Solo Leveling: Can Sung Jinwoo Transform?

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Posted 3 days ago by inuno.ai

The short answer to whether or not Solo Leveling‘s Jinwoo can transform is yes, but there is a long answer. Transforming is a staple in many kinds of action anime, and the two franchises that have had the most influence on how anime treats transformations have to be Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball. Solo Leveling follows Dragon Ball‘s style of transformation where new forms may have some theater to them, but they usually multiply the power a character normally has.

There are several kinds of transformation in Solo Leveling. Ma Dongwook’s giant form is a very basic transformation. Meanwhile, Baek Yoonho totally changes shape and takes on tiger features when he needs more power. Hunter abilities don’t default to giving transformations, but they aren’t unheard of by any means. Stronger hunters appear more likely to have transformations than weaker ones, too. As the most powerful hunter in the series and being someone that’s no longer human, it’s no surprise that Jinwoo has a transformation. Arguably, he has more than one, but his powers are hardly straightforward, as Ashborn certainly wasn’t.

Sung Jinwoo as the Shadow Monarch in the Solo Leveling manhwa and anime

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The System is Transforming Jinwoo Slowly Over Time in Solo Leveling

Jinwoo is No Longer Human in Solo Leveling Season 2

Solo Leveling is the story of how Jinwoo changes. He both grows stronger and becomes something that isn’t human anymore, and that affects him both on a physical and mental level. There are several points in the series where Jinwoo has transformations but they don’t all show up as new forms. The System guarantees this as it shapes him to be a better vessel for Ashborn.

Jinwoo’s first transformation comes almost immediately after he gets the System. He grows taller and stronger. His face changes, and he’s barely recognizable. This transformation is more the consequence of his growing strength than anything else. This transformation, like many others Jinwoo faces, is not reversible. However, it’s not completely outside the bounds of what a regular person could do over years of training.

Custom Image of Jinwoo fight, Jinwoo cry, Beru from Solo Leveling

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The System is a tool by which Jinwoo is made into a new person. It has enough power to control powerful demons, and it controls Jinwoo’s actions, too. Plus, every time Jinwoo changes his stats, he is directly transforming some aspect of himself. This is a gradual and invisible change, but it’s still a kind of transformation that continues to reshape him. Because of these changes, Jinwoo can handle the later power he receives. So, even if leveling up isn’t a proper transformation in itself, it’s still an important step that lets Jinwoo have his real transformations later.

The second-biggest instance of permanent transformation for Jinwoo comes when he receives the Black Heart. It is both a buff to his power and signifies his status as the Monarch of Shadows. Visually, this heart can be seen, glowing in Jinwoo’s chest. Even if it isn’t the most obvious of transformations, it’s another physical change that belies an increase in power for Jinwoo. While this heart can be hidden, it has permanently made Jinwoo a higher being like the Rulers and the Monarchs.

Jinwoo Technically Doesn’t Have a Spiritual Body Manifestation

Both Monarchs and Rulers’ Vessels Have This Skill in Solo Leveling

The most notable form of transformation and the most consistent in Solo Leveling has to be spiritual body manifestation. This is a skill that all the Monarchs and every vessel for the Rulers have access to. However, only a handful of characters are actually shown using this ability. Keeping in mind that both the Monarchs and Rulers need vessels to interact with Earth, they have limited access to their full power on Earth. The spiritual body’s manifestation allows them access to their true forms and full strength.

Custom Image of Jinah, Jinwoo, Song-yi from Solo Leveling

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The Rulers have yet to take over their vessels’ bodies. While they have access to some of the Ruler’s powers, they don’t get the full extent of that strength. Even though Christopher Reed is shown using his spiritual body manifestation against several Monarchs, he isn’t at their power level. That being said, the spiritual body manifestation still makes him look more like a Ruler and gives him new skills.

Thomas Andre, as a vessel of a Ruler, should also be capable of spiritual body manifestation. His reinforcement ability is never confirmed to be a spiritual body manifestation. However, the fact that it is a transformation at all and resembles Christopher’s own spiritual body manifestation implies that they are the same thing. It functions in the same way, so that’s a safe assumption.

Jinwoo is No Longer Ashborn’s Vessel

Solo Leveling's Ashborn is the former Monarch of Shadows. — Image via A-1 Pictures

Jinwoo may have had a spiritual body manifestation at some point. Ashborn is as much of a Ruler as he is a Monarch, and he still has the physical structure of a Ruler. However, Jinwoo never uses spiritual body manifestation before becoming the new Monarch of Shadows. At that point, Jinwoo no longer has access to spiritual body manifestations because his power is all within his body and being filtered through a vessel. It’s Jinwoo’s power, not Ashborn’s.

That being said, Jinwoo has a transformation that works similarly to spiritual body manifestation. He takes on Ashborn’s form, even. Fans often refer to this form as astralization, and it functions as an almost inverse to spiritual body manifestation. The two forms end up functioning the same, but Jinwoo uses a lot of stamina to maintain it for a short period.

Jinwoo Will Eventually Make Armor Out of His Shadows

Umbrakenisis Doesn’t Make For Traditional Anime Transformations

Jinwoo dons his shadow armour in Solo Leveling.

Jinwoo can shape shadows into anything he wants. This mostly takes the form of bodies for the various souls he raises to use as vessels, but it’s not limited. Because of this ability, he can even give himself and his shadows a boost using Monarch’s domain, which involves him manipulating shadows. This is also the basis for him creating the astralization form. To create armor that even Antares’ spiritual body manifestation couldn’t cut through, he pulled his power to him and copied Ashborn’s armor. This shows the full mastery of the powers he gained from Ashborn.

This transformation gives him an enormous set of armor completely made up of shadows. Technically, Jinwoo doesn’t actually change in any way, though. It’s draining to maintain the full set, and it isn’t impervious to harm. However, this countered a Monarch’s spiritual body manifestation, so its power is self-evident. Jinwoo doesn’t use the form very often, though. Eventually, Jinwoo has to let go of the shadow armor because he can’t keep up with the drain it causes him.

The Ant King stares down Sung Jinwoo and Igris in Solo Leveling Season 2

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After the giant armor collapses, Jinwoo still has shadows wrapped around him to protect him. While Jinwoo often wears powerful pieces of gear, the System keeps his regular armor hidden. That Jinwoo is wearing this armor is a marked difference from his usual state of affairs. Presumably, this smaller set of armor is made just like the giant armor. However, it gets much less fan fare when it shows up. In this form, the Black Heart is clearly visible, too. Jinwoo almost has a transformation sequence when he pulls out the giant armor.

The full-blown culmination of his power gets the proper build-up it deserves, even if pure strength isn’t Jinwoo’s path to victory. Instead, a much more subtle form and a well-thought-out plan win him the day at the end of the series. While his leaps in power are absurd, they rarely come with some new form. He doesn’t do temporary transformation either. Even his astralization isn’t a multiplier so much as him finally putting his power in one place. Jinwoo transforms, but he’s atypical about it, even by Solo Leveling standards.