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The following contains spoilers for the Solo Leveling manhwa.
Season 2 ofSolo Levelingended off on a high note thanks to the animation spectacular that was Jinwoo versusthe Ant King on Jeju Island. Unfortunately, in that fight, popular S-rank hunter Cha Hae-In got taken out early before she got a chance to show what she could do.
While this may have been disappointing to fans of her character, the good news is that one of the first major fights in the next season will likely be her battle against Jinwoo’s shadows. If Season 2’s animation quality is even remotely similar to Season 3’s, thenSolo Levelingfans will be in for quite a visual treat.
The Story Builds Up Jinwoo’s Shadows
At the end of Season 2,we see SungJinwoo head into a gatethat is blocking road traffic. Before the credits roll on the season, we see Jinwoo disappear into the dungeon gate before it turns red, signaling that something unexpected has happened once again that only this powerful main character can deal with.
“I’ll finish this within a day.” -A confident Jinwoo explores the area inside the red gate.
Season 3 ofSolo Levelingwill likely startwith the fight against the dungeon’s boss, where we get to see how truly overpowered Jinwoo has become. In the manhwa, this is perhaps the first moment we see how Jinwoo has truly outpaced the world with his growth. His new shadow army after Jeju Island effortlessly dispatches the dungeon enemies, leaving even the tough-looking dungeon boss of a red gate shocked. While Jinwoo skates past this red gate free of any life-or-death tension, this dungeon performance builds up the strength of Jinwoo’s shadows perfectly for the next big fight involving Cha Hae-In.
Cha Hae-In Fights Igris
The S-Rank Hunter Finally Gets to Shine
Right after Jinwoo gets back from the red gate dungeon, he has to figure out how to start funding and setting up his newly created guild. In the beginning, it’s just him and Yoo Jinho. However, the two need to quickly find a third member to get the guild properly started.
“Don’t you remember? We need one more founding member.” -Yoo Jinho reminded Sung Jinwoo of the guild’s founding requirements.
Just then, a knock at the door reveals Cha Hae-In has unexpectedly shown up right in front of them, desiring to be their third member. Jinwoo reveals that there is a test to join their guild, which involvesfighting against his strongest shadows, to which Cha Hae-In accepts.
“Which summon is it?” -Cha Hae-In
“For you Hunter Cha, I will pick the strongest.” -Sung Jinwoo
“…Good.” -Cha Hae-In
While Jinwoo promises to give Cha Hae-In a fight against his toughest shadow, he ultimately decides to have her fight Igris instead of his newest top shadow, Beru.
“I told hunter Cha I’d use my strongest summon, but… fighting Beru would be traumatic.” -Sung Jinwoo.
However, many fans will likely be stunned to see how easily Cha Hae-In can defeat Igris in their battle. This victory comes despite her using a practice weapon and Jinwoo equipping Igris with the S-rank Demon King’s Longsword. Like the fight against Beru in Season 2, the anime adaptation may add some extra fight scenes to make this battle longer and more intense than originally portrayed.
The Battle Against Beru
However, despite easily clearing Igris,the test is not over for Cha Hae-In. She knows that Jinwoo is holding back on her and demands to fight Beru despite her trauma.
“Was that Black Knight really your strongest summon? Didn’t you say that you’d call out your strongest summon? Please summon him… I wanted to fight him again.” -Cha Hae-In
The fight is an intense whirlwind of speed and skill as the Cha Hae-In and the Ant King face off. Unlike when she fought him before, Cha Hae-In dodges his sneak attack from behind, managing to survive much longer this time. Although there is still a large power difference between Beru and Cha Hae-In, she doesn’t give up and nearly kills him by unleashing her Blade of Light skill when the shadow least expects it.
To avoid death, Beru is forced to unleash a hidden instinct, which causes Jinwoo to call the fight just before Beru harms Cha Hae-In. Although Beru was told to win without harming Cha Hae-In, her performance is still impressive considering she had been one-shot by Beru just a few chapters earlier. With a proper sakuga animation treatment, this fight, where we get to see Cha Hae-In let loose finally, has the potential to be one of the best fights inSolo Leveling.
Solo Leveling
Cast
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.
