Summary
The following contains spoilers for Solo Leveling, Episode 11, titled “A Knight Who Defends an Empty Throne”, available onCrunchyroll.
The 11th episode ofSolo Levelingwas by far the series best to date, affirming the observation that the series has been steadily improving over time. Delivering incredibly crisp animation and a gripping fight, the 11th episode feels like a brand-new starting point for what’s going to be the real bulk of theSolo Levelingstory; an end to the tutorial phase of “the game”.
While Jinwoo takes on the Job-Change Quest he received after the events of episode 10, the story also sheds some light on Jinho’s situation at home; as well as the Jeju Island reconnaissance mission led by the HUNTERS Guildmaster, Choi Jong In, which will soon becomean important junction in the story. Exciting, beautifully animated and setting up for events to come,Solo Levelingepisode 11 is the series' highest moment so far.
The Job-Change Quest
Once Begun, There’s No Escape
When Jinwoo accepts the Job-Change Quest, a singularity collapses into a portal exploding with arcs of purple electricity. The episode reveals how much work went into its production, as the opening of this special portal hides a major clue about the true nature of this quest through impact frames that one has to pay special attention to notice, or they’ll miss it. When the purple arcs of electricity rain down, there’s an instant in which a face can be seen as the energy crackles in the area – the ominousgrinning visage of the statue of godencountered during the Cartenon Temple Double Dungeon incident. There’s a foreboding cut to what appears to be an empty suit of red armor, the same one that can be seen fighting Jinwoo in theSolo Levelingopening sequence.
Once he starts, Jinwoo realizes that he cannot leave, and must survive against whatever threat appears in the vast corridors and hallways of what appears to be a castle. Accosted by various kinds of enemies, like possessed armor, mages, archers, and assassins, Jinwoo has his work cut out for him as he bobs and weaves through various types of attacks. There’s a beautiful moment in which the camera work pans out to show Jinwoo deftly pirouetting and spinning to dodge his assailants, whom he has realized he must fight with his bare hands because their armor is too tough.A look at his inventoryreveals various pieces of armor he can equip without them being visible or slowing him down. He muscles his way through legions of these enemies before arriving at a huge set of double doors. When he opens them, Jinwoo is hit with a terrifying aura, but he walks in anyway. Inside is a huge but empty throne room; however, he soon sees his next enemy as a knight in a set of blood-red armor appears in front of the empty throne.
Taking On The Knight Commander
A Knight Who Defends The Empty Throne
The Knight Commander, Igris the Bloodred, whose name is written in red to indicate an immense gulf in strength between himself and Jinwoo, is given a beautiful entrance in a sequence that made great use of 3DCG in the various camera angles and panning across the King’s Hall as flames spring to life in all the torches in a way that is reminiscent of a video game cutscene. What adds to this effect is the return to shots and angles that make the viewer assume Jinwoo’s perspective of the ensuing battle, much like what wasshown in the second episode. With the aforementioned impact frame, this familiar first-person view, and the fact that this is an unusual quest from the System itself,Solo Levelingimplies a strong connection between the Cartenon Temple incident, and the job-change quest. Igris’s arrival is given the significance it deserves as he slowly advances toward the center of the hall, directly in front of the empty throne.
Jinwoo can barely help but feel uneasy as Igris is easily far beyond any opponent he has faced so far. Igris raises his sword, which looks quite similar toGuts' Dragon Slayer in theBerserkseries, to point at Jinwoo, and immediately cuts across the hall in an instant. There’s a slow-motion moment with panning from behind to in front of him as Igris swings his sword at Jinwoo’s head, cutting the pillar behind him as if it were a twig. His speed is immense, and just as Jinwoo manages to duck the first slash, he takes the second hit head on, sending him flying across the hall. Igris’s follow-up attacks are unleashed almost instantaneously, making it nearly impossible for Jinwoo to even recover his footing before having to brace for the next attack. Each swing of Igris’s sword puts Jinwoo on the defensive, flinging him across the room. Panic spreads across Jinwoo’s face as he struggles to gain his footing, but he continues to fight his hardest.
The Tutorial’s Completion
Becoming a Worthy Vessel
At some point, their blades clash and arcs of red and blue electricity burst forth from the conflict, which parallel the arcs of purple lightning that sprang forth when the portal opened. Realizing that he can’t pierce the armour, Jinwoo decides to go at it with his bare hands again, and Igris takes him up on the challenge by disarming himself as well. The fight kicks up another notch as Jinwoo tries to use his Dash Skill, but still can’t keep up. The fight continues, and at some point,Igris pummels Jinwoo with an intense combothat sends him careening towards the throne, seating him with one arm propped on an armrest, like a tired king.
Igris grabs his sword for the finishing blow, but Jinwoo refuses to give up, blocking the attack with an armoured hand before stabbing Igris in the eye and tackling him through a wall. He dematerializes it before equipping it again. He repeatedly stabs Igris using the Fatal Strike skill in a beautiful sequence that strips the animation down to its bare bones as Jinwoo throws the killing blow. He earns himself a number of interesting rewards, including a rune stone for a “Ruler’s Hand” skill, a Teleportation Stone and Igris’s helmet, and an S-Rank piece of armour. As soon as he realizes that Igris’s death isn’t changing anything, Jinwoo is forced to fight wave after wave of the enemies he went up against before, and with his health and stamina low, it looks like Jinwoo’s in trouble.
Jeju Island Reconnaissance Begins
Setting Up For the Future
While Jinwoo’s fight with Igris was the main part ofSolo Levelingepisode 11, the episode also took some time to develop some of the other things happening in the world, with a first real look at Jinho’s older brother, and the dynamics behind his home life. Clearly, he isn’t respected enough at home.
Elsewhere, Choi Jong In speaks to Go Gunhee, the Hunter Association Chairman aboutthe Jeju Island Recon missionthat he and a number of powerful-looking Hunters are about to embark on. Jong In tells the Chairman that the reason for the trip is simply to scope out the scene and test the combat strength of the enemies there. Overall,Solo Levelingepisode 11 was a visual masterclass that sets up for imminent plot developments and is the beginning of the introduction of the true plot.
Solo Leveling
A-1 Pictures' Solo Leveling is an anime based on Chugong’s popular web novel. Set in an unforgiving fantasy world where hunters explore dungeons filled with monsters, the vulnerable Sung Jinwoo gains a significant power boost after he is picked to be a solo player by the System.
