Sure, let’s give it a shot:
Solo Leveling has sky-rocketed in popularity as the first manhwa turned anime thanks to A-1 Pictures’ stellar adaptation. They’ve done a fab job sticking to the original tale, just tweaking a few bits here and there. That said, if you caught the finale of Season 2, you probably noticed it went off script with some big changes from the manhwa. The ending wraps up the intense Jeju Island Arc, showing the fallout from Korea’s massive raid. Everyone saw Jinwoo and his shadow army take down the Ant King and clear the island of monsters. Not to mention, there’s a twist where instead of joining a guild, Jinwoo plans to start his own.
The studio hasn’t confirmed Season 3 for Solo Leveling yet, but with the show’s wild success, an announcement might just pop up soon. There’s so much story still untold, like why the gates appeared and Jinwoo’s pivotal part as the Shadow Monarch. Anime fans, you’ve missed out on some juicy bits due to time constraints.
Heads up! Spoilers for the Solo Leveling manhwa ahead!
In the anime, Jinwoo had no trouble extracting Byung-Gu Min’s shadow, unlike the manhwa where it was a real challenge. Usually, turning powerful folks into shadows isn’t easy, and for Byung-Gu, his first two tries failed. Byung-Gu, a top healer, was seriously against becoming a shadow since he wasn’t into fighting or dangerous missions. Though, as the country’s best healer, he felt his duty was important—even if it did lead to his death on the mission. Jinwoo hesitated about controlling the dead, but after a third attempt, he managed. Out of respect, Jinwoo later released Byung-Gu’s shadow.
About Beru, Jinwoo realized he was special right off the bat. In the army, he names him Beru when asked, but not without reason. Instead of ‘Ant’ or ‘King’, he thought of the author of “The Ants” and wanted something unique for this special shadow, thus naming him Beru.
The anime skips a critical bit: the Ant Queen extraction. Jinwoo does it after naming Beru. It works initially, but his other ant-derived shadows start acting weird thanks to the Queen’s power. Realizing the issue, and seeing her weak mana due to her reproductive focus, Jinwoo ends the contract with her shadows. Another skipped scene shows Jinwoo stopping his shadows from taking mana stones, except Beru’s, as a strategic move to rebuild the island.
Two characters weren’t properly introduced in the anime. After the big raid, Jinwoo hangs back in the dungeon. Over in the States, David Brennon and Michael Connor eyeball some footage about Jinwoo, hoping to recruit him. They’re wary though, remembering how things went south with Dongsoo. Meanwhile, a key player, Thomas Andre, also gets glossed over. He’s a national-level Hunter and runs the Scavenger Hunter Guild, where Dongsoo shuffled off to after quitting Korea.
Lastly, the Season 2 finale sneaks in a surprise scene from Chapter 110. It’s out of place but adds to the hype. The scene shows Jinwoo clearing a Red Gate—no sweat for him and his shadows. Expect the next season to dive into this arc deeply since it’s crucial to the plot. It seems Season 3 will pick up the skipped scenes, and hopefully, they’ll tie the story together nicely.
How’s that?
Aleks Le comments on the dialogue used for 'Solo Leveling' Season 2 English Dub. He also provides info on the release date for Season 3! pic.twitter.com/sfyPIulBMh
— Solo Leveling (@SoloLevelAnime) April 24, 2025
