Solo Leveling is being set up for a grand return in 2027 with a brand-new movie titled ‘Solo Leveling: Beyond the System.’ Before that, fans are in for a treat with Solo Leveling's new 2026 release, which is a new video game titled ‘Solo Leveling: Karma.’ This new game is set to explore the unseen lore unfolding over the 27-Year Monarchs War from the original manhwa and web novel.
We're all excited for Solo Leveling: Karma's release, and while we don’t know exactly when it’s coming out yet, the game has been dropping new content and teasers every couple of weeks. Most recently, Solo Leveling: Karma finally unveiled Sung Jinwoo's three strongest shadows with new illustrations, those being Bellion, Beru, and Igris.
Solo Leveling Karma Reveals Jinwoo’s Three Strongest Shadows Through New Illustrations
2026 has been a quiet year for the Solo Leveling franchise. No new anime content was released this year, and the manhwa for its sequel, Solo Leveling: Ragnarok, went on a sudden hiatus. With that being said, there is one thing we are looking forward to this year, and that's Solo Leveling: Karma, a brand-new video game created by Netmarble Studio. Solo Leveling gave fans some big reveals during Anime Expo 2026 on July 4, and ever since then, we have been getting small sneak peeks at what's to come. Kanda had previously given us a sneak peek at the corrupted versions of Korean S-Rank Hunters, set to fight Sung Jinwoo. Now, new exciting designs for Jinwoo’s Shadows have surfaced. On August 26, 2026, Solo Leveling Karma finally unveiled these new Shadow illustrations.
Previously, on July 6, 2026, we had seen Beru and Igris's forms, but we now have higher-quality images of their Karma designs, with slight alterations. The new alterations simply remove the blue highlights from their designs. The new illustrations also feature some brand new Shadows never seen before in Karma. Solo Leveling Karma revealed to us Tank, who is a memorable Shadow, but a rather weak one. In contrast, we also finally get our first look at Bellion, who is the very strongest Shadow, and to see him finally appear is certainly exciting.
Bellion has yet to make an appearance in the anime, so we can only compare his in-game design to his manhwa one. It must be noted that Solo Leveling: Karma has been extremely faithful to the source when it comes to the design for Bellion. Just like in the Manhwa, he keeps up the iconic purple and black color scheme. Even the details match perfectly. His iconic four wings and large sword are well represented and displayed perfectly in this new illustration.
The same can be said about Beru, Igris, and Tank, who all follow their manhwa designs to perfection. This just goes to show the level of intricacy and detail that has gone into making Solo Leveling: Karma. With the contribution of Chugong, we're sure that this new game will be a faithful representation of what would've come through a 27-Year Monarch War, had it been added to the novel or manhwa. Sadly, we still don't have a release date for Solo Leveling Karma, but all of us are patiently awaiting a new update from Netmarble to confirm that. All we know is that it's set for a release later on in 2026.
Why Bellion, Beru, And Igris Are Jinwoo’s Strongest And Most Iconic Shadows
Anime-only fans have grown quite familiar with 2 of Jinwoo’s top 3 Shadows, those being Igris and Beru. That is because we've already seen them in the anime. Igris was actually Jinwoo’s very first Shadow and one that the Shadow Monarch acquired all the way back in 2024, at the end of Season 1. After defeating the Mysterious Knight, Jinwoo was able to become the Shadow Monarch, and through this new title, he gained the power to extract Shadows and add them to his Army. That is how Igris’s Shadow came to be born. Since his addition to Jinwoo’s legion, Igris has become one of his most iconic and beloved characters. In the novel and manhwa, Igris eventually peaks at the rank of Marshall, which, in Jinwoo’s Legion of Shadows, is the 2nd highest rank.
Beru is a Shadow we all got to meet a bit later on in the Solo Leveling anime. In fact, Jinwoo only acquired Beru near the end of Solo Leveling Season 2 in 2025, at the end of the most hyped anime battle on Jeju Island. The flashy battle ended in Jinwoo’s victory, and from the body of the Ant King, Beru was extracted. Beru is currently Jinwoo’s strongest Shadow in the anime. Just like Igris, he peaks at the rank of Marshall, and his power is quite overwhelming, being able to take on S-Rank Hunters with ease.
Finally, there's Bellion, who is known to be Jinwoo’s very strongest Shadow that anime-only fans will not be meeting anytime soon. Bellion is unique, as he was not extracted by Sung Jinwoo. Instead, he was inherited by Jinwoo through Ashborn at the end of the Monarchs War arc, which will be adapted sometime after the 2027 movie, Solo Leveling: Beyond the System. In this arc, Jinwoo will be up against three Monarchs and finally awaken to his true power as the Shadow Monarch. Ashborn then gives him every bit of the remaining power he has, which includes Bellion, the first and strongest Shadow. Bellion was formerly the leader of Ashborn's Legion, and now plays the same role for Jinwoo’s army. His strength is only rivaled by the strongest characters, and he is the only Shadow to hold the rank of Grand Marshall, making him the leader of Jinwoo’s Army and a shadow with unrivaled strength.
All Of Jinwoo's Shadows That Will Be In Solo Leveling: Karma
As previously mentioned, Solo Leveling: Karma is coming out later in 2026, and this story is going to be mostly canon due to the direct involvement of Chugong in the writing of its plot. Specifically, this story is about to explore the 27-Year Monarch War. For context, the 27-Year Monarch War is the epilogue of the original Solo Leveling series. In the manhwa and novel, it is unexplored, and we only know the result of it: the victory of Jinwoo over the Monarchs, including Antares, in a second confrontation after time being rewound via the Cup of Reincarnation.
With time being rewound, Jinwoo's Army did not stay the same. Jinwoo went on to lose two of his Shadows, those being Iron, a Shadow even anime-only fans know to have been extracted from Kim Chul, and Greed, a Shadow he gains later on in the story after beating Hwang Dongsoo. While Jinwoo is about to lose some of his Shadows, we anticipate that he'll gain some other, never-before-seen Shadows in exchange. As the war spans over 27 years, Jinwoo will have to fight quite a few tough battles. It would be surprising to not see him gain new Shadows from powerful foes he defeats. It would be an exciting development to see new Shadows added to his arsenal under Chugong’s supervision.
Solo Leveling: Karma will be available to play on PC and Mobile.
Solo Leveling
- Release Date
- 2024 - 2025-00-00
- Studio
- A-1 Pictures
- Creator
- Chugong
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
