Solo Leveling: 10 Strongest Fighter-Class Hunters, Ranked

In Solo Leveling, not every Hunter wins with flashy spells or stealthy assassinations. Fighter-Class Hunters embody overwhelming physical power and differ from other combat-type Hunters. Built for relentless frontline warfare, Fighters trade long-range versatility for devastating strength, speed, endurance, and martial prowess. They’re the first to charge into a dungeon and the last to fall when everything goes wrong.

This ranking looks beyond raw muscle to determine which Fighter-Class Hunters truly defined the class at its absolute peak.

10 Minoru Hoshino Proved True Warriors Never Need to Raise Their Voices

Rank: S-Rank / Fighter-Class

Rounding the list is Minoru Hoshino, who represented the discipline expected from Japan’s S-Rank elite. His strength came from refined close-combat fundamentals and battlefield composure. Hunters at his level routinely cleared catastrophic Gates, proving their physical capabilities far exceeded ordinary S-Ranks worldwide.

Unfortunately, Solo Leveling never gave Minoru enough opportunities to display signature feats against Monarch-level threats or national crises. His ranking reflects impressive status rather than documented accomplishments, making it difficult to place him above Fighters whose power was tested during the series’ defining battles.

9 Kenzo Tanaka Earned His S-Rank Through Unrelenting Martial Prowess

Rank: S-Rank / Fighter-Class

Ranking ninth is Kenzo Tanaka, who exemplified what Japan’s Hunter Association valued in elite Fighters: relentless offensive pressure backed by elite martial skill. Achieving S-Rank required overwhelming magical energy alongside exceptional combat ability, and Kenzo possessed both.

But the story never grants him decisive victories or showcases abilities separating him from Japan’s other elite Fighters. Without memorable canon feats or influence over larger conflicts, Kenzo remains respected but ultimately overshadowed by more accomplished contemporaries.

8 Kanae Tawata Was Japan’s Most Underrated Female Powerhouse

Rank: S-Rank / Fighter-Class

Kanae Tawata is easy to overlook, but that’s exactly why she’s underrated. Standing among Japan’s elite Fighter-Class Hunters already speaks volumes about her physical strength and battlefield ability. She edges out Kenzo because her portrayal carries greater prominence, making her one of the country’s most recognizable female S-Ranks.

However, this is where her climb ends (#8). During the Jeju Island Raid, we didn’t get to see her use any of her combat skills, as she, Minoru, and Atsushi escaped right before getting killed by Beru. Kanae’s reputation is impressive, but without comparable feats, placing her above anyone else simply wouldn’t make sense.

7 Cha Hae-In’s Swordsmanship Lets Her Stand Beside Humanity’s Strongest

Rank: S-Rank / Fighter-Class

Cha Hae-In was far more than Korea’s strongest female Hunter. As the country’s only female S-Rank and a Fighter-Class swordswoman, her speed, precision, and extraordinary mana sensitivity allowed her to battle enemies that overwhelmed most elite Hunters. She held her own during the Jeju Island Raid, fought alongside Jinwoo in humanity’s darkest hours, and continuously grew stronger throughout the Monarch War.

However, she ranks below Atsushi because during the 4×4 matchup in Season 2, Hae-In struggled to keep up once Atsushi turned on his “Berserk” mode. Understandably, this is a debatable take; nonetheless, it’s a tie between Hae-In and Atsushi. However, Atsushi edged out slightly due to his pure “Berserk” state.

6 Atsushi Kumamoto Proved Japan Had More Than One Monster Fighter

Rank: S-Rank / Fighter-Class

Japan’s Hunter Association wasn’t built on Goto Ryuji alone, and Atsushi Kumamoto is proof of that. As one of the nation’s elite Fighter-Class Hunters, he possessed the overwhelming strength, endurance, and close-combat prowess expected of an S-Rank entrusted with defending an entire country.

His standing among Japan’s finest comfortably places him above Hwang Dongsoo, whose brute force never translated into the same level of trust or battlefield responsibility. But fifth is where Atsushi’s climb ends. Unlike Goto, he lacks the canon feats and worldwide reputation needed to be remembered as Japan’s undisputed greatest Fighter.

5 Baek Yoonho’s Beastly Instincts Made Him Korea’s Fiercest Fighter

Rank: S-Rank / Fighter-Class

When Baek Yoonho unleashed his Beast Transformation, the battlefield stopped feeling like a fight and started resembling a hunt. His amplified strength, speed, heightened senses, and savage instincts elevated him far beyond an ordinary S-Rank Fighter, while his calm leadership made him one of Korea’s most dependable Guild Masters.

Those qualities comfortably place him above Atsushi, whose reputation simply lacks Baek’s wealth of feats and narrative importance. But Baek never escaped humanity’s ceiling, which places him behind Hwang, Ryuji, and Reed.

4 Hwang Dongsoo Let Hatred Fuel Every Bone-Crushing Blow He Threw

Every fight involving Hwang Dongsoo felt like controlled destruction. Fueled by vengeance, the American S-Rank Fighter overwhelmed enemies with monstrous physical strength, savage brutality, and absolute confidence. His sheer intimidation and combat ability place him comfortably above Baek.

So why isn’t he third? Despite his immense power, Dongsoo got brutally folded by Sung Il-Hwan (Jinwoo’s dad). Ultimately, his vengeance-fueled journey ended when he was killed by Sung Jinwoo, who then extracted his shadow to create the formidable soldier ‘Greed’. That is why fourth is exactly where Dongsoo’s journey ends.

3 Goto Ryuji Was Japan’s Deadliest Close-Combat Specialist

Rank: S-Rank / Fighter-Class

Before the Jeju Island Raid shattered Japan’s pride, Goto Ryuji looked like the complete Fighter-Class Hunter. His explosive speed, masterful swordsmanship, razor-sharp instincts, and commanding presence made him the strongest Hunter in Japan and one of Asia’s most respected S-Ranks.

Those accomplishments place him significantly above mid-tier S-Ranks like Baek Yoonho. Yet Ryuji cannot climb any higher than third. His swift and brutal defeat by the Ant King (Beru) during the Jeju Island Raid exposed the massive gap between elite S-Ranks and National-Level Hunters. His swift defeat by the Ant King (Jeju Island Raid) exposed the gap between elite S-Ranks like him and the National-level Hunters like Reed or Liu Zhigang standing at humanity’s true ceiling.

2 Christopher Reed Carried Enough Raw Power to Shake an Entire Nation

Rank: S-Rank / Fighter-Class

Christopher Reed wasn’t merely one of America’s strongest Hunters. As a National-Level Hunter empowered by the Rulers, his strength reached a level where even the Monarchs refused to face him carelessly, choosing overwhelming numbers instead.

That alone places him comfortably above Baek Yoonho, whose S-Rank abilities could never rival a National-Level Hunter. Yet Reed falls just short of first because much of his legend rests on reputation. His death came before readers witnessed his full potential.

1 Liu Zhigang Was the Fighter Every Monarch Would Rather Avoid

Rank: S-Rank / Fighter-Class

Liu Zhigang wasn’t simply the strongest Fighter-Class Hunter. He was the complete package. China’s sole National-Level Hunter combined overwhelming physical strength, peerless swordsmanship, unmatched confidence, and years of battlefield experience into a warrior who could change the course of a war alone.

Unlike Reed, whose story ended before his full power could be explored, Liu’s every appearance reinforced why the world placed its faith in him. Among Fighter-Class Hunters, his might and combat IQ are unparalleled, making his reign at number one.

Which Fighter-Class Hunter do you think deserved a higher rank? Comment below!

Solo Leveling Season 1 and 2 are available on Crunchyroll globally.