Solo Leveling: Ragnarok – The Exciting Return of a Beloved Franchise
Nearly three years after the conclusion of the iconic Solo Leveling series, the franchise makes a grand comeback with the new manhwa titled Solo Leveling: Ragnarok. Since its debut on KakaoPage on August 1, 2024, and its official English version on Tapas in November 2024, this series has quickly gained traction among fans of the original work. As it approaches the end of its first season, many are eager to see how the story unfolds.
Solo Leveling: Ragnarok shifts the focus from Jinwoo, the original protagonist, to his son, Sung Suho. This narrative direction is reminiscent of franchises like Naruto and its sequel Boruto, where a new generation takes the stage. Suho’s journey centers on his quest for strength, and while he inherits several abilities from his father, he also possesses unique powers that make this sequel feel fresh and engaging. From dark abilities to astonishing transformations, let’s delve into the powers of the protagonist, Sung Suho, in Solo Leveling: Ragnarok.
The Blessing of the Great Sorcerer Kandiaru
One of the first enhancements Suho receives after breaking the seal on his powers is the Blessing of the Great Sorcerer Kandiaru. This significant ability ensures that Suho maintains a robust and healthy life, providing him with immunity to diseases and poisons, including the notorious Stardust. Additionally, this blessing boosts his recovery rate, making it a crucial asset in his journey.
Commander Authority / Ruler’s Authority
Among Suho’s core abilities is the Commander Authority, which he inherits directly from Jinwoo. The epilogue of the original Solo Leveling hints at Suho’s latent aptitude for this skill even as an infant, although he only unlocks it after breaking his seal in Ragnarok. This power allows Suho to manipulate objects, weapons, and even people through telekinesis, including himself. He can also create an "invisible hand" to perform ranged attacks, making him a formidable opponent in battles.
Dark Extraction
The first skill Suho acquires from the Shadow Monarch is Dark Extraction, which he obtains by discovering a runestone at the end of a survival mission within the Dark Dungeon. Much like his father, Suho can extract shadows from defeated enemies and recruit them as his soldiers. However, unlike Jinwoo, Suho lacks the Shadow Preservation ability, limiting the number of soldiers he can maintain at any given time.
Dark Manipulation and Transformation
Following in Jinwoo’s footsteps, who famously donned shadow armor, Suho can also manipulate shadows into various forms, such as gloves or weapons, thanks to his Dark Manipulation skill. He unlocks this ability by leveling up Dark Extraction to level 2, allowing him to fuse different shadows together to create amalgamations or enhance his shadow soldiers into powerful weapons.
Dark Creation
Upon completing the Class Change Mission, Suho unlocks an ability that even Jinwoo lacked: Dark Creation. This skill empowers Suho to transform shadows into categorized items within the System, each possessing distinct attributes and bonuses. The imagination of Suho is the only limit to this ability, with the caveat that once shadows are turned into items, they can no longer revert to being soldiers. There are also hints that Dark Creation could potentially be used to forge even more powerful entities, which fans speculate will be explored in the upcoming season of the manhwa.
Bonding Skill: Beast Possession
One of Suho’s most distinctive abilities is his capacity to form bonds with other Monarch heirs. His first bond is established with Grey, the heir of the Fangs Monarch, through the Beast Possession skill. This ability grants Suho a remarkable transformation, changing his hair to white and causing it to float in a manner reminiscent of a Super Saiyan. It requires 1 mana per second to maintain, but in exchange, Suho experiences a significant boost in strength and sharpens his senses to those of a beast.
Bonding Skill: Demonic Strike
Suho’s second bonding skill is with Esil, the last noble blood demon and heir to Baran, the White Flame Monarch. This bond bestows Suho with the Demonic Strike ability, allowing Esil to transfer her energy to him, enabling a devastating attack against enemies. The damage and energy transferred depend on how charged the skill is, with the charge rate increasing every time Esil defeats a magical beast and absorbs its soul.
Bonding Skill with Ammut
Suho also encounters Ammut, the heir of the Iron Body Monarch, who currently serves as his mentor. However, Suho has not yet unlocked this bonding skill due to their level disparity, with hopes of achieving it once he reaches level 80. Although little is known about this skill, it is expected to involve a defensive technique related to Iron Body Reinforcement.
Additional Minor Skills
In addition to his primary abilities, Suho possesses several secondary skills that enhance his overall capabilities:
Tenacity: This skill boosts Suho’s physical defense by 20%, potentially increasing to 40% and reaching 60% by the end of the first season.
Cutting Storm: An active skill that consumes 50 mana, enabling Suho to perform a series of rapid strikes against multiple foes.
Melee Combat: This skill amplifies the damage of Suho’s physical attacks.
- Strength Boost: Acquired as a reward from training with Ammut, this skill increases Suho’s strength by 20%.
Explore More About Solo Leveling
Over a decade ago, a mysterious phenomenon known as the "portal" emerged, linking our world to a different dimension. This event caused certain individuals to awaken unique powers, leading to the emergence of "hunters." These hunters utilize their supernatural abilities to conquer dungeons within the portals, thus making a living.
Sung Jinwoo, a low-level hunter, was once deemed the weakest among all humanity. One fateful day, he stumbled upon a "double dungeon," which contained a high-level dungeon hidden within a low-level one. When faced with life-threatening injuries, a mysterious mission appeared to him. On the brink of death, Jinwoo chose to embrace this mission, ultimately becoming the only individual capable of leveling up!
The anime series Solo Leveling is adapted from the best-selling web novel written by Chugong, which later transitioned into a webtoon and manhwa in 2018, featuring illustrations by DUBU. The series is animated by the renowned studio A-1 Pictures (known for Sword Art Online), with motion graphics crafted by Production I.G (responsible for Attack on Titan, PSYCHO-PASS). Directed by Shunsuke Nakashige (Sword Art Online), the production boasts an impressive soundtrack by Hiroyuki Sawano (Attack on Titan) and contributions from K-pop band TOMORROW X TOGETHER. Character designs are by Tomoko Sudo, while monster designs are handled by Hirotaka Tokuda.
Fans can catch Solo Leveling streaming on Crunchyroll, diving into a world filled with unique powers, intense battles, and the relentless pursuit of strength.
