Solo Leveling: 9 Ways Jinwoo Is Still Weak

This article contains spoilers for Solo Leveling.

In Solo Leveling, Sung Jinwoo knows being weak can mean death, being betrayed, or losing everything he cares about. He’s no stranger to feeling powerless, and understands all too well how easily a hunter can become a liability. Even though he’s survived countless life-or-death situations and overcome betrayals, it’s never easy to feel helpless and realize how quickly things can be taken away.

Even though Sung Jinwoo has quickly become one of the most powerful hunters in Solo Leveling, thanks to the powers of the Shadow Monarch, he isn’t invincible and still has weaknesses. The thought of losing his strength and becoming vulnerable constantly motivates him to keep training and get even stronger.

Jinwoo Relies on the System and Its Abilities

Jinwoo isn’t truly independent as long as the system is active. It continues to protect him from fatal dangers, essentially keeping him alive until Ashborn fully takes control. The system can push him to his breaking point by using all its power, then step in to save him whenever he’s in serious trouble.

Jinwoo still relies on the system’s prompts, daily tasks, and dungeons to get stronger. They’re key to helping him reach his full potential. However, he can’t currently control or overcome the system itself because whoever created it is still more powerful than he is.

Jinwoo’s Mana Limitations

In Solo Leveling, a major challenge for Jinwoo is managing his mana. While he has a good amount of it, using his shadows – summoning or reviving them – quickly drains his reserves, particularly during tough battles.

Even though Jinwoo grows stronger by leveling up and increasing his mana, a limited mana supply holds him back from reaching his true power. This constant restriction complicates his strategies, forcing him to carefully conserve his energy and make the most of what he has.

Jinwoo Needs More Shadows

It’s exciting to watch Jinwoo collect shadows in Solo Leveling, but his ability to do so actually creates a challenge. He can only hold onto a limited number of shadows, meaning he sometimes has to let go of weaker enemies who could have been helpful in bigger battles where he needs more allies.

Even though Jinwoo has become much stronger with allies like Kargalgan, Igris, and Beru, he still faces many powerful enemies in Solo Leveling. While his current group of elite shadow soldiers is impressive, they aren’t quite enough to help him reach his full potential.

Jinwoo’s Unstable Emotions

As Jinwoo gains power and levels up, he risks losing touch with his human side. It’s becoming easier for him to kill, and he feels less and less control over it. Despite this, he’s not completely emotionless. He can still get angry, act without thinking, and make rash choices that put himself and his loved ones at risk.

Despite all his strength, Jinwoo still experiences fear – the fear of losing his abilities, truly dying, and losing the people he cares about. While holding onto his human emotions is a good thing, it also leaves him open to pain and doubt that could be dangerous.

Jinwoo Isn’t the Strongest Yet

Right now in the anime, Sung Jinwoo isn’t the most powerful character in Solo Leveling. While he’s become Korea’s strongest S-rank hunter after what happened on Jeju Island, even more powerful figures will appear later in the story.

Even after the events on Jeju Island, a few incredibly powerful beings, like Monarchs and Rulers, could still defeat Jinwoo. He can’t face these monsters by himself, or he’s certain to be killed.

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Jinwoo Can’t Protect Everyone

In Solo Leveling, Jinwoo, despite becoming incredibly powerful and gathering many allies, can’t possibly protect everyone in his country. He’s strong, but enemies will always try to exploit his vulnerabilities, making it impossible to guarantee complete safety for all.

A prime example of this is Go Gun-Hee, a character who, as many manhwa readers know, was killed by the Frost Monarch before Jinwoo could reach him. Even though Jinwoo tried his best to protect everyone he cared about – including the president of the KHA – the Frost Monarch managed to bypass his defenses and attack.

Jinwoo Needs Time to Grow Stronger

In Solo Leveling, Jinwoo gets stronger by defeating monsters, dungeon bosses, and completing gates. While this method works, he often takes a long time to level up, which gives his enemies a chance to become as powerful as he is.

Jinwoo typically wins his fights, but when facing extremely strong enemies like the Architect, he needs a moment to analyze the situation and use his powers effectively. He can’t defeat these powerful opponents with a single blow, unlike weaker monsters.

Jinwoo Is Still an Incomplete Monarch

The Monarchs – Sillad, Rakan, and Querehsha – constantly remind Jinwoo that he isn’t a true monarch. Because he’s human, he can’t fully utilize the Shadow Monarch’s power without permission from Ashborn and meeting specific conditions to unlock it.

The Monarchs believe they can defeat Jinwoo before he fully unlocks the Shadow Monarch’s power during their attack on Seoul. Although Jinwoo is capable of defeating one of them, he’s outmatched against all three, even with his shadow army assisting him.

Jinwoo Refuses Combat Support

Jinwoo usually fights alone because he’s much stronger than his allies, and they wouldn’t be much help in a direct fight. However, he still needs their support to watch his back and make sure everything goes smoothly.

Even though Jinwoo is most effective working solo, he shouldn’t completely shut out others. There will be times when he needs to trust his fellow hunters, and asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness. He could rely on people like Cha Hae-In, Thomas Andre, Sung Il-Hwan, or Yoo Jin-Ho to support him when things get too risky or difficult.

2026-02-18 21:36