- Ashborn was the most loyal follower of the Absolute Being, who didn't hesitate to fight the Rulers and Monarchs when they went against God.
- In the war between Rulers and the Monarchs, Ashborn decided to find a human vessel for himself and pass on his Shadow Monarch legacy.
- Ultimately, that human host, which is none other than Sung Jinwoo, became the most powerful being in the entire universe.
Ashborn is one of the strongest characters in Solo Leveling. In fact, he is the one who helped our underdog E-rank hunter, Sung Jinwoo, to come out of his shell and shine bright. It was Ashborn who chose Jinwoo as his successor and made him a hero worthy of commanding a Shadow army. So, if you’re curious to know about Ashborn, let’s delve deeper into the origins and powers of this mighty Solo Leveling character.
Who Is Ashborn in Solo Leveling?
Ashborn was the strongest ruler to have ever existed. Generations ago, when only light and darkness existed, the Absolute Being in Solo Leveling split the two forces into Rulers and Monarchs. The former represented the light, while the latter was the embodiment of darkness. Ashborn was one of the Rulers who was extremely loyal to the Absolute Being.
The Absolute Being pretended that the endless war between the Rulers and Monarchs was necessary to maintain the power balance. However, in reality, the Absolute Being only wanted to see the polar opposite forces fight each other for his entertainment.
When the Rulers and Monarchs discovered the sinister god’s real intention, they decided to take him down. At that time, the one who stood by the Absolute Being was none other than Ashborn.
Despite trying with his full potential, Ashborn was defeated by his own kind. However, just when he was about to give up, he discovered the powers that the Absolute Being rewarded him with some potent powers. These powers eventually transform him into the Shadow Monarch, but before he can protect the Absolute Being, the Rulers, and the Monarchs succeed in their motive of destroying their creator.
Following the death of the Absolute Being, the Monarch of Beginning, Legia, another strongest Solo Leveling character, was captured by the Rulers. That’s when Ashborn had to step in and show off his true potency to both sides. While every other Ruler and Monarch was afraid of Ashborn’s wrath, two Monarchs, namely Rakan and Baran, decided to take the matter into their own hands. Both fought Ashborn, and Baran eventually had to lose his life at the hands of the mighty opponent.
Witnessing the brutal end of Baran, the Rulers sought forgiveness from Ashborn. However, the Shadow Monarch asked them to kill him and put an end to the destructive war. That didn’t happen, though. So, Ashborn decided to go into hiding for some time to establish a new Shadow army so that he could take revenge on Rakan.
Jin-Woo Was Chosen As a Successor By Ashborn
Years later, when the Monarchs started threatening the human world, the nine rulers took some civilians as their vessels, and we know these humans as hunters in Solo Leveling. Frustrated by the chaos and destruction, Ashborn also decided to choose a human not as a vessel but as his successor.
Hence, Ashborn takes help from Kandiaru, aka Architect, and that way, the System comes into the picture. He was tired of looking out for a deserving human, so the Architect offered him a helping hand. However, it wasn’t until the Double Dungeon that he found the human who would become Ashborn’s vessel, and he was none other than our weakling protagonist, Sung Jinwoo.
During the Double Dungeon Arc, when the Statue of God killed Jinwoo, the Architect brought him back to life only to fulfill the desires of Ashborn. However, it wasn’t until the Monarchs War Arc (go check out Solo Leveling arcs in order) that Ashborn gave all of his powers to Sung Jinwoo and made him the Shadow Monarch to end all the bloodshed once and for all.
Ashborn’s Powers and Abilities in Solo Leveling
Ashborn has been the strongest Ruler to have existed, and that’s also the reason why the Absolute Being rewarded him with the powers of the Shadow Monarch. So, what powers and abilities did Ashborn posses? Let’s talk about it.
1. Impeccable Physical Strength
When the Rulers and Monarchs decide to kill the Absolute Being, Ashborn’s physical strength helps him fight both forces to protect his god. Even though he couldn’t win at that time, the Shadow Monarchs’ powers that were given to him by the Absolute Being made him feared by the Rulers and the Monarchs. Besides that, when Rakan and Baran attacked Ashborn, the latter ended up getting his head crushed in the duel.
2. Shapeshifting Abilities
Ashborn had the ability to shapeshift and transform into anyone else. Not only could he alter his own appearance, but he could also reshape the appearance of everyone in his shadow army.
3. Ruler’s Authority
The Ruler’s authority is a telekinetic ability that only the Rulers or their human hosts possess. The more potent the Ruler, the greater their Ruler’s authority is. So, Ashborn’s potency helped him earn a next-level telekinesis ability that allowed him to control and move objects from a distance.
4. Shadow Extraction
Shadow Extraction is a unique ability that is actually an asset for the Shadow Monarch. This skill helps Ashborn to resurrect his dead enemies and add them to his shadow army. Well, that’s all you need to know about the first Shadow Monarch in Solo Leveling.
Shashank Shakya
