Solo Levelinghas recently wonCrunchyroll’s anime of the year award, and honestly, it deserved to.There is a huge chunk of the internet that is less than pleased with its victory, and in all fairness, they have a right to be.Solo Levelingwas up against some ofthe best anime series of all time, includingDandadan,Delicious in Dungeon,Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End,Kaiju No. 8, and theApothecary Diaries.
There are a ton of different reasons as to whySolo Levelingtook the top prize (and a ton of others), and some of the reasons are more obvious than others. Sure, the series was filled with great fights, had some of the best pacing around, and had a simple yet impactful story, but there’s one overlooked aspect as to why Crunchyroll won: its humor.Solo Leveling’scharacters can be hilarious, and they don’t get the credit that they deserve.
8Sung Jinwoo
Jinwoo Is Funny on Accident
Sung Jinwoo has become one ofthe coolest anime characters of all time. He’s stoic, determined, and focused. There aren’t many people (or monsters) stronger than him, and he’s someone who will do anything he has to for the people he loves. While his amazing traits as a shōnen protagonist are clear to see,he can also be pretty funny for such a serious guy.
Some of Jinwoo’s best moments in the series come when he’s not trying to be funny. When he works as a miner for a few days in season 2, he goes to investigate a dungeon boss and ends up getting caught by Cha Hae-In. While she’s questioning him, he slips his weapon away and is hopeful that she didn’t see it. It’s a quick, funny moment that shows even Jinwoo gets nervous when he’s about to get in trouble.
7Yoo Jinho
One of the Most Endearing Characters in Solo Leveling
Yoo Jinho is one of the funniest characters inSolo Leveling,and unlike his friend Jinwoo, he seems to be doing it entirely on purpose. He seems to love making his friends laugh, and his endearing nature makes it almost too easy. Jinho is expressive, genuine, and humble enough to be the butt of the joke,making him the perfect person to get a ton of laughs.
Some of Jinho’s funniest moments come when he’s reacting to something that Jinwoo is doing. For the majority of the first season, Jinwoo was just a typical E-Rank Hunter is most people’s eyes, Jinho included. When they went to dungeons together, however, Jinho couldn’t believe his eyes. Watching Jinho react to Jinwoo’s nearly unbelievable strength is a highlight of the first season, and their friendship is a highlight of the series.
6Cha Hae-In
The S-Rank Hunter Doesn’t Want to Be Seen with Her Pickaxe
Cha Hae-In isn’t just one ofthe strongest Korean Hunters inSolo Leveling,she’s also one of the funniest characters. Like her love interest Jinwoo, she doesn’t seem to be trying, but she ends up being adorably hilarious.Cha Hae-In takes herself pretty seriously, which somehow makes her less than intense moments even better.
Cha Hae-In has two moments that stand out as being funnier than the rest. The first is when she first meets Sung Jinwoo in a Dungeon while he’s thinking about taking on the Dungeon Boss solo. She realizes that he smells different from other Hunters and takes a big whiff of the reawakened Hunter. The second moment is when she heads into a Gate to save Jinwoo and members of the Hunters Guild, only bringing a pickaxe with her.
5Sung Jinah
Jinah’s Incredulousness is Hilarious
Sung Jinah is Sung Jinwoo’s little sister inSolo Leveling.She’s a hard-working girl who is trying to become a doctor one day. When she’s not studying or at school, she’s wondering what her brother is up to. Jinwoo underwent a lot of drastic changes in the first season, and it’s no wonder that Jinah can barely believe what she’s seeing.
When Jinwoo was chosen by the System, he gained more than the ability to level up. He got taller, more handsome, and way more jacked.Watching Jinah react to her brother’s insane physical changes in such a short time is pretty funny.She, reasonably, can’t believe what she’s seeing, and Jinwoo doesn’t really have a good explanation as to why he looks like a completely different person.
4Ma Dongwook
The Guild Master of the Fame Guild
Ma Dongwook might be the funniest Guild Master inSolo Leveling.He leads the Fame Guild and, like Cha Hae-In, represents Korea as one of the strongest Hunters in the country. His fighting abilities allow him to dive head first into a fight, dominating nearly every opponent that heads his way.
Ma Dongwook is almost always laughing.He loves a good laugh like Jinwoo loves to level up. During the Jeju Island Arc, Dongwook was able to maintain his normal attitude for nearly the entire raid. When the Ant King came, however, Dongwook was understandably horrified. Other than that one brutal instance, he’s a funny character with a good head on his shoulders who is always looking to have a good time.
3Go Gunhee
The Chairman of the Korean Hunters Association Is as Carefree as It Gets
Chairman Go Gunhee is a breath of fresh air inSolo Leveling.He’s carefree, lighthearted, and always the calmest person in any room he walks into. His age, combined with his experience on the battlefield, has made him one of the wisest and most reliable people around, and the Hunters of Korea couldn’t be more grateful to have such a wonderful figure around.
During his days as a Hunter, Chairman Go was one ofthe strongest Hunters inSolo Leveling.While he doesn’t fight on the battlefield anymore, he helps his fellow Hunters through his role as the Chairman of the Hunters Association. He also has a few hilarious moments throughout the series, andthe biggest is his reaction to Jinwoo’s arrival on Jeju Island.Chairman Go couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw Jinwoo on Jeju Island, shattering part of his chair in pure elation.
2Esil Radiru
The Princess of the Radiru Clan
Esil Radiru is an interesting character inSolo Leveling.She starts the series as a villain in the Demon Castle before quickly becoming one of Jinwoo’s most reliable allies. At first, she tries to trick the Hunter by stabbing him in the back after she surrendered. He catches her before she can pull it off,and her reaction to betraying Jinwoo is hilarious.
Like Jinho, Esil can’t believe how strong Jinwoo is. When he tells her that he needs help ascending the rest of the Demon Castle, she can’t believe her ears. Jinwoo then tells Esil’s father that he needs to borrow his daughter in one ofthe best quotes inSolo Leveling,and Esil’s reaction is priceless. She’s a great addition to the series who would have made the anime even better if she was part of it for just a bit longer.
1Iron
Jinwoo’s Funniest Shadow
Out of all the characters inSolo Leveling,none are quite as funny as one ofJinwoo’s strongest Shadows, Iron. Before he was Iron, Kim Chul was a loud, brash, arrogant character who was willing to sacrifice the weaker members of his party to try and survive a terrifying Red Gate. As Iron, however, he underwent a complete change in his personality for the better.
Iron is hilarious because he’s so unique.He’s theatrical, boisterous, and always more than willing to go a little too far in action.In theSolo Levelingmanhwa/Webtoon, Jinwoo’s Shadows have much more personality. Iron still has some of that amazing personality in the anime adaptation, and the series would be even better if it highlighted even more of his character.
