Ronit J

Solo Leveling (2024-present) Synopsis:

Follows the adventures of Sung Jinwoo in a world that is constantly threatened by monsters and evil forces. In his battles Sung transforms himself from the Weakest Hunter of all mankind to one of the strongest Hunters in existence.

Solo Leveling (2024-present) Review:

I remember that in 2024, they had run a promo for the theatrical screening of the first two episodes of Solo Leveling. Anime is super popular across the world, and I’m happy that even Indian screens are starting to organise events for fans. I didn’t go for my own reasons, but this anime had been on my radar since.

The 2025 r/Fantasy Bingo has a ‘Not a Book’ square, for which we have to consume a TV show, anime, movie, or play a game, or any other non-reading SFF-related activity. Solo Leveling was on my list for this square, and last week I finally binged on its two seasons.

Solo Leveling is set in a world where strange gates have opened up all over. These gates lead to dungeons and alternate realities where Hunters—people who have awakened powers—can fight enemies and farm resources. The anime follows Sung Jin-woo, the ‘Weakest Hunter In The World’, who ends up getting selected as ‘The Player’ by ‘The System’. While other Hunters remain stagnated at their levels, Jinwoo is the only Hunter who can level up and climb the ranks.

But, as he begins to play this absurd game, dark secrets begin to unravel.

Solo Leveling Season 1 (2024)

Honestly, I didn’t really enjoy the first episode all that much. But episode 2-3? That’s where I really fell in love with the anime.

Sung Jin-woo is your typical anime protagonist. A weakling MC who unlocks powers that surpass the limits of what was previously considered great… Sung Jin-woo really carries this story. His relentless attitude, his humility and kindheartedness, all make him the perfect MC for an anime like this. You can really feel the change in him as he distributes his stat points, slowly changing not just physically but also personality-wise. The rest of the show’s cast didn’t really stand out to me. Jinha (Jin-woo’s sister, voiced by Haruna Mikawa), Yoo-jin (Kenta Morobishi), were all pretty generic anime characters.

Overall, the narrative wasn’t all that special. But that’s because we’re still settling in. The anime’s first season does a good job of setting up all the players, introducing and familiarising us with this world, and the game mechanics that dictate Jin-woo’s progression. By the end of Season 1, Jin-woo has a ‘job change’ quest, the success of which earns him a new title of ‘Shadow Monarch’, a necromancer class. He can now control shadow spirits of the deceased, opening up a whole new avenue of battle strategies.

If you like progression fantasy like Will Wight’s Cradle or Rob J Hayes’ Titan Hoppers, you’re in for a treat. And the whole schtick with the dungeon quests? I got strong Elden Ring vibes, especially in the last two episodes where Jin-woo fights Igris. While the animation, fight sequences, and occasional stylistic changes (appropriately reflecting the pushing of boundaries within the fights) were fantastic throughout, it’s these last two episodes that really hooked me.

Solo Leveling Season 2 (2025)

I had some qualms going into season 2, mostly because of how OP Jin-woo has become. While he does fight stronger enemies, the epic nature of the battles only somewhat makes up for the lack of stakes and tension I felt. I think it was only Baran that really gave Jin-woo a tough fight. Even the Ant King, despite how powerful he was, didn’t seem to hold a candle to Jin-woo’s level. But, apart from this one rather major complaint, I loved everything about season 2.

The story actually had better focus with Jin-woo’s quest to make the Elixir of Life to cure his mother. We also make progress with Jin-woo to the point that his powers can no longer stay hidden. After a successful Red Gate mission, he even officially gets reevaluated as an S-Rank Hunter. Additionally, the season brought everything full circle from the opening scene, having our S-Rank Hunters perform the fourth raid of Jeju Island.

While all this transpires, we even get hints at what the ‘System’ might be, as well as cameos from other Hunters including Sung Il-Hwan, Jin-woo’s father. Despite the many teases for future seasons, season 2 felt very much contained and focused. The fight scenes continued to present kinetic thrill, a difficult task given how epic the first season was. Plus, each new Shadow that Jin-woo acquires adds new layers of epic and awesome visuals to each subsequent fight.

I am so glad that season 2 lived up to my expectations. I wouldn’t say it exceeded them, but it kept me hooked till the end, and has me eager for the next season.

Solo Leveling Season 2 Ending Explained

Jin-woo defeats the Ant King, proceeding to raise his Shadow and make a new ‘Shadow General’ named Beru. Meanwhile, Cha, who is the only hunter on the verge of death, doesn’t heal despite Jin-woo’s potions. In a desperate attempt, he resurrects Byung-Gyu’s Shadow to heal Cha, before releasing him to the afterlife. Lastly, he sends Beru out to cull all the remaining Ants, finally ending the whole ordeal.

The Japanese Hunters lose 7 of their S-Ranks, while Korea too faces casualties. In the aftermath, Jin-woo and the hunters pay their respects to a memorial dedicated to the victims. Jin-woo voices his desire to start his own Hunter Guild, while all the other S-Rank Hunters each figure out how to cope with the new status quo. On Jeju Island, the Knights Guild performs cleanup, only to be neutralised by two overpowered strangers. These strangers put the Hunters to sleep before travelling away through a gate, but not before Il-hwan observes them from the shadows.

Lastly, Jin-woo accidentally enters an A-B Gate which ends up being a Red Gate. There, he effortlessly defeats the boss, proceeding to walk past his kneeling Shadow Army as their Shadow Monarch.

I think the first major Saga of Solo Leveling has ended with the successful raid of Jeju Island. The strangers from the island, I believe, are Monarchs or Players much like Jin-woo, but from a different dimension. And Il-hwan? He too is a kind of player, the exact nature of which remains unclear. I haven’t read the Light novels or webtoons, so I’m only speculating here.

But, I’m happy with how season 2 tied up most of its plotlines satisfactorily, before they teased the future. I am seriously stoked for what’s next in this awesome series.

Solo Leveling (2024-present) Worth Watching?

Yes. Solo Leveling is a fine piece of anime. While the storylines and characters are quite typical of anime, the artwork and world-building, not to mention the LitRPG-style game mechanics and lore make this quite a unique watch. I’ll admit, this was my first foray into the genre in anime format. And it was awesome.

Will There Be A Season 3?

Yes. Producer Sota Furahashi has hinted at a possible 2026 release for the next season. Given how the second season teased future storylines, a third season is imminent. Besides, the anime is absurdly popular, which is more than enough reason for the producers to do another season.

In Conclusion:

Solo Leveling was an absolute blast. With elements of LitRPG and Progression Fantasy—two genres that I’ve discovered and come to love in recent years—Solo Leveling was quite a delight to watch. Perfect for fans of Dungeon Crawler Carl, Elden Ring, and many more.

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What did you think of Solo Leveling (2024-present)? Let me know in the comments below! Any other manga, anime, series, book, or movie you’d like me to review? Let me know your recommendations, and I’ll be sure to check them out.

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Until next time!