Summary
- National Level Hunters surpass S-Class hunters in power and can challenge countries.
- Jeju Island evolved into a lethal threat with powerful ants and became a graveyard for hunters.
- Thomas Andre’s inaction during the Jeju Island crisis was possibly due to strategic reasons like high fees.
While S-Class hunters are powerful and revered by many, they don’t serve as the most elite of all the hunters in Solo Leveling. Above S-rank hunters are a special subsection of hunters referred to as National Level Hunters. These hunters on their own possess enough individual power to challenge a country.
Despite the threat of Jeju Island, no National Level Hunter made a move to intervene, including the number one ranked National Level Hunter, Thomas Andre. With Thomas holding the title of one of the most powerful hunters in the world of Solo Leveling, could it be that he was afraid of Jeju Island’s threat and wanted to preserve his reputation?
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Thomas Andre’s Reputation
America’s Strongest Hunter
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America’s strongest hunter is a rambunctious type of individual who seeks to dominate all with strength. Growing up with humble origins, Thomas clawed his way up to the top with his strength and followed the saying that might makes right. As an individual, Thomas never shies away from a fight, as he believes himself to be stronger than anyone else and seeks to “beat” it into them.
Despite being a largely prideful person, Thomas accepts defeat without bearing any ill will toward his conqueror. He simply sees the person as stronger than him, showing his might makes right philosophy. Aside from his powerful and prideful persona, Thomas Andre is also a capable leader as he leads the Scavenger Guild, one of the most influential and wealthy guilds in America. The guild is so prosperous that he even managed to win over Hwang Dongsoo, an S-rank hunter from South Korea.
The Jeju Island Nightmare
A Colony Of Death
Before it became a living nightmare for hunters and the whole population of Japan as a whole, Jeju Island used to be a part of South Korea, where people lived. However, after the dungeon break, the inhabitants of Jeju Island were relocated. When it comes to clearing dungeons, higher-ranked hunters ideally take on dungeons lower than their rank. This means that higher-level hunters, in this case, National Level Hunters, would take on an S-Rank dungeon, as normal S-Rank hunters would find it hard to tackle an S-Rank dungeon.
Unfortunately, that was the situation in South Korea. Moreover, Jeju Island wasn’t about defeating one powerful monster but a colony of powerful ants that constantly evolve and prove superior to even A-Rank hunters. With the dominance of powerful ants, Jeju Island turned into a graveyard for many hunters and became infamous for its deadly reputation. With several failed raids and the ever-evolving ants, Jeju Island became nothing short of a time bomb for South Korea and other neighboring countries.
Thomas Andre’s Reaction To Jeju Island
Fear Or Strategy?
As the number one ranked National Level Hunter, coupled with his domineering strength and presence, many would’ve expected Thomas Andre, one of the most popular hunters in the world, to come to South Korea’s aid. However, his inaction begs the question of whether it was more strategically based or as a result of fear. This question is particularly prominent as Thomas Andre was present in South Korea a few days before the commencement of the raid to talk to Go Gunhee about Hwang Donsoo’s ruckus. Interestingly, Thomas Andre portrayed neither fear nor a cunning mind in the Jeju Island situation. He simply acted like a businessman. As seen in Chapter 84 of the Solo Leveling manga, Thomas Andre stated that as much as he’d like to participate, he’s a busy man. He then capped it up with the statement…
But of course, it’d be a different story if South Korea had the capital to hire me.—Thomas Andre
As seen in Solo Leveling, countries or organizations can hire hunters as long as they can pay their fees. For Thomas, it seems South Korea was unable to afford the fee of a National Level Hunter. Moreover, with the involvement of Japan, paying for a National Level Hunter’s services would’ve been more of a form of a safety net than a necessity. Unlike the scheming Japan, Thomas Andre had no ulterior motives, and with his overbearing pride, he certainly wasn’t scared. He simply needed the motivation to make a move, which, in this case, is sufficient capital. As the leader of the Scavenger guild that primarily operated in America, as well as his personal strength and status, his fee certainly would not have come cheap.
Would Thomas Andre Have Survived Jeju Island?
Thomas Andre’s Potential Outcome
Not fearing the dangers of Jeju Island is one thing, but having sufficient capabilities to come out on top or at least come out alive takes another form of skill. Hunters like Goto Ryuji faced Jeju Island with such confidence and power but died nevertheless. As the powerful character he is, Thomas Andre would’ve most certainly come out of Jeju Island alive. During Sung Jin-Woo’s battle against Beru, his punches overwhelmed Beru and beat him in strength, while his slashes with the Demon’s King Dagger left deep wounds on the Ant King.
However, despite severally leveling up after his fight with Beru, even conquering the Architect and the Double Dungeon, during Sung Jin-Woo’s battle against Thomas Andre, he was unable to leave a scratch on him with the same daggers he used to kill Beru. Moreover, from beating down Thomas Andre with his fists, Sung Jin-Woo bruised his hands, showing just how tough the National Level Hunter is. Comparing Sung Jin-Woo’s battle with Beru to his fight against Thomas Andre after multiple level-ups, it’s clear that Thomas Andre, at the very least, would not only have survived the Jeju Island Raid but ultimately cleared it.
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