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Season 2 ofSolo Levelinghas introduced us to some of the most powerful characters from the Manhwa series. However, we’ve yet to step outside of the human realm and witness the might of Rulers and Monarchs. In fact, the source of Sung Jinwoo’s powers is one of these Monarchs, Ashborn.
There are severaldangerous and power-thirsty Monarchsin the series, but there’s no one like Ashborn. He is the Shadow Monarch, and while anime-only fans have yet to see this character appear on the screen, fans who’ve read the manga already know a great deal about this character. Ashborn is the strongest of all Monarchs, and while we love this character because of his incredible powers, what truly makes him interesting is his backstory.
Ashborn Was The Original Monarch Of Shadows InSolo Leveling
He Was Feared By Both Rulers And Monarchs
Ashborn didn’t start off as the most powerful being; instead, he was like any other Ruler who had beenfighting the Monarchs for eons. Yes, Ashborn wasa Ruler who later went on to become the Monarch of Shadows or the Kind of the Dead. It all started whenthe war between Monarchs and Rulers was ongoing, and the Absolute Being, a Godly entity inSolo Leveling, was still alive. Rulers and Monarchs were fighting an endless war at the behest of the Absolute Being, but the Rulers later learned that their war was meaningless. It was nothing but a means to entertain the Absolute Being.
The Rulers decided to stop being puppets andrebelled against the Absolute Being. However, Ashborn stayed loyal to his God and faced defeat at the hands of the other Rulers. Right when he was about to draw his last breath, Ashborn learned that the Absolute Being hid tremendous and monstrous power inside of him. In a way, his God rewarded him for his unwavering loyalty. And, well,Ashborn became the Shadow Monarchafter awakening these powers and rushed to save his God, but it was too late. The Rulers had already killed the Absolute Being, and they also captured Legia, the Monarch of the Beginning.
I am the record of your bitter struggle. I am the evidence of your resistance. I am the reward of your pain. I am death, I am eternal rest, and I am also terror. I am you - Ashborn to Jinwoo.
At this point, the Rulers had the upper hand, and they would have ended this war that had been going on for eons. However, Ashborn decided to balance the scales bysiding with the Monarchsso that the war never ends, just as the Absolute Being wished. For years, Ashborn fought against the Rulers, but his powers were so great that even Monarchs started to fear him. Out of jealousy or fear, two Monarchs,Rakan, and Baran, turned on the Shadow Monarch. The two Monarchs not only lost the fight, but Baran also lost his life against Ashborn.
At this point, the Rulers realized that Ashborn was never their enemy, so they pleaded with him to rejoin their side. Ashborn lost his purpose (again) after being betrayed by the Monarchs, so he neither accepted nor rejected the offer to join the Rulers. Instead, he decided to go into hiding, which left the Monarchs vulnerable, and, as expected, they lost the war against the Rulers. Meanwhile,Ashborn continued to rebuild his Shadow Army. Several years later, Ashborn approached Antares, the Monarch of Destruction, and joined their side. However, he didn’t join the Monarchs with the intention of fighting the Rulers; instead, he wanted to keep a check on the Monarchs from the inside.
Ashborn Decides To Find A Purpose By Descending To The Human World
He Finds A Worthy Successor, Sung Jinwoo
After losing the war and going into hiding,Antares decides to conquer Earth and use humans to expand his army.Obviously, Rulers wanted to prevent this, so they created Hunters and granted their powers to whoever seemed worthy. Ashborn sees an opportunity and seizes it by asking Kandiaru, a mage, to find him a worthy human vessel. Kandiaru, in exchange for immortality, decides to do Ashborn’s bidding and creates The System to find a suitable vessel for Ashborn. While Kandiaru tested several humans for years, there was one human who could uphold Ashborn’s standards, Jinwoo.
Initially, Ashborn made it look like he would take control of Jinwoo’s body after the boy reached Level 100. However, the Shadow Monarch had other plans for Jinwoo;he wanted to make the boy his successorby passing over all of his powers to him. Jinwoo only got a taste of Ashborn’s powers through the System, but in the Monarch War arc, Ashborn realized Jinwoo’s potential and gave him his Black Heart.
When Jinwoo lost the fight against the Frost and Beast Monarch and almost died, Ashborn created an illusion to talk to the boy in a vision. In this illusion, Ashborn appeared as Go Gunhee, but Jinwoo saw through the illusion and asked the “real person” to show their face. That’s whenAshborn comes forward and reveals the truth to Jinwoowhile also granting him the powers of the Shadow Monarch.
The Absolute Being passed on the powers of the Shadow Monarch to Ashborn, and after finding Jinwoo as the suitable successor, Ashborn did the same. Ashborn never stopped fighting for his God, and realizing that Jinwoo held the same level of determination to protect his family, the Shadow Monarch knew that the boy was his perfect successor.
You are asking the wrong questions. Instead of asking me who I am, rather you should be asking who you are - The Architect to Jinwoo.
While all this was happening, Rulers sent their warrior,Sung II-Hwan, to kill the new Shadow Monarch. Since Ashborn never accepted the Rulers' apology, they thought Ashborn was still fighting for the Monarchs. However, when Ashborn’s successor kills one of the Monarchs, they realize that the new Shadow Monarch isn’t their enemy. In the end, Jinwoo, the new Monarch of Shadow, carried forward Ashborn’s legacy and destroyed every Monarch to save those who were vulnerable.
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.
