Warning: This article contains spoilers from the Solo Leveling manhwa and novel! Thanks to the web novel by Chugong and the manhwa adaptation, Solo Leveling had a massive global fanbase even before the anime’s debut. The series created a global phenomenon, popularizing Korean web novels and manhwa among a wider international audience. So, it’s only natural that the anime adaptation by A-1 Pictures became a smashing hit as well. While the anime has only adapted the story up to the Jeju Island Arc, the novel and manhwa have long reached their conclusions. The novel ended in 2018, causing widespread controversy over the confusing ending. The original story ended with Sung Jinwoo defeating Antares, the Monarch of Destruction and the King of Dragons.
Jinwoo then requests the Brilliant Fragment of Light to turn back time to a world before the Gates even appeared. Jinwoo saved the world, but no one remembered his sacrifice, leaving many readers unsatisfied. Not to mention that each event that happened in the main story was completely erased, making it seem like Jinwoo’s journey was insignificant. However, the peaceful era was caused by the sacrifices he made by ending the war between Rulers and the Monarchs, which lasted for multiple timelines. It wasn’t until the epilogue was released that the ending was somewhat accepted, even though certain parts were still confusing to fans. However, the author recently explained the reason behind such an ending and his regret over it.
In an interview with LitRes (Литрес), the largest digital and audiobook service in Russia, Chugong shared several interesting facts about the series. The interview was translated into English by @SoloLevelingGuy on X, a fan account known for sharing updates about the series. When asked if there was anything he wanted to change in the story, he replied, “I deliberately left some scenes in Solo Leveling without detailed explanations — to give readers room to think, or simply to keep the story from dragging on.”
Chugong further added, “Looking back, I feel that some moments might have ended up a bit unclear. If I were to rewrite Solo Leveling from the very beginning, I’d like to clarify those parts of the story.”
The overall story is pretty fast-paced, and that’s especially true for the finale, which is infamous for being rushed. However, most of the story didn’t have many confusing parts except for the finale. The unexplained parts allude to the series’ ending, or likely the Final Arc itself. The author also addressed that the choice was intentional, so readers could interpret the scenes in their own way.
In the same interview, Chugong also slammed the common misconception of Solo Leveling: Ragnarok being the original story’s sequel. Instead of Ragnarok, the author is planning to write his own sequel, which will likely explain more about the controversial ending. Chugong also explained that while all adaptations are incredible, the novel is the truest and most authentic form of the story.
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