Solo Leveling: Each Country’s Strongest S-Rank Hunter, Ranked

As a huge fan of Solo Leveling, I’m constantly amazed by the power levels! The S-Rank Hunters are truly the strongest, and the difference between them and even A-Ranks is insane. But it’s those really rare S-Ranks, the National Level Hunters, who are just mind-blowing – they’re strong enough to destroy entire countries! Everyone agrees Sung Jinwoo is the absolute strongest character and South Korea’s top S-Rank, but he’s not the only one up there at that level of power.

The story of Solo Leveling takes place mainly in South Korea, but its world expands to include countries like Japan, China, and the United States. So far, each country featured in the series has an exceptionally powerful hunter ranked as ‘S-Rank.’ While not all S-Rank hunters reach the level of ‘National Level,’ simply being the strongest hunter in their country makes them incredibly powerful compared to most other characters—with the notable exception of Sung Jinwoo.

10. Goto Ryuji

Japan

Though not a nationally recognized hunter, Goto Ryuji is the most powerful S-Rank hunter in Japan and a top-tier character in Asia. While he’s considered mid-range among other S-Rank hunters, he’s stronger than the weakest, and ranks as the third-strongest S-Rank in Asia, behind only Sung Jinwoo and Liu Zhigang.

I first noticed Goto Ryuji because he’s a skilled fighter who wields a katana, and he was strong enough that Sung Jinwoo immediately recognized his power when they met. However, it quickly became clear that Sung Jinwoo had already surpassed him by the time they reached Jeju Island. What really set Goto apart from many other S-Rank hunters was that he remained a significant character throughout the story, right up until his death.

9. Yuri Orloff

Russia

Yuri Orloff, a Russian Hunter considered the best of all time in the Support class, was a master of barriers. Before his passing, he was renowned for his ability to create incredibly strong barriers – powerful enough to seal dangerous S-Rank Gates, protect him from devastating attacks, and even immobilize his enemies.

During the Japan Crisis, Yuri’s protective magic wasn’t strong enough to stop the Giants. While Yuri Orloff mainly focuses on defense, his S-Rank status proves he’s a very powerful hero. He also demonstrated his abilities by sensing Sung Il-Hwan, showing he’s more than just a support character.

8. Jay Mills

Canada

Jay Mills was a top Hunter – the strongest in Canada and 17th globally. He appears relatively late in the story primarily to demonstrate the immense power of the Monarchs (and, therefore, Sung Jinwoo) leading up to the final battle.

Jay Mills was instantly killed by Antares, the incredibly powerful King of Dragons and the series’ main villain. Antares incinerated him before he had a chance to fight. While it was a hopeless battle, Jay Mills should be acknowledged for bravely facing such a formidable opponent.

7. Lennart Niermann

Germany

Lennart Niermann is a top-tier Hunter – the strongest in Germany and 12th best worldwide. However, because he appears later in the Solo Leveling story, he’s quickly overshadowed by Sung Jinwoo’s incredible power, leaving him with limited opportunities to showcase his own abilities.

Lennart is a rare S-Rank Hunter who has battled Rakan, the incredibly powerful King of Beasts. However, Rakan is far stronger than even the best S-Rank Hunters, making it a difficult fight for Lennart. Despite this, Lennart was able to detect Sung Jinwoo’s Shadow Army when they first encountered each other, proving he remains a very capable fighter.

6. Jonas

Brazil

Jonas was an incredibly powerful Hunter, considered the strongest in Brazil and sixth-best worldwide when he died. Very little is known about him—he didn’t even have a last name, which is unusual for Hunters of his rank. His death happened off-screen during the Monarchs War, and it’s only briefly mentioned in the story.

The Brazilian government discovered Jonas’ body after he was killed by the Monarchs. Jonas was a powerful being known as a Ruler’s Vessel, but his full abilities remain a mystery since he wasn’t shown on screen. His ranking as number six proves he was incredibly strong, almost reaching the level of a National Level Hunter.

5. Antoine Martinez

France

The original Solo Leveling story didn’t fully reveal the identities of the top 5 National Level Hunters, even though their rankings were a major focus. For years, the hunter ranked #5 remained unknown. Luckily, Solo Leveling: Arise has expanded the story, completing the full Top 5 rankings and introducing France’s first S-Rank Hunter.

Antoine Martinez is a top Hunter, ranked #5 nationally and considered the strongest S-Rank Hunter in France. What makes him unique is that he’s a Healer—most Hunters at that level specialize in combat. Even Christopher Reed, the #3 ranked Hunter globally, believes Martinez is the best Healer, as reported in Arise. Remarkably, Martinez achieved this rank without being a Ruler’s Vessel, making his accomplishments even more significant.

4. Siddharth Bachchan

India

Siddharth Bachchan is considered India’s strongest Hunter, ranking as the fourth best nationally and globally—just behind America’s Christopher Reed at number three. In the original Solo Leveling story, Siddharth doesn’t play a significant role and probably won’t appear in the anime unless the show expands on India’s part in the world.

Despite all of this, the fact that Siddharth Bachchan is a nationally ranked Hunter automatically puts him among the world’s strongest. While his guild, the Asura guild, has a bit more involvement in Solo Leveling Ranarok, he largely remains a background character. Unfortunately, this means fans shouldn’t anticipate a major role for India’s strongest Hunter.

3. Liu Zhigang

China

Liu Zhigang is a remarkably powerful hunter, known as China’s 7-Star Hunter and ranked second nationally worldwide. While he doesn’t play a huge role in the main story of Solo Leveling so far (though the anime might change that in future seasons), his accomplishments are actually more impressive than many other hunters, even those with S-rank abilities.

During the Japan Crisis, Liu Zhigang single-handedly defeated a Giant with apparent ease. He’s incredibly strong, remarkably fast, and a master of weapons, able to slice through nearly anything with his dao and jian. Although officially considered the third-strongest Hunter in the Solo Leveling series, many find his abilities even more remarkable than those of Thomas Andre.

2. Thomas Andre

United States of America

Besides Sung Jinwoo, Thomas Andre is considered the most powerful hunter in the world. As an incredibly strong American, he’s ranked number one among national-level hunters in the Solo Leveling series, and his reaction to Sung Jinwoo’s abilities on Jeju Island clearly demonstrates his immense power.

Throughout the story, Sung Jinwoo ultimately becomes more powerful than Thomas Andre, but for a large part of Season 3, Thomas is actually the stronger fighter. He’s incredibly strong physically, capable of overpowering Sung Jinwoo, and is a highly skilled martial artist. While not as strong as even the weakest Monarch, Thomas is far above all other Hunters except for Sung Jinwoo himself.

1. Sung Jinwoo

South Korea

Sung Jinwoo is widely considered the most powerful hunter in the world, and the star of Solo Leveling. As the strongest S-Rank hunter in South Korea, he’s incredibly formidable. He gains power through a unique System that gives him quests, experience points, and the ability to improve his skills and stats. He can also buy items with gold earned from quests, storing them in a limitless, hidden inventory. Simply put, Sung Jinwoo is overwhelmingly powerful.

Sung Jinwoo not only skillfully uses the System to his advantage, but he’s also a powerful Necromancer and Monarch of Shadows. His ability, Shadow Extraction, lets him create an army of Shadows from the bodies of deceased humans and monsters. These Shadows are essentially extensions of his own strength. While powerful summons like Igris, Beru, and Kaisel add to his might, they’re just a small part of what his Shadow Army can do. Ultimately, Sung Jinwoo is considered the strongest S-Rank Hunter in South Korea, and the most powerful character in the series, Solo Leveling.

2026-05-02 22:43