If you're a Solo Leveling , you've probably already come across the recently released anime or even finished the manhwa. But, like any adaptation, there are several differences between the two formats worth highlighting. So get ready to discover 10 differences between the Solo Leveling anime and manhwa that will make your hair stand on end!
Solo Leveling – Top 10 Differences Between Manhwa and Anime
10. The anime begins with Jeju Island
To demonstrate how a dungeon can work and demonstrate how much more powerful S-Class hunters are, the anime begins with a flashback to Jeju Island. This is one of the most important locations in Korea, housing an S-Class gate. Furthermore, the intro shows monsters that have emerged in the normal world, a threat that explains why the gates need to be maintained as they are.
09. President Go Gunhee has an early exhibition
There are some characters who are introduced much earlier in the anime than in the manhwa, and all for different reasons. In this way, Chairman Go Gunhee serves as a much more natural way for the anime to explain the value of dungeons. He explains that essence stones can be sold to fund hunters and that dungeons are a renewable energy source. This gives an early glimpse into the business side of things that make hunters a lucrative industry, and the worldbuilding explains the characters' later actions.
08. Cha Hae-In makes an early debut
Cha Hae-In's introduction serves to suggest exactly how important she is to the story. None of the actions she's shown performing are particularly important to the plot, but the fact that they're being shown at all means that she is. Notably, the manhwa also introduced her earlier than the light novel, but not as much.
07. The anime shows the breaking of Sung Jinwoo's weapons
Jinwoo begins the series struggling financially. He can barely pay his rent. Furthermore, entering dungeons gives him small profit margins, but he can't afford good equipment, so his weapons are all prone to breakage. After explaining this, the anime shows him breaking a weapon in the middle of a dungeon and getting stabbed for it.
06. People are used to gates
While both versions of the story point to how long the gates have existed and how they've become a normal part of everyday life, the anime expands on this notion by showing exactly how people react to the opening of a gate. This way, it's no longer something that causes panic. For the average person, the gates have lost much of their intrigue.
Solo Leveling – Top 5 Differences Between Manhwa and Anime
05. The value of essential stones
The anime hasn't yet detailed exactly how much money Jinwoo makes as a hunter. So, all he shares is that he barely made enough before the double dungeon, and now he makes ridiculously more than that. The manhwa highlights exactly how much money was in his bank account beforehand and how much he earned in the next suitable dungeon he entered.
04. Extra scenes for secondary characters
While some secondary characters have their stories cut, others have expanded scenes. For example, Kim Sanshik's time in the double dungeon is portrayed differently between the anime and the manhwa. However, in both cases, he becomes angry and leaves the room as soon as possible, sacrificing Jinwoo. There are many reasons behind this choice, but the fact that Jinwoo has to stay makes it easy for the audience to dislike him.
Solo Leveling – Top 3 Differences Between Manhwa and Anime
03. Lee Joohee gets more screen time
Joohee is one of Jinwoo's friends, and she's incredibly important to him, having survived so many dungeons. Her being a high-ranking healer is part of the reason he finds getting injured less expensive than buying new weapons. She's someone who cares about him, even if she worries and thinks he should have a different job. However, Joohee dislikes facing monsters and is traumatized by the events of the double dungeon.
02. Kang Taeshik is a secondary character
On the other hand, Kang Taeshik is a secondary character in the grand scheme of things. He only appears in a single arc in the manhwa. The anime introduces him earlier in a slightly different capacity. When Jinwoo was in the hospital, people from the association visited him. In the manhwa, one of them doesn't matter. The anime replaces him with Taeshik because he becomes relevant.
01. Jinwoo has different motivations in the anime
Finally, Jinwoo is the biggest difference between the two adaptations. While he's still the same character, eager to become stronger and take care of his family, he has different goals. The manhwa version of the character wants to become stronger than the anime version. He enters the S-Rank dungeon because he wants to test himself. The anime version is less focused on his levels, and he enters that dungeon more out of curiosity. He also wants to be strong, but at a much lower cost.
So, what do you guys think of these differences? Let us know what you think and be sure to subscribe to our WhatsApp .