Spoilers for the entirety of theSolo Levelingmanhwa are included below. Proceed with caution.
Summary
Seasons 1 and 2 ofSolo Leveling, A-1 Pictures’ excellent animated adaptation of Chu-gong’s beloved manhwa of the same name,were an enormous critical and commercial success, and they cemented this IP as one of the mainstays of the power fantasy subgenre. And, with season 3 releasing in the near future, fans are more excited than ever.
The originalSolo Levelingmanhwa is a masterpiece from beginning to end, but it’s far from perfect, since there are a few things about it that could have been executed better. A-1 Pictures now has the perfect opportunity to iron out these minor flaws and make this adaptation the best it can possibly be. In order to achieve this, the third season ofSolo Levelingshould make the following eightchangesto the original manhwa.
8Give the International S-Rankers More Screen Time
The Non-Korean Hunters Should Get to Display Their Powers a Lot More
After so much build up,some of the most powerful S-Rankinternational huntersin theSolo Levelinguniversewill finally get their time to shine in season 3, like Thomas Andre from the United States, Liu Zhigang from China, Lennart Niermann from Germany, and many more. The only issue is that most of their scenes in the manwha were surprisingly short and left most readers wanting more.
Reed was killed before he could showcase his abilities as a vessel of the Rulers, Zhigang’s battle against one of the giants took place entirely off-screen, Andre’s brief clash with Sung Jinwoo could have been much longer, and Niermann’s first and only on-screen fight was against the overpowered Monarchs. Season 3 of the anime should rectify this by adding brand-new scenes of these international hunters fighting monsters and, thus, appropriately establishing how strong and important they truly are.
7Add New Scenes Starring the Monarchs
It’s Crucial to Flesh Out These Antagonists Before They Make Their Move
The main antagonists of the second half ofSolo Levelingare theMonarchs, all-powerful beings who represent and rule over different aspects of this universe. However, in the original manhwa, only Sillad, Raikan, Querehsha and Antares got enough screen time to shine, while the other ones ended up feeling irrelevant and forgettable.
One of A-1 Pictures' most brilliant decisions in season 1 was to add brand-new scenes that introduced many prominent characters, like the South Korean S-Rankers or the Chairman of the Hunters Association, way before they were originally introduced in the manhwa. This allowed the studio to make the world more consistent while also giving itself more time to flesh out these important characters, so it should definitely do the exact same thing in season 3 and implement many anime-original scenes featuring the Monarchs. Legia, Yogumunt, and Tarnak would definitely benefit from this change.
6Let Jinwoo’s New Shadows Shine More
The Shadow Army is Getting Bigger and Stronger
One of the main selling points ofSolo Levelingseason 2 was the introduction of Sung Jinwoo’sshadow army, especially since many of them have their own distinct designs, abilities, and personalities. However, it could be argued that Beru is the last recruit who actually feels like a character of his own, because every subsequent shadow pales in comparison.
Season 3 will see the introduction of many new shadows, like Jima and Greed,so A-1 Pictures should attempt to make anime-only action sequences that’ll let them showcase their immense power and brand-new comedic scenes that’ll flesh out their unique designs and personalities. If done correctly, these new shadows could end up having huge followings of their own by the time the season ends.
5Establish Hwang Dongsoo as a Constant Threat
One of Season 2’s Best Additions Should be Brought Over to Season 3
Throughout the first two seasons,Hwang Dongsoo(a South Korean S-Rank Hunter working in America) had a personal vendetta against Sung Jinwoobecause he killed his older brother, Dongsuk, inside a dungeon. However, this plot point is very easy to forget in the manhwa because this character completely disappears for most of the story until he finally decides to make his move in the middle of the International Guild Conference Arc.
Seasons 1 and 2 have already improved Dongsoo by prominently featuring him upfront and by adding a few new scenes that made his threatening presence feel even more important. A-1 Pictures should keep this going forward in Season 3 and implement a few more new scenes during the four story arcs that take place between the Jeju Island Arc and the International Guild Conference Arc in order to make Dongsoo’s eventual reappearance a lot less jarring.
4Better Explain Sung Il-Hwan’s Role and Backstory
This is the Perfect Chance to Restructure One of the Most Confusing Plot Points
Another plot point that was very well adapted into the anime was the story of Jinwoo’s father,Sung Il-Hwan. He already got his chance to shine in season 2 and will appear even more frequently in the upcoming season. In the manhwa, he finally appeared before his son during the Monarchs War Arc, where he explained that, many years in the past, the Rulers had saved him and entrusted him with the mission of protecting the new Shadow Monarch.
While this explanation clarified many things about his character, it also came off as rushed and incomprehensible, making Il-Hwan’s subsequent death a lot less emotional than it should have been. Because of this, Season 3 should take its time to adapt Il-Hwan’s flashback sequence with the proper pacing, writing and animation so the audience will be able to better understand this character’s story, actions, and motivations.
3Show More of Kamish’s Past
Manhwa Fans Are Eager to See More About This Fateful Event
Season 3 ofSolo Levelingwill introduceKamish, a powerful dragon who was the first ever monster to come out of an S-Rank gateand who almost destroyed all of America in the process. Of course, this world-changing event took place many years in the past, and Kamish’s corpse is currently being guarded by the US government, which Sung Jinwoo will be allowed to investigate during the International Guild Conference Arc.
The original manhwa spent little-to-no time delving into Kamish’s backstory, which was incredibly disappointing to many readers. His rampage through America sounds like something unbelievable that mostSolo Levelingfans would certainly enjoy witnessing firsthand, so A-1 Pictures should keep this in mind and include a longer flashback sequence centered on this mighty dragon in the upcoming third season.
2Enhance the Romance Between Jinwoo and Cha Hae-In
The Protagonist’s Romantic Interest Should Not Disappear From the Story
Something fascinating about the plot ofSolo Levelinggoing into the next season is thatSung Jinwoo will finally decide to pursue his romance with fellow S-Rank hunter,Cha Hae-In, to the point that he’ll even go out on a date with her. While this romantic subplot will certainly captivate many fans, the anime should also try to fix one of its biggest and most dissapointing shortcomings.
After their date, the legendary S-Rank huntress barely appeared in the story of the manhwa until its very end, which made her character feel irrelevant and inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. The anime adaptation should try to rectify this by adding more scenes of Jinwoo and Hae-in interacting, not only because she’s a likable romantic interest, but also because she’s an extremely efficient fighter who’s able to fight on her own, without the help of her new partner.
1Retool the Final Fight Against Antares
Solo Leveling’s Final Fight Should be the Stuff of Legend
TheSolo Levelingmanhwa is filled to the brim with legendary fights, and it feels like they get bigger and bigger in each story arc,but the final battle of the entire series between Sung Jinwoo and the Monarch of Destruction,Antares, left a lot to be desired. It was not bad per se, but it felt a lot more rushed and underwhelming than a lot of the other, more bombastic, encounters in this action-packed story.
If Season 3 reaches the point where Jinwoo and Antares engage in battle, A-1 Pictures should completely retool it by making it feel more intense, atmospheric, and using the choreography and special effects needed to showcase the two combatants' incredible abilities. And, even if this fight is relegated to a hypothetical fourth season, A-1 Pictures should still add new scenes featuring Antares in season 3 in order to slowly build hype toward the final villain of the entire series.
