Solo Leveling: Does Sung Jinwoo Actually Care About His Family?

The protagonist of Solo Leveling, Sung Jinwoo, can be difficult to get a solid read on. Sometimes he seems to possess intense emotions when caring about his family and friends. However, at other times, Jinwoo feels like a cold character who has lost all his humanity after struggling to claw his way to power and overcome the world’s threats.

While his ultimate goal at the beginning of the series was to save his mother from illness and reclaim their time as a happy family, his character seems to have undergone a complete transformation after he came under the influence of the system. Has Sung Jinwoo lost his original purpose as he became an overpowered god-like being to the world of Solo Leveling, or has he locked his emotions away to protect the ones he loves by creating distance?

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Saving His Mom

Sung Jinwoo’s Original Motivation

Before the start of the series, Sung Jinwoo had already been working as a hunter for a while, trying to save money to buy equipment while also affording his mother’s medical expenses. His life seemed hopeless, but he kept a positive outlook as he continued diving into dungeons while only an E-rank hunter.

However, after the double dungeon incident, Jinwoo’s life changed as he became the only hunter who could level up and get stronger. Soon into his new life, as he began participating in the system, he was given a quest to obtain the Elixir of Life. This potion was said to be able to cure any illness, but could only be crafted by obtaining the ingredients from impossible bosses and dungeons.

Jinwoo dedicated himself fully to acquiring enough power to save his mother, but in the process, he began to lose aspects of his humanity.

“I feel like something within me is lost every time I get stronger.” -Sung Jinwoo

Eventually, Jinwoo obtained the Elixir of Life and rushed to give it to his mother. He was overjoyed when she woke up from her mana-induced slumber and cried while she spoke to him.

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Are Jinwoo’s Emotions Gone?

What Jinwoo Has Lost Becoming a Powerful Hunter

However, despite Jinwoo’s care for his family being his original motivation, it seems that his character has undergone a drastic change now that he has obtained immense power. We see a deadening of his emotions after his mother finally returned, when he should be happy.

Jinwoo contemplates how the things he had to do to obtain this power crossed a line that he cannot return from. He starts to see himself as separate from his emotions and humanity as a whole, now that he possesses overwhelming power that outclasses even the strongest of S-class hunters.

“I wanted this for so long… and yet, I feel so anxious. Since the reawakening, I’ve crossed a line I don’t think I can come back from.” -Sung Jinwoo.

While there was no doubt initially that Jinwoo cared about his family, the series has shown some reasons that make it seem like he has nearly totally disconnected from his human emotions and care for them.

Jinwoo spends long periods away from his sister Jinah as he continues to take on dungeons solo, even before he saves his mom. His sister prepares him meals and tries to check in on him, but he gives her the cold shoulder while he is focused on his goals. During one incident, the intense hours of dungeon fighting caused Jinwoo to oversleep and nearly miss a conference with her teachers at school.

It’s clear that Jinwoo feels like his hunter powers are a burden he must keep to himself, choosing to downplay his accomplishments and hide the extent of his powers and activities from his family. It seems likely that Jinwoo’s strategy of isolating his family and friends seems sound to him, but he may fail to realize the effect this distance has on all his relationships.

As the series progresses, it feels like Jinwoo loses his connection and care with his family, leaving it an open question just how much attachment Jinwoo has to humanity as he ascends to god-like status to fight higher-level beings in his war against the mysterious Solo Leveling dungeon gates.

Solo Leveling can be streamed on Crunchyroll and Amazon.

Solo Leveling

Release Date

January 7, 2024

Directors

Shunsuke Nakashige

Writers

Noboru Kimura

• 

  Taito Ban

  Shun Mizushino (voice)

• 

  Genta Nakamura

  Kenta Morobishi (voice)