Merlyn De Souza is a freelance writer and anime enthusiast based in Goa, India, with a BA in English Literature. When she’s not writing, she can be found exploring various areas of entertainment, including but not limited to K-dramas, novels, and even the occasional manhwa. She also loves anything creative, like sewing and makeup.
Although Solo Upgrade may be a Korean manhwa turned anime, the series checks all the boxes of a typical Japanese battle shonen in the way its story is structured. As Jinwoo grows stronger, so do his opponents, and the story, as well as Jinwoo’s journey, centers around these various battles.
Naturally, Solo Upgrade there are a lot of bad guys that Jinwoo faces, whether it’s minor magical beasts like Kasaka and the Great Arachnid Buraya or dungeon bosses like Kargalgan and the Ant King. That said, in addition to these natural adversaries, Solo Upgrade also sees Jinwoo having to face other hunters, resulting in quite a varied cast of villains.
15 loyal
Debuted in Chapter 18
Jinwoo crosses paths with Hwang Dongsuk early on Solo Upgrade shortly after waking up. Dongsuk is the main antagonist of the Dungeons & Lizards Arc, which sees Jinwoo enter a C-rank dungeon only to be betrayed by Dongsuk and the rest of the raiding party.
The fight against Dongsuk forces Jinwoo to re-examine his morality as he faces the dilemma of killing another human being for the first time. In terms of pure strength, as a C-Rank Hunter and prime villain, Dongsuk is a pretty weak villain in the grand scheme of Solo Levels history.
14 Kang Taeshik
Debuted in Chapter 27
Kang Taeshik is the main villain of the Dungeons and Prisoners arc. He is a B-rank Assassin class hunter that Jinwoo meets during a raid with Johee and Song Chi-yul, two of the Double Dungeon survivors.
Having already killed Dongsuk at this point and faced with Taeshik’s murderous intent, Jinwoo does not hesitate as much in eliminating Taeshik. That said, as an Assassin type, his speed and stealth skills pose quite a challenge for Jinwoo at this point in the story, with stealth even becoming an invaluable part of Jinwoo’s skills in the end.
13 Baruka
Debuted in Chapter 52
Baruka was an ice elf introduced during the Red Gate Arc, and also served as the patron of the gate in question. While not as strong as the Frost Monarch, Sillad, Baruka’s speed and cunning make him a memorable foe.
He also boasted of his mastery in using daggers, poison resistance, and stealth, which made him something of a natural enemy for Jinwoo. In fact, it’s unlikely that Jinwoo would have been able to defeat Baruka on his own at that time without the help of Igris and Iron.
12 Blood Red Commander Igris
Debuted in chapter 45
Even though Igris may be one of Jinwoo’s most loyal shadow soldiershe was still, at one point, one of Jinwoo’s opponents. Igris was a major antagonist during the job change quest, pushing Jinwoo almost to the brink of death while testing him. While there is no doubt that her true power is far superior, as shown in chapter 187 of the manhwa, at this point in the story much of Igris’ power has been sealed away.
11 kargalgan
Debuted in Chapter 71
Kargalgan serves as a Rank A Gate dungeon boss during the Hunters Guild Gate arc. As the name suggests, the arc sees Jinwoo quietly accompanying the Hunters Guild on a raid disguised as a member of the mining team while awaiting official confirmation of his S-rank status.
As a dungeon boss and talented mage, Kargalgan was almost on par with an S-rank hunter, and perhaps it was only because he underestimated Jinwoo that he met such a grizzly end. That said, as Tusk, he becomes an important part of Jinwoo’s shadow forces, especially with the Orb of Greed.
10 Hwang Dongsoo
Debuted in Chapter 24
After killing his brother earlier in the story, Jinwoo very quickly makes an enemy of Hwang Dongsoo, and the fight between them is almost inevitable. As an S-Rank Hunter whose abilities have been “enhanced” by Norma Selner, you could argue that Dongsoo is a bit stronger than your average S-Rank Hunter, although he may not be quite on the same level as a National Tier Hunter.
9 The architect
Debuted in Chapter 6
Even though no one could have known it at first, Solo Upgrade actually revealed one of the main antagonists, the creator of the system at the very beginning. Kandiaru, or the Architect, is secretly disguised as a God statue in the Double Dungeon, although it is not until Jinwoo returns to the Double Dungeon that fans learn the truth.
That said, despite his relevance to the plot, the Architect doesn’t have much to show in terms of combat power beyond speed and his control over the other statues, and is handled quite easily by an S-rank Jinwoo.
8 Go to Ryuji
Debuted in chapter 85
Surely one of the most unexpected twists and turns of the Jeju Island Arc was the betrayal of the Japanese S-rank fighters. While Shigeo Matsumoto was the one pulling the strings in the background, it was Goto Ryuji who carried out the plan, making him just as much of an antagonist.
Goto has been presented as Japan’s strongest hunter throughout the series, and although the series never gives fans an actual fight between him and Jinwoo, his position in the series is still pretty much inferred.
7 Querehsha
Debuted in chapter 140
Although Querehsha has yet to be introduced in the anime, she might just make her debut in season 3 of Solo Upgrade if he adapts the Crisis Arc in Japan. Querehsha is yet another monarch, specifically the monarch of plagues and the queen of insects.
As her epithet suggests, Querehsha can control all kinds of insects and even inflict deadly plagues on her opponents. That said, as cool as her abilities are, she is quite weak compared to the rest of the monarchs and is even killed by Sung Il-hwan.
6 Baran
Debuted in chapter 85
Jinwoo’s fight against Baran was one of the highlights of season 2 of Solo Upgrade — at least until the Jeju Arc arrives. Baran, also known as the White Flame Monarch and Demon King, served as the ultimate boss of the Demon Castle dungeon, and the battle itself is a testament to Baran’s strength, speed, and fighting sense.
A large part of Baran’s arsenal was, of course, his lightning breath powers and his ability to absorb other demons to enhance his own abilities. Additionally, the Baran that Jinwoo encountered in the Demon Castle was likely much weaker, as he was a clone created by the Architect in place of the real Baran, who had been killed by Ashborn countless millennia ago.