Now that Solo Leveling Season 1 has ended, it’s time to look back at every major death in the anime so far.
From the first episode onwards, Solo Leveling makes it apparent that it is not for the faint of heart. Gory, violent, and action-packed, the anime set the tone for the story’s perilous environment right away. It’s not a complete death fest, though, so some fans might find it repulsive. Rather, to maintain the edge of the plot, Solo Leveling character fatalities are employed.
Hunter Sung Jinwoo, an E-rank, is known for being the “weakest hunter of all mankind.” He embarks on a perilous journey that alters his life irrevocably. After being brutally killed, he is granted another opportunity and given access to an enigmatic system that challenges him to grow stronger. Jinwoo’s transformation from the weakest to the strongest starts here.
There are quite a few deaths in Solo Leveling Season 1, some major and some of unnamed minor characters. It’s the major deaths in the series that make the most impact on the story. So, here are every major death in Solo Leveling Season 1 explained.
1. The hunters on the D-rank quest
One thing makes the first few significant fatalities in Solo Leveling Season 1 noteworthy: they mark a dramatic shift in the plot. Jinwoo goes on a journey in a D-rank dungeon with a gang of hunters at the start of the series. Nevertheless, when they discover another dungeon inside, things get worse.
Witnessing the Statue of God and the other statues leads to brutal massacre that leaves only a few survivors. Many hunters die after the statues systematically begin killing them. Their deaths are memorable despite all of the dead hunters of this massacre being unimportant characters because the massacre pushes the story forward and sets the tone of the series.
2. Cho Kyuhwan and Lee Chul-Jin
C-rank hunters Cho Kyuhwan and Lee Chul-Jin are part of Dongsuk’s raid party. Chul-Jin wields a knife to fight physically, while Kyuhwan is a Mage who employs fire magic. They are ruthless men, just like their squad commander, who often leads gullible hunters to their death. In the flash of an eye, Jinwoo eliminates both them and their whole squad.
3. Hwang Dongsuk
Jinwoo is not introduced to lizards until the Lizards and Dungeons Arc, despite Song Chi-Yul’s warnings against them—hunter-killer lizards. In order to go on a C-rank dungeon mission, Hwang Dongsuk, a C-rank hunter, and his crew require two additional low-ranking hunters. He employs Jinho and Jinwoo for it.
Despite his first kind demeanor, it eventually becomes clear that he is a vicious guy who frequently murders other hunters by leading them on missions. The protagonist’s mentality is permanently altered after Jinwoo murders Dongsuk and his group, who are the first humans Jinwoo kills. Another importance of Dongsuk’s demise is that it turns Jinwoo into the adversary of a formidable S-rank hunter.
4. Kim Sang-Shik
Kim Sang-Shik is one of the extremely few people who survives the Double Dungeon slaughter. He is a devoted family guy and D-rank hunter who puts his life in danger to protect his spouse and kids. One of those who egotistically abandons Jinwoo and others in order to survive the horrifying events of the Double Dungeon is him.
Heesoo, Chi-Yul, Jinwoo, and Sang-Shik reunite during the Dungeon & Prisoners Arc. He eventually witnesses Kang Tae-Shik murdering the inmates while on this mission. As a result, the hunter mercilessly murders him and Kang Jeongho, sealing his death. He ultimately apologizes to Jinwoo for abandoning him at the eleventh hour.
5. Kang Taeshik
One of the series’ main fatalities occurs when Jinwoo battles the toughest human in Solo Leveling Season 1. Inspector Kang Taeshik is employed by the Hunter Association’s Surveillance Team. He is an assassin and B-rank hunter who also serves as a hired hitman.
Taeshik is a ruthless and violent individual who derides pleasure from taking human lives. He acknowledges that even though he is a hunter, he would rather murder people than monsters. Taeshik accepts the mission from their victim’s father to execute three convicts, disposing of them in the dungeon.
After killing Sang-Shik and Jeongho who witness his murders, he fights and is ultimately killed by Jinwoo. Taeshik’s death proves how much stronger Jinwoo is than a B-rank hunter and also gets him his Stealth ability.
6. Blood-Red Commander Igris
Igris is far ahead of Jinwoo, even if Taeshik is his most formidable human foe in the anime so far. Jinwoo walks to a dungeon after unexpectedly receiving a job change quest, where he meets Blood-Red Commander Igris, the last boss who is watching over an empty throne.
Donning crimson armor, Igris is a formidable opponent. Jinwoo eventually kills him after a vicious battle. After achieving his Necromancer ability, Igris, a noble soldier, rightfully deserves to be the first soldier in Jinwoo’s shadow army.
As a result, Igris’ passing is by far the most important in the series thus far. Igris also gets bonus points for creating the well-known “arise” moment.
