How Jin-Woo Saved Cha Hae-In on Jeju Island, Explained

Solo Leveling’s Jeju Island arc is full of shocking twists and turns that no one sees coming. Lives are lost as a formidable foe appears before the coalition of South Korean and Japanese S-rank hunters. All hopes rest on Sung Jin-Woo, who joins the raid, faces the Black Ant and saves the remaining hunters, including Cha Hae-In. It is up to Jin-Woo to save the day and teach the Black Ant a lesson it will never forget.

The current Jeju Island raid is South Korea’s fourth attempt to reclaim the once-thriving island of the nation. Many hunters in Solo Leveling have fallen in the last three attempts, including Eunseok, an S-rank mage and friend of Baek Yoon-Ho and Min Byung-Gu. Now that the ants are evolving and taking flight, Japan and South Korea agree on a joint mission to put an end to the Ant Queen and her colony once and for all.

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What Happens to Cha Hae-In on Jeju Island?

Cha Hae-In Fights Mutated Ants

Cha Hae-In is one of South Korea’s S-rank hunters who joined the Jeju Island raid. With her exceptional skills and abilities, the Korean government did not hesitate to send her, hoping she would make a huge contribution to the mission. True enough, Hunter Cha proves to be a formidable force in the fight against the Ant Queen and her guards. Even Baek Yoon-Ho of the White Tiger Guild believed that Cha Hae-In had slain twice as many ants as he had on the island.

Everything goes well for the Korean hunters as they team up and use their strengths effectively and efficiently to fight the ants. Not only do they succeed in killing the guards, but they also deliver the final blow to the Ant Queen. They emerge victorious and the public cheers for their success—until a powerful foe with an intense aura and bloodlust appears to take them all down. Among the injured is Cha Hae-In, who suffers a massive blow to her ribs and is rendered unconscious.

How Jin-Woo Saved Cha Hae-In on Jeju Island

Jin-Woo Fights the Ant King on Behalf of the Fallen Hunters

Before the Ant King can slaughter Cha Hae-In and the remaining hunters—except Byung-Gu, who has already died—Sung Jin-Woo finally makes his appearance. His last-minute arrival sparks public controversy, but it doesn’t erase the fact that he was the only hunter capable of defeating the Ant King, retaking Jeju Island in the process. Without Jin-Woo, the Jeju Island raid mission would have ended in another disaster, and both Japan and South Korea would have suffered extreme losses.

Jin-Woo Attempts to Save Cha Hae-In

For Sung Jin-Woo to save Cha Hae-In’s life, he needs to reveal the truth about his power in front of the remaining S-rank hunters and one A-rank hunter. But before Jin-Woo reaches this point, he generously distributes potions to the injured hunters. While their health gradually improves, Cha Hae-In’s injuries are so severe that even Jin-Woo’s potions have no effect on her. In other words, Jin-Woo’s healing ability alone is not enough to save her.

As Jin-Woo fights the Ant King, Cha Hae-In grows weaker and weaker. He doesn’t realize how much time he has spent fighting until she is already on the brink of death. His first instinct is to look for a healer, but there is no one left—Min Byung Gu and most of the Japanese hunters are already dead. To make matters worse, Jin-Woo can’t use the Shadow Exchange skill because of its cooldown time. He is also unsure whether he could bring Cha Hae-In with him if he could use it.

Even if Jin-Woo summons Kaisel, Cha Hae-In will be dead before he has a chance to return. Desperate to find another solution, Jin-Woo realizes he could use Shadow Extraction on Byung Gu’s remains.

Jin-Woo Uses Shadow Extraction on Byung-Gu

Sung Jin-Woo decides to use Shadow Extraction on Min Byung-Gu’s headless body, despite Baek Yoon-Ho’s protests. He fails twice in summoning Byung-Gu but ultimately succeeds in his final attempt, raising his shadow from the dead. After extraction, Min Byung-Gu’s shadow heals Cha Hae In’s injuries without being told to by Jin-Woo, a testament to the S-rank healer’s kind and warm character. Fortunately, Hae-In recovers, and Jin-Woo cancels the skill on Byung Gu, allowing him to finally rest in peace.

It’s not uncommon for anime characters like Solo Leveling‘s Sung Jin-Woo to resort to drastic measures to save someone’s life. While many may resent Jin-Woo for using Byung-Gu, others may see it as the best solution for ensuring Hae-In’s survival. After all, Cha Hae-In still has a chance to live while Byung-Gu is already gone. It would have been far more disastrous if Jin-Woo had done nothing and let Hae-In die that day.

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)