Throughout Solo Leveling, Sung Jinwoo has continuously faced foes whose power far exceeds what ordinary Hunters can handle. Right from the early stages of the story, he encounters enemies that force him to grow stronger at an astonishing rate.
By the time he progressed from an E-Rank to an A-Rank Hunter, the level of difficulty in his battles had only increased. Characters such as Barca, the Ice Elves’ leader, and Kargalgan, the High Orc Shaman, proved that his victories were never an indication that things were getting easier.
Every victory leads to an even deadlier opponent waiting ahead (Photo: Solo Leveling/Lucasfilm Ltd)Just when it seems like he has defeated his strongest adversary yet, another even more dangerous one appears. Among all the threats he has faced so far, the most formidable opponent in Solo Leveling Episode 20, titled “Looking Up Was Tiring Me Out,” was an enemy that, in reality, did not even exist.
When Jinwoo finally reached the 100th floor of the Demon’s Castle, he confronted Baran, the Demon Monarch. No other opponent in the anime had tested his combat abilities as much as Baran did, making this fight his most intense yet.
However, what made this battle even more terrifying was the revelation that the version Baran Jinwoo fought was just a mere fragment of the real Demon Monarch’s true power.
Baran Pushed Jinwoo Beyond His Limits
Sung Jinwoo Battles Baran in Solo Leveling Episode 20, “Looking Up Was Tiring Me Out”
Before the encounter with Baran, Jinwoo had never come across an opponent that possessed such overwhelming strength. Reaching the 100th floor of the Demon’s Castle was no easy feat, and by that point, he had already surpassed the capabilities of a typical S-Rank Hunter.
Even Esil, a Demon Noble stationed on the 80th floor, was considered strong enough to rival an S-Rank, yet she was completely terrified of Jinwoo’s power. At this stage, Jinwoo was no longer fighting alone. His Shadow Army had grown considerably, and within his ranks were warriors such as Igris and Tusk, both of whom could easily match S-Rank Hunters in battle.
His Elite Knight-Rank Shadow Soldiers were no pushovers either, possessing enough strength to take on powerful enemies. From the moment Jinwoo turned Tusk into a shadow, the monster was already operating at an S-Rank level.
As for Igris, he initially started as a Knight-Rank but later evolved into an Elite Knight-Rank as Jinwoo climbed higher in the Demon’s Castle. “What is this terrifying energy? I’ve never seen him before. So that’s the Demon Monarch Baran!” — Esil
Even with all these formidable allies, Jinwoo struggled to match Baran’s sheer might. The Demon Monarch effortlessly countered attacks from Igris, Tusk, Tank, and Jinwoo himself, hardly showing any signs of strain. His expertise in lightning-based magic added another layer of danger, making it difficult for Jinwoo to keep up with the relentless onslaught.
Baran’s lightning attacks were so devastating that they could potentially wipe out Jinwoo’s entire Shadow Army in a single strike. The damage was immense, but what made it even worse was the added effect of a “stun debuff,” which momentarily weakened Jinwoo, leaving him vulnerable.
To make matters worse, Baran appeared to have an endless supply of mana, meaning there was no limit to the destruction he could unleash.
Baran’s Army Was Unlike Anything Jinwoo Had Faced Before
Jinwoo had fought against formidable enemies before, but none had commanded an army as fearsome as Baran’s. Compared to all the battles he had fought up until now, the scale of this confrontation was far greater.
Baran summoned an army consisting of over a thousand demons, with a number of them possessing strength comparable to A-Rank Hunters or higher. While Tusk and Igris could hold their ground against most of the demons, Jinwoo’s regular Shadow Soldiers struggled against the overwhelming forces.
His previous battle with Kargalgan, the High Orc leader, had seemed difficult at the time, but in comparison to Baran, it was almost insignificant. This contrast is even clearer in the manhwa, where Jinwoo effortlessly defeated Kargalgan with a single punch, whereas the anime version depicted a more drawn-out fight for dramatic effect.
However, against Baran, he found himself on the brink of death multiple times. At one point, Baran managed to grab Jinwoo by the head and would have landed a fatal attack had Igris, Tank, and Tusk not intervened at the last moment.
Another close call occurred when Baran was just about to finish Jinwoo off, but Esil managed to distract the Demon Monarch by throwing her sword at him. These moments of near defeat highlight just how much stronger Baran was compared to any other opponent Jinwoo had fought up to this point.
Ironically, the version of Baran he was up against wasn’t even real.
The Baran Jinwoo Fought Had Already Been Defeated Before
Jinwoo has faced numerous powerful enemies, but only one so far could be considered stronger than Baran—the Architect who orchestrated his “death” in Season 1. However, even in that case, Jinwoo never actually fought the Architect directly, as the statues were merely puppets under its control.
Even more shocking is the fact that the Baran Jinwoo faced wasn’t the true Demon Monarch Baran. Instead, it was a recreated version of a past event, crafted by the Architect as part of the training required for Jinwoo to inherit the power of the Shadow Monarch.
Everything within the Demon’s Castle was part of this simulation, designed to push him to his absolute limits. “We could have ended the war today. Why did you betray me?” — Ashborn, to Baran. The Baran that Jinwoo fought was nothing more than a reproduction, and even then, it was an incomplete one.
The Architect had no way of perfectly replicating the real Baran’s power, meaning Jinwoo had only experienced a much weaker version of the original Demon Monarch.
The True Baran Was Far Beyond Jinwoo’s Capabilities
A deeper look into Ashborn’s memories reveals that the real Baran was strong enough to engage in combat with the Shadow Monarch at full power. This version of Baran was on an entirely different level from what Jinwoo faced in the Demon’s Castle.
The 100th floor wasn’t the end, it was the beginning of true terror (Photo: Solo Leveling/Lucasfilm Ltd)Even Jinwoo himself admitted that if he had been forced to fight the actual Baran with his current strength, he would have been completely drained of mana. The final moments of Baran’s life are revealed through Jinwoo’s vision, showing Ashborn delivering the killing blow.
Unlike Jinwoo, who could only resurrect fallen enemies as Shadow Soldiers, Ashborn had absolute dominion over life and death. He ensured that Baran’s soul was permanently removed from existence, preventing any possibility of his return.
A key difference between the real Baran and the version Jinwoo fought is seen in their eyes. The Baran in the memories had white eyes, whereas the one in the Demon’s Castle had red eyes—clear evidence that it was just an empty imitation.
The Series Opens With His Death
There’s Nothing Edgier Than Solo Leveling’s First Episode
While Baran himself was nothing more than a recreated figure, the same cannot be said for all the other demons within the Demon’s Castle. Esil and the rest of the demons were real beings who had been forcibly taken from the Demon Realm by the Architect.
Their presence was not an illusion—they had been made part of this artificial battlefield against their will. “Where were you before that?” — Jinwoo. “The Demon Realm. But then we found ourselves here.” — Esil
Jinwoo’s fight against Baran, despite being part of a constructed scenario, was still one of the most challenging experiences he had ever faced. The fact that his most powerful opponent so far wasn’t even real speaks volumes about the kind of enemies he will encounter in the future.
Though he has grown immensely, the true battles that lie ahead will test him in ways he has yet to imagine.