Solo Leveling Major Changes The Anime Made From The Manhwa

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Solo Leveling has quickly become a worldwide anime phenomenon. It’s amazing how much success the series has achieved in just two seasons. The anime is based on an original story, which was brought to life by the animation studio A-1 Pictures.

The studio successfully crafted a world that anime fans will likely cherish. While A-1 Pictures generally stayed true to the original manhwa, some changes were made. Fortunately, these alterations weren’t significant enough to ruin the experience. If you’re curious about what was different in the anime adaptation, you’ve come to the right place.

This post contains spoilers for Solo Leveling.

Jinwoo Personally Fed The Hunters On Jeju Island

Jinwoo Was Made To Look More Caring In The Anime

On Jeju Island, Korean Hunters suffered a severe beating at the hands of Beru. The Ant King was much faster and stronger, leaving the Hunters unable to effectively defend against his relentless attacks. When Jinwoo reached them, he was stunned by how badly injured they were.

He started giving the injured fighters a recovery potion. He tried it on Cha Hae-in too, but it wasn’t effective due to the severity of her injuries. The anime also showed a flashback of Jinwoo remembering the potion didn’t work on him – something that wasn’t in the original webcomic. Despite being an addition, most fans seem to enjoy this extra scene.

The System Nearly Ordered Jinwoo To Kill Goto

Goto Ryuji Could Have Died Before The Raid Even Began

Before the attack on Jeju Island started, Hunters from Korea and Japan were practicing their skills against each other. The sparring match became intense, and both Goto Ryuji and Sung Jinwoo ended up participating. Everyone knew Goto Ryuji was Japan’s strongest Hunter, but Sung Jinwoo hadn’t earned that same level of recognition yet.

The fight quickly escalated, and it looked like it could become dangerous. In the original webcomic, a system was preparing to order the assassination of Goto Ryuji, but this part was removed from the anime adaptation.

Goto Ryuji Was Spooked By Jinwoo

Jinwoo Scared Goto In The Manhwa

Ryuji Goto was considered the most powerful Hunter in Japan, and he knew it. He watched the Korean Hunters practice and wasn’t worried about facing them, expecting an easy win. However, everything shifted when Sung Jinwoo entered the competition.

Ryuji Goto appeared calm while fighting Jinwoo, but it quickly became clear that Jinwoo was far stronger than any Hunter present, including Ryuji himself. The original comic showed Ryuji being intimidated by Jinwoo’s power, but this moment was left out of the anime. This was probably done to keep Ryuji looking strong, especially with a dangerous raid on Jeju Island fast approaching.

Cha Hae-in’s Early Debut

Cha Hae-in Appeared Early In The Anime

Cha Hae-in is a very popular character from Solo Leveling. Fans love her appearance and powers, and the creators were confident she’d be a success. That’s why they introduced her so early in the anime – in fact, she appears in the very first episode, perhaps a bit too soon!

Cha Hae-in doesn’t show up until quite late in the original light novel – chapter 81, to be exact. Even in the manhwa adaptation, she doesn’t appear until chapter 65. This means readers of both versions had to wait a significant amount of time before seeing her character. A-1 Pictures made a great decision by introducing her earlier in the animated version.

Giving Side Characters More Screen Time

Side Characters Are More Interesting In The Anime

Anime adaptations often enhance supporting characters by giving them more focus, and the adaptation of Solo Leveling is a great example. The studio, A-1 Pictures, smartly chose which characters would gain the most from extra screen time.

Over the course of the two seasons, supporting characters have been given more opportunities to shine, enriching the story and making them more memorable. Lee Joohee is a prime example; the added screen time has allowed the anime to explore her internal conflicts and how she overcomes them, greatly increasing her popularity with viewers.

Sung Jinwoo’s Personality Was Changed

Jinwoo Is More Dangerous In The Manhwa

Image via A-1 Pictures.

Sung Jinwoo is the central character in Solo Leveling, so the story revolves around him. A strong lead character is crucial for an anime’s success, and Jinwoo’s personality is portrayed as somewhat cold and driven by revenge in the original manhwa, where he tends to get angry more frequently.

I’ve noticed a real change in Sung Jinwoo. The anime seems to have softened his anger, making him much more level-headed. He’s also been reflecting on the System and how it’s affecting him as a person. Honestly, I think A-1 Pictures made the right call by keeping his personality generally kind and approachable – it really works for the character.

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2026-01-28 22:08