Solo Leveling: Will Beru Betray Jin-Woo?

In Solo Leveling, Sung Jin-Woo’s army of shadows gains a new addition after the events of the Jeju Island story arc. The mutated Ant King, who wreaks havoc against the Japanese and Korean S-rank hunters, is finally put to rest and later extracted as a shadow soldier. Now known as Beru, the shadow general pledges his allegiance to Jin-Woo, but will he ever betray him?

Sung Jin-Woo’s shadows in Solo Leveling are known for their unwavering devotion to their master. They act according to Jin-Woo’s will, ensuring they follow every command he gives without fail and hesitation. The mutated Ant King, though ferocious and ruthless in his original form, bows before Jin-Woo as a loyal shadow, along with high-grade shadows like Igris, Tank, Tusk, Kaisel, and Iron.

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Beru Could Be the Most Loyal Shadow to Jin-Woo

His Loyalty Is on a Different Level Than That of His Kind

• Anime Debut: Solo Leveling season 2 episode 13, “On to the Next Target”
• Webtoon Debut: Solo Leveling chapter 105
• Shadow Grade: General
• Story Arc: Jeju Island Arc

While the Ant King desired to become King of the world and defeat Jin-Woo, the current Ant King, who was extracted by Jin-Woo and was named Beru, only wanted one thing—to serve his liege, who is Jin-Woo himself. He sees his master as the most superior being in the world, as if he had already forgotten his previous attempts to devour him and absorb his abilities. Along with the other shadows in the army, Beru kneels before his master, showing respect and loyalty.

But unlike the rest of the shadows, Beru’s loyalty to Sung Jin-Woo is on an entirely different level, likely because he wanted to prove his worth to him and somehow atone for the sins he committed against him. He’s most content when Jin-Woo orders him to lead his army, and he’s also the happiest when he receives praise. However, he’s also the saddest whenever Jin-Woo fails to appreciate his efforts.

Beru’s unrivaled devotion can also be considered fanatical, to the point that he will always find the most beautiful words to compliment Jin-Woo’s abilities. He will always be there to shower him with admiration, which adds to the humor of the series. In comparison to other shadows, Beru is more expressive of his loyalty to Jin-Woo, possibly making him his most loyal shadow.

Beru’s Instinct to Kill Becomes a Problem

Jin-Woo’s Loyal Shadow Turns Against His Will

It’s no secret that Beru was born to be a weapon intended to eliminate hunters. The ant queen bred him with a desire to consume anything there is to consume, in addition to feeding him with thoughts about expanding and sustaining their colony. He was supposed to be the strongest warrior of the colony, capable of leading the army against their enemies. While Beru is now serving Jin-Woo with the utmost loyalty and devotion, his past, particularly his instinct to kill, is not something he can easily discard.

True enough, during the Ahjin Guild Arc, Beru did the unthinkable. For the first time, one of Jin-Woo’s shadows turns against his will and follows his instinct to kill. It all happens during Cha Hae-In’s application to the Ahjin Guild, where the only way to be accepted is to defeat at least one of his powerful shadows. Cha Hae-In, on the other hand, successfully defeats Igris but later demands Jin-Woo to bring out the real strongest shadow in his army.

Initially, Jin-Woo orders Beru to defeat Hae-In without harming her. The fight is going smoothly, with Beru doing his best to demonstrate the huge difference in their power while suppressing his overwhelming intent to kill. However, when Hae-In stabs Beru in the back, a simple command from the Ant Queen resurfaces from Beru’s consciousness, disobeying Jin-Woo’s orders. At that point, Beru considers Hae-In his enemy, whom he needs to exterminate.

Beru Remains Loyal to Jin-Woo

His Disobedience Is a Spur of the Moment

Except for the incident with Hae-In, Beru never disobeys Jin-Woo again, at least in the original manhwa, for there’s no telling what will happen in the succeeding events of Solo Leveling: Ragnarok. His disobedience stems from his innate nature as a weapon against hunters, which Jin-Woo somehow understands and forgives. Besides, he had already warned Hae-In about Beru before the fight began, as if he anticipated something like this would happen.

As the newest shadow in the army, Beru had to beg Jin-Woo for mercy to let him go after the fight. From that day forward, Beru’s loyalty to Jin-Woo intensifies, going above and beyond to serve his master. Those who dare to touch at least a single part of Jin-Woo receive a backlash from Beru, which speaks volumes about his devotion to his King.

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)