Summary

• Solo Leveling's epic final battle left fans conflicted with a controversial ending.
• Jinwoo's use of the Cup of Reincarnation erased all the consequences of the series, leading to a contrived perfect ending.
• The Rulers' fear of Jinwoo's power turned them against him, showcasing a hypocritical and ungrateful side to their character.

This article contains spoilers for the Solo Leveling manhwa, light novel and anime.

After three years, Solo Leveling, the webtoon that took the world by storm with its epic action sequences and fantastic artwork, ended with 179 chapters. As a story about a weak Hunter who goes on to become the strongest in the world, the series' protagonist, Sung Jinwoo, was forced to fight everything imaginable: from knights, to orcs, to the Gods of his Universe. In Solo Leveling's ending, Sung Jinwoo faced his toughest battle yet against Antares, the Monarch of Destruction.

Unwilling to allow more people to die, Jinwoo shouldered the burden of defending the entire world, but he didn't stand alone -- he had the full force of his powerful Shadow Army behind him. While many found the Solo Leveling manhwa's epic final battle to be a satisfactory ending, other fans finished the series feeling conflicted. The series has a legion of fans who have followed Jinwoo every step of the way, so the fact that many of them still question how the Solo Leveling manhwa finished says a lot about how controversial it truly was.

Updated by Brett Cardaro on April 18, 2024: The Solo Leveling anime was easily the most hyped series of the early 2024 season, due to both its incredible action sequences and unique world-building. Season 1 ended off on a high-note, with an epic finale that saw Jinwoo finally becoming the fabled Shadow Monarch. That finale was only the beginning, of course: a fact which fans of Solo Leveling's manhwa and light novel know all-too-well. In celebration of the anime's first season coming to a close in dramatic fashion, this article has been updated with more information about Solo Leveling's controversial ending.

Jinwoo's Anticlimactic Final Battle With Antares

The Final Battle Against Antares Was Epic But Left Fans Conflicted

One of the biggest criticisms fans had of Solo Leveling's ending was with the final battle against the Monarch of Destruction, Antares. For all intents and purposes, it started out just as epic as readers could have expected. In a poetic moment, Jinwoo utilized the skill he learned from Kamish's rune stone, Dragon's Fear, to render Antares' army of dragons momentarily powerless, thus forcing Antares to a deserted island in Japan alone, away from everyone else.

The ensuing battle became one of Monarch versus Monarch; shadow army versus an army of dragons. For a moment, Jinwoo was able to hold his own, but Antares quickly forced Jinwoo into a corner and made him an offer. He would spare Korea and disappear if the two of them worked together to destroy the Rulers. However, Jinwoo saw through his lies and knew that Antares wouldn't hesitate to kill him if given the chance. Immediately, Antares transformed into an enormous dragon and resumed attacking. Because Jinwoo's dagger wasn't able to penetrate his thick armor, he decided that he needed to create his own armor -- out of darkness and shadows.

It was a symbolic moment to see flashes of Ashborn, Jinwoo's father, and images of Jinwoo's past self while he landed the final blow against Antares, using the same dagger that his father used. Although the fight panels between Jinwoo and Antares had some of the best artwork in the webtoon, the glory was diminished with the Rulers showing up at just the last moment in true deus ex machina-fashion and killing Antares with one final attack. The moment rendered Jinwoo's efforts pointless, which was one major criticism of Solo Leveling's ending.

Solo Leveling's Use of Time Travel Didn't Provide Genuine Closure

The Cup of Reincarnation Erased the Consequences of The Entire Series in One Fell Swoop

Another major reason why fans have been split on the Solo Leveling ending is Jinwoo's decision to use the Cup of Reincarnation. After Jinwoo's initial fight with the Monarchs, the Rulers thanked him for saving humankind, but Jinwoo wasn't satisfied. Sure, Antares was gone, but the Monarchs were not defeated for good. More importantly, he had lost many people he cared about: his father and Adam being his most recent losses, not to mention the trauma that his sister, Jinah, endured from being attacked by Magic Beasts at school. Although he didn't outwardly show it, these deaths and the effects that the war with the Monarchs had on his family made a significant impact on Jinwoo.

In order to set everything right, Jinwoo resolves to go back in time to save everyone, and prevent the opening of the Gates from ever happening in the first place. The Cup of Reincarnation turned back time, bringing back the Monarchs who died--including Antares, and keeping their memories intact. Jinwoo shut himself up in the dimension gap with the remaining shadows who would still exist in the past, which meant newer Shadow Soldiers like Iron and Greed could not fight alongside him anymore. From there, the Solo Leveling ending saw the Cup activated and Jinwoo returned to his school days.

The reason this entire sequence of events was so controversial for fans was that it seemed like a contrived way of allowing Jinwoo to set everything right and perfect in the end. The entire events of the series were essentially without consequence, especially since Jinwoo didn't show much personal conflict when it was all said and done. That's part of a greater criticism of the series at large though, because Solo Leveling has always been criticized for its characters being a bit shallow. However, being that Solo Leveling was always a power fantasy series from the very beginning, Jinwoo gaining Godlike powers that prevent anything from going wrong was always written in the cards.

Another criticism related to the use of the Cup of Reincarnation came at the end, when Jinwoo beat all the Monarchs and met with Antares once again. Unfortunately, the Solo Leveling manga ending didn't delve into detail as to how their fight went, which was a little disappointing, but unsurprising. On one hand, Solo Leveling had already given fans a pretty epic fight in the previous chapters and a second fight would feel redundant. On the other hand, it's unlikely the Rulers would step in a second time to make the battle between Jinwoo and Antares even more spectacular.

The Rulers Feared Jinwoo's Power in Solo Leveling

The Rulers Turned on Jinwoo After He Did Everything in His Power to Bring Peace to the World

After setting time backwards with the Cup of Reincarnation, only two years passed in the real world during Jinwoo's fight against the Monarchs. However, in the dimensional gap, Jinwoo had been fighting for 27 years. Throughout the course of that conflict, Jinwoo didn't only save humankind, he also saved the Rulers. If it weren't for him, the Rulers may have found themselves put into a corner as the Monarchs grew stronger, continuing the endless cycle of war between the Rulers and Monarchs for eternity. By choosing to turn back time and kill all the Monarchs by himself, Jinwoo restored peace and freed the Rulers from their endless war.

However, the Rulers weren't as grateful to Jinwoo as he would have expected. Ever since Norma Selner came into contact with the other world, her ability to tell the future accurately had heightened and the Rulers panicked when they heard that the God of Death would descend upon the Earth with his army. This, of course, proved true when Jinwoo emerged on Earth alone after having finally defeated the Monarchs single-handedly.

In an iconic scene at the end of the manhwa, the Brightest Fragment of Brilliant Light sat down with Jinwoo, and gave him two choices: move away from Earth, or get sealed away. Fans have viewed this pressure from the Rulers as entirely hypocritical considering everything Jinwoo did for them. After all, it essentially makes them no different from the Monarchs who tried to get rid of Ashborn because they feared his overwhelming power. However, this propensity to turn on those who hold power over them is not a new thing for the Rulers. These were the same Rulers who turned on the Absolute Being and even initially killed Ashborn because they wanted to take their fate into their own hands.

As deplorable as the idea that the Rulers would turn on Jinwoo is, it wasn't missed on Jinwoo himself. He simply staresd menacingly at the Brightest Fragment of Brilliant Light, as though just daring the Rulers to try him. Of course, the Rulers immediately back down, intimidated by Jinwoo's newfound power. In a way, Norma Selner's premonition was not entirely wrong, it just didn't happen like it seemed. Jinwoo was, of course, the God of Death, and his arrival did mark the end of the world as everyone knew it. However, it also meant the beginning of a new world of peace.

Solo Leveling's Ending Saw Jinwoo Questioning His Purpose

Jinwoo Had a Rare-But-Welcome Moment of Introspection at the End of the Series

Norma Selner's prophecy and the Ruler's destruction of Jinwoo's power had an interesting effect on Jinwoo himself. Although he was angry at the Rulers, he began to question his existence: with his job now done, was he even needed anymore? He went so far as to compare his own great power to that of a Nuclear weapon, with the potential to destroy the entire world if used without restraint.

What's more, the Cup of Reincarnation not only turned back time, but it also erased Jinwoo from everyone's memories. Nobody would ever remember the sacrifices he made to save the world. All the friends and allies he made as a world-famous Hunter would no longer remember who he was. It's a little bittersweet to see Jinwoo reunite with his family and have a very brief respite. When he confessed that it felt like he had a nightmare, there was a hint of yearning in his voice because, as strong as Jinwoo is, all he wanted was to be a normal kid. There was a sense of vulnerability in Jinwoo's monologue as he seemed to plead with himself that putting off the battle with the Monarchs for a little while longer wouldn't hurt anyone.

Throughout Solo Leveling, Jinwoo leveled up and got stronger because he had a purpose, which was to protect everyone. With the conflict finally over, he had to find a balance between his overwhelming power and having the humbleness not to use that power for the wrong reasons. However, maybe Jinwoo didn't need a grand, heroic reason for having power -- maybe the reason could be as simple as wanting to live with and protect those he loved.

Solo Leveling: Ragnarok and the Anime Adaptation Continue the Series' Legacy

The Solo Leveling Anime Has the Potential to Fix the Problems With the Manhwa's Ending

Despite the controversial ending of Solo Leveling, it wasn't all bad. The series ultimately ended with Jinwoo being the strongest and starting his own family. It was a happy ending, even if there were some plot holes and inconsistencies. Luckily, new media is still being released in the Solo Leveling franchise, potentially helping to retroactively address some of fans' concerns.

In April 2023, fans were surprised by the release of an epic new trailer and 105 chapters for the spin-off series, Solo Leveling: Ragnarok. The spin-off follows the adventures of Jinwoo's son, Sung Suho, whose powers were sealed inside him as a child by his father. Now attending university, those hidden traits begin coming to life as he finds himself being greeted as a player and given a full list of tasks he needs to complete in order to level up. This series continues the legacy of the beloved manhwa and web novel, and its tropes of the next generation taking over mirror newer shonen manga continuationes such as Dragon Ball Super or Boruto: Naruto Next Generations.

Aside from the manhwa, Solo Leveling's long awaited anime adaptation by A-1 Pictures began airing on Crunchyroll January 6th, 2024, and was met with critical acclaim and overwhelming popularity. With the anime in particular, fans have high hopes that it might fix some of the problems with Solo Leveling's original ending in the manhwa. This is not necessarily uncommon in anime adaptations, though this usually happens (in the case of shows such as the original Shaman King) when the anime has caught up with the manga.

The Solo Leveling ending in the manhwa was essentially a more rushed version of the one from the original novels, and it's unlikely that there will be too much divergence in the anime. However, the anime has been making great strides in expanding on characters and events from the original series, adding plenty of anime-only scenes that expand on Solo Leveling's world and character development. If this trend continues throughout the rest of the series, it'spossible that the ending of the Solo Leveling anime could address and even fix many of the things fans didn't like about the series' original manhwa and light novel ending.

Solo Leveling is now streaming on Crunchyroll.