Was Sung Jinwoo meant to die in Solo Leveling? Explained

Modified Mar 08, 2025 13:00 GMT

Was Sung Jinwoo meant to die in Solo Leveling? Explained (Image via A-1 Pictures)

Sung Jinwoo from Solo Leveling might be one of the most powerful anime protagonists due to his skills and army of shadow soldiers. Some fans think the protagonist might be immortal at this point, especially since he unlocked the black heart. However, was Sung Jinwoo supposed to die at the start of his journey in the double dungeon?

No, Sung Jinwoo wasn't supposed to die because Ashborn selected him as the new Shadow Monarch. The events in which Jinwoo escapes death are destined to happen because death follows the protagonist for a long time. His triumphs against death were also one of the criteria that helped Ashborn shortlist Jinwoo as his worthy successor.

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

Solo Leveling: Explaining why Sung Jinwoo was destined to become the new Shadow Monarch

Sung Jinwoo as seen in the anime (Image via A-1 Pictures)

Although Sung Jinwoo was an E-rank Hunter, famous for being the weakest Hunter, his peers never ridiculed him and always appreciated his efforts. Despite his lack of strength, Jinwoo risked his life in the dungeon to support his sister Jinah and his house. Much to the protagonist's surprise, however, things were soon about to change.

During Solo Leveling's D-Rank Dungeon Arc, by the time the dungeon Jinwoo entered revealed its true rank, the protagonist and his party members were near their deaths. However, Jinwoo sacrificed himself to let his teammates escape. In his last moments, Jinwoo cursed his murderer, the Statue of God, and wanted to return to life as a stronger being.

Ashborn, as seen in the manhwa (Image via Chugong, D&C Media)

Fortunately, Jinwoo's wish was granted as the System selected him as a player and gave him another chance at life. However, this time, he had to complete a certain quota of workouts every day. This meant that Jinwoo started entering even more dangerous dungeons, increasing his chances of death.

These brushes with death had the fans questioning whether he was supposed to die the first time, too, when Jinwoo was saved from the Statue of God.

The answer to this concerns Ashborn. After reaching an age where he could no longer perform his duties, Ashborn wanted to pass his powers to another person.

So, Ashborn gave the Architect this duty. Unfortunately, no one fit the description of becoming the Shadow Monarch's successor. However, a human caught Ashborn's eye. This human was the target of death for a very long time, and despite his weak nature, the human was still alive. So Ashborn chose the human, Sung Jinwoo, as his successor.

Sung Jinwoo's awakening as the new Shadow Monarch (Image via Chugong, D&C Media)

After choosing Jinwoo (or, in other words, Jinwoo's awakening as an S-rank Hunter), Jinwoo's near-death experiences made him even stronger. Moreover, during Solo Leveling's Monarch War Arc, the protagonist receives the Black Heart when Jinwoo dies the second time at the hands of the Beast Monarch. This resulted in his true awakening as the new Shadow Monarch.

If Ashborn hadn't selected Jinwoo as his successor, the male protagonist might have died in one of his near-death experiences. However, as the worthy successor of the Shadow Monarch, Jinwoo wasn't supposed to die until his true awakening as the next Shadow Monarch.

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Edited by Maithreyi S