Exactly a year after taking fans by storm last winter, Chugong and A-1 Pictures’ sensational franchise Solo Leveling is finally back with a second season and with a new stunning ending theme by TK from Ling Tosite Sigure to boot. Besides plenty of thrilling action, Solo Leveling Season 2 also promises to dive deeper into the many lingering mysteries about Jinwoo’s powers and the elusive System that bestowed them upon him. That said, the series’ new ending theme may have just given the series’ biggest plot twist away.
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Solo Leveling‘s new ending theme notably features seemingly two different versions of Jinwoo, one being his old weak E-rank self while the other appears to be his current self after reawakening in the double dungeon. That said, an interesting new fan theory suggests the man seen seated on the throne and stretching out a hand to the old weak version of Jinwoo in Solo Leveling‘s Season 2 ending theme may not actually be Jinwoo but rather Ashborn, the original Shadow Monarch who grants Jinwoo his powers while in search of a new vessel.
[Related: Solo Leveling Star Teases “Dark Direction” of Season 2]
Solo Leveling‘s Season 2 Ending Teases the Original Owner of Jinwoo’s Powers
While Solo Leveling has juxtaposed the old Jinwoo versus the new reawakened version of him countless times already, the new Season 2 ending theme may actually be a different case. One of the biggest pieces of evidence for this theory is the color of Jinwoo’s eyes in the new ending theme.
A split-second close-up at the very end of the ending sequence reveals that reawakened Jinwoo’s eyes are a startling blue as opposed to the usual gray. This may be another huge hint that this individual is meant to represent Ashborn instead. Jinwoo’s eyes have previously glowed blue when using his newly awakened powers in battle and while Ashborn’s power is generally represented by a purple glow and aura instead, the ending theme also makes use of other imagery strongly associated with Ashborn.
This includes the empty throne reminiscent of the one guarded by Igris, as well as the ornate, alabaster fortress that serves as the backdrop for the entire sequence, which is strongly comparable to Ashborn’s pocket dimension where the Shadow Army resides. As for the final nail in the box, the ending sequence also includes a split-second shot of Jinwoo’s dormant black heart, which directly represents the former Shadow Monarch’s power within him.
Taking this individual to be Ashborn instead of Jinwoo completely recontextualizes the new ending theme, particularly the scene of Ashborn extending a hand to Jinwoo. While season 2 will likely set the stage for Ashborn’s big reveal, it will likely be some time until fans learn the full truth of Jinwoo’s Shadow Monarch powers, which will likely be explored in season 3 or later. That said, knowing the truth beforehand does make these little instances of foreshadowing all the more fun to spot, which is why Solo Leveling continues to enthrall not only its newer fans but also its most loyal ones.
Solo Leveling Season 2 is available to stream with weekly new episodes on Crunchyroll. You can also read its new manhwa sequel, Solo Leveling: Ragnarok, on Tapas.
