Top 5 Solo Leveling Arcs Fans Aren’t Ready for

Solo Leveling has achieved a lofty status and a massive following within anime and isekai fandoms. Season 2 premieres on Crunchyroll on January 4, 2025, with the first two episodes debuting in the Solo Leveling – ReAwakening film, building excitement for the sequel.

Despite its controversial debut, Season 1 lived up to fans’ expectations, captivating several fans to the series. Solo Leveling has continued to reign as a top-tier manhwa and its anime adaptation is already dominating the internet buzz.

Sung Jinwoo, voiced by Aleks Le, in Solo Leveling – ReAwakening. [Credit: A-1 Pictures]

Season 2 will pick up where Season 1 ended, beginning with Jinwoo’s journey into the Red Dungeon, where his overwhelming strength draws the attention of elite hunters.

Amid the buzz surrounding the highly anticipated Jeju Island arc, which the production studio has been prioritizing and foreshadowing since Episode 1; here are five top-tier Solo Leveling arcs that outshine it, setting the bar even higher for what’s to come.

5 Upcoming Solo Leveling Arcs that surpass the highly anticipated Jeju Island

5. The International Guild Conference Arc

From the start, Solo Leveling stayed focused on never undermining the MC, always portraying him as incredibly cool. A measly E-rank hunter was bestowed with the ability to level up; however, for a long time, Jinwoo remains cautious of not letting anyone know about his reawakening and stays out of the spotlight.

Following the Jeju Island arc, Sung Jinwoo rises to global fame, capturing the attention of the world’s strongest hunters and guilds with his breathtaking battle against the S-Rank boss, Beru. Instead of joining an established guild, Jinwoo starts his own from scratch.

A still from the International Guild Conference from the manhwa | Credits: Webtoon

Leveraging his influence from the Jeju Island arc, he earns an invitation to the International Guild Conference, delivering an epic and unforgettable moment. Jinwoo stands among the world’s top-ranked hunters, his commanding aura alone enough to intimidate many. This moment marks a pinnacle for manhwa fans, witnessing the once-weakest hunter earn such phenomenal status and respect.

4. Sung Jinwoo revisits the Double Dungeon

During his first trip to the Double Dungeon, Jinwoo was chosen by the System to be its Player when he voluntarily decided to stay behind and sacrifice himself for his other part members’ safety.

Solo Leveling Double Dungeon Statue | Credits: Webtoon

When Jinwoo reached level 100, Kandiaru invited him back to the Double Dungeon so that the Shadow Monarch Ashborn could take control of him as his vessel and finally descend into the human world. Sung Jinwoo’s revenge on the System was worth the wait; with his new power-up, our beloved MC utterly obliterates it—a moment fans had eagerly anticipated for a long time.

3. Sung Jinwoo Faces the Monarchs: A Clash of Power and Destiny

As the story unfolds, we delve deeper into the System and Jinwoo’s abilities as the Shadow Monarch, only to discover he isn’t the sole monarch and is, in fact, being hunted by the others. Once the Frost Monarch’s plans are set in motion, the war between humanity, the Rulers, and the Monarchs begins.

During the fighting, Jinwoo is killed by the combined efforts of the Frost and Beast Monarchs. Surprisingly, the Shadow Monarch, Ashborn, appears before Jinwoo and explains the entire truth of the events that led to the war.

Solo Leveling Monarchs War Arc | Credits: Webtoon

Finally, he offers Jinwoo the choice of either remaining dead or rising again as the true Shadow Monarch. Meanwhile, Jinwoo’s father, Ilhwan, arrives just in time to protect his son’s body, fighting both Monarchs on his own. Jinwoo easily disposes of the Frost and Beast Monarchs, and Ilhwan dies in his arms after apologizing to his son for being absent for so long.

2. Solo Leveling: The Final Battle

With the System now gone and Jinwoo having no limits, he is now granted abilities that come pretty much out of nowhere, such as sharing his memories. In the end, Sung Jinwoo faces his most challenging battle against Antares, the Monarch of Destruction, also known as the King of Dragons.

Sung Jinwoo VS the Dragon Monarch in the manhwa | Credits: Webtoon

At the start, they are fairly evenly matched, but Antares appears to gain the upper hand when he tricks Jinwoo into a trap. Facing Antares’ army alone, Jinwoo uses Dragon’s Fear to cripple them and tricks Antares into a trap, allowing the Rulers to deliver the final blow, ending the war and saving the entire world.

1. The Japan Crisis Arc: Unveiling the War between the Rulers and Monarchs

The massive S-Rank Gate in Japan finally opens, releasing enormous giants that devastate the city of Shinjuku. Unfortunately, even the S-Rank strike squad fails to competently tackle the threat. As a result, Jinwoo arrives to confront them and, after defeating their boss, enters the Gate to discover the true leader of the giants, Legia.

A still from the Japan Crisis Arc | Credits: Webtoon

Legia, the Monarch of Beginning, reveals to Jinwoo the origins of the gates and warns of an impending war between the Rulers and Monarchs. He also shares how he was imprisoned by the Rulers. Just as Jinwoo starts to trust him, Legia attempts to attack, but Jinwoo defeats him while he’s still mostly chained.

Though the Japan Crisis arc features some of the series’ best themes and biggest threats, many readers find it lacking or rushed compared to the light novel.

However, with the production studio promising improvements on the manhwa’s flaws, fans can look forward to a better adaptation of the anime, diverging from the manhwa’s story.

Solo Leveling manhwa can be read on Webtoons, while the anime is available to watch on Crunchyroll