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The following contains spoilers forSolo Leveling.
Some of the strongest human characters in theSolo Levelinguniverse are known as National Level Hunters.National Level Hunters are S-rank hunterswho have risen to become the strongest in the world. While few in number, their individual strengths are said to be comparable to an entire nation’s military, allowing them to have a significant impact in the fight against the dungeon breaks.
InSolo Leveling,the abilities and details of these characters are teased for quite a while, never really feeling fully paid off in the original series. This follows a common trend in Solo Leveling, where underdeveloped side characters often leave their full power and potential underexplored, despite the intriguing premise of their characters.
The Origin of National-Level Hunters
A Unique Source of Power
It is revealed that mostNational-Level Hunters didn’t just awaken randomly strongby chance; four were granted increased powers after their performance in an S-rank dungeon. Together, five S-rank hunters killed the dragon Kamish, who was the boss monster from the first S-rank Gate that humanity ever had to face.
The Rulers, a group of entities created by the universe’s God-like Absolute Being, chose four of these strong hunters to become their vessels. As vessels to the Rulers,the four National-Level hunters were grantedan increase to their already naturally strong abilities and powers, making them completely unrivaled by other hunters in the rest of the world. It’s unclear why the fifth National Level Hunter was not chosen as a vessel, but it’s possible that, because they were a healer class, becoming a vessel would not be that advantageous for them. The healer is not mentioned by name in the manhwa or light novel, making it unlikely that the anime adaptation of the story will put much focus, if any, on this character. For all intents and purposes in the story, there are four National Level Hunters, and they all possess enhanced powers granted to them by the rulers.
National Level Hunters’ Vessel Abilities
While Each Is Unique, They Share Some Common Traits
All National Level Hunters are implied to possessthe ability to use Ruler’s Authority, which is a limited form of telekinesis that increases with the power of the user. Because this power originates from the Rulers themselves, it is extremely powerful despite being simple in nature. Not every National Level Hunter is shown to be able to use Ruler’s Authority in the story, but it is assumed that they all can. Thomas Andre uses Ruler’s Authority in Chapter 146 of the manhwa, initially catching Jinwoo off guard.
“Feel the difference in our strength and wallow in despair.” -Thomas Andre after using Ruler’s Authority on Sung Jinwoo.
National Level Hunters are also capable of using a techniquecalled Spiritual Body Manifestation, which acts as a transformation that gives them increased power as they start to resemble the Rulers themselves. This ability is shared with any human vessel housing a higher power. This means that Monarchs are capable of Spiritual Body Manifestation, as well as Sung Jinwoo, since he is a vessel for the Shadow Monarch.
What We Know About Their Classes and Abilities
Many Things Are Still Unrevealed About Them
Apart from what they have in common, each National Level Hunter displays unique abilities that utilize their naturally awakened hunter abilities and their inherited Ruler Powers. Unfortunately, the main series does not flesh out many of the National Level Hunters before they either die or become irrelevant to the story. This means that many readers and viewers have not seen the full extent of their abilities and powers.
Thomas Andre:Although never explicitly stated, Thomas is implied to be a tank or possibly a fighter class because he takes a direct dagger strike from Jinwoo and is completely unharmed. His style in combat is to fortify himself with mana and overcome opponents with overwhelming strength. This strength allows him to effortlessly crumble cars, shatter buildings with wind pressure, and send powerful opponents like Sung Jinwoo flying with a single attack. He was ranked as the strongest hunter in the world through much of the story.
Christopher Reed:Unfortunately, Christopher Reed is killed very shortly after he is introduced to build up the strength of the antagonistic Monarchs. As a result, we don’t witness much of what he can do. We see him capable of using Spiritual Body Manifestation and seems to be a unique type of fighter class who coats himself in magical flames during combat. It’s unclear if Reed’s fire abilities are something unique to him or if anyone who is a Ruler’s vessel can tap into the same power.
Lui Zhigang:This National Level Hunter was another that suffered from a lack of screen time, so we don’t know much about the full extent of his abilities. He can amplify his swords with mana, using their incredible power to completely clear the sky of Ants in the Jeju Island arc. He also defeated a powerful giant monster off-screen, equivalent to one that a post-Jeju Island Jinwoo faced that had crossed the ocean. It seems, based on the little abilities we have seen, that he would most likely be a fighter or assassin-class hunter.
Siddarth Bachchan:Hailing from India, Siddarth is only ever mentioned by name in the manhwa, with his character more fleshed out in theRagnarokseries. However, because of the timeline differences, he’s essentially a different character there. It’s unclear what abilities or class he originally possessed aside from the ones commonly shared by all vessels in Jinwoo’s story.
Solo Leveling
Cast
A-1 Pictures' Solo Leveling is an anime based on Chugong’s popular web novel. Set in an unforgiving fantasy world where hunters explore dungeons filled with monsters, the vulnerable Sung Jinwoo gains a significant power boost after he is picked to be a solo player by the System.
