Class
Tanker
Without a doubt, Sung Jin-Woo is one of the strongest characters inSolo Leveling. He has been leveling up secretly and left behind the title “The Weakest Hunter of All Mankind”. Soon after finding his new powers, he met Yoo Jin-Ho, who has been assisting him ever since. But had he not met Jin-Ho would it have changed anything for him?
Solo Levelingis a world where hunter ranks mean everything. When they met, Jin-Ho was D-Rank while Jin-Woo was merely E-Rank. This naturally put Jin-Ho above Jin-Woo. But it didn’t take too long for Jin-Ho to realize that Jin-Woo was much stronger. First, he treated Jin-Woo like a boss. They soon became friends and ultimately became so close that Jin-Ho started treating him like a brother.
A Bond Created at The Verge of Danger
Jin-Woo first met Jin-Ho in Season 1, Episode 5. Jin-Ho, from the start, seemed very easygoing and even naive. But one could tell he had a good heart. He tried to make Jin-Woo feel at ease and promised to protect him. Butinside the C-Rank gate, when they were left alone, Jin-Woo shocked Jin-Ho by defeating the dungeon boss alone. This left Jin-Ho terrified, and he assumed Jin-Ho was a false hunter who liked to kill for fun. Out of fear, he started calling him “boss” and offered to dig mines for him. But before the misunderstanding could be clarified, Dong-Suk and his group intervened.
They immediately targeted Jin-Woo and ordered Jin-Ho to kill him. Though outnumbered, Jin-Ho denied the order and instead sided with Jin-Woo. Left with no choice, Jin-Woo went on to wipe out the group of assassins and the two left the dungeon safely. When they were questioned aboutthe incidents in the dungeon, Jin-Ho covered for Jin-Woo, and the credit was given to Jin-Ho’s powerful gear. This way, he helped keep Jin-Woo’s power a secret.
A Necessary Partnership
After the events of the dungeon, they met again. Jin-Ho shared his plan to clear 19 dungeons to become a guild master and asked for Jin-Ho’s help. Though he is offered a lot of money, Jin-Woo rejects the offer. Jin-Woo goes on to challenge a dungeon where he learns about the Elixir of Life which could cure his mother. Unable to clear the dungeon, he becomes determined to get stronger.
But to do so, he needed to clear strong dungeons in a short period. Regardless of his strength, he was still an E-Rank hunter. Hence, helping Jin-Ho became a must for him as well. He agrees to Jin-Ho’s offer on the condition of clearing the dungeons with just the two of them. This ensured the secrecy of his powers while also allowing him to challengedungeons much higher than his current rank.
What If They Never Met?
If Jin-Woo and Jin-Ho never met, it would’ve definitely affected both of them. Jin-Woo’s progress would’ve been much slower. He would not have been able to raise his level effectively by clearing the C-Rank dungeons. This would’ve also made itimpossible for him to clear the Demon Castle. While Jin-Ho would not have been able to progress toward becoming a Guild Master considering his lack of combat experience. They’re equally important to each other’s progress.
With every dungeon, Jin-Woo becomes much stronger. Having reached S-Rank already, does he still need Jin-Ho or will their friendship start to fade away?
