Solo Leveling Season 2 introduces Sung Jinwoo's father

The following contains heavy spoilers for Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow- as well as the Solo Leveling plot as a whole. Proceed with caution.

Summary

  • Sung Il Hwan, Jinwoo's father, emerges as a powerful S-class hunter after surviving inside a Gate for a decade.

  • Il Hwan's power and dark mission to assassinate Jinwoo set the stage for a tragic father-son battle.

  • Sung Il Hwan's introduction reveals the deeper lore of Solo Leveling, shedding light on the origins of the System and the Rulers.

The third episode of Solo Leveling Season 2 – Rise from the Shadows-titled “Still A Long Way to Go” revealed a potential plot-buster with the introduction of Sung Il Hwan, Sung Jinwoo and Jinah's father, who disappeared ten years before the events of the series.

Appearing in a Gate that appeared somewhere in the United States, Il Hwan's first appearance establishes him as one of the strongest characters in the series to date, easily defeating an entire Raid Party of A-rank Hunters as well as humiliating Hwang Dongsoo. What Sung Il Hwan's introduction means for his story Solo leveling does it factor into the rest of season 2 as well as the narrative as a whole?

Never set foot in Korea. I'm not saying this for my son's sake, I'm saying it for yours. You will never rest in peace, not even in death.

Hwang Dongsoo's Sung Il Hwan

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Who is Sung Il Hwan?

A hunter strong enough to survive in a gate for a decade

Upon his introduction, Sung Il Hwan is shown to have a strength that can surpass several A-rank hunters, not to mention his insane claim to have survived inside a Gate for ten whole years. To put this into context, the Red Gate incident claimed the lives of several A-rank hunters in a matter of days; surviving for a decade is simply unthinkable. Up until this point, there has been no reference to Sung Jinwoo's father, so his sudden appearance, from inside a gate, is a curveball. When questioned by the American authorities, he complies without a fight, but when Hwang Dongsoo comes to talk to him, he reveals an intense bloodlust upon learning of Il Hwan's relationship with Jinwoo, the “monster in human form” defeated him completely.

Sung Il Hwan was once a fireman who fell in love with a woman named Park Kyung Hye and had two children, Jinwoo and Jinah. When the Gates first appeared, Il Hwan gave up firefighting to become a hunter, becoming one of the first S-class hunters in Korea. However, back then, the Hunter Ranking system had not yet been implemented, so Il Hwan's strength was never measured, nor did he enjoy the various privileges afforded to contemporary S-class hunters.

The reason for Sung Il Hwan's power

The real story of Solo Leveling begins

Sung Il Hwan Glowing Eye – Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-

An all-out battle between S-class hunters is an event that has been described as incredibly destructive to the surrounding area, making their conflicts very costly, hence Woo Jinchul's intervention in the hostilities that took place between White Tiger Guild leader Baek Yoonho and Hwang Dongsoo. . However, Hwang Dongsoo was defeated without the damage even reaching the surrounding buildings, leading the first responders to theorize that the S-rank hunter, considered to be one of the strongest in the world, had been defeated in a moment. Il Hwan's introduction is the first time we come to understand that just because a hunter is S-class, it doesn't mean there can't be a massive class gap between them and another S-class hunter. Ten years before the events of main story, Sung Il Hwan was trapped in a dungeon after a raid and presumed dead, leaving Kyung Hye to raise her children alone.

Solo Leveling: Rulers Vs. MONARCHS

Sung Il Hwan had no means of escape; however, before he could die of starvation or dehydration, he was rescued by the Rulers, the primordial angelic inhabitants of Solo leveling universe created by the Absolute Being – the entity depicted in the Statue of God found in the Cartenon Temple. The Rulers, also known as Shards of Shining Light, have a dark counterpart called the Monarchs, their archenemies with whom they have been at war for eons. In exchange for saving his life, the Rulers enlist Il Hwan to assassinate the Shadow Monarch's vessel, who we know is none other than his son, Sung Jinwoo, an event that sets in motion all the more. Solo leveling the story and eventual exploration of the System's origins and Sung Jinwoo's powers.

The impending tragedy

Father and Son are now destined to fight each other

Sung Jinwoo Becomes the Shadow Monarch Up Close – Solo Leveling Episode 12
Sung Jinwoo Becomes the Shadow Monarch Up Close – Solo Leveling Episode 12

Il Hwan's return correlates with Jinwoo's obtaining the title of Shadow Monarch, meaning that the fated reunion between father and son will also be a death match that perpetuates the war between Monarchs and Rulers. The fact that “angelic” beings are the ones who enlist a father to kill his own son is a taste of the interesting things, all the more. Solo leveling lore does, especially with the relationships between individual monarchs and rulers, which will begin to emerge throughout the developing story as Jinwoo becomes even more powerful. Il Hwan was forced to assassinate Jinwoo on the Rulers' orders, which is tragic because of the Sung family's strong ties and protectiveness of each other, but is also illustrative of the humanity Jinwoo discards in pursuit of power.

The Absolute Being, a God of Light, is actually a warped spectator who delights in suffering and sees the resulting violence among his creations as entertainment. This “twisted king” archetype is often sent by a close ally, and it turns out that seven of the eight Rulers conspired to assassinate the Absolute Being. Only Ashborn, the most powerful Ruler, remained loyal to the Absolute Being; however, he was overwhelmed and defeated by the others. To survive, he transformed into the Shadow Monarch and tried to return to the battlefield, but by then the assassination was complete. The introduction of Il Hwan is major as it sets in motion the series of events that will make Jinwoo and the audience increasingly aware of how Solo leveling the universe appeared.

Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow- is available on Crunchyroll.

Solo Leveling TV series poster

A-1 Pictures' Solo Leveling is an anime based on Chugong's popular web novel. Set in an unforgiving fantasy world where hunters explore monster-filled dungeons, vulnerable Sung Jinwoo gains a significant power boost after being chosen as a solo player by the System.

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