What is the Smiling Statue in Solo Leveling? Explained

Chugong's Solo Leveling series is regarded as a masterpiece by many, attributed to its captivating artwork and jaw-dropping action sequences, which leave the fans hooked in each chapter. Nevertheless, there is one particular moment at the beginning of the series that traumatized both the readers as well as the protagonist, Sung Jin-Woo himself.

At the beginning of the series, Jin-Woo and the rest of his raid party members encountered an enormous statue in a Double Dungeon. Upon realizing that the dungeon was a trap, several people tried to escape, only to be disintegrated by the heat vision emitted from the massive statue.

Following this, a sadistic smile appeared on the face of the statue as it proceeded to kill the remaining members of the party. This smile has haunted the readers for many years while leaving many wondering about the origins of the statue.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from Solo Leveling.

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Explaining the Smiling Statue in Solo Leveling

In the Solo Leveling manhwa, the Smiling Statue is identified as the 'Statue of God,' serving as the first antagonist Sung Jin-Woo had to face in the series. While its origins were still a mystery at the beginning of the series, it was later revealed that the Statue of God was the strongest creation of the hidden boss of the Double Dungeon, the Architect.

The Statue of God has terrified the readers with its sadistic smile, which first appeared when the raid party members in the Double Dungeon adhered to the first rule of the Cartenon Temple's Ten Commandments, which stated, 'Worship the God.' As the members kneeled in front of the Statue of God, a horrifying smile appeared on its face, along with red glowing eyes.

As the story progressed, it was revealed that the Statue of God was actually a gigantic replica of the Absolute Being. It was initially seated on its throne, with an expressionless face, and surrounded by other smaller statues.

Sung Jin-Woo as seen in Solo Leveling anime (Image via A-1 Pictures)

The Statue of God mercilessly slaughtered the group of hunters in the Double Dungeon who thought that praying to the statue would cease the attack. In the end, the remaining members of the party managed to escape the dungeon, leaving only Sung Jin-Woo behind. Despite his best efforts, Jin-Woo was mercilessly beaten and almost killed by the statues.

Fortunately, he managed to survive by choosing to become a player of the System, which gave him a second chance at life and at becoming stronger. Several months later, Jin-Woo returned to the Double Dungeon after becoming significantly stronger and reaching level 100.

It was revealed that he was invited there once again by the Architect of the System to test his abilities. Consequently, the Statue of God and its minions attacked Jin-Woo at the Architect's command. Despite their overwhelming numbers, Jin-Woo managed to defeat all the other statues and finally manages to take his revenge against the Statue of God.

In contrast to their previous encounter, Jin-Woo overpowered the Statue of God with his immense strength, as he landed several impactful blows on its face. In the end, he managed to defeat his longtime adversary and prove himself to be stronger than all of the Architect's creations. Following this, Jin-Woo engages in a fierce battle with the Architect, where he surpasses the creator of the System himself and ultimately kills him.

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Final thoughts

Undoubtedly, the Statue of God stands out as one of the most memorable parts of the Solo Leveling manhwa. Its intimidating presence and sadistic smile certainly left its mark on Sung Jin-Woo's mind.

Perhaps one of the most anticipated moments of the ongoing Solo Leveling anime is the Statue of God's infamous smile, as fans eagerly wait to see the iconic moment adapt to the screens.

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