Summary
- Thomas Andre is the current Rank 1 Hunter globally, known for his battle prowess and achievements.
- Sung Jinwoo’s dominance surpasses even the top hunters, defeating S-rank bosses single-handedly.
- Andre’s strength is formidable, but Jinwoo’s unique powers elevate him above all other hunters.
Solo Leveling features characters from diverse backgrounds and with unique powers, each leaving a lasting impression on the fans. Although the series is often criticized for being hyperfocused on Jinwoo’s character development, it still has a compelling cast.
Among the many interesting characters that appear in Solo Leveling, Thomas Andre is undoubtedly one of the most impactful. As a National Level Hunter, he is one of the few humans alive who fought dragon Kamish and lived to tell the story. But how good is he? Here’s how he stacks up against Sung Jinwoo.
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Thomas Andre: The Current Rank 1 Hunter in the World
Andre is One of the Greatest Hunters Alive
- Webtoon Debut: Chapter 83
- Anime Debut: Episode 21
- Class: Tanker
Thomas Andre is a battle-hardened but big-hearted man. Leader of the Scavenger Guild, he has been consistently ranked as the most powerful hunter alive ever since he, along with other National Level Hunters, defeated dragon Kamish. Because of his incredible abilities, he is one of the most sought-after hunters in the world and has unsurprisingly amassed immense wealth and influence.
Well, being a little frustrated is better than being dead, I’m sure! ~ Thomas Andre
Looking at Thomas Andre, one could make the mistake of presuming that he has the perfect life, but nothing could be further from the truth. From a young age, he had to fight incredible odds for his survival. Born to poor European immigrants, Andre had the misfortune of being targeted by enemies, which eventually pushed him to become a brawler. Andre had an awakening after mysterious Gates started spawning all over the world. By that time, Thomas was already obsessed with imposing his dominance, and his powers only fueled his thirst for battle.
Sometime after that, humanity faced its greatest calamity when the first S-rank dungeon boss, Kamish, wreaked havoc on the West Coast of America, killing over a million civilians along with about a hundred S-rank hunters. Andre fought the dragon valiantly along with four other top international hunters. During the battle, Kamish bit him with one of its sharpest fangs, which Thomas kept as a souvenir and later got crafted into a dagger. Victory over the S-rank Gate boss was no easy task, and it ended up becoming Andre’s biggest life achievement.
In the aftermath of the battle, he was granted influence rivaling that of an entire nation. But his achievements were no fluke. Although Thomas is a tanker-type hunter, his hand-to-hand fighting prowess could challenge even the best fighter-type hunters in the world. He is also capable of transforming into a humanoid monster, following which his defenses reach an unparalleled level. Even the most frightening dungeon boss would struggle to break through his defenses in this form.
I Feel Like Something Within Me Is Lost Every Time I Get Stronger. ~ Sung Jinwoo
Andre’s strength is so absurd that it defies all logic. His mana-infused punches are powerful enough to surprise even someone like Jinwoo. Interestingly, Thomas can also shock his rivals with his telekinetic powers that can pull objects toward him with a terrifying force. With countless other techniques developed through years of fighting experience, Andre is the kind of hunter that only a select few dungeon bosses could defeat.
Sung Jinwoo: The Rising Star
Korea’s 10th S-rank Hunter Has Surpassed National Level Hunters
- Webtoon Debut: Chapter 1
- Anime Debut: Episode 1
- Class: Mage
Before his reawakening, Sung Jinwoo was so feeble that even low-ranked dungeons posed a threat to his life, and he needed constant assistance from his comrades to survive. But everything changed following the Double Dungeon incident, after which he underwent a reawakening that was perhaps unlike any other the world had witnessed. Typically, hunters experience a dramatic increase in their powers when they go through a reawakening. In Jinwoo’s case, nothing appears to change initially, but then he keeps getting stronger exponentially without ever slowing down.
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Sung Jinwoo’s bizarre reawakening helps him earn the title of Korea’s 10th S-ranker, and he goes on to clear extremely difficult dungeons all by himself. But nothing could have prepared the hunter world for what transpires on Jeju Island. When Korean and Japanese hunters are overwhelmed by the hidden boss of the S-rank Gate, Sung Jinwoo uses shadow exchange to teleport himself directly to the battleground. He not only confronts the Ant King but wins decisively.
One can understand how impressive this achievement is from the fact that there has been only one more incident of an S-rank boss being defeated, and at the time, it required the collective efforts of five National Level Hunters. Since Sung ends up including the Ant King in his shadow army, it is safe to assume that even the world’s best hunters will now struggle to put up a fight against Jinwoo if he unleashes his full potential.
Verdict: Who is the Better Hunter?
Sung Jinwoo is Too Good to Be Compared With Mere Mortals
Thomas Andre is undoubtedly an accomplished hunter who is widely regarded as the best in the world. His heroic actions during the battle against Kamish were instrumental in securing victory and ending a rampage that could have taken millions more lives.
Everything that makes your heart beat faster is beautiful. ~ Thomas Andre
As astonishing as Thomas Andre’s achievements are, they unfortunately pale in comparison to Jinwoo’s sheer dominance. Unlike the former, Sung managed to defeat an S-rank dungeon boss all alone. As mentioned earlier, he then went ahead and added him to his shadow army, gaining powers beyond even the top hunter’s wildest imagination. Despite being so good, Thomas is no longer the strongest hunter in the world.
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- Release Date
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January 7, 2024
- Directors
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Shunsuke Nakashige
- Writers
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Noboru Kimura
-
Taito Ban
Shun Mizushino (voice)
-
Genta Nakamura
Kenta Morobishi (voice)
