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The following contains spoilers forSolo Leveling.
Solo Levelingis very good at introducing extremely cool concepts into its lore and characters, and then never really exploring them to a satisfying extent in the main story. Nowhere is this more true than in the concept of the Chaos World, an alternate plane of existence that serves as an explanationfor all the monsters and weird thingsthat emerge from the portals in the show.
There are some interesting implications for the story ofSolo Levelingon how this world works and its purposes. Hidden beneath the veneer of a typical modern setting are some interesting sci-fi concepts, such as the Chaos World, that will hopefully get explored more fully as the series continues to get new content and adaptations.
What is the Chaos World?
The Origins of Magical Beasts
While the original premise ofSolo Levelingseems to imply that monsters are “spawning”from inside mysterious gates that suddenly connect to Earth, the truth is actually more complicated. These monsters already exist in the Chaos World and are captured prisoners of war in the battle between the Rulers and the Monarchs. Although the Monarchs rule the Chaos World, that rule is questionablesince the Rulers control the gatesand a vast swath of the Monarchs’ defeated armies. After the Absolute Being formed these two entities out of the light and darkness of the universe, they began fighting over their opposing goals. Rulers wanted to protect the world, while the Monarchs wished to destroy everything they could.
Eventually, the Rulers gained the upper hand in that fight, capturing the armies of the Monarchsand enslaving them to their will. However, the Monarchs planned to take the fight to Earth, knowing that their mana and destructive powers would annihilate the world in the war’s aftermath. To counter this plan, the Rulers unleashed their monster prisoners on Earth first, telling them to attack humans so that Earth and humanity would grow stronger with mana. Despite the plan causing its own toll of destruction and the deaths of many people, it ultimately proved successful, as it led to the awakening of hunters and the rise of Sung Jinwoo.
One of Many Mysterious Dimensions
Lots of Potential Lore for the Story To Explore
It’s a pretty interesting idea that the good guys are behind the actions of the evil monsters for some sort of greater good for everyone. There is still much about the Chaos World and separate planes that are not explored in the original series and are still being expanded on inSolo Leveling: Ragnarok.In Chapter 168 of the original manhwa, we are introduced to the concept of the World Tree, and it’s implied that the soldiers of beings like the Rulers are born from this tree, which exists in a world away from Earth.
“It all began when I was still a fruit hanging on the world tree. All heavenly soldiers are fruits of the World Tree. The tree is large enough to cover the entire sky with its branches.” Bellion is talking to Jinwoo in Chapter 168 of the manhwa.
It’s unclear what the exact cosmology of these different universes beyond Earth is in the series, but we know there are worlds for other god-like Itarim beings, the Chaos World, a demon world, and a spiritual dimension that contains the World Tree. The World Tree also seems closely related to the cycle of life and death, being nourished by the Sea of the Afterlife that can beinfluenced by the Shadow Monarch’s powersover death.
“…A black sea.”
“Sea?”
“Yes. An endless black sea. There was no land anywhere, just a vast ocean where I was drifting aimlessly. All I could do there was float like a corpse…What I clung to was a giant… tree that had its roots deep in that black sea.” -Seo Jiwoo describing the World Tree and what it felt like being dreaming in an endless sleep in Chapter 230 of the Solo Leveling: Ragnarok light novel.
Jinwoo also has access to a separate dimension called the World of Eternal Slumber, which is his Monarch realm where his shadow soldiers stay when they are not actively being summoned. Monarchs appear to have access to their own individual realms in addition to the Chaos World, but Jinwoo is unique in that he carries his realm with him in his shadow wherever he goes.
Despite being a simple power fantasy story focused on a main character getting stronger, there are a lot of interesting concepts underpinning the world ofSolo Leveling.Hopefully, these concepts will yield additional benefits when adapted for the anime and further explored in the future.
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.
