Solo Leveling is the story of Sung Jinwoo, from his humble beginnings as the weakest Hunter of South Korea to becoming the strongest in the whole world. Sung Jinwoo’s character has enamored fans all over the world, and much of that is because of the incredible aura of invincibility that he has, and the quality of being able to surpass his limits and level up through the power of the System — an ability obtained in the Double Dungeon after almost dying. Thanks to the powers he attains, Jinwoo goes on to become the Shadow Monarch; with this title come various shadow abilities.
Jinwoo's most iconic power is his ability to raise the dead and add them to his Shadow Army. His two most iconic shadows in the anime and his strongest so far are Igris and Beru. These two shadows are also fan favorites. In the second half of 2026, it is now confirmed that both of them will make a comeback in Solo Leveling: Karma with brand new designs and powers.
Solo Leveling Karma Showcases New Full Designs for Igris and Beru
2026 has, for the most part, been a quiet year for the Solo Leveling franchise. The story, originally created by Chugong in 2016, went on to become the biggest manhwa series of all time in 2018. But the anime isn't returning this year, and Ragnarok, the ongoing sequel, is also on a hiatus. Although 2026 isn't looking stacked for the franchise, it is making a comeback in 2027 with a new movie titled “Solo Leveling: Beyond the System.” Until then, fans have to turn to other Solo Leveling projects, and one to look forward to this year is Solo Leveling: Karma.
Solo Leveling Karma is a brand-new video game by Netmarble Studio that will be uncovering more lore of the Solo Leveling world. Solo Leveling Karma just got a major showcase this month at Anime Expo 2026, where the staff answered many intriguing questions. We were also treated to a brand new trailer and new exclusive content. With the release of Solo Leveling Karma approaching, Netmarble is continuously releasing new updates about the game every once in a while. On July 6, 2026, we were given our first look at the long-awaited redesigns of two of his Strongest Shadows. Given that Karma will add a unique twist of time to the story, these new Shadow designs are certainly fun to see.
Firstly, with Igris, we see his iconic form in his knight armor and red flowing hair ornament in the usual shadow color scheme of black and purple. Similarly, for Beru, Karma follows a very manhwa-accurate design, showcasing his Ant King form with the same color scheme of purple and black and maintaining the menacing presence. That said, these designs might look slightly off to anime-only viewers, and that’s because both of them are extremely accurate to the Manhwa instead, with little deviation. This means Karma is following the lore and designs of Solo Leveling to perfection, and we're excited to see more designs of Jinwoo's beloved Shadows, notably the likes of Bellion, his true strongest Shadow.
What's more interesting to mention is that these forms of Beru and Igris might be even stronger than those we see at the end of the Manhwa and web novel. That is because Solo Leveling is about to cover the 27-Year Monarch War, which means Jinwoo goes back in the past and goes on a new journey in hopes of defeating all the Monarchs on his own. By the end of the 27-Year War, Jinwoo is stronger than his original form, being able to single-handedly defeat Antares without the help of the Rulers this time around. This means his Shadow Army must have been powered up as well, and we're excited to see that come into play in Solo Leveling Karma this year when the game releases.
The Significance Of Sung Jinwoo’s Shadow Army In Solo Leveling Karma
Through the Shadow Army that is primarily composed of the dead, Chugong, the creator of Solo Leveling, has crafted one of the most captivating and interesting abilities seen in media. Whenever Jinwoo defeats an enemy, he is able to raise their Shadow and add it to his legion. His first shadow was Igris, and it remains one of his iconic ones. His most recent acquisition in the anime was that of Beru after clearing Jeju Island and saving the day. His Shadow Army is, undoubtedly, extremely useful to him, and we will see it shine in the upcoming Solo Leveling Karma release as well.
It is also important to keep in mind that in Solo Leveling: Karma, Jinwoo fights alone for almost three decades in the dimensional crack to take down all the Monarchs. This means that during those 27 years, his Shadows will be his only company, and because of that, we might see more character development and relationship growth between Jinwoo and his soldiers. Furthermore, it must be kept in mind that some of Jinwoo's Shadow Army will be taking a hit at the beginning of the story. As we know through the lore of the manhwa and web novel, Jinwoo loses two of his Shadows. The first is Iron, the Shadow he extracted from Kim Chul. He will also lose Greed, a shadow that has yet to make it to the anime, but one that he eventually extracts from American S-Rank Hunter Hwang Dong-Su.
The reason these shadows are lost is to avoid the creation of a paradox in the new timeline. Since Jinwoo vows to save all the human lives that were lost, these two shadows cannot co-exist with Hwang Dong-Soo and Kim Chul both alive. While it might seem unfortunate that Jinwoo is losing two shadows, we’re sure that in Solo Leveling Karma we will see him acquire brand-new shadows to counter that. Jinwoo will be fighting for 27 years, and undoubtedly, along the way, he will fight enemies worth extracting the Shadows of and adding to his legion. Iron and Greed aren't his best anyway, and we could see Jinwoo power up his army with new and interesting additions. Whatever addition is made to the plot will also likely be canon, and this is because Solo Leveling Karma is created in collaboration with the original creator, Chugong.
Solo Leveling Karma Release Date And Everything You Need To Know
Solo Leveling Karma has already been confirmed to be released in 2026. Specifically, it's coming in the second half of the year, although an exact release date remains to be determined, even after the event at Anime Expo 2026, where the game had its own stage. That said, we do have some new information concerning the game. For one, we know the general plot, which is the 27-Year Monarch War, an arc that was glossed over in the manhwa. Furthermore, we know that Antares is the main villain and that he keeps all his memories and uses them to his advantage to fight Jinwoo to the best. Antares will also make use of corrupted allies and Jinwoo's family to drive him insane.
Aside from that, we know that Solo Leveling Karma is going to be released on PC and mobile, which will make it quite an accessible game for everyone. The story has also been confirmed to be written with the guidance of Chugong, the original creator of the series, which makes the game, at least in the eyes of most, a canon addition that is much needed after eight years of a lackluster ending.
Source: Solo Leveling Karma Official Website
Solo Leveling
- Release Date
- 2024 - 2025-00-00
- Studio
- A-1 Pictures
- Creator
- Chugong
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
