Shadow Army: Solo Leveling's Sung Jinwoo doesn't even need his full Shadow Army for Sukuna in the endgame

Solo Leveling's Sung Jinwoo (through the manhwa) has proven himself to be utterly and totally all-powerful. Beginning as a weak E-Rank Hunter, he was chosen to inherit the powers of Ashborn the Shadow Monarch. Subsequently, he rose to become the most powerful being in existence. By the end of the manhwa, he was capable of time travel, had defeated the strongest Monarch (Antares) twice, and had abilities that defied natural laws.

However, in the current anime adaptation, Jinwoo is now a powerful S-Rank Hunter, set to face another powerful threat soon. Witnessing Jinwoo's rise, it isn't uncommon to see "the strongest" characters of different series pit against one another. In this debate, one such character could be the King of Curses, Ryomen Sukuna. A match between these two would be an exciting watch.

Considering both to be in their endgame states, a full-powered Sung Jinwoo wouldn't likely need his Shadow Army to best the Demon King.

Disclaimer: This article contains the author's opinion and compares the end-of-series versions of both characters.

Solo Leveling: Endgame Jinwoo bests Sukuna without his Shadow Army

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Before beginning, it is important to note that this feature doesn't downplay either character. It also doesn't compare the current Jinwoo to Sukuna (full power), but the Jinwoo at the end of the Solo Leveling manhwa. After all, Sukuna proved to be nearly impossible to defeat in Jujutsu Kaisen. It took the entire Jujutsu High and outside help to actually take down the Demon King. Sukuna's prowess for battle in general was unmatched.

Once unleashed, he showed why he was so feared in the Heian Era. Among his many feats, his single-handed win and subsequent slaughter of the Sun, Moon, and Stars Squad and the Five Empty Generals (elite Fujiwara Clan forces) stands as one of the most impressive. As seen, he possessed immense physical attributes as well. His grasp of Jujutsu sorcery is what allowed him to retaliate against nearly everything that was thrown at him during the Shinjuku Showdown.

Again, his control of Cursed Energy (CE) was immaculate, which was another driving force behind his many techniques. Sukuna's Malevolent Shrine likely stands as the series' strongest move, alongside Infinite Void. After taking over Megumi's body, him receiving the Ten Shadows made him all the more terrifying, considering he could summon both Mahoraga and Agito. Lastly, although appearing briefly, Sukuna's Kamutoke and Hiten are quite strong tools too.

Now with all this, Solo Leveling's endgame Sung Jinwoo is added to the mix as Sukuna's opponent. Considering what Jinwoo becomes by the series' conclusion, Sukuna might not be able to take the cake with this one. What's more, Jinwoo likely wouldn't need to call upon his Shadow Army either. This claim can be backed by briefly diving into what Jinwoo could do. To begin with, he possesses the standard immeasurable physical attributes, which make him a tough foe.

Next, he is unique in his ability to constantly adapt and grow, i.e., he develops the more he fights and receives major boosts with each victory. This in itself is difficult to keep up with. Moving on, Jinwoo's Umbrakinesis allows him armor himself in shadows, thereby making him even more durable. Not only that, he is durable internally too, i.e., both before and after his development, Jinwoo had an utterly indomitable will, which only grew stronger when he started his own family.

Other than this, Jinwoo possesses a plethora of passive and active skills that further give his stats a limitless boost. Faced with an opponent like this, the King of Curses will have an extremely tough time. Granted, it will not be a one-hit kill fight, but Jinwoo's abilities seem sufficient to overwhelm Sukuna. Moreover, in Solo Leveling: Ragnarok, Jinwoo is currently warring against the Itarim (Outer Gods responsible for creating all of existence).

Taking all this into account, Sukuna's odds do not seem promising. Although highly adept, Sukuna will likely crumble before sheer power like this. Jinwoo outclasses him by a significant margin. Even with Agito and Mahoraga, Sukuna's odds don't increase much, considering Jinwoo's monster-slaying reputation. Furthermore, Malevolent Shrine might fall short too as Jinwoo could dodge Cleave and Dismantle given his unfathomable speed.

Final thoughts

In conclusion, Solo Leveling's Sung Jinwoo will prove too overwhelming for the King of Curses to best. Again, not to be mistaken, Sukuna isn't at all weak and established himself as a true terror by Jujutsu Kaisen's end. However, judging based on abilities and techniques, Jinwoo edges Sukuna even without his Shadow Army to back him up. After all, by the series' end, Jinwoo became so ridiculously powerful that entities like the Itarim needed to be introduced.

Both Sukuna and Jinwoo are amazing portrayals of their respective series' take on the strongest around. It is important to remember that the two series function on two entirely different power systems and abilities. This feature merely pits their final selves, uninhibited, against each other.

Sukuna is undoubtedly a menacing force to be reckoned with and an incredibly powerful antagonist. But hypothetically speaking, even his might wouldn't be enough to win against the new Shadow Monarch.