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Solo Leveling has received a lot of attention lately because of the success of the current anime adaptation by A-1 Pictures, and many people are eager to learn more about the lore and nature of the series. As many newcomers may have found out by now, Sung Jin-Woo has gone very far in the series, and the Shadow Iron is perhaps one of the best examples of that.
Believe it or not, the Shadow Iron is one of the most controversial characters in the Solo Leveling franchise, mainly because of how he came to be and joined Sung's party. While he is still a fairly well-received character in his own right, what happened to him throughout the series is still being debated among fans.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the Solo Leveling series. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda.
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Explaining who the Shadow Iron is in Solo Leveling and what happened to him in the series
The Shadow Iron debuted in Solo Leveling during the Red Gate Arc and is the shadow of the A-Rank Hunter from South Korea, known as Kim Chul. This Hunter was defeated by the protagonist of the series, Sung Jin-Woo, and the latter used his Shadow as his minion, which is one of the reasons why Iron's character is divisive to many people.
Chul was a very capable fighter and someone who was filled with arrogance, often undermining a lot of people who were below him in terms of rank. However, it took a lot of planning on Sung's part to outwit him and eventually take his shadow so he could survive the events of the Red Gate Arc.
Using the Shadow Iron allowed Jin-Woo to defeat Baruka during the events of that arc and became one of his most trusted allies in the series. They have a lot of different battles together in the Solo Leveling manhwa, and Iron stands out because of his humorous nature and loyalty toward the series' protagonist.
The legacy of the Shadow Iron
The reason why the Shadow Iron is controversial to a lot of people is the fact that he became a shadow because of Sung Jin-Woo's machinations during the events of the Red Gate Arc. Furthermore, many fans thought this was a very convenient plot point, although it did fit with the series' world-building.
However, his time in Solo Leveling is very limited because Sung Jin-Woo uses the Cup of Reincarnation to reset the series' timeline. That is why the Shadow Iron becomes Kim Chul once again, although it is worth pointing out that he had no memories of his life in the previous timeline, whether as a shadow or as the Hunter he was introduced to.
Final thoughts
The Shadow Iron was first introduced during the events of the Red Gate Arc in Solo Leveling as the protagonist, Sung Jin-woo, takes the life of the A-Rank Hunter Kim Chul. Jin-Woo defeats Kim Chul and murders him, turning his shadow into Iron and using him as a tool to defeat Baruka.
Iron is Jin-Woo's companion during several battles in the series but goes back to being Kim Chul when the protagonist resets the timeline.
