Ant King's initial appearance in Solo Leveling season 2 leaves the fandom divided

Modified Mar 05, 2025 15:30 GMT

Ant King's initial appearance in Solo Leveling season 2 leaves the fandom divided (Image via A-1 Pictures)

On March 4, 2025, Solo Leveling season 2 released its climax trailer, confirming that the anime sequel will adapt the most hyped arc from the manhwa series. The trailer showcased some of the most breathtaking moments from the arc, including the first look at the Ant King, which fans had mixed feelings about.

One segment of the fandom criticized the character design, particularly the color choices made by the animation studio. While the design remained quite similar to the manhwa, the color palette seemed somewhat dull. Conversely, some fans were hopeful about the future portrayal of the Ant King, as this monster is set to become one of Sung Jinwoo's strongest shadows, Beru.

Disclaimer: This article contains potential spoilers from the Solo Leveling manhwa series and has the author's opinion.

Solo Leveling season 2 debuts the initial appearance of the Ant King

The climax trailer for Solo Leveling season 2 unveiled the beginning of the Jeju Island Raid, confirming that the sequel will adapt one of the most anticipated and well-received arcs from the anime's source material (manhwa), the Jeju Island Raid Arc. The trailer featured Hunters from different countries arriving on Jeju Island. They aim to eradicate the calamity, which appeared in the form of human-sized ants.

The climax trailer also previewed the battle between the Hunters from Japan and Korea, which will air in Solo Leveling season 2, episode 10. One of the highlights of the video was a focus on an egg resting in a cave, with a faint ant visible through the translucent shell.

In the video's final moments, it was revealed that a giant ant had hatched from the egg. This creature is the Ant King, the primary antagonist of this arc. While the ant's aura might be as intimidating as any other antagonist, its character design has received mixed reactions from fans due to its dull colors.

Reactions from fans

The Ant King as seen in the climax trailer (Image via A-1 Pictures)

The fandom was divided in the truest sense. One part was furious over the design of the Ant King and even wanted to report A-1 Pictures (the anime's animation studio) and the character artist (presumably the character designer). On the other hand, one fan referred to this Ant King as Beru (which is the Ant's reawakened form) and argued that it deserved more detail in its design.

"Im gonna report the art studio and the artist," a fan said.

"I was getting a vibe that they are not doing Character Design well but after seeing Beru now, I am sure they are not giving their all. They have made Beru a trash character by giving this sort of design," another one said.

The other segment of the fandom took a more thoughtful approach. They were aware of the Ant King's evolving design and remained hopeful that the character's design would improve over time. Lastly, one fan clarified the general misunderstanding by stating that this design was for the Ant King, not Beru.

"Beru is still evolving, this is not his final form," another one claimed

"I think that's the newly hatched Ant King and NOT BERU. He'll evolve or change as he eats more I believe," another fan said

Analysis and Final thoughts

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With a franchise's popularity comes fans who make statements without verifying their sources. Even though the Solo Leveling manhwa is quite old, some anime-only fans are unaware of the character's powers, which may explain why the Ant King's character design wasn't fairly accepted.

Beru is a shadow soldier created from the Ant King after Sung Jinwoo defeats the antagonist. However, due to the hype around the shadow soldier, fans misunderstood it.

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Edited by Shreya Das