Chairman Go as Sung Jinwoo's Shadow Soldier wouldn't be as powerful as Solo Leveling fans may think (and for a good reason)

By Casey Mendez

Modified Mar 28, 2025 15:00 GMT

Contrary to popular belief, Go Gunhee wouldn't be as strong of a Shadow Solider (Image via A-1 Pictures)

The Solo Leveling craze has taken over the world thanks to a scintillating second season of the anime. Featuring the most awaited arc, the Jeju Island Arc, the animating studio brought to life one of Jinwoo's best fights in stunning fashion. Moreover, true to their word prior, efforts were successfully made in fleshing out the supporting cast to make the series as a whole feel more organic.

Among the cast, old and new, showcased in the second season, there was interest in the Hunters Association Chairman, Go Gunhee. As observed by Sung Jinwoo himself, Chairman Go emanated a strong aura, hinting at his strength, which was hidden away behind a kind and warm smile. This led to the curiosity of "What if Jinwoo turned Gunhee into a Shadow Soldier?"

To put it simply, he would be powerful, but not as strong as he would be alive and at maximum potential.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the Solo Leveling manhwa and reflects the writer's opinion.

Solo Leveling: Contrary to popular belief, Go Gunhee wouldn't be as strong of a Shadow Solider

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As mentioned, Go Gunhee as a Shadow Soldier wouldn't really be as strong as lovers of Chugong's series think he would be. There is sound logic to this claim as well. To begin with, it is a known fact that Chairman Go is one of the strongest Hunters in the world. However, due to an aging body, he wasn't able to utilize the power within him to the fullest.

As seen in the Solo Leveling manhwa, Go Gunhee was a vessel of a Ruler. But again, old age prevents him from tapping into that power to the fullest and/or fighting for extended periods. This made him considerably weaker than other humans who were also vessels for Rulers. But nonetheless, he was still an S-Rank Hunter and one of Korea's strongest and finest.

Now arriving at the crux of the discussion, being a vessel is the reason that Go Gunhee wouldn't be as strong if revived as a Shadow Soldier. The reason is that when vessels die, they forgo the powers bestowed upon them by the Rulers. In essence, they revert back to their normal strength level, whichever Rank it may be. So if revived, Go Gunhee's Shadow form would be strong, but not as powerful.

Chairman Go Gunhee (Image via A-1 Pictures)

This ties into Jinwoo also being unable to use Shadow Extraction on Monarchs or Rulers. These beings cannot become Shadow Soldiers due to their biology being completely composed of Mana. Once they perish, that Mana seemingly dies out as well, thus eliminating it entirely from the possibility of resurrection, or rather, extraction.

Additionally, there is also the fact that Jinwoo did not really try to use Shadow Extraction on Gunhee. The Chairman put up an impressive fight against the Frost Monarch, Sillad, but sustained a lot of damage during the bout. Despite Jinwoo's attempts to save him, he refused to allow the Holy Water of Life to be used on him to treat his injuries and soon passed away.

But thinking about it objectively, if Jinwoo did use Shadow Extraction on Gunhee, the situation would probably resemble what happened with Kim Chul. Just as he returned as Iron, Gunhee would face a similar thing but likely be a stronger shadow than Iron, given his existing S-Rank status as a human against Kim Chul's A-Rank. It definitely would have been intriguing to see, but Jinwoo refrained, likely out of respect.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, the idea of Go Gunhee becoming a Shadow Soldier is compelling, but the reality is that he wouldn't be as powerful as many would imagine. His strength as a Hunter was linked to him being a vessel of a Ruler, a power that dissipated when he passed away. This aligns with Solo Leveling's established lore, where beings composed of Mana, like Monarchs and Rulers, cannot be revived as Shadow Soldiers.

Moreover, Jinwoo never attempted Shadow Extraction on Gunhee, likely out of respect for the man and the nature of his powers. If revived, Gunhee would likely have been among the strongest of Jinwoo's Shadow Soldiers. Even so, he would have been far from his peak strength, the level he could have reached when alive if he wasn't hampered by his aged body. Ultimately, his legacy had a substantial impact on Jinwoo, rather than the "what if" of him becoming a Shadow.

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Edited by Somava