Solo Leveling has been gaining more attention in recent months because of the successful anime adaptation by A-1 Pictures, and newcomers want to know a lot more about the world surrounding this series. In that regard, one of the most prominent conflicts in the entire series is between the Rulers and the Monarchs.
The Rulers are the wielders of light in the Solo Leveling universe, and they are the last men standing in the war against the Monarchs, which is the backdrop of protagonist Sung Jin-Woo's journey across the manhwa. Their origins and history are essential to the series' world-building.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author.
Explaining the Rulers' history and origins in the Solo Leveling series
The birth of the Monarchs and Rulers was at the beginning of time itself. The Absolute Being divided darkness and light, with each side representing one of them. Once they rose to life, the two armies had been waging war against one another. The war eventually became the norm, although the Monarchs had the upper hand during most of their battles.
At that moment, the Rulers decided to go to the Absolute Being and request more power to defeat the Monarchs, but it was revealed that the situation didn't matter to that superior being. The Absolute Being viewed this as mere entertainment, which only made this conflict more dire to the Rulers in their current state of affairs.
Eventually, the Rulers resorted to the Cup of Reincarnation, which set the timeline ten years into the past and gave them time to develop a strategy. It happened several times until they decided to create gates to the human world and expose them to the magic beasts. This led to humanity having a role in the battle against the Monarchs.
The influence of the rulers in the story
The importance of the Rulers in the story can't be understated since they were present from the very beginning of time itself, and their conflict with the Monarchs determines the vast majority of the series. They are the last defense against the evil nature of the Monarchs, and their use of the Cup of Reincarnation, which Sung Jin-Woo eventually used as well, was significant for the story's ending.
Another major element that makes the Rulers so important is that they created the gates and opened the world of magic beasts and Dungeons to humanity. This is how humans began to develop mana and become Hunters, the series' main plot. This is also how Sung Jin-Woo became who he is and even went as far as becoming the Shadow Monarch.
In many ways, it can be argued that the Rulers were the main source of the most significant plot points in Solo Leveling, and the story would be very different if they weren't there.
Final thoughts
The Rulers were created at the beginning of time in the Solo Leveling series. The Absolute Being separated light and darkness, which resulted in those beings and the Monarchs. These two sides have been fighting for millennia, and the Rulers eventually opened the gates for humanity to develop mana and clash with the magic beasts.
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