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2024 was a major year forSolo Levelingas a franchise, with the long-awaited anime becoming a major success, the release of a video game, documentary and even a sequel to theSolo Levelingmanhwa by DUBU and CHUGONG. Solo Leveling has developed into a major phenomenon in the world of anime, with the second season looking like it’ll continue the anime’s success.
Solo Leveling: Ragnarökwas released in August 2024, following the story of Sung Jinwoo’s son, Sung Suho and his own journey with immense power. How does the sequel of theSolo Levelingstory compare to the original manhwa, and isSolo Leveling: Ragnarokworth checking out for fans of the original manhwa?
Solo Leveling: Ragnarök Plot and Background
Introducing Sung Jinwoo’s Son, Suho
Solo Leveling: Ragnarok, like its predecessor, is based on a webnovel, which was in this case, written by Daul. The webtoon adaptation of the series is written by Dang Do and illustrated by JIN from REDICE Studio, whom you may remember is the studio behind the originalSolo Levelingwebtoon adaptation. The original web novel has been published on KakaoPage since April 2023.Solo Leveling: Ragnarök follows Jinwoo and Cha Hae In’s son, Sung Suho, as he navigates the same world of Gates, magic, and monsters, but on a much wider scale than before.
WhileSolo Levelingdeveloped into a story about howthe Absolute Being pitted his creations against each otherin endless war for his entertainment and the consequences of his assassination at the hands of the Rulers, Ragnarök pulls back the curtain even further to reveal that the Absolute Being was actually one of many; one of many twisted creator gods who were entertained by the violence and suffering experienced by their creations.
When the other Absolute Beings realized thatthe God of Lighthad been assassinated, they observed what would happen to the universe he created, which would be without a master. Upon taking note of the power of the Shadow Monarch as it was nurtured by the vessel known as Sung Jinwoo, the Absolute Beings all had the same thought: a power without a master will belong to the one who claims it for himself first. Sung Suho has inherited his father’s Shadow Monarch powers, making him the likely target for the other Absolute Beings. At the end ofSolo Leveling, the Gates are closed, and the magic disappears from the world; however, two years prior to the events ofSolo Leveling: Ragnarok, the Gates returned, bringing with themthe powerful magic abilitiesthat they once bestowed upon humanity.
Upping the Stakes
Ragnarök Makes the Original Premise Into One of Many Warring Universes
The first thingRagnarökdoes is reveal the fact that the Absolute Being was just one of many Absolute Beings, each of whom created some kind of universe and took pleasure in watching their creation destroy itself through endless war. Existence is a game played to satiate the boredom of demiurges, and the stakes are raised by the fact that it renders the original premise simply one of many “games”, but also the only one where the created stood up to their creator (like that anime,Re:Creators). While the general idea of the Gates and Dungeons is the same inRagnarök, there are some interesting differences in language, with “Hunters” now being called “Awakeners”. When a successful Dungeon Raid party returns from a D-Rank Gate, they report a new type of humanoid monster that has blue flames and attacks with fangs and claws. Thinking the attacks were weak, the party had no idea that the scratches would turn them into fully fledged monsters, attacking innocents on the other side.
This happens very close to Suho’s art university, and when he flees a classroom, leaving one of his peers to her fate, he laments his weakness, asking himself what his father would do. As he bravely tries to protect the young woman from a Hunter turned monster, Suho awakens the System lying dormant within him, meeting the requirements for the all too familiarSecret Quest: Courage of the Weak. His memories and powers were sealed away by Jinwoo, who wanted his son to have a normal life, but the incident at his university brings him back into contact with his memories, and Beru, the Shadow Ant. Jinwoo leaves to wage war against the Itarim, the “Outer Gods”, but the spread of the Itarim War to Earth leaves Jinwoo with no choice but to return his son’s memories and entrust him with the Earth’s protection.
How Does Ragnarök Compare to the Original Solo Leveling?
Familiar Aspects Wrapped Up In a Promising Narrative
What’s interesting aboutSolo Leveling: Ragnarökis how it presents some of the same elements we saw in the original series, bringing fans back to some of the best moments of the original series. Suho setting his ownShadow Extraction command phrase to “Arise"is the kind of fan service that makes settling into a story with a new protagonist pleasant. Suho’s character is interesting, because despite the fact that he’s the son of two of the strongest Hunters in history, he hasn’t lived with his parents in a long time, as both of them disappeared, leaving him to live with an unnamed uncle. Suho’s motivation is not the pursuit of the strength he once lacked, but a quest to unlock the power dormant within himself in order to find his mother and eventually talk to his father.Ragnarökalso briefly covers aspects from the original story that make it possible to read as someone completely new to the franchise, but the experience is far better if you are familiar with the extended lore ofSolo Leveling.
The Chimera Ant King’s Shadow, Beru, has become something akin to a mascot or companion character, guiding Suho on his perilous journey, and the dynamic between them is entertaining, especially because Beru talks a lot more inRagnarök. The art is really well done, and oftenreminiscent of the original manhwa. The best part aboutRagnarökis how it takes concepts fromSolo Levelingand kicks them up a notch. Suho’s Shadow Extraction also allows him to manipulate the shapes of Shadows, leading him to come up with a “Shadow-clad” hand-to-hand fighting style that bolsters his physical abilities. While it’s still early days,Solo Leveling: Ragnaröklooks like it might just have the potential to elevate its predecessor and become another “rise of the Shadow Monarch” story that millions love.
Solo Leveling
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A-1 Pictures' Solo Leveling is an anime based on Chugong’s popular web novel. Set in an unforgiving fantasy world where hunters explore dungeons filled with monsters, the vulnerable Sung Jinwoo gains a significant power boost after he is picked to be a solo player by the System.
