In the world ofSolo Leveling, there are two types of guilds: the low-level guilds, which hunters usually avoid, and premier guilds, the dream organizations of hunters. These premier guilds are usually teams filled with not just powerful hunters, but the elitist S-Class hunters. But Sung Jin-Woo, as usual, established himself as an exception to this unofficial requirement.
Jinwoo formed the Ahjin Guild, a guild in name only, serving as just a convenient pass for him to level up in dungeons without hindrances. The semi-solo guild, the first of its kind, shattered the standard guild modus operandi inSolo Leveling, proving that rules can sometimes be bent when absolute power dictates the status quo.
The Premier Guilds Were Structured Differently Before Jinwoo Changed Everything
Premier Guilds Are Not Seen As One Unless They Meet Certain Requirements
Before Sung Jin-Woo’s unprecedented ascension, the power structure of the hunter world, and even nations, revolved around central guilds. Initially formed to clear out dungeons and keep the people safe, they evolved to become business-driven organizations and political entities that headhunt high-ranking hunters to increase their power and clear dungeons more for profit than protection.
Forming a guild is one thing, but attaining premier status is an entirely different ballgame.For a guild to be highly ranked, enlisting S-Rank hunters en masse is a fundamental requirement. All premier guilds have a high number of high-ranking hunters and usually, at least one S-rank, often the Guild master.
Being the highest rank that any hunter can obtain,S-rank hunters are extremely rare; just one can carry an organisation to premier status. Guilds like the White Tiger Guild and the Hunters Guild fall into this category. Although having no S-Ranks, the Knights Guild is equally formidable because they have the highest number of A-Ranks.
InSolo Leveling, guilds also have to maintain public trust and are held to professional standards. Thedeath of even a single S-rank huntercould cause national panic or weaken a guild’s standing.
An example bordering on S-Rank importance is seen when the Draw Sword Guild lost more than half its S-Rank hunters in the Jeju Island Raid. The decimation of the guild’s strongest warriors destabilized their standing, giving other guilds in Japan the hope that they could surpass them.
They weren’t cocky in the past, but now that Mr. Goto isn’t here, they are starting to rise up again. Those opportunistic bastards.
— Minoru Hoshino, S-Rank Hunter in Draw Sword Guild.
Thus, the S-Rank rule, though unwritten, was simple: a guild is only as powerful as its collective. This model emphasized unity, cooperation, and prestige through numbers. It also created a balance of power among top guilds, where no single hunter could dominate the playing field alone, until Sung Jin-Woo established otherwise.
The Ahjin Guild Comprises Just One Active Hunter, And With It Being Jinwoo, That Was More Than Enough
Jin-Woo’s Decision To Act As A One-Man Army Shocked The Hunter Association, But His Abilities Granted Him Immunity To A Long Standing Rule
Due to the unique nature and limitless potential of his abilities, Sung Jin-Woo was in search of a way to constantly level up without putting anyone in danger, either by direct action or by knowledge of his abilities. To solve this problem, creating a two-man guild was the answer.
Sung Jin-Woo is the type who loves to go solo, clear high-ranking dungeons, and level up. Several guilds had already tried to recruit him. But being in a team does not favor him, so he decided to create a guild to go on dungeon raids alone, shocking Go Gun Hee.
South Korea was already in a tight spot afterlosing three S-Rank Hunters, and other nations were showing interest in Sung Jin-Woo, which would mark the loss of a fourth high-ranking hunter if he chose to accept. With fear in the chairman’s heart, he begged Jinwoo to remain in the country, and this was Jinwoo’s condition:
Would you let me enter high-ranking gates all by myself in the future?
— Sung Jin-Woo
Recognizing Jinwoo’s potential, the chairman agreed. Ahjin Guild’s exclusion from the minimum headcount rule stirred some arguments in the association, even accusing the chairman of preferential treatment. But the pros and cons were weighed, and the rules were bent in Jin-woo’s favor.
When It Comes To Manpower, Sung Jin-Woo’s Shadow Army Puts Every Guild To Shame, And It’s Not Even Close
The Hunter’s Association Bent Over Backwards To Meet Jinwoo’s Demands, And Honestly, Who Can Blame Them?
What sets Jinwoo apart from other hunters and guildmasters was not his massive arsenal of abilities or his raw power, but his Shadow Army — a legion of loyal undead soldiers resurrected from the cadavers of powerful opponents.The undead soldiers gave him a significant battle edge over opponents; they made the very idea of a team inconsequential.
Over and over again, theSolo Levelingflexes the sheer scale of Jinwoo’s army. While other organizations coordinate their attacks to clear dungeons or fight against strong foes, Jinwoo eminently arrives at the scene locked and loaded, with his undead army paving the way for him to engage in boss fights that fans love to see.
TheJeju Island Raid is a proper representationof Sung Jinwoo’s dominance. This was the very “pro” that was weighed in the association’s decision of letting him act as a one-man army.
An assault team comprising of 20 A-Rank hunters or a team comprising of just one person, Hunter Sung Jin-Woo, … Which team will you choose?
— Go-Gung-Hee
Jinwoo’s army autonomy makes it less-than-ideal for hunters to team up. In control of an army filled with highly skilled, undying troops, from the frontlines to the rear defense, he dictates the movement of the battlefield. Ultimately, his shadow army significantly trumps any other organization, placing him in a position where the association rules can be waived.
Sung Jin-Woo Didn’t Just Rise To The Top, He Rewrote The Hunter World’s Definition Of Strength
Sung Jin-Woo Became A Highly Valuable Asset That Could Not Be Ignored, Even At The International Level
Although unofficial, that hierarchy for power and prestige changed with Jinwoo, placing him at thetop of the ranks of hunters. He was not just any S-Rank hunter; he was The S-Rank Hunter.And while the waiving of the minimum headcount rule is already a feat worthy of admiration, this is not the only rule he circumvented.
The International Guild Conference is a conference where guilds, representing their countries, gather to discuss major topics concerning the Hunter World. Ahjin Guild’s invitation to this conference, in place of the Hunters Guild, no less, was unprecedented, to say the least. When the Hunters Guild Guildmaster was asked his opinion on this, he said:
I believe the American Hunter Bureau made the obviously correct decision.
— Choi Jong-In
Jinwoo had trumped the other premier guilds to become the world’s symbol of protection, scaling even past South Korea’s limitations. At the very least, he deserved diplomatic-level privileges due to his value as a global asset. The Hunter Bureau went as far as personally informing Sung Jin-Woo before the event to remain in his good graces.
The hunter world had never seen an individual so powerful that institutions became secondary. Jinwoo turned the power structure on its head, proving that concentrated, individualistic raw strength could outweigh the existing hierarchy. Prestige no longer belonged to organizations; it followed the man who needed no allies, no approval, and no support to change the world.
