The Solo Leveling universe introduces Monarchs to the fandom very late in the story. First, we get accustomed to seeing Jinwoo level up and exploit the powers of the System. However, later in the story, we see Ashborn and other Monarchs playing an important role. However, since the story of the Monarchs is so complicated, it’s hard to remember all of them. On top of that, the fans always wonder who the strongest Monarchs are and how they fare against each other. Well, we’ve ranked all the Monarchs in Solo Leveling to help you figure that out.
Spoilers Warning: This post includes spoilers for the Solo Leveling manhwa and anime, so proceed with caution.
10. Legia
- Moniker: King of Giants and Monarch of The Beginning
- Abilities: Spiritual Body Manifestation and Pledge of Trust
Legia was the Monarch of the Beginning, who was indeed stronger than the hunters but was nothing if compared to the other Monarchs in Solo Leveling. He was also the one who was held hostage by the Rulers following the Absolute Being’s death.
He didn’t have an organic body, so Jinwoo couldn’t extract his shadow and add him to his growing shadow army. Legia was the hidden boss of the S-Rank gate and was killed by the leveling-up hero when he tried to betray him after making a deal in exchange for his freedom.
Legia’s abilities included the Pledge of Trust, not letting him and the one in front of him lie to each other, and the Spiritual Body Manifestation.
9. Rakan
- Moniker: King of Beasts and Monarch of Fangs
- Abilities: Spiritual Body Manifestation
Rakan was a powerful yet cowardly Monarch who didn’t take a minute to run after coming across an opponent who he felt was superior to him in strength. For instance — after the death of the Absolute Being, he and Baran decided to fight Ashborn. However, realizing the opponent’s superiority, he left behind Baran and escaped the battlefield.
Besides that, Rakan never showed mercy on any enemy, including Christopher Reed, a National Level Hunter, whom he murdered brutally after joining forces with Sillad and Querehsha.
Despite being a terrifying Monarch, Rakan also had a side that deserved every bit of applause. He never failed to show gratitude towards the one who helped him or his loved ones. For instance — years after his confrontation with Jinwoo, he didn’t fail to lend his powers to Jinwoo’s son Sung Suho as the boy protects his descendant, Gray.
8. Baran
- Moniker: King of Demons and Monarch of White Flames
- Abilities: Spiritual Body Manifestation, Lightening of Flames, and Hell’s Army
Baran was a courageous Monarch who didn’t back down from a conflict even if he was supposed to lose against the enemy. He was among the Monarchs who killed the Absolute Being, and as Ashborn was a loyal follower of the deity, Baran decided to take him down as well. Baran wasn’t unfamiliar with Ashborn’s strengths and abilities, but he still showed up alongside Rakan.
However, Ashborn was the one to have the upper hand in the fight from the start. While Rakan escaped like a coward, Baran fought until the very end. Years later, the Architect created a clone of the Monarch and placed it on the top floor of the Demon Castle. To be precise, Baran was the final boss of the Castle, and this time, it wasn’t Ashborn but his human vessel who finished his story once and for all.
7. Yogumunt
- Moniker: Monarch of Transfiguration and King of Demonic Spectres
- Abilities: Spiritual Body Manifestation
Yogumunt was an elderly Monarch who didn’t like to waste time fighting weak opponents. We all know the might of Jinwoo’s father, Sung Il-Hwan, but Yogumunt never saw him more than a weak human. He was the one to inform Antares about Ashborn’s betrayal. When Antares started hunting Jinwoo after Ashborn took him as a vessel, Yogumunt accompanied him and summoned countless dragons by creating multiple portals. However, the Monarch was defeated by Sung Jinwoo.
After years, when the Monarch tried to rewind time using the Cup of Reincarnation, Jinwoo tracked all the Monarchs and killed Yogumunt after killing almost every other Monarch except Antares.
6. Tarnak
- Moniker: Monarch of Iron Body
- Abilities: Spiritual Body Manifestation and Iron Body Technique
Tarnak, also called the Monarch of the Iron Body, was an entity with a high ego. Unlike every other Monarch, he believed humans to be a piece of trash. That’s why he didn’t even see Jinwoo worthy of succeeding the Shadow Monarch. However, he also knew the might of the new Shadow Monarch, and that’s why when Sillad asked every Monarch to help him defeat the enemy, Tarnak was the first one to refuse, believing him to be a weak foe.
Tarnak later joined forces with Antares and confronted Thomas Andre, another popular National Level Hunter. However, he was ambushed by Beru and Bellion, and before he could contact Antares, Tusk managed to cut the connection. Despite trying harder, he could not win against the members of Jinwoo’s shadow army.
5. Sillad
- Moniker: Monarch of Frost and King of Snow Folk
- Abilities: Spiritual Body Manifestation and Ice Magic
Sillad was the Frost Monarch, who had the ability to freeze anything by unleashing ice from his mouth. He could also make weapons out of ice to attack his enemies. His appearance made him similar to the humans, but his powers made him a lot more different. Sillad’s physical strength made him one of the strongest Monarchs in Solo Leveling. He not only killed Go Gunhee but also gave tough competition to Jinwoo in the second duel.
Despite possessing some of the greatest abilities, Sillad panicked when he crossed paths with an enemy who he felt was superior to him.
4. Querehsha
- Moniker: Monarch of Plagues and Queen of Insects
- Abilities: Spiritual Body Manifestation, Mana Manipulation and Necromancy
Querehsha was a female Monarch who had a deep love for bloodshed. During the Monarch War Arc, she agreed to fight Jinwoo, believing him to be a weakling. However, later, when Querehsha and Sillad confronted Jinwoo, he succeeded in stabbing her from behind as she was distracted by Beru. However, her healing abilities helped her to regenerate and attack our protagonist instantly. Jinwoo, being the strongest of all, dodged all her attacks and killed her.
She played a significant role in Christopher Reed’s murder, and that one incident made her egoistic. That’s why when Sillad asked every Monarch to help him kill Jinwoo, everyone refused except Querehsha. However, her powers stood nowhere in front of Jinwoo, and she met her dark fate at the hands of our protagonist.
3. Antares
- Moniker: King of Dragons and Monarch of Destruction
- Abilities: Breath of Destruction, Spiritual Body Manifestation, and Fire Magic
The main antagonist of the series, Antares, is the Monarch of Destruction and one of the strongest villains in Solo Leveling. Antares is the ultimate villain and the strongest opponent of Sung Jinwoo. Antares was once an ally of Ashborn, and along with other Monarchs, they fought the Rulers during the war.
However, Antares started fearing Ashborn’s powers, and he ordered Baran and Legia to kill him. He was clearly one of the strongest beings in the manhwa universe, that is why Jinwoo had to give it his all to defeat this opponent.
He almost brought humanity to its knees, but fortunately, Ashborn’s human vessel, Jinwoo, was there to meet him. Antares had incredible strength and powers, and he could destroy everything in his way. However, even with all that, he knew that he’d always be second to Ashborn and his vessel.
2. Ashborn
- Moniker: King of the Dead and Monarch of Shadows
- Abilities: Shadow Extraction, Ruler’s Authority, Monarch’s Domain and Shadow Preservation
Ashborn, the Shadow Monarch, had fought from both sides, Rulers and Monarch, so he had the most experience in battle. On top of that, he was blessed by the Absolute Being with the powers of the Shadow Monarch. Of course, Jinwoo became the strongest being in the universe, but it was all Ashborn’s powers that made Jinwoo the strongest being in the entire universe.
Ashborn, in his glory days, was incredibly powerful, and he killed two Monarchs, Baran and Legia, without breaking a sweat. On top of that, Antares feared Ashborn because of his powers. And in the end, it was indeed Ashborn’s powers that killed Antares.
1. Sung Jinwoo
- Moniker: Shadow Monarch
- Abilities: Shadow Extraction, Ruler’s Authority, Monarch’s Domain and Shadow Preservation
Sung Jinwoo was once the weakest hunter, but thanks to Ashborn’s powers, Jinwoo leveled up and became the strongest. After Ashborn, Jinwoo flexed the title of Monarch of Shadows. Now, one would think that Jinwoo was as strong as Ashborn, but that’s wrong.
Interestingly, Jinwoo surpassed even Ashborn in every way possible. So, it’s no wonder that Antares, the second-strongest Monarch, accepted that he could have never defeated Jinwoo. Jinwoo became an immortal being who now rules an entire new dimension.
He never aged and could shape the new universe to his liking. He commanded a massive Shadow army that could never betray him, and there was no one in the universe who could challenge his powers. He basically became a God.