Solo Leveling: Who is the most powerful Monarch? Explored

Although the concept of Rulers and Monarchs was introduced at a much later stage in the Solo Leveling series, regardless, the never-ending battle between the two ancient races stood out as one of the most interesting aspects of the series.

In particular, Monarchs referred to an ancient race of monsters who sought the complete eradication of the human race. It was revealed that at the beginning of time, the Absolute being had split light and darkness to create the Rulers and the Monarchs, respectively. The latter sought to destroy the world, whereas the former strived to protect it.

While pretty much every Monarch other than Ashborn served as the story's primary antagonist, fans always wondered who was the strongest Monarch of them all.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the Solo Leveling manhwa. Reader's discretion is advised.

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Exploring the true identity of the Strongest Monarch in Solo Leveling

Antares as seen in the Solo Leveling manhwa (image via Chugong/DUBU/Webtoon)

For a long time, the Monarchs and the Rulers have been at a never-ending war against each other. After the original Shadow Monarch, Ashborn, joined the Monarchs' side in the war, he singlehandedly managed to turn the entire tide of the war in their favor as he overwhelmed the opposing side with his powers and abilities.

That said, Ashborn was never really granted the title of strongest Monarch despite possessing immense power. In reality, the Monarch of Destruction, Antares, also known as the Dragon King, was revered as the strongest Monarch in history. He fought side by side with Ashborn in the battle against the Rulers eons ago and had also arranged to betray and kill the latter as he grew fearful of his shadow powers.

Antares made his first appearance towards the end of Solo Leveling's manhwa, where he was informed of the defiance of Ashborn's vessel, Sung Jin-Woo, who had killed the three Monarchs sent after him in Korea and destroyed most of their forces.

The Final Battle arc saw Antares face to face against Sung Jin-Woo for the first time, as the two squared off on an uninhabited island in Japan, with the world's fate at stake. Although Jin-Woo was initially unable to measure up to Antares' immense power, he eventually managed to outsmart his opponent and inflicted a fatal wound upon him.

However, it was then revealed that Jin-Woo had been stalling all this until the arrival of the Rulers, who then proceeded to corner Antares and bring an end to his reign of terror. While this marked an end to the latter's war on the world, Jin-Woo was not satisfied with the battle's outcome.

As such, he requested the Rulers to use the Cup of Reincarnation to turn back time so that he would get one last chance at fighting the Monarchs and saving everyone he cared about.

This action resulted in the creation of a new timeline, where Jin-Woo became a teenager once again. He was sent back to a time when Dungeons and Gates had not yet come into existence in the world. After spending a considerable amount of time with his loved ones, Jin-Woo headed to the Dimensional Rift to end the threat of the Monarchs once and for all.

Sung Jin-Woo's final form as the Shadow Monarch in the Solo Leveling manhwa (image via Chugong/DUBU/Webtoon)

Inside the rift, Jin-Woo's battle against the Monarchs lasted for 27 long years, during which time he had fully manifested and mastered the powers and abilities of the Shadow Monarch. In fact, he managed to defeat Antares this time without much difficulty and survived the encounter without any severe injuries.

The fact that Jin-Woo was able to fight and win against the Monarchs, especially Antares, is a testament to the fact that he had undoubtedly become the most powerful Monarch at the end of the Solo Leveling series.

While Antares might have been revered as the strongest Monarch in the history of the Solo Leveling manhwa, Sung Jin-Woo had managed to claim that title for himself when he faced off and defeated the latter for the second time in the epilogue of the story.

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Final thoughts

Although there's still a long way to go till Antares makes his appearance in the ongoing Solo Leveling anime, fans are nevertheless hyped for the revelation of his origins and his eventual final battle against Sung Jin-Woo.