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The following contains spoilers forSolo Leveling.
So far, theSolo Levelinganime has not really expanded on the applications of mana and how it relates to the abilities of various hunters we see in the world. Likely in Season 3, we will be treated to the concept of Spiritual Body Manifestation, which is a technique that themore powerful hunters and villainswill start to use to gain an edge in combat.
Just what is the technique that seems to be shared by heroes and villains alike, regardless of class, in the world ofSolo Leveling? Will mastering Spiritual Body Manifestation be the key to the next evolution of Jinwoo’s abilities to overcome the other power players in the universe?
A Power To Transform
Spiritual Body Manifestation Has Conditions
Although we will start to see manySolo Levelingcharacters begin to use Spiritual Body Manifestation as the series goes on, it is not a natural progression of power for most characters. The first time we see it used is by Christopher Reed,who surprises the Monarchs who are ambushing himbecause a human can use it.
Fang Monarch Rakan: Spiritual body manifestation?
Plague Monarch Querehsha: By a mere human?
The Monarchs discuss Christopher Reed’s powers after confronting him at his home in Chapter 140 of the manhwa.
Essentially, to use spiritual body manifestation, a user must be connected to the power of a higher-level being who has a different form. Spiritual Body Manifestation allows the user to draw more power from that source, transforming their body to more closely resemble the appearance of the being’s power they are wielding. When Christopher Reed uses spiritual body manifestation, his face changes to have one glowing eye,resembling a race of beings known as the Rulers.
The Rulers and Monarchs are higher-level beings whose true forms can only properly manifest in other realms and universes outside of Earth. To have influence on Earth, Rulers and Monarchs must use mortal vessels that can contain a portion of their power. Rulers impart a fraction of their power onto their vessels to boost their power and help prepare the Earth for direct conflict with the Monarchs. On the other hand, Monarchs completely take over their vessels, stripping them of free will so they can more directly control the actions of the host.
In either case, vessels of Rulers and Monarchs can use Spiritual Body Manifestation to draw out more power and overcome the limits of their human bodies. However, this power comes at a cost. A human vessel can harm or even destroy itself when drawing on too much power,which is what originally happens to Sung Il-Hwanafter overusing his Ruler powers while defending Jinwoo. Jinwoo, inheriting the power of the Ruler/Monarch Ashborn, should also be able to use spiritual body manifestation. In the climactic battle against Antares, he uses a similar type of technique to wear his shadows like armor, a feat which astounds the Dragon Monarch because a human should not be capable of such power.
“What’s this? I can feel the power of darkness gathering around him…Is this spiritual body manifestation? No, impossible. The Shadow Monarch was originally one of the fragments of brilliant light, meaning he shouldn’t have any other hidden forms…Could it be… that he has summoned the power of death to this planet? How could someone who was just a normal human being until recently… wield the power of death to this extent?” -Antares staring in awe of Jinwoo’s power in Chapter 175 of the manhwa.
Can Baek Yoonho Use Spiritual Body Manifestation?
His Tiger Transformation Appears to be a Similar Technique
Although Baek Yoonho, the S-Rank hunter leader of the White Tiger Guild, appears to wield a similar power to Spiritual Body Manifestation, it is unlikely that his power is related. Baek Yoonho is not a vessel for any higher power as far as the story has revealed so far, meaning that he should be incapable of Spiritual Body Manifestation. However, there is a possibility that Baek’s transformation ability, which is wholly unique among hunters, might have a hidden secret about it.
In the manhwa, Baek is compared to the Monarch of Fangs, Rakan. When Rakan walks by Baek during his fight with Thomas Andre, their tiger forms appear very similar, though Baek’s is much smaller. It’s possible that Baek could be a very compatible vessel with this Monarch, and that his transformation ability is in some way a precursor to Spiritual Body Manifestation. We aren’t exactly shown how the powers of vessels manifest before they inherited their powers, and really aren’t shown the abilities ofpeople like the National Level Hunters in general.
It’s unlikely that other characters besides the vessels will be able to use Spiritual Body Manifestation when it becomes adapted to the anime, but it’s possible, given the anime has shown a willingness to change minor things here and there. It would be neat if some of the other characters got some kind of power-up to make them more relevant in the fights and story conflicts to come.
Solo Leveling
Cast
A-1 Pictures' Solo Leveling is an anime based on Chugong’s popular web novel. Set in an unforgiving fantasy world where hunters explore dungeons filled with monsters, the vulnerable Sung Jinwoo gains a significant power boost after he is picked to be a solo player by the System.
