Solo Leveling Ragnarok: Is the Sequel Canon to the Original Manhwa?

Solo Leveling originally arrived as a web novel in 2016, and after the positive reception, a webtoon adaptation was released in 2018. The dark fantasy manhwa series was already popular, but its fame skyrocketed when its anime adaptation first hit our screens last year. Now that Solo Leveling Season 2 is ongoing, fans are eager to get deeper into the franchise and have stumbled upon its sequel.

Thanks to the popularity of the original series, the sequel, Solo Leveling: Ragnarok, which features Sung Jinwoo’s son, Suho, as the central character, has been grabbing the fandom’s attention lately. And as they are picking up the sequel, fans are wondering if the story of Solo Leveling Ragnarok is canon to the original manhwa. Here’s all you need to know.

Is Solo Leveling Ragnarok Canon?

Yes, Solo Leveling Ragnarok is canon to the original series. First of all, the story has been crafted by the same studio, Redice Studio, who created Solo Leveling. Secondly, the sequel series is the direct follow-up of Jinwoo’s story.

Ragnarok is indeed the sequel to Solo Leveling, but both web novels have been written by different authors. The Solo Leveling web novel and manhwa were written by Chugong and was illustrated by Jang “Dubu” Sungrak, the former CEO of Redice Studio. The anime’s script is handled by Noboru Kimura.

On the other hand, the Solo Leveling: Ragnarok web novel and webtoon are written by Daul and Dang Do, respectively. Due to Dubu’s untimely demise in 2022, the sequel features illustrations by JIN from Redice Studio.

Of course, the Ragnarok spin-off is being written by a different author, but that story is canon. In fact, the original author of Solo Leveling entrusted Daul to write the sequel series and gave him his blessing in the following author’s note (translated from Korean to English):

Hello, this is Chugong. First of all, I would like to thank Daul for willingly taking on the spin-off work, and I would also like to thank DNC Media for finding such a great author. I remember when the ‘Only Level Up’ webtoon was first serialized. I was excited, nervous, and worried. It’s still the same now.

I sincerely hope that ‘Solo Leveling: Ragnarok’ will be a great fun for the readers, as I go back to that time, feeling nervous, excited, and worried. The new world of Solo Leveling that author Daul will unfold! I will also cheer you on as you congratulate the start of the new story!

At the same time, Daul also thanked Chugong for letting him write the Solo Leveling sequel series. You can read his official note (translated from Korean to English) to the author here:

Hello, this is Daul. First of all, I would like to thank the original author, Chugong, for entrusting me with the writing of ‘Solo Leveling: Ragnarok’.

It was a burden to write a new work following the worldwide love for ‘Only Level Up’, but I am happy to finally be able to show ‘Only Level Up: Ragnarok’ to the readers. I will do my best to ensure that the new story of ‘Only Level Up: Ragnarok’ can bring joy to the readers. Please continue to show me lots of love and interest!

What is the Story of Solo Leveling Ragnarok?

The original manhwa follows Sung Jinwoo, an E-Rank hunter with a strong will but frail body. He is given a second chance at life after nearly getting killed in the Double Dungeon. All he needs to do is to become a player in The System, a magical program created by the Architect.

Jinwoo brings his mother back from eternal sleep by killing hordes of monsters in the Demon Castle to obtain the Elixir of Life and even fights the Monarchs towards the end. He ends up marrying the S-Rank Hunter Cha Hae-In and becomes the father of a boy.

They name him Sung Suho but never get a chance to see their boy grow up. That’s because, a few years after killing the Monarchs, Jinwoo and Cha Hae-In spot an interdimensional portal in the sky one day. The Shadow Monarch doesn’t give it a second thought and decides to fight the new threats that loom over humanity.

He instructs Kaisel, one of Jinwoo’s strongest shadows, to take Cha Hae-In back to Earth, but before they can land on the ground, a portal opens in front of them. Kaisel can’t help but fly into it, and he, along with Cha Hae-In, gets trapped in the gate for several years.

On the other hand, despite giving his best efforts, Jinwoo struggles to stop some of the Itarim’s, the Outer Gods’, apostles from showing up on Earth. So, he sends Beru to train his son and remind him of the powers that Jinwoo sealed years ago.

Solo Leveling: Ragnarok carries forward what Rulers started in the original manhwa by killing the Absolute Being. Also, it finally reveals the most intriguing details about the creator of the Monarchs and the Rulers, which was kept hidden in the original series. Besides that, the sequel sheds light on several other things that remained unanswered in Solo Leveling.