7 Best-Written Solo Leveling Characters Chugong Completely Forgot About

Chugong, the author of Solo Leveling, truly focuses on the “solo” aspect of the story. While the series excels at showing Sung Jinwoo’s incredible journey to becoming a god-like figure, the supporting characters often get shortchanged. Despite having interesting backgrounds, motivations, and potential, they frequently take a backseat to the main plot. As the power levels increase to a global scale, the relatable human elements that made the beginning of the story so engaging are largely lost.

The story is tragic because the author of Solo Leveling is excellent at creating characters with fascinating possibilities. We met healers burdened by trauma, proud leaders, and figures ripped straight from their own potential stories. But as the story neared its end, these well-developed characters were quickly abandoned, faster than Jinwoo could complete a simple task. These are the characters overshadowed by the Shadow Monarch.

Lennart Niermann

Lennart Niermann, hailed as Germany’s top Hunter and 12th strongest worldwide, was presented at the International Guild Conference. He seemed like a key figure who would have been crucial in battling the Monarchs, representing the peak of European strength. Notably, he was one of the few individuals who could sense the power of both the Frost Monarch and the King of Beasts – his sensitivity even surpassed that of some nationally-ranked Hunters.

Despite his reputation, Lennart didn’t really get a chance to shine. During the Canadian crisis, he mostly just followed Jinwoo around, acting as a protector without ever participating in a significant battle to demonstrate his strength as Germany’s top hunter. He was largely overlooked in the final war. It seemed Chugong had built him up as a powerful figure simply to highlight how much stronger Jinwoo had become, leaving fans curious about what Lennart was truly capable of.

Son Kihoon

Son Kihoon is a highly respected A-Rank Captain in the Hunters Guild, leading Strike Team B during the Kargalgan (High Orc) dungeon mission. He embodies the classic hero archetype – a strong leader willing to risk everything for his team, even when the odds are impossible. His battle with the High Orc’s guards showcased his exceptional fighting skills and unwavering courage, making him one of the most admirable A-Rank hunters in the series.

Kihoon was saved from the High Orc throne room by Jinwoo and his team, and he made a few brief appearances during briefings about Jeju Island and the final gates. However, he didn’t contribute anything to the story’s progression. He was a genuinely kind person who impressed Jinwoo and showed the more human side of mid-level raids. But as the story focused on more powerful figures – S-ranks and Gods – Kihoon faded into the background completely, without any explanation.

Han Song-Yi

I’ve always been fascinated by Han Song-Yi! She’s that E-Rank hunter who really connects Jinwoo’s earlier struggles to his incredible future. She was friends with his sister, and honestly, she perfectly represented those lower-ranked hunters who risk their lives in dungeons just to make a living. But the Red Gate incident? That completely changed her. She suddenly saw how brutal things could be, how survival really worked, and she got a glimpse of just how much hidden power Jinwoo actually had. It was a turning point for her, seeing all that firsthand.

Initially, it seemed like this character would become a close ally or regular friend to Jinwoo, but that storyline was dropped halfway through the series. After the Red Gate incident and a brief encounter at the gym, her aspirations to become a hunter and her connections to Jinwoo’s family were largely ignored. She played an important role in establishing the world and its early conflicts, offering a grounded perspective, but the story shifted towards more spectacular, large-scale battles, leaving her character behind.

Park Heejin

Park Heejin, a skilled Mage ranked B in the White Tiger guild, fought alongside Jinwoo during the Red Gate incident. What set her apart was her sharp intuition. She was the only one who saw Jinwoo rescue Han Song-Yi, and quickly realized he was responsible for their survival. Unlike many others, she didn’t panic and flee; instead, she provided crucial support and remained calm even when faced with a dangerous situation that proved fatal for several experienced hunters.

People initially thought her unique abilities and intelligence meant she’d become a key character. However, after the Red Gate rescue, she disappeared from the story. She didn’t join the Ahjin guild, participate in any more raids, and was only seen as a background character from then on. While she was capable of being a strategist, Chugong chose to let Jinwoo handle all the planning.

Baek Yoonho

Jinwoo’s first significant rival who later became a mentor was Baek Yoonho, the leader of the White Tiger Guild. Known for his ability to transform into a beast – a power that made him a popular hunter – Baek Yoonho initially had a complicated but respectful relationship with Jinwoo. He was the first to grasp the significance of Jinwoo’s unique ‘Double Awakening’ and the only one who fully recognized Jinwoo’s contributions during the dangerous Jeju Island Raid.

His fall from grace is arguably the most heartbreaking among the top-tier characters. Initially, he seemed almost as important as the main character, but as the story progressed, his powerful beast form became purely cosmetic. He mainly served to highlight the villains’ cruelty – often being defeated by Beru – and his character stopped developing. He went from being Korea’s fearsome lion hunter to a minor character whose main role was to look surprised by Jinwoo’s growing strength.

Min Byung-Gyu

Min Byung-Gyu was a highly respected, retired healer known for his kindness. The story explained his retirement well – he’d left hunting after witnessing the deaths of his friends, as he was a pacifist at heart. He represented the emotional toll being a hunter could take, a theme the series didn’t often explore. Even after dying and briefly returning as a shadow creature, he remained uniquely gentle and kind, even smiling – a quality that deeply moved Jinwoo and led him to release Min Byung-Gyu’s spirit.

We didn’t really know who he was or what he stood for until his death on Jeju Island. He seemed to be brought into the story only to be killed off. While his death moved the plot forward, the series missed a great opportunity to explore his beliefs about peace in such a brutal world. He felt like a relatable, ordinary person among characters who craved power, but ultimately, he was treated as just a tool for the story rather than a fully developed character.

Lee Joo-Hee

Lee Joo-Hee is a surprisingly overlooked character, especially considering her important role early in the story. She was a skilled healer who supported Jinwoo when he was just starting out as a hunter. The series powerfully showed the lasting effects of trauma through her experiences in the Double Dungeon, and her decision to retire served as a stark reminder of the dangers hunters face. She grounded Jinwoo and kept him connected to his human side, which made it disappointing to see both him and the story seem to forget about her so quickly.

How could I ever tell him…… I want you by my side until I draw my last breath? — Cha Hae-In

Although her connection with Jinwoo was likely just friendship, they shared a long history, and she supported him when he had nothing. Unfortunately, she didn’t receive a satisfying conclusion to her story, or a significant role in the final events. The series focused on the romantic tension and shared past between Jinwoo and Cha Hae-In instead, despite Ju-Hee having a strong position and being a key figure at the start of Solo Leveling. Ultimately, she was sidelined in the competition to become the strongest.

2026-01-22 17:35