so that even the S-Rank Hunters can’t track his movements. That is why the Ant King was able to behead a Japanese S-Rank healer without anyone noticing his presence. He doesn’t stop there, though, as he goes on to kill several other S-Rank Hunters on the island.

The Korean Hunters Association sends sixteen S-Rank Hunters, including the Hunters from Japan, on the fourth raid to Jeju Island. Well, the Ant King was solely responsible for the deaths of eight of those Hunters. Goto Ryuji, the Japanese S-Rank Hunter who sparred with Jinwoo, also fell victim to the Ant King and lost the fight in just two hits.

While the other Ants were hunting humans for food, the Ant King was searching for a worthy opponent. He had the personality of a warrior from the very start, and he wished to test his full might against a strong opponent. However, the Ant King was disappointed after several S-Rank Hunters couldn’t even survive a single hit from him. The humanoid monster starts believing that he is at the top of the food chain and that no one is capable enough to challenge him. That bubble doesn’t last for long, though, since Jinwoo arrives on Jeju Island to handle this threat once and for all.

Jinwoo Surprises The Ant King With His Tremendous Power

The Ant King very easily killed Goto Ryuji and was about to slaughter every remaining Hunter on the island, including Cha Hae-In. However, before he could do any further damage, Jinwoo arrived on the island, and, as expected, the Ant King was shocked after sensing such a strong presence. The monster quickly flew to take on a fight with Jinwoo and punched the Hunter in the face to commence the duel. Previously, that sort of attack was enough to kill a Hunter, but much to the Ant King’s surprise, Jinwoo remained unharmed and only got a scratch.

The Ant King then used every ability in his arsenal, but Jinwoo very easily survived each attack. After exchanging several blows, the Ant King realized that Jinwoo was much stronger than any other human he had fought, so he tried to flee from the scene. However, Jinwoo used the Ruler’s Authority to land a killing blow on the Ant King, and that proved enough to end the threat that had haunted Jeju Island for years.

Jinwoo Extracts The Shadow Of The Ant King After Defeating Him

The Ant King’s Shadow Is Named Beru

The Ant King was the strongest enemy Jinwoo had faced so far in the story, so the S-Rank Hunter couldn’t leave the island without extracting his shadow. After naming the Shadow Beru, Jinwoo commands his new soldier to annihilate every remaining Ant on the island, and Beru abides by its master’s command. Of course, Igris, Iron, and Tusk are loyal soldiers in Jinwoo’s Shadow Army, but Beru becomes the most outspoken one.

Beru becomes one of Jinwoo’s most loyal and strongest shadows. Unlike other Shadows, Beru always has a unique personality, and even though he blindly follows his master’s command, the former Ant King does make some crucial decisions on his own. For instance, Beru heals Thomas Andre to thank the American S-Rank Hunter for helping his master during the fight with the Monarchs. Also, while watching over Jinah, Beru decides to binge-watch several Korean dramas, which eventually affects his overall personality. The influence of the Korean TV shows compels Beru to praise his master every time he defeats an enemy.

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Even after becoming a Shadow, Beru thirsts for battle and loves going against powerful opponents. That is why Jinwoo decides to pit Beru against Cha Hae-In when she asks to join Jinwoo’s Ahjin Guild. Jinwoo gives Beru a clear command that he is not to harm Cha Hae-In in any way. However, after getting stabbed in the back, Beru unleashes his full power against the S-Rank Hunter. Fortunately, Jinwoo steps in to stop Beru at the right time and saves Cha Hae-In from an unfortunate death.

Of course, every Shadow Soldier of Jinwoo is fun to watch, but it’s hard to deny that Beru adds a little bit more flavor and complexity to the Shadow Army with his untraditional sense of loyalty towards Jinwoo. So, it’s no wonder why, out of all the other Shadows, Beru becomes the closest to Jinwoo’s son, Sung Suho.

Solo Leveling

Release Date

January 7, 2024

Directors

Shunsuke Nakashige

Writers

Noboru Kimura

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  Taito Ban

  Shun Mizushino (voice)

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  Genta Nakamura

  Kenta Morobishi (voice)