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Discover why the Red Gate arc proved to be a major turning point in Solo Leveling, and how it permanently changed Sung Jin-Woo’s character.
Every story features a moment that changes everything permanently – a turning point that redefines the tone of the series as well as the main character’s journey. For instance, the Shibuya Incident arc was Jujutsu Kaisen‘s turning point, whereas for Hunter X Hunter, it was the Chimera Ant arc.
In Solo Leveling, that turning point came in the Red Gate arc. The Red Gate arc was the first story arc from the manhwa that was adapted in the first two episodes of the ongoing Solo Leveling season 2. It was undoubtedly one of the most anticipated arcs from the manhwa – and for good reason.
The Red Gate arc wasn’t simply another Dungeon Raid, where Sung Jin-Woo would steal the spotlight with relative ease. Instead, it was a brutal and terrifying experience that served as a wake-up call for Jin-Woo, who was pitted against an opponent stronger than him. That being said, let us fully explore what exactly happened in the Red Gate arc and why it changed Solo Leveling.
What Happens in the Red Gate Arc of Solo Leveling?
Before we explore what exactly made the Red Gate arc a turning point, let us first go through the events of the arc in brief. It started off with Sung Jin-Woo trying to expose the dangers of being a Hunter to Han Song-Yi, one of his sister’s friends, who was determined to drop out of school to become a Hunter after her awakening. Jin-Woo was persuaded to convince her otherwise by Song-Yi’s teacher at school.
Therefore, in order to give her a firsthand experience of the horror Hunters face on a daily basis, Jin-Woo reached out to one of his contacts within the White Tiger Guild and secured two spots for Song-Yi and himself in one of the Guild’s training exercises. However, things took a horrible turn for Jin-Woo and the rest of the Raid Party when the Gate that was being used for the exercise turned out to be a Red Gate in disguise.
It stranded Jin-Woo and his Raid Party members in a freezing, snow-covered wasteland. There, they were left to fend for themselves against monstrous Ice Elves, Ice Bears, and other murderous beasts, all while trying not to die of frostbite or starvation.
What made their situation even worse is the fact that the Red Gate completely isolated them from the human world. No one could come to their rescue, and they couldn’t leave until one of the three things happened – the Dungeon Boss is killed, the entire Raid Party is killed, or a Dungeon Break occurs. As we can see, this is basically a death sentence for most Hunters – except for Sung Jin-Woo, of course.
How the Red Gate Arc Proved To Be a Turning Point in Solo Leveling
Understanding why the Red Gate arc was such a game-changer for Solo Leveling also calls for a short recap of everything that happened in the anime so far. Sung Jin-Woo, possibly the weakest Hunter to ever exist, gains the power of leveling up his strength and skills via the System. The System is basically a mysterious program with the User Interface of a typical video game.
With this second chance at life, Jin-Woo embarks on a relentless quest of becoming stronger. It was a journey that saw him facing the moral dilemma of taking people’s lives for the sake of protecting his own. This particular moment took place in episode 6 of Solo Leveling‘s first season. In fact, this was the first turning point for Solo Leveling and Sung Jin-Woo’s character in particular.
As such, the question arises – what makes the Red Gate arc so special if season 1 already dealt with Jin-Woo crossing the line of taking someone’s life? Here’s where the difference lies between the two seasons – in season 1, Jin-Woo realized that the System wanted him to live by taking the lives of those who wanted to kill him. At that point in time, it was a matter of survival. However, in the Red Gate arc of season 2, Jin-Woo killed Kim Chul, an A-Rank Hunter, simply because he wanted to use his strength as a Shadow Soldier, that too, without a hint of remorse or guilt.
In this arc, killing another human wasn’t a matter of survival for Jin-Woo. Rather, it was a matter of convenience. He knew that his survival depended on his own strength. No one would come to his rescue. There’s no safety net, no backup plan – if he’s weak or complacent, he dies. Additionally, this arc saw Jin-Woo using his shadow army in battle for the first time, so there’s also that.
But more importantly, the way this arc is structured is what makes it a turning point. Before the Red Gate arc, the world of Solo Leveling more or less felt like a “game.” Dungeons were undeniably dangerous, but they weren’t inherently terrifying. There was always the option of leaving if things became too difficult. The Red Gate arc changed that.
It wasn’t simply a typical Dungeon Raid – it was psychological warfare. The characters in this arc had to face the freezing cold, overwhelmingly powerful enemies, and the pure horror of being trapped with no hopes of outside help. All of these elements made it feel more like a survival horror story than a typical Dungeon Raid. This sudden shift in tone made the stakes of this arc feel unreal.
How the Red Gate Arc Changed Sung Jin-Woo’s Character
So far, we have established that the Red Gate arc was a major turning point for Solo Leveling. Now, let’s look at how it changed Sung Jin-Woo’s character in particular. For starters, Jin-Woo once again faced the cruelty that came with having the reputation of being the “World’s Weakest Hunter.”
This happened when Kim Chul, an A-Rank Hunter, left Jin-Woo and several other low-ranking members of the Raid Party to survive on their own so that they wouldn’t become a burden for everyone later on. Fortunately for the members of Jin-Woo’s group, he had become so tremendously powerful at this point that surviving this Dungeon wouldn’t be a big deal for him – or so he thought.
At first, Jin-Woo was able to take care of all the major threats that came his way. He also managed to keep his group safe own his own. However, when he fought Baruka, Jin-Woo realized that this wasn’t an enemy he could beat by himself. In fact, the only way Jin-Woo managed to kill Baruka was by triple-teaming him alongside Igris and Iron.
What’s more, Jin-Woo wasn’t even at the level where he could extract Baruka’s shadow after killing him. This obviously wasn’t Jin-Woo’s first time facing someone stronger than him. However, not being able to extract Baruka’s shadow only added further insult to injury. Additionally, this arc is also where we see a shift in his perspective on other Hunters. Up until now, Jin-Woo had been working with Hunters out of necessity. However, after seeing how utterly useless they were in the Red Gate, he knew for certain that he couldn’t rely on anyone but himself.
What Makes a Red Gate So Terrifying in Solo Leveling
A Red Gate is a special gate that is basically a deathtrap for Hunters. It completely seals off the entrance once someone passes through it. What’s more, it also doesn’t allow anyone else from the outside to enter it. In other words, it removed the one safety net that Hunters used to rely on. It was the ability to leave the Dungeon if things went wrong.
Once the Hunters are inside a Red Gate, they cannot escape until they defeat the Dungeon Boss. The other scenario where it could open is where the entire Raid Party dies. Unfortunately, the latter scenario is what’s more likely to happen. This is because the lowest difficulty level a Red Gate can present is B-Rank. As seen in the Red Gate arc, even a well-equipped A-Rank Hunter is basically breakfast for the monsters inside the Red Gate.
It also doesn’t help that a Red Gate usually transports the trapped Hunters to harsh and downright terrifying environments. These may range from a hot, scorching desert and a dangerous forest full of poisonous snakes to a freezing, snowy hellscape. Therefore, if the monsters inside these Dungeons don’t kill the Hunters, things like frostbite, heatstroke, or starvation surely will.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Red Gate arc took Solo Leveling from a standard power fantasy to something bigger. It proved that inside a Red Gate, strength is the only thing that matters. If you’re weak, you die – that’s it. It also proved that even someone as strong as an A-Rank Hunter can be dangerously incompetent. Therefore, it’s easy to see why fans hold this arc in such high regard.
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