Solo Leveling: How Dangerous Would a Villain Be With Control Over the System?

At the start of Solo Leveling, one of the most intriguing elements of the storyline is the System itself. It plays a crucial role in Sung Jinwoo’s rise from an E-Rank to an S-Rank Hunter throughout the first two seasons of the anime adaptation.

Despite how dominant the System appears to be, there’s always a lingering suspicion that a much greater force is orchestrating events from behind the scenes, with Jinwoo struggling to grasp the true reason behind it all.

Even with the details revealed so far in the anime, the System remains quite mysterious, but those familiar with the source material are well aware that the truth behind it is even more bizarre than what’s been shown.

Sung Jinwoo eventually learns the real nature of the System as the series reaches its climax, but rather than making things simpler, this only emphasizes the strange and absurd aspects that have always been present.

Some of its oddest quirks—such as its ability to detoxify alcohol or the restriction that prevents Jinwoo from handing over certain shop items—are justified within the story. That said, even with logical explanations, the System still comes across as peculiar when scrutinized more closely.

The story’s action will persist whether Sung Jinwoo is present or not, as the highly anticipated Jeju Island Raid is set to reveal in Episode 22, which appears to take a cautious approach.

10. The System Hints That Jinwoo Used To Be a Hardcore Gamer

The System Was Designed in a Way That Players Like Jinwoo Could Relate To

Looking at the sheer power Sung Jinwoo gains by the end of Solo Leveling, it’s almost difficult to picture him once spending hours in front of a screen playing RPGs. However, the way the System functions strongly implies that he was once deeply familiar with that kind of gaming.

While it’s not stated outright that the System was built specifically for him, there’s no denying that Jinwoo understands its mechanics faster than most would.

There’s a clear indication that he has spent considerable time immersed in fantasy-based games. His rapid adaptability, particularly to the System’s “level up” format and its stat-boosting mechanics, suggests that RPGs were his go-to.

The fact that the System aligns so well with video game logic only reinforces the idea that Jinwoo was the kind of person who would have thrived in those environments. Those who believed that gaming had no real-world benefits were completely proven wrong by his journey.

9. Sung Jinwoo’s Character Build Becomes Irrelevant in the End

The Assassin Build Was More About Keeping Things Engaging for Players

In the early stages of Solo Leveling, Jinwoo invests heavily in improving his speed and agility stats through the System, not realizing that he is meant to evolve into a magic-based Necromancer class by the time he completes the Job Change quest.

This unique combination allows him to dominate in battle, capable of both close-range combat and summoning powerful minions to fight alongside him. However, by the time the series reaches its climax, Jinwoo has inherited the full power of the Shadow Monarch, rendering his carefully crafted build practically meaningless.

Within South Korea, Solo Leveling showcases several formidable Hunters, with the S-Rank Hunters standing at the pinnacle of strength.

As it turns out, the Shadow Monarch was already proficient in both magic and close-combat techniques, making Jinwoo’s early stat allocation more or less inconsequential.

With this in mind, the System could have simply followed a more streamlined progression, automatically distributing stats in a way that reflected the Shadow Monarch’s true capabilities.

This suggests that the entire concept of stat-building was deliberately designed by the Architect to make the experience more entertaining for Jinwoo rather than being a necessity.

8. The System Prevents Jinwoo From Getting Drunk

Jinwoo’s Detoxification Ability Takes Away His Ability to Enjoy Alcohol

A running joke in Solo Leveling revolves around the System’s ability to eliminate toxins from Jinwoo’s body. The Detoxification skill is a passive ability granted to him as the Player, meaning it remains active at all times, even when it’s unnecessary.

Since it doesn’t consume mana, Jinwoo benefits from it constantly without any drawbacks. This skill becomes particularly useful when facing enemies that use poison-based attacks, such as Kasaka and Kargalgan.

Interestingly, Jinwoo also gains the advantage of consuming poisonous substances that have beneficial properties without suffering negative effects. For instance, when he ingests Kasaka’s Venom Gland, he receives a stat boost without any harmful consequences.

While this is advantageous in battle, it comes with the unintended side effect of neutralizing all intoxicating substances—including alcohol. Ironically, despite being referred to as the Player, Jinwoo doesn’t have much freedom to “play” in certain ways.

7. Certain Items in the System Shop Cannot Be Given Away

Jinwoo Is Unable to Transfer Some Consumable Items to Others

Among the many oddities within the System, one particularly strange rule prevents Jinwoo from giving away specific items to other people.

This restriction primarily applies to consumable goods, such as potions, as demonstrated during the Jeju Island Raid when he was unable to share any healing potions with his fellow S-Rank Hunters.

However, during the Red Gate arc, he was able to hand out fur coats to his teammates and even contemplated selling weapons purchased from the System at a real-world item shop.

This establishes that while he can distribute long-term items, consumables remain off-limits. A possible explanation for this is that consumables are directly linked to Ashborn’s regenerative abilities, meaning they cannot be passed on.

An interesting point to note is that in the official English volume release of the Solo Leveling manhwa, Jinwoo mistakenly says during the Jeju Island Raid that he “can’t buy any items” instead of stating he “can’t make transactions.”

This was a translation error, as multiple other translations, both official and fan-made, correctly convey that he was referring to the inability to transfer items.

6. The System Assigns Unique Names to Every Item Jinwoo Uses

The Naming System of Items Doesn’t Always Follow Standard Video Game Logic

Since the System was developed based on gaming principles, several aspects of it mimic video game mechanics, even when they don’t make sense in reality.

One particularly amusing feature is that every item within the shop possesses a distinctive name or title. This applies even to weapons Jinwoo directly acquires from defeated Magic Beasts, such as Barca’s Dagger and Kasaka’s Venom Fang.

Sung Jinwoo eventually became the most formidable Hunter in Solo Leveling and amassed an army of fearsome Shadow Soldiers to aid him in battle.

It remains unclear whether the Architect had pre-assigned names to these items before they entered Jinwoo’s inventory or if they were already established within the world of Magic Beasts before he acquired them.

Even when Jinwoo discovers that Ashborn’s heart has merged with his own, the heart itself is classified as an item called the “Black Heart.”

At this stage, it becomes evident that Ashborn was simply toying with Jinwoo, as there is no logical reason for the heart to receive such a name, especially after Jinwoo had already dismantled Kandiaru’s system.

5. Sung Jinwoo Receives Digital Currency From the System

The System Gives Jinwoo Virtual “Gold” That Has No Value Outside Its Domain

Among the various rewards Sung Jinwoo gains from slaying Magic Beasts, he collects items ranging from weapons and armor to consumables. However, one of the more puzzling things he receives is Gold, which exists solely within the System.

The world of Solo Leveling mirrors reality in many aspects, featuring real-world nations, advanced technology, and structured economies, all coexisting with the presence of Gates, Magic Beasts, and Mana.

Despite this realistic setting, Jinwoo operates under an entirely different financial system from the rest of society. The Gold granted to him by the System lacks any physical presence and cannot be used in normal transactions outside the confines of the System’s shop.

In many ways, this Gold functions similarly to in-game currency in a role-playing game, except the items he purchases with it manifest in real life. This mechanic is comparable to cryptocurrency, though it lacks the instability and fraudulent schemes commonly associated with digital assets in reality.

4. The Other Players of the System Are Never Shown in Solo Leveling

Sung Jinwoo Wasn’t the Only Player, But No Others Were Ever Acknowledged

An intriguing plot point Solo Leveling never fully looks into is the existence of other Players within the System. While Sung Jinwoo battles the Architect, Kandiaru, he learns that he was not the intended recipient of the System.

Later, Ashborn confirms that Kandiaru had tested previous Players before Jinwoo, but none proved worthy of inheriting the Shadow Monarch’s strength.

Despite this revelation, the story never follows up on who these other Players were or what happened to them. The series could have expanded on this by introducing another Player who also gained experience through the System, either as an ally or a rival for Jinwoo.

This would have added a layer of competition and challenge, considering Jinwoo rarely faces opponents who can match him until the final stages of the story.

3. The System Can “Control” Some Magic Beasts in Solo Leveling, But Not Others

Certain Creatures Fall Under the System’s Influence, While Others Remain Free

Throughout Jinwoo’s early experiences in Solo Leveling, the System occasionally intervenes in his interactions with Magic Beasts. Thanks to its power, Jinwoo can comprehend the speech of higher-tier creatures, allowing him to gather information about his abilities.

However, on multiple occasions, the System deliberately prevents him from hearing certain details, seemingly to keep its secrets hidden. During battles with Barca and Kargalgan, for example, crucial revelations about the System are cut off mid-conversation.

While the System appears capable of blocking Jinwoo’s access to certain information, it doesn’t directly control most Magic Beasts. A known exception occurs in the Demon’s Castle, where the System forcibly manipulates Esil to the extent that she collapses from exhaustion.

This suggests that Demons within the castle were intentionally placed there by the Architect, unlike creatures such as Ice Elves or High Orcs, who exist outside of the System’s artificial dungeons.

The level of control exercised over them may stem from either Ashborn’s direct influence or the Architect’s authority to command the Shadow Monarch’s powers in specific instances.

2. Jinwoo Eventually Uses The System on His Own Son

Jinwoo Passes Down His Knowledge by Crafting a System for Sung Suho

Despite the hardships and dangers associated with the System, Jinwoo comes to appreciate its effectiveness in shaping him into a formidable warrior.

The transformation it enabled—from being the weakest Hunter to the most powerful being—proves its immense potential. Recognizing this, Jinwoo later creates a customized version of the System to guide his son, Sung Suho.

In the epilogue of Solo Leveling, after Jinwoo successfully defeats the Monarchs, he settles down and starts a family with Cha Hae-in. Though the battles that defined his journey are behind him, he ensures Suho receives proper training by implementing a System tailored to his growth.

While Jinwoo had no choice in his own path, he carefully oversees Suho’s development, ensuring his son’s abilities are nurtured in a controlled environment.

1. The System Never Had Absolute Control Over Jinwoo

Jinwoo’s Transformation Was Beyond the Architect’s Influence

One of the most unexpected aspects of the System is that despite its role in Jinwoo’s development, it never fully dictated his fate. While the Architect designed the System to mold a worthy successor for Ashborn, Jinwoo eventually surpasses its constraints, proving he was never merely a pawn in its grand design.

The System was meant to guide him through carefully structured trials, yet Jinwoo consistently demonstrated an ability to evolve beyond what was intended.

By the time he reaches the pinnacle of his power, he has effectively outgrown the System’s limitations, demonstrating that his growth wasn’t entirely a product of external manipulation. His independence from the System reaffirms that while it provided him with the tools to rise, his strength was always his own.