After his father disappeared in a raid, Sung Jin-Woo became his family’s only backbone and breadwinner in Solo Leveling. With the responsibilities of his mother and sister, Jin-Woo started going into raids and taking his life seriously. The situation got much worse when his mother slipped into an eternal slumber, and Jin-Woo became desperate for money. After years of no contact, Jinwoo accepted that his father wouldn’t be coming back. His father, Sung Il-Hwan, wasn’t forgotten as he made a comeback later in the Webtoon. Also, Sung Il-Hwan is an absolute war machine!
Solo Leveling: Who is Sung Il-Hwan?
Sung Il-Hwan came back in the 56th chapter of Solo Leveling. His first look sent chills down the reader’s spine as he walked out of an A-Rank Dungeon looking more like a beast than a human. His first words were a genuine wish to return to his family. Despite his diligence towards his family, the reunion between the father and the son in Chapter 166 doesn’t strike a very strong emotional note.
Jin-Woo was transported to a different reality when the Frost Monarch stabbed him. The other Monarchs took this opportunity to kill him off for good. However, a man was standing in their way, Sung Il-Hwan, a vessel of a Ruler and Jin-Woo’s father. While he was incapacitated from the fight, Il-Hwan took care of two Monarchs by himself, buying enough time for Jinwoo to awaken as the Shadow Monarch.
However, he was badly injured in the process, as blood dripped down from his cut-off arm. There is no official ranking for Sung Il-Hwan. But, considering his feats from the Webtoon, it is clear that he surpasses all hunters in Solo Leveling except Sung Jin-woo in terms of strength. He acquired most of his powers when he was trapped inside a S-Rank dungeon for a decade.
