8 Years Later, Solo Leveling Creator Officially Confirms The Spinoff He Wants to Make

For years, Solo Leveling fans have watched Sung Jinwoo steal the spotlight while one of his most memorable allies quietly stood beside him. Now, eight years after the original webtoon began its run, creator Chugong has revealed the one character he would most like to explore in a future side story. It is Igris, the crimson-armored swordsman who became one of Jinwoo’s most loyal and formidable Shadows.

The revelation comes from The Art of Solo Leveling, a new art book released on August 25, 2026, which celebrates the work of late manhwa artist DUBU while also containing previously unseen comments about the series. Chugong’s remarks are particularly intriguing because he doesn’t merely praise Igris. He specifically says he hopes to explore the character’s life “perhaps in a side story.” That is not an announcement of an Igris spinoff, but it is about as direct a hint as fans could ask for.

Igris Could Finally Get the Solo Leveling Spinoff Fans Want

Solo Leveling has changed dramatically since the webtoon first began in 2018, growing from a hugely popular Korean web novel and webtoon into one of the biggest modern anime franchises. Igris becomes an important part of that transformation. During Jinwoo’s Job Change Quest, he encounters the Blood-Red Commander Igris, a terrifying knight wielding a sword with enough skill to push Jinwoo into one of his most important early battles.

After defeating him, Jinwoo gains the ability to turn the fallen knight into a Shadow, beginning Igris’ journey from mysterious dungeon guardian to one of the most recognizable members of the Shadow Army.

And unlike many of Jinwoo’s Shadows, Igris has an unmistakable sense of identity. He behaves like a knight even after becoming part of Jinwoo’s army, carrying himself with discipline, dignity, and unwavering loyalty. His silence only makes his presence more striking. While Beru brings chaotic enthusiasm and Bellion represents overwhelming experience, Igris feels like the classic fantasy knight who somehow wandered into a power-fantasy story.

Chugong appears to agree. In The Art of Solo Leveling, when asked which character he would like to expand upon, the creator answered:

It goes without saying – It’s Igris. The story of the Red Knight, who lived the life of history’s most powerful swordsman in another world. That kind of classic fantasy is my favorite genre. I hope that someday, perhaps in a side story, I’ll be able to cover Igris’ life.

His defining trait is loyalty. Unlike some of Jinwoo’s more chaotic shadows, Igris carries himself like a knight even after death. His discipline, silence, and devotion give him a distinct identity within an army increasingly filled with monsters. And that is exactly why his past could support an entire story.

Everything We Know So Far About Solo Leveling‘s Greatest Swordsman

The possibility becomes even more intriguing because additional material has already offered glimpses of the man beneath Igris’ armor. Additional material has since given fans a glimpse of a human identity associated with Igris. Solo Leveling: ARISE introduced the character Sian Halat as Igris’ human identity. He was also described as having long white hair and wearing the red armor that would later become inseparable from his identity as the Red Knight.

The game Solo Leveling: ARISE expanded considerably on this version of Igris’ history through Sian’s Hunter Origin Story, released alongside his playable character in January 2026. The story presents Sian as a talented warrior who rose from humble origins to receive a prestigious position from his king. His success, however, makes him a target.

The game depicts Sian becoming entangled in a deadly political betrayal involving his wife and the royal court. His attempt to protect her ultimately ends in tragedy, with Sian losing both his wife and his own life. His death leads into the circumstances surrounding his transformation into the warrior fans eventually know as Igris. However, ARISE material should not automatically be treated as equivalent to the original novel and manhwa canon.

They just showed Igris' Official Design without his helmet on in Solo Leveling:ARISE🤯 pic.twitter.com/oSdcqXSBfy

— Solo Leveling:ARISE – News (@SLANewsEN) December 11, 2025

A dedicated Igris story could explore the warrior before he became a Shadow: his rise as a swordsman, his relationship with the kingdom he served, the battles that earned him his reputation, and the events that ultimately brought him into the Shadow Monarch’s orbit. It could also show what Igris was like before centuries of battles and supernatural transformation reduced his life to fragments of legend. None of those details have been confirmed as the plot of a future project. They simply represent the enormous storytelling space Chugong has left himself.

There is also precedent for the creator having ideas for stories beyond the original Solo Leveling narrative. Chugong has previously discussed wanting to explore other character-focused material and has expressed interest in writing stories connected to Jinwoo and Joohee. He has also distinguished his own ideas for a sequel from Solo Leveling: Ragnarok, which he has described as an alternative-universe interpretation rather than his own canon continuation.

Now, eight years after the manhwa began, the Red Knight may finally have a story worthy of his legend.

Would you read an Igris side story? Comment down!

Solo Leveling (Seasons 1 and 2) are available on Crunchyroll.