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Solo Levelingtakes viewers into a bizarre world filledwith intimidating monsters that reside in mysterious Gates. Through the lens of the ever-evolving protagonist, the anime recounts a captivating story of survival, growth, and power. While the series is often criticized for being hyper-focused on its main character, there are also quite a few interesting side characters who have played an important role in adding more depth to the overall narrative, although they barely get any credit for it.
Among them, hunters like Thomas Andre and Liu Zhigang piqued the interest of quite a few fans because of their intimidating powers and fighting prowess. Both National Level Hunters peak at different times in the story and never really fight each other. But what if they were to duke it out? Who will win?
Thomas Andre: America’s Greatest Hunter
Strongest National Level Hunter
Thomas Andre was born to poor European immigrant parents and had a rough childhood. Forced to fend for himself, he learned to never let anyone take advantage of his circumstances and ended up becoming a brawler. Although his life was far from perfect, Andre learned to survive. His life took anunexpected turn when mysterious Gatesspawned all over the world. As monsters living in them threatened humanity’s existence, it was discovered that some people also experienced awakening dormant magic powers within them.
Everything that makes your heart beat faster is beautiful. ~ Thomas Andre
Such people went on to become hunters. Andre also seized the opportunity and was gifted with abilities so otherworldly that very few hunters could compete with him. While he made a name for himself in the years that followed, everything changed once again when the first S-rank dungeon spawned on the West Coast of America.Kamish, the dungeon boss, was so powerfulthat about a hundred S-rank hunters perished fighting him. But Andre, along with four other hunters, defeated the magic beast and cleared the Gate, following which he and his comrades went on to be recognized as National Level Hunters.
National Level Hunters were all gifted with immense political and social influence. They also amassed huge fortunes and formed their own guilds. Thomas also took full advantage of the opportunity and became one of the most famous and sought-after hunters in the world. Although he was quite stubborn and sometimes extremely aggressive, Thomas also displayed that he had the capacity to be humble and gracious if someone earned his respect.
Liu Zhigang: China’s 7-Star Hunter
World’s Second Most Powerful Hunter Before Jinwoo’s Reawakening
China’s Liu Zhigang was also one of the hunters whojoined the battle against Kamishwhen the first S-rank dungeon spawned in America. If it wasn’t for his contributions, things could have been far more ugly. While Zhigang only made a few appearances throughout the series, it appears that he is a no-nonsense person who likes to see things as they are without getting involved in political maneuvering or personal agendas.
Liu also does not let his ego blind him to the harsh realities of life and genuinely respects people who are stronger than him. His humble attitude is an anomaly considering the fact that most S-rankers often are too prideful to acknowledge their limitations and give others credit for their achievements.
It’s unfortunate that fans barely get to see Zhigang fight at his full potential. In the instances that he does fight, he looks quite impressive, even though he is barely pushing himself.During the Jeju Island raid, when evolved ants approached him, Liu was waiting for them on Chinese navy ships to ensure that they never reached the mainland. With just one swift attack, he managed to kill hundreds of ants.
Zhigang’s technique was almost perfect, and it appeared that he was disappointed thathe didn’t get to fight the Ant King. This highlights another critical aspect of his personality: his unquenchable drive for battle and desire to test his strength. Liu is always willing to learn and wants to become a better hunter, even though he has already achieved what many would consider the pinnacle of power, fame, and influence.
Verdict: Who is a Stronger?
Liu Zhigang is Intimidating, But Thomas Andre is Stronger When it Comes to Raw Power
Liu Zhigang is a master swordsman who can ruthlessly cut his rivals before they even blink. His incredible speed, coupled with relentless attacks, makes him an intimidating opponent to fight. He can also perform the Ruler’s Authority and Spiritual Body Manifestation. Both of these skills are extremely rare in the human world,and only National Level Hunters, with the exception of Sung Il-Hwan and Go Gunhee, can perform them.
While Zhigang is undoubtedly quite intimidating, he is unfortunately not nearlyas strong as Thomas Andre, America’s strongest hunter.The latter can not only move at blinding speed but completely annihilate his rivals with immense strength. Skills like Reinforcement can dramatically increase the power behind his attacks while simultaneously strengthening his defenses. This makes it incredibly hard to catch Andre, and even if one does, he mostly evades getting any serious injuries.
Andre is also gifted with other unique skills like Gigantification, Collapse, and Capture that give him an edge overany other National Level Hunter. While Capture allows him to telekinetically pull any rival towards him with stupendous force, he can use Collapse to create massive shockwaves that can demolish anything in its path. These two skills alone are so powerful that even most S-rankers will struggle to survive them. So, if Thomas were to fight Liu Zhigang, the latter would have to be quite lucky to get a victory. On most occasions, Andre would be just too powerful for the Chinese hunter.
