Summary
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In Season 2 ofSolo Leveling, Sung Jinwoo acquired what may be his most powerful shadow yet, the Ant King, whom he gave the name Beru. His fight with the living Beru was a visual feast, and the newly acquired shadow quickly showed off his impressive speed and power by eliminating the remainder of thefrenzied ant army on Jeju Island.
While Beru joins the ranks of Sung Jinwoo’s most powerful shadows, one wonders how he compares to Jinwoo’s original shadow lieutenant, Igris. Throughout the series so far, Igris has never shown to have been thoroughly outmatched, and Jinwoo himself has said at points that even as a shadow, Igris may have been stronger than him. So just who is the stronger shadow between these two inSolo Leveling, the OG or the new kid on the block?
Igris’ Power Explained
The Brutally Efficient Knight is Incredibly Strong
When Sung Jinwoo first encountered Igris during his job change quest, he was immediately struck by how effortlessly strong he was. Igris brought Jinwoo the closest he had been to death since his encounter in the double dungeon at the beginning of the series. Jinwoo was no match for Igris and only managed to win by even what Jinwoo considered a lucky hit. Igris was also persuaded during the fight to discard his weapons, which further gave Jinwoo an extra chance to survive that he would not normally have.
“More of a fluke than a win. He had me beat in ability, technique, experience. Surpassed me on every level." -Sung Jinwoo
Ultimately, Igris was defeated by Jinwoo, but the hunter admitted that if the knight commander had his sword, he stood no chance. Jinwoo even admitted that the powerful knight was stronger than himdespite serving under him as a shadow. However, in the anime adaptation, Igris is not shown to be more powerful than the other shadows that Jinwoo uses to bolster his shadow army’s numbers. Igris does get a power upgrade in the series, but his power is still sealed until a later plot event.
“Waiting for your king, are you?” -Sung Jinwoo to the defeated Igris.
How the Fight Would Go
Beru’s Versatility and Power Would Edge Out Igris
Despite how cool Igris looked in the animeand his role as Jinwoo’s first powerful shadow, he, unfortunately, currently pales compared to Beru.Beru is shown to have extreme versatilityin his abilities, possessing his own regeneration technique and ability to copy the powers of beings that he consumes.
If the two shadows fought, Beru’s deadly versatility would ultimately have him carry the day. Because Igris’ true power is still sealed away, Beru would have no problem overcoming Igris’ combat prowess with his superior speed, range, abilities, and power. Unfortunately for Igris, at the end of season 2 he has beenreplaced as Jinwoo’s most powerful shadow, and that will likely remain the case for some time.
However, next, let’s assume that Jinwoo gives Igris the most powerful equipment to give him the best chance possible. Igris would likely use the Demon King’s Longsword, which grants him an insane attack buff and the ability to conjure endless lightning storms. If he uses all the best equipment Jinwoo has to give him, Igris could stand a much better chance. However, the edge would still go to Beru in a clash between a sealed Igris and the current ant king.
Beru simply has shown more destructive power, durability, and speed than Igris has displayed in the series so far. If their shadows fought, even with Igris decked out in the best gear, he would be the first to need to be revived with Sung Jinwoo’s mana. When comparing the two in terms of who is the stronger when serving Sung Jinwoo, it seems Beru could output more destructive power and defeat more enemies thanks to his superior speed. Despite Igris’ superior combat intelligence and years of experience, Beru is ultimately the stronger of the two shadows at this moment.
