How Jin-Woo Names His Shadows, Explained

As a necromancer in Solo Leveling, Sung Jin-Woo is responsible for looking after his shadows, including giving them names. It may look like a simple task for some people, but for Jin-Woo, naming the most powerful shadows in his army can be tough and challenging. It forces him to think and, at times, go above and beyond to come up with a unique but simple name fitting for his new shadow soldier.

While Sung Jin-Woo is widely known for his cold and ruthless attitude toward his opponents, he can still be funny and quirky with the shadows of his fallen enemies, especially when they ask him for their names. Not only does Jin-Woo take his time coming up with names, but he also considers the shadows and their past lives. However, there are moments in Solo Leveling when Jin-Woo suddenly comes up with a random name on the spot.

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Jin-Woo Names the Strongest Shadows in His Army

Their Names Are More Than Just Identifiers

The system often requires Jin-Woo to give names to some of his shadows—most of whom he defeats in thrilling and epic fights. Their names basically set them apart from the other shadows in Jin-Woo’s army. The shadows take pride in their names, viewing it as an important gift from Jin-Woo, much like a subordinate who’s grateful that he has been acknowledged by his leader. By naming a shadow, Jin-Woo somehow recognizes their strength and significance in the army, almost as if he strengthens their pride and ego as the most formidable fighters of his army.

For some reason, not all shadows receive the privilege of a unique name from Sung Jin-Woo. Unlike in the anime and light novel series That Time I Got Reincarnated As a Slime, where Rimuru can name almost everyone, including low-level goblins, the system seems to reserve this honor for only the strongest shadows. As seen in the anime and manhwa, it’s likely that only those who have proven their strength even before being extracted earn the right to be named. In a way, it serves as a special gift, marking them as exceptional warriors within his army.

How Jin-Woo Chooses the Names of His Shadows

Jin-Woo and His Naming Sense

Believe it or not, Sung Jin-Woo is bad at remembering names. It’s one thing that he’s not good at, and it shows whenever he tries to come up with a name for his shadow. Lady Esil from the Demon Castle story arc is a witness to Jin-Woo’s poor memory. Because of this, there are different explanations behind the names Jin-Woo bestows on his most loyal and powerful shadows.

Still, Jin-Woo tries his best to choose a name that fits his shadow, except when he’s not in the mood or he’s too lazy to come up with one, like what happened to Jima. Essentially, Jin-Woo considers the shadow’s original name, their overall appearance, as well as their abilities. He also dislikes names that are too long and overly complicated to remember and would prefer a simple one.

Notable Named Shadows of Sung Jin-Woo

Origin of Their Names Explained

Many fans know the names of Jin-Woo’s strongest shadows, but some are unaware of the explanation behind them. From Igris to Greed, Jin-Woo often chooses a name that reflects the shadow’s personality and appearance.

• Igris: Jin-Woo is not a fan of Blood-Red Commander Igris, not just because it’s too long, but also because it’s too edgy for his taste. He went for the name “Igris” because it’s simpler.
• Tank: Because of the alpha ice bear’s huge and heavy-duty build, Jin-Woo names him Tank.
• Iron: Iron comes from Kim Chul’s name. Jin-Woo reveals that “Chul” is the Korean word for iron.
• Beru: Instead of naming the Ant King, “ant” or “gaemi,” Jin-Woo remembers the author of the novel, “The Ants.” The author’s name is Bernard Werber.
• Tusk: Jin-Woo couldn’t remember Tusk’s original name, so he went for “Tusk” due to the large tusks Kargalgan possesses.
• Kaisel: Similar to Tusk, Jin-Woo can’t remember the wyvern’s original name. He was confused whether Kaisel’s original name was Kaisellian or Karkallin, but he ended up naming him Kaisel.
• Jima: Jin-Woo was too lazy to come up with something, so he randomly came up with a name without any explanation.
• Greed: S-rank hunter Hwang Dong-Soo died because he was being greedy, thus the name “Greed.”

All in all, the names of Jin-Woo’s shadows in Solo Leveling are all easy to remember. The names may be short and simple, but they undeniably have a huge impact on Jin-Woo’s fights as well as on the fans. It’s a blessing that the system doesn’t require Jin-Woo to name all the shadows in his storage, for it would take a lot of time before he can come up with unique names, let alone memorize them.

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)