Writing Done Right! Solo Leveling
How this anime mastered the art of character development
Hello everyone!
Welcome to another edition of “Writing Done Right!”
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One of the key elements of good story telling is character development. A writer has to map out the journey of a character and how the world affects them, just as much as how they affect the world. Today, I want share how the protagonist from Solo Leveling has exemplified the art of character development.
Note that this may bring spoilers, so if you have not watched the anime and plan to, I would consider skipping this article!
Solo Leveling is an anime where the world has undergone an extreme transformative event where gateways emerged connecting to a strange fantasy world. Slowly humans have become awakened, gaining special abilities to take on the threats that pour from these gateways. The protagonist, Jin Woo, a South Korean citizen who was among the lowest of these awakened humans, undergoes a transformation following a near death experience in a dungeon.
Jin Woo’s Humble Beginnings
Jin Woo started off in season 1 as a meek E-Ranked hunter, the lowliest of hunters a human could be. His personality, and even his average, small body matched perfectly what one would assume a low-ranking hunter would be in this world. With his mother bed-ridden by a magical disease, and a sister he has to support, Jin Woo was the only breadwinner in the family. He willingly joined different parties into dangerous dungeons through these portals as a means to earn an income to support his loved ones, even putting his life at risk, and even sustaining injuries.
Jin Woo becomes a victim of a treacherous puzzle as his entire party is nearly wiped out. After he woke up, he realized he unlocked a new power - the power to level up!
The Grind and Transformation
This new power had a strange mind of its own. It assigned him quests to force him to become a stronger, and stronger-willed human. He was compelled to train and exercise, and if he failed, he’d be punished as his powers would force him in a horrific death run for survival. While he was suffering from the brutal training, and recovering from the trauma of the gruesome deaths from that dungeon, he persisted, he overcame, and eventually, he thrived.
The daily exercises became easier, and his physique improved. He even leveled up throughout this process and became stronger and faster than any non-hunters could achieve without this power. What was most miraculous is Jin Woo was the only known hunter who was able to become stronger - anyone assigned a rank otherwise is unable to gain power no matter what they try.
Once “the system” determined he was strong enough, he was given access to a personal dungeon only he could access, along with a new quest: to acquire ingredients to craft the Elixer of Life. This elixer would be the only option capable of healing his mother, as modern medicine is unable to cure her rare condition that holds her in a coma.
One thing I’ll point out is that most anime, the protagonist have this bombastic goal: to become the wizard king, the pirate king, hokage, to fight the strongest warrior… But Jin Woo simply wants to save his mother and restore his family, a much more humble and relatable goal.
Throughout his journey into this dungeon, and clearing the dungeons from the gates, his personality and his tone changed. He improved in a lot of ways outside his physique. He grew a spine, and no longer was the kid others would bully him for. He would submit into obedience to whoever orders him around, especially in the dungeon raids - he had to, in order to survive. But with this new power, and this discipline, his confidence boomed. Even though he allowed others to maintain their leadership role (mostly because he wanted to conceal his newfound power,) he made it a point to reveal he was the one in control when the time called for it. He also became more calculated in his methods, as opposed to the day-by-day approach he was forced to endure before his transformation. He would accept any job that was available to him, almost desperate for financial solutions. Now, he’s in charge of his financial destiny, able to save up money from the higher grade dungeon raids and the loot he acquired from his personal dungeon.
A Vulnerable Moment in a Successful Goal
For a good chunk of the anime, we see Jin Woo act as this nearly stoic character as he pursues the personal dungeon for the Elixir of Life. In season two, we don’t see much difference in his behavior from the start of the season, until the most recent episode.
This is the moment that inspired me to write this article. Jin Woo crafted the Elixir of Life and is about to administer it to his unconscious mother. We see him shaking, worried about whether his efforts were in vain. We are immediately reminded of his humanity from all of his treacherous adventures. This was the moment he’s been waiting for, and this anxiety was passed on to the audience as well.
Then the payoff happens, and his mother wakes up in an extremely emotional moment for Jin Woo and the viewer. Seeing him tear up in a rare moment of vulnerability is a feat that many shows fail to execute, but here it was masterfully done. We’ve witnessed his journey from a meek young kid to a masculine powerhouse, only to ground us back into the meaning of his journey: his love for his mother.
This show performs this moment so perfectly because of the absence of emotional moments for Jin Woo. This scarcity, along with the empathy that can only come from such a relatable situation, naturally elevates this scene to the highest point possible. Many of us dread the day our loved ones may pass on, and if granted the power we would do whatever it takes to make sure they live a long and fulfilling life. Every day there are families torn apart by premature deaths, fatal diseases, and misfortune, and if given the same opportunity as Jin Woo, I’m sure most people would take on the calling of leveling up for their sake.