Solo Leveling Exposed: Who Really Is the Weakest S-Rank Hunter?

by

Summary

  • Determining the weakest S-rank hunter is tough due to immeasurable powers and diverse abilities.
  • Min Byung-Gu might seem weak in combat, but his healing abilities prove vital in fights.
  • Choi Jongin is implied to be the weakest S-rank hunter, lacking utility in critical battles.

In the series Solo Leveling, although Sung Jinwoo undeniably stands as one of the top S-rank hunters, it’s worth noting that the ranking of other hunters beneath him can be a topic of discussion. This is because S-rank hunters in Korea possess such immense power that they transcend the usual hierarchy of hunter ranks. As a result, there can be significant power disparities among individual S-rank members, despite them all sharing the same rank.

Could one of the hunters we’ve encountered thus far be the least powerful but still strong enough to belong to the world’s top hunting elite? This article explores how the storyline, character dialogue, and demonstrated abilities of different hunters might help us identify the weakest S-rank hunter we’ve seen in the anime so far.

Tough to Determine

The Unreliability of Mana Readings

In the series ‘Solo Leveling’, it’s challenging to assess the strength of other characters due to the intense emphasis on the development of protagonist Sung Jinwoo. This difficulty is particularly noticeable when it comes to S-rank hunters, as their unique trait lies in being incapable of being quantified through mana readings.

Observing the S-rank hunters, I find it challenging to compare them due to their diverse abilities and roles. Take Min Byung-Gyu for instance; while his combat skills might not match others in one-on-one fights, his healing powers prove indispensable. Case in point: during the battle against the Ant King, he kept an entire team of S-rank hunters alive against a far stronger foe. If Byung-Gu wasn’t there, our team would have likely perished before Jinwoo even arrived on the scene. His healing power, capable of turning the tide in battles, makes it questionable to label him as the weakest among the S-rank hunters we’ve seen, despite his physical combat prowess being relatively low.

Another point to consider is that numerous S-class hunters, similar to Japanese hunters, don’t appear to use their maximum capabilities on screen. Consequently, it becomes challenging to accurately gauge their strength or weakness. In such a scenario, when selecting the weakest hunter, it seems wiser to opt for those we have witnessed displaying their full fighting potential.

Why It Might Be Choi Jongin

One Light Novel Passage May Hold the Key

In the world of web novels, Choi Jongin appears to be one of the weaker characters within the top rankings. However, there are variations between anime, manhwa, and web novels which means that this statement may not hold true in other versions of the story.

In the narrative, the storyteller conveys Jinwoo’s impressions about S-rank Hunters. He found Gunhee and Cha Haein to be exceptionally powerful compared to other S-rankers he had encountered. However, aside from these two individuals, the likes of Baek Yoonho, Choi Jongin, and Lim Taegyu didn’t seem overly strong to Jinwoo. In particular, Choi Jongin raised questions about his reputation as the “Strongest Soldier” since it seemed more a result of his position as the leader of the country’s top Guild rather than actual strength.

In the realm of this anime, I’ve noticed an interesting pattern. Although Choi Jongin showcases an impressive command over fire magic, reducing countless ants to ashes, he surprisingly struggles against the Ant King. His speed and durability seem insufficient for anything more than a single, vulnerable attack. This is quite contrasting to other hunters like Baek Yoonhoo, who, interestingly, appear to be on par with him but manage to perform significantly better in tough fights.

This suggests that when facing formidable opponents, Choi Jongin’s combat effectiveness seems to diminish remarkably. In fact, his performance appears weaker than a healer such as Byung-Gu in these high-stakes battles, making Choi Jongin one of the least effective fighters we’ve witnessed so far in the series.

Solo Leveling can be streamed on Crunchyroll and Amazon.

Read More

2025-04-26 15:14