Solo Leveling: Did Jin-Woo Abandon Joo-Hee?

As Sung Jin-Woo undergoes a drastic change in Solo Leveling, his relationship with fellow hunters like Lee Joo-Hee also changes. It will inevitably happen as Jin-Woo relentlessly pursues more power, whereas his peers can do nothing but watch from the sidelines. With the amount of power Jin-Woo wields, only a few dare to stand by his side, including his Shadows and, quite possibly, Cha Hae-In, rather than his longtime friend, Joo-Hee.

When Jin-Woo was just a feeble hunter, all he had was Joo-Hee by his side. In the early events of Solo Leveling, he relied on Joo-Hee the most due to her healing magic. He was always indebted to Joo-Hee, who joined raids to support him despite her fear and trauma. They had a very good dynamic, as Joo-Hee was unlike other hunters who would laugh at him, particularly at his pathetic abilities. With Joo-Hee by his side, dungeon raids felt considerably less dangerous.

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Lee Joo Hee and Sung Jin-Woo’s Relationship Explained

They Are the “Almost” Couple

It’s not uncommon for anime, especially in the romance genre, to feature characters who almost become a couple, and Solo Leveling is no exception. Many fans thought that Jin-Woo and Joo Hee would stay together, but they didn’t. It was a missed opportunity for a lot of fans who started rooting for them at the beginning of the series. After all, they had survived a lot of dungeon raids together, including the tragedy of the double dungeon incident.

While Jin-Woo overcame the fear and trauma caused by the giant statues within the Cartenon Temple, there was Joo-Hee, who simply couldn’t. Unlike before, she could not brave the horrors of the dungeons anymore, no matter how hard she tried to move forward. In a way, Jin-Woo and Joo-Hee’s situation somehow mirrored a real-life couple who have sadly outgrown each other. While Jin-Woo and Joo-Hee were never officially together, they were an “almost couple” who unfortunately had to part ways.

Why Did Lee Joo-Hee Retire?

The double dungeon incident, combined with the encounter with Kang Tae-Shik, convinced Joo-Hee she was no longer suited to joining dungeon raids. Rather than risking her life inside the gates, Joo-Hee felt that it was only right to go home and live an ordinary life like she did before she awakened. It was not a bad decision, as most hunters retired to live a more comfortable life away from the dangers of the dungeon. Take Min Byung-Gu, for example, the renowned S-rank healer who retired, though he later joined the Jeju Island raid.

On the other hand, Sung Jin-Woo accepted Joo-Hee’s decision with a smile on his face. Her sudden announcement came as a shock, but Jin-Woo was still grateful to hear it directly from Joo-Hee and not from someone else. At that point, Jin-Woo understood that his drastic change may have influenced Joo-Hee’s decision to retire, but there was nothing he could do about it. Change is constant, and it was necessary for both of them to continue moving forward.

Did Sung Jin-Woo Abandon Lee Joo-Hee?

The Plot Had No Use of Her Character Anymore

Sung Jin-Woo never abandoned Joo-Hee within the story of Solo Leveling. Even after they went their separate ways, they continued supporting and treating each other as friends. Their relationship even had a proper closure, with Joo-Hee returning the essence stone that Jin-Woo had given her earlier. It was a simple yet meaningful way of saying goodbye to the man who had changed so much since the double dungeon incident. Jin-Woo, of all people, understood Joo-Hee’s decision best since he knew all about her fear and trauma.

While some might argue that Jin-Woo abandoned Joo-Hee by not pursuing her, their separation was already inevitable in the series. Due to various circumstances, their paths naturally diverged as Jin-Woo had to focus on growing stronger while Joo-Hee needed to move forward and recover from her trauma. Staying together was an unlikely option, as one of them would inevitably struggle just to keep up.

Introducing Another Love Interest Is Necessary

Since Solo Leveling explores the story of a character who constantly evolves in the most difficult situations, there was no need for Joo-Hee to stay any longer, or else she’d probably hold Jin-Woo down. In other words, Joo-Hee became insignificant to Jin-Woo’s character development after a few chapters or episodes of the anime because he had already outgrown her. Sadly, Jin-Woo no longer has the luxury of spending time with Joo-Hee, as the world they live in becomes crueler with each passing moment.

Because of all this, the plot needed to introduce new characters into Jin-Woo’s life, including a possible love interest, who is none other than Cha Hae-In. From the moment she appeared in Solo Leveling, fans could immediately tell she was entirely different from Joo-Hee, who would rather stay away from Jin-Woo than fight by his side. Between Hae-In and Joo-Hee, Hae-In had the same drive as Jin-Woo and, most importantly, had the strong resolve to fight by his side.

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)