Chugong Reveals Solo Leveling Missed a Key Part of Jinwoo's Story

Fans know Sung Jinwoo as the iconic hunter who grew from the weakest link to the powerful Shadow Monarch. While his journey kept us hooked, the creator Chugong recently shared that there is more to the story. In comments found in The Art of Solo Leveling, he admitted that Jinwoo's transition into a colder person was meant to be more than just a side effect of his rising power levels.

Chugong explained that he originally planned for a significant internal struggle within Jinwoo. The idea was to show a tense clash between Jinwoo's original humanity and the memories and instincts he gained from Ashborn. The immense weight of Ashborn's past as a warrior was supposed to play a much larger role in shaping Jinwoo's personality throughout the series.

Looking back, Chugong feels he failed to properly show this deeper layer of character growth on the page. It is a fascinating look at the creative process, especially since fans already hold the series in such high regard. Even without this extra layer of psychological conflict, Jinwoo remains one of the most popular protagonists in modern manhwa.