Solo Leveling’s Biggest Flaw: Jinwoo’s Power Makes Everyone Else Irrelevant

Daksh Chaudhary
Mar 31
3 min read

Jinwoo's powers is Solo Leveling's biggest flaw

Solo Leveling took the world by storm with its jaw-dropping battles, but it has one biggest flaw: Sung Jinwoo’s power growth is so absurdly broken that every other character becomes a background prop. By the time Jinwoo unlocks his Shadow Monarch abilities, allies like Cha Hae-In and enemies like Antares might as well hold up signs saying “We’re just here to watch.”

This isn’t about hating Jinwoo, he’s iconic. But Solo Leveling’s obsession with making him unstoppable robs the series of teamwork, rivalry, and character growth for the side characters. When one man can solo every threat, why care about the rest?

ALSO READ: Solo Leveling: Could The Rulers Have Defeated The Monarchs Without Jinwoo?

Jinwoo’s Powers: From Underdog To Overlord

Solo Leveling's biggest flaw is that Sung Jinwoo is too powerful

Jinwoo starts as the weakest Hunter, bullied and dismissed. But once the System chooses him, his growth skyrockets. He goes from struggling in E-rank dungeons to soloing S-rank Gates in weeks. By the finale, he’s a god-like entity reshaping reality. Sounds cool, right? The problem? No one else evolves.

Characters like Woo Jinchul (the Korean Hunter Bureau chief) or Baek Yoonho (the White Tiger Guild leader) peak early. Even Cha Hae-In, the series’ strongest female Hunter, becomes a damsel in distress by the end. Jinwoo’s power isn’t just strong, it’s a black hole sucking relevance from everyone else.

The Forgotten Cast: Heroes Turned NPCs

Remember Thomas Andre, the strongest American Hunter? He’s built up as a rival, only to lose to Jinwoo in just a few chapters. Liu Zhigang, China’s top Hunter? Reduced to a reaction shot machine. The International Hunter Conference arc? A parade of elite Hunters gasping at Jinwoo’s feats.

The worst casualty is Cha Hae-In. Her crush on Jinwoo becomes her only trait, and her combat skills vanish once Jinwoo outscales her. Compare this to series like Jujutsu Kaisen, where side characters like Nobara or Megumi impact major fights. In Solo Leveling, they’re just set dressing.

Zero Stakes, Zero Tension

Once Jinwoo unlocks his full Shadow Monarch powers, every battle ends the same: Jinwoo flexes, enemies evaporate. The final showdown with Antares, the Dragon Emperor, feels weightless because we know Jinwoo can’t lose. Even deaths (like Beru’s sacrifice) get reversed, removing consequences.

ALSO READ: Could Sung Jinwoo’s Shadow Army Become Stronger Than the Monarchs and Rulers Combined?

Contrast this with early arcs, where Jinwoo’s survival in the Double Dungeon or Jeju Island raid felt earned. The tension came from his vulnerability, but post-power-up, he’s less a character and more a “press X to win” button.

The World-Building Sacrifice

Solo Leveling’s world teases fascinating ideas: the System’s origins, the Monarchs vs. Rulers war, and global politics between Hunters. But Jinwoo’s dominance sidelines it all.

The Monarchs exist just to be defeated, while the Rulers serve only to deliver exposition.

Hunter Guilds, magic academies, and global conflicts? All forgotten. The story just becomes “Jinwoo vs. the next big enemy,” leaving deeper lore with a lot of potential behind. It’s like One Piece focusing only on Luffy and ignoring the Straw Hats, it’d get boring fast, right?

Final Verdict: Can Solo Leveling's Biggest Flaw Be Fixed?

It isn’t bad, it’s a thrilling power fantasy with unmatched style. But Solo Leveling's biggest flaw is prioritizing Jinwoo’s hype over storytelling basics. Great shonen series (Naruto, Demon Slayer) balance overpowered MCs with a vibrant cast and shared struggles. Here, Jinwoo’s Shadow army has more personality than the human allies.

Could this flaw in Solo Leveling be fixed? Maybe. A sequel focusing on Jinwoo’s son or a prequel exploring other Monarchs could revive the world’s potential. But as it stands, Solo Leveling is a one-man show, and that’s both its strength and weakness.