Who is Sung Jinwoo in Solo Leveling: Arise?

Solo Leveling: Arise is an adaptation of an anime and webtoon that tells the story of Sung Jinwoo, the protagonist who fights to become the strongest hunter. If you're unfamiliar with its source material, you may be wondering what his deal is and how to best wield his powers in battle. Here's what you need to know about Jinwoo, his world, and how to defeat monsters to make him a formidable hunter.

Solo Leveling is set in a world where, some years ago, supernatural portals called gates started opening up all over the world. These gates then dumped murderous monsters, known as magic beasts, into humanity's cities. Conventional weapons couldn't harm them, but luckily, some special humans, called hunters, were awakened with magical powers that allow them to combat the monsters.

Hunters can enter dungeons, which are realms beyond the gates, to defeat the beasts inside and conquer bosses to shut the portals for good. This is a dangerous occupation, as these hunters are the world’s only protection from these strange creatures.

Hunters receive magical powers when they awaken, but their abilities are static; whatever level of power you receive at first is the strongest you'll ever be. Hunters are ranked by their strength, from the highest rank of S to the lowest of E. The danger of dungeons and magic beasts is also represented by these ranks, so hunters have a good sense of what they can handle.

Jinwoo was one of the unlucky ones who awakened as an E-rank hunter, earning him the nickname “the weakest hunter of all mankind.” While he tries to use his abilities to earn money for his family, his weakness often lands him in the hospital with nothing to show for his efforts.

The beginning of Solo Leveling: Arise starts at the same place as the anime, with Jinwoo joining a group of hunters as they clear a low-rank dungeon, hoping to earn some rewards. But the raid turns tragic when the hunters discover another dungeon, which they call Double Dungeon, attached to the first. It’s much more dangerous, and most of the hunters in the group are killed.

In the end, Jinwoo sacrifices himself to save a few of his allies, but rather than dying, he wakes up in a hospital bed some time later. He gains the strange ability to level up like a video game protagonist, increasing his power with every battle he fights and dungeon he clears.

While you'll get a chance to play as other hunters in Solo Leveling: Arise, you'll mostly take on the role of Jinwoo. As he levels up, Jinwoo can access new abilities that you can use in battle more than other hunters. His fighting style is all about agility, zipping behind enemies to hit them with powerful attacks.

Dodging is a key feature in the game; if you hit the dodge button just as an enemy's attack lands, you'll trigger Extreme Evasion, which protects you from harm and slows down time. To maximize his effectiveness, utilize Jinwoo's dodging capabilities and keep his skills firing.

Playing Jinwoo well is about preparation. He's the only character who can level up, and every time he does, you can choose how to allocate his skill points. While the anime, Jinwoo puts almost all of his points into Strength, you can customize Jinwoo’s skill points to play how you like. Putting extra points into Vitality is a good idea, as it boosts his overall health and survivability.

Each of Jinwoo's skills can also be leveled up. Alongside increasing their overall power, you can customize how they work with Runes that you earn from completing activities and quests. Runes can fundamentally change a skill by infusing it with elemental power or altering its animation. It's worth experimenting with them to see their perks and which ones suit your playstyle.

Finally, Jinwoo's journey allows him to add abilities by unlocking new jobs. You'll start by earning Assassin, which makes you move fast and slip away from enemies as you deal a lot of damage. Later, you'll move on to Necromancer, letting Jinwoo capture shadows of fallen enemies and summon them in battle. Pay attention to the benefits of each new job so you can maximize Jinwoo's potential