Who is Liu Zhigang in Solo Leveling? Explained

During the season finale of Solo Leveling season 2, a new character was revealed. This character was seen standing on top of a ship, striking down a horde of insects with one slash. The person in question here is none other than Liu Zhigang.

Following his brief appearance after the Jeju Island arc, fans have been asking, "Who is Liu Zhigang in Solo Leveling?" Liu Zhigang is the strongest Hunter from China and one of the five National Level Hunters, ranking second in the world. He was considered the strongest hunter in Asia until Sung Jinwoo's rise.

Disclaimer: This article contains heavy spoilers from the anime/manhwa.

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Liu Zhigang's role in Solo Leveling's story

At the season finale of Solo Leveling season 2, Liu Zhigang was introduced at the conclusion of the Jeju Island arc. Standing atop a boat, he defended the Chinese east coast area. When the bugs started approaching from Jeju Island, Liu took down hundreds of them in one strike. This gave fans a firsthand taste of the power he has to offer.

He appeared again during the Japan Crisis arc when a giant from the Tokyo S-Rank Gate was approaching China. Zhigang intervened and killed the monster before it could make landfall.

Upon learning that Jinwoo was able to kill the monsters much more easily than he did, he became intrigued to learn about Jinwoo. Liu asked the Korean government to send whatever public information they had on him at that time.

Liu made a reappearance during Solo Leveling's International Guild Conference arc. Being the strongest hunter from China, Liu was invited to represent his country in the international conference. He stumbled upon the information that Sung Il-Hwan, Jinwoo's father, was the primary suspect in Christopher Reed's murder.

After the conference, Liu approached Jinwoo and congratulated him on his victory against Thomas Andre during the International Guild Conference arc. He also played a supporting role in the Final Battle arc. While this concluded all of Liu Zhigang's appearances from the Solo Leveling main story, he makes a reappearance in the manhwa sequel, Solo Leveling: Ragnarok.

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Liu Zhigang's powers and abilities, explained

Liu Zhigang as seen in the season 2 finale of the anime (Image via A-1 Pictures)

While that answers the question, "Who is Liu Zhigang in Solo Leveling?", here's a brief look at his powers. Liu Zhigang is known as the strongest Hunter in all of Asia, until Sung Jinwoo's rise, and has a variety of attacks and abilities that can be seen in the manhwa and even in the anime. He is also considered the vessel of Rulers, an ancient angelic warrior created by the Absolute Being.

Zhigang is a master swordsman, as seen during his encounter against a giant, whom he sliced into several pieces effortlessly. To aid his swordsmanship, he possesses immense speed and agility. He combines both attributes and can slash and kill his enemies easily.

In the anime, fans saw Liu's Energy Slash attack as he killed a horde of insects flying towards China from the Jeju Island arc. He can unleash slashes from his sword that explode upon contact with enemies. Additionally, he possesses the powerful ability to move objects via telekinesis, known as Ruler's Authority.

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Final thoughts

Liu Zhigang as seen in the manhwa (Image via D&C Media KAKAO)

Liu Zhigang, one of the strongest Hunters in the series, has an intriguing personality that immediately caught fans' attention. His small cameo during the finale left fans thinking, "Who is Liu Zhigang in Solo Leveling?", which has been answered here.

With the second season concluded and the third season yet to be confirmed, fans of the series wait in anticipation for Liu Zhigang to make a proper feature. As he briefly expressed his interest in Sung Jinwoo during the episode, a face-off between the two can be expected as the series progresses.

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