Solo Leveling: Monarch of Shadows powers and abilities explained

As soon as Sung Jinwoo becomes a Necromancer in Solo Leveling, he gets promoted to Monarch of Shadows – so here’s what it really means.

Solo Leveling concludes Season 1 in its epic finale episode titled “Arise.” While the previous episode already featured the highly anticipated Jinwoo vs. Igris fight, this time, the anime show features Jinwoo getting new powers.

Soon after defeating Igris, Jinwoo finds out that the Job Change Quest is still ongoing. He notices a mage controlling several knights who continue to attack him. Despite already being exhausted, Jinwoo emerges victorious in the end.

As Solo Leveling Episode 12 ends, Jinwoo quickly gets promoted from a Necromancer to the Monarch of Shadows, which has a lot of significance in the later parts of the story. Warning: This article contains major spoilers from the manhwa!

What is a Necromancer Class in Solo Leveling?

Being a Necromancer is closely tied to the Monarch of Shadows in Solo Leveling. It’s an ability to control the dead and create an entire army of walking corpses. By using the command “Arise,” Jinwoo can transform the deceased into a shadow. It works on both monsters and humans.

However, the command will only transform those weaker than him. It will have no effect on the strong. Additionally, Necromancer is a hidden class, but what makes it truly terrifying is Jinwoo. Since the protagonist is already extremely strong, he can defeat stronger opponents and transform them into his puppets.

What is a Monarch of Shadows in Solo Leveling?

Sung Jinwoo is the second Monarch of Shadows in Solo Leveling. He inherited this power from his predecessor, Ashborn, the King of the Dead. The power of the Shadow Monarch allowed Jinwoo to become the strongest hunter in mankind.

Ashborn lived in an ancient era where he suffered fatal injuries during a terrible war. He fought for the sake of his god, the Absolute Being, and stayed loyal till the end. Hence, the Absolute Being hid a mysterious power inside him, which transformed him into the Shadow Monarch and saved his life.

Centuries later, Ashborn participated in an assault on the human world and meant to find his place in the universe. As someone with immeasurable powers, he never felt like he belonged anywhere. He also wanted a human vessel with the help of a mage named Kandiaru.

Kandiaru agreed on the condition that he be granted immortality. He is the architect and moderator of Jin-Woo’s system. The system was solely created to find a vessel for Ashborn.

Why did the System choose Sung Jinwoo?

The search for a suitable vessel ended when Ashborn noticed that there was a human who had stepped beyond the boundaries of the system Kandairu created. Jin-Woo deviated from the rules and expectations of the system despite being so weak.

Though powerless, he cheated death several times. He would constantly be in danger and still manage to survive just for the sake of his family. Jin-Woo’s dedication and resilience impressed Ashborn, who decided that he was worthy of becoming his vessel.

What powers does Jin-Woo have as the Monarch of Shadows?

Jinwoo becomes the strongest individual in the world. Apart from his incredible strength, agility, and power to control the dead, Jinwoo has countless more abilities. Jinwoo can directly communicate with monsters.

He can manipulate the memories of humans by making physical contact with them. He can also hypnotize others into following his orders. The hypnosis is triggered by snapping his fingers. After fully realizing his abilities as a Shadow Monarch, he has stopped aging.

As for his shadows, he can preserve them in storage after extracting them. By using his shadows as portals, he can travel vast distances in an instant. On top of these, his “Monarch’s Domain” allows him to increase the strength of his active shadows by 50 percent.

He is naturally immune to poison, as his body immediately cleanses itself of any toxins. The downside is that Jin-Woo cannot get drunk no matter how much alcohol he consumes. It’s not just poison; he is immune to all diseases and can regenerate much faster than any human.

After defeating Igris, he gets a Rune Stone, which grants him a skill called Ruler’s Hands. It is a lesser version of Ruler’s Authority, which is a technique that only monarchs use. Ruler’s Hands eventually evolves into Ruler’s Authority, granting him the ability to move and control objects via telekinesis. He can also use this ability on the surrounding air, enabling to move and dodge attacks mid-air.

Are there other Monarchs in Solo Leveling?

There are nine Monarchs in Solo Leveling.

• Monarch of Destruction: Antares, The King of Dragons
• Monarch of Shadows: Ashborn, The King of the Dead, and Sung Jin-Woo, the Second Shadow Monarch
• Monarch of White Flames: Baran, The King of Demons
• Monarch of Fangs: Rakan, The King of Beasts
• Monarch of Frost: Sillad, The King of the Snow Folk
• Monarch of the Iron Body: Tarnak, The King of Monstrous Humanoids
• Monarch of the Beginning: Legia, The King of Giants
• Monarch of Plagues: Querehsha, The Queen of Insects
• Monarch of Transfiguration: Yogumunt, The King of Demonic Spectres

All of them except Jin-Woo and Ashborn serve as antagonists in the series. Monarchs are an ancient race of monsters who seek to destroy the human world. Ashborn is the strongest monarch of all.

They were created by the Absolute Being and are the strongest creatures in existence. Their powers far surpass those of an S-Rank Hunter, and they each command millions of soldiers. However, since they are spiritual creatures, they lack an organic form. This is why Monarchs cannot descend into the human world without human vessels.

Monarchs usually possess their vessels and steal their bodies for themselves. Ashborn is the only exception. He not only gave all his powers to Jin-Woo but also allowed him to retain full control of his body.

Although this method allows them to wield full power in the human world, it also renders them entirely mortal, which means they will die if their human vessels are destroyed in combat.