The Real Reason Why Some Hunters Retire, Explained

Every hunter in Solo Leveling has the right to retire, like civil servants who spend half of their lifetime working in different industries. It’s a natural outcome, especially for those hunters who wish to step away from the dungeons before it’s too late. Sung Jin-Woo could also retire if he wanted to, but due to the immense power he holds and the responsibility on his shoulders, it seems unlikely. Can you imagine a hunter of Jin-Woo’s level retiring at this point in Solo Leveling? Probably not.

Retirement is possibly the last thing that will come to mind for most hunters, especially those with a higher rank. But for low-level hunters, like D and E-rankers, it will not be a surprise if they throw in the towel early and choose to live an ordinary life. At the end of the day, it’s safer for these hunters to work under normal circumstances than to risk their lives slaying monsters over and over again.

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Why Do Hunters Retire in Solo Leveling?

They Have Different Valid Reasons

To leave or to stay? Choosing an answer is a difficult decision, especially for hunters who desire financial stability, fame, and essential connection despite their lack of exceptional skills and talent. However, there comes a point when hunters are not given an opportunity to choose; they simply must leave and abandon the profession that pays them enough money to cover their expenses. This, along with a combination of factors, contributes to a hunter’s tough decision to step away from the gates and never look back again.

Retirement Due to Serious Injuries

It’s not uncommon for hunters to retire, even at such an early age, because of severe injuries. Losing an arm or one of their legs from dungeon raids can put a huge toll on the hunter’s body, despite healers on standby. Injuries that lead to permanent disabilities are yet another problem since hunters will not be able to fight at their full strength, risking their lives even more. These hunters will also have to be more dependent on their fellow hunters, putting their lives at greater risk.

Retirement Due to Severe Trauma

The dungeons may be a playground for high-rank hunters, but for lower-rankers, it’s the other way around. It’s a horrifying and unforgiving place, where hunters witness countless tragic deaths at the hands of the magical beasts. Those hunters who don’t possess a strong will to survive are likely to have nightmares that will haunt them as long as they continue raiding dungeons. Repeated exposure to life-or-death situations is no joke, leading to mental breakdowns that force a hunter to retire.

Retirement Due to Old Age

A hunter in his prime is vastly different from an aging hunter, even though it’s common knowledge that a hunter’s abilities are set in stone the moment they awaken. Age is still a huge factor in a person’s performance, whether they are a hunter or not, particularly affecting their speed, versatility, and strength. In other words, their aging bodies could not handle the strength they once wielded with ease. Because of this, those who have been in the business for quite a long time eventually choose to sit back and let the next generation continue the fight.

Notable Hunters Who Retired Early

Leaving the Battlefield Is Tough

Min Byung-Gu is an S-rank healer who retired after the third Jeju Island raid. His reason is the trauma caused by the death of Eunseok. While Byung-Gu eventually comes out of retirement and joins Baek Yoon-Ho in the fourth raid, he already had plans to become a civil servant, particularly a history professor, rather than staying on the battlefield as a hunter.

Another notable character is Joo-Hee, the compassionate B-rank healer who befriends Jin-Woo after participating in raids together. Instead of joining B-rank or C-rank raid parties, Joo-Hee prefers to join a D-rank or E-rank party because of her psychological problems. She couldn’t handle fear well, and it didn’t help that she was thrown in a double dungeon where she witnessed her peers tragically die one after another. She survived the incident but chose to return to her hometown rather than continue her hunting career.

Chairman Go Gun-Hee of the Hunter Association also retired early due to his old age. He possesses immense strength, but his body can’t handle it anymore. Despite his desire to go back to the dungeon and raid monsters with Jin-Woo, it won’t be possible for his body anymore. Fortunately, he became the chairman of the Hunter Association, with the important job of overseeing the gates and the hunters in South Korea.

Unlike Sung Jin-Woo, whose powers transcend those of human understanding, hunters in Solo Leveling, regardless of rank, should consider retirement as part of their profession as early as possible. It’s necessary to weigh the benefits and the risks that come with the job, since there’s no telling when an unfortunate situation will force them to make the toughest decision of their lives.

Solo Leveling

Release Date

January 7, 2024

Directors

Shunsuke Nakashige

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  Taito Ban

  Shun Mizushino (voice)

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  Genta Nakamura

  Kenta Morobishi (voice)