Shadow Monarch has been the epitome of power in the Solo Leveling universe. There is no greater being in existence who can match the Shadow Monarch in powers and abilities. Well, the Absolute Being chose the first Shadow Monarch, who eventually became the source of our protagonist, Sung Jinwoo’s powers in the series. Solo Leveling has blessed us with two Shadow Monarchs so far, so it’s evident that fans would want to know if there will be a third one to bear the title.
First and Second Shadow Monarch in Solo Leveling
After learning the real intentions of the Absolute Being, the Rulers rebelled against him. At that time, only Ashborn remained loyal to their creator. Like every other Ruler, the Absolute Being blessed Ashborn with some incredible powers, but nothing worked when seven powerful entities opposed him. He fought the Rulers, who eventually overwhelmed him and pushed him to the verge of death.
Ashborn knew that the fatal injuries wouldn’t let him live for long, but before he could succumb to the dark fate, he discovered the demonic powers that the Absolute Being had hidden inside of him.
He soon transformed into the Shadow Monarch after activating these powers. His wounds healed instantly, and he became the second most powerful entity on the planet, the first being his creator, the Absolute Being.
However, when Ashborn returned to the battlefield, the Rulers already accomplished their mission. They not only killed the Absolute Being but also used the fragments of his powers to track down the Monarchs.
Centuries later, when Jinwoo and a team of potent hunters showed up at the Double Dungeon raid, the Architect, aka Kandairu, encountered him. Impressed with his survival instincts and strong will to fight, he takes him on board as a player in the System. The program trained him so that he could be the host to Ashborn, but the Architect didn’t know at the time that Ashborn had some other plans for Jinwoo.
Ashborn didn’t want him as a host but as a successor who could carry forward his legacy. He only wanted to prepare Sung Jinwoo for the position through the System. After witnessing Jinwoo’s extraordinary potential in the Monarch War arc, one of the best Solo Leveling arcs, Ashborn transferred his black heart to our protagonist when Beast and Frost Monarch nearly killed him.
Like the System always gave Jinwoo options to choose from, Ashborn appeared as Go Gunhee and asked him to make a decision. The cosmic entity wanted to see if Jinwoo was really someone whom he could trust with the Shadow Monarch’s powers. However, when Jinwoo asked him to show his real face, Ashborn appeared in his true form in front of the boy and made him the new Shadow Monarch.
Will Jinwoo’s Son Become The Third Shadow Monarch?
While Jinwoo was chosen by Ashborn in his teenage years, Sung Suho inherited the powers from his father since birth. His powers were showcased in the space called “The Tutorial,” which Jinwoo had created to train his son.
Jinwoo just wanted to witness the intensity of the powers Suho inherited from him. The boy didn’t take much time to surpass the level of the S-Rank hunters. Jinwoo soon realized that no one except him had the ability to handle the powers of his son. That’s why he erased Suho’s memories of the Tutorial and sealed his powers before heading to Outer space.
Jinwoo wanted to watch Suho live a normal life away from the violence. However, after the apostles of the Outer Gods started showing up on Earth, Jinwoo sent Beru to train his son and make him recall the memories of the Tutorial.
Technically, Sung Suho was the one who would have inherited the powers of Shadow Monarch from his father. However, by the end of the original series, Jinwoo became immortal, so no one had the ability to kill and replace him. Hence, Antares took him as his successor and made him the Monarch of Destruction.
Source: Beebom
