Jinwoo from Solo Leveling isn't as heroic as you think – and the English dub voice actor, Aleks Le, finds that almost even better than being a hero.
If you're a fan of anime, you have likely heard of Solo Leveling. While some of us may still be catching up on the best anime of 2023 or maybe checking out the best Studio Ghibli movies in our free time, new shows are constantly being released, and Solo Leveling is undoubtedly one you should be watching right now.
The show follows a young man who lives in a world where hunters – humans with magical abilities and powers – have to fight monsters to stop them from destroying the world. Jinwoo, the main character, is a notoriously weak hunter. Still, in episode two of the new anime based on the webcomic of the same name, he sacrifices himself for his closest friends to get out of a deadly dungeon before it's too late after everyone else has abandoned them. Only, he doesn't die – he is granted a rare "second life," another chance to live, granted by something unknown.
At first, this may look heroic, but the English dub actor for Jinwoo thinks the opposite. When speaking about Solo Leveling to CinemaBlend, Aleks Le revealed that he believes there's less to this sacrifice than people think, and that instead of him being a hero, Jinwoo was more of a "victim of circumstance:"
I actually think to the contrary, that there's less to that than what the audience would hang on to. I feel like it was kind of left open ended at the end of episode two, how this quest was triggered. And I felt like when he made that sacrifice, it wasn't really a heroic move. He was a victim of circumstance. You know, what else could be done at that moment? He was left and abandoned by people he thought were his friends, and in the end, he was left with the only two people who showed any signs that they cared about him at all, and obviously the right thing to do, and he wanted to do the right thing, but immediately after those people left he started to think to himself like, 'was that the right thing? Why did I do this, what did I do?' And then now, 'is there anything else left for me?'
Aleks Le has worked on several other animes, from voicing Zenitsu in the famous new-gen anime Demon Slayer (which concluded its third season in 2023) to even voicing Germa1 in one of the latest Dragon Ball Z films, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. But out of all the characters, I'd have to say Jinwoo is one of the more complex especially now that he's been given a second chance.
The voice actor continued to say that now, even though Jinwoo's sacrifice wasn't necessarily heroic, he finds this second life that he was given more interesting because there's no reason he was indeed given it – it is "pure chance:"
At the same time, he didn't really know what he was getting himself into, and this reawakening, this second chance, I think I find more meaning in the fact that it is pure chance, in a way where it's like sometimes it doesn't work out like that, but since it did, we really have to make the best of it, you know. It's like, it wasn't a guarantee. So this is it, second chance, last one you're gonna get. So I find that aspect of the story a little bit more engaging for me.
If you're into darker anime, be sure to check out these ten dark anime that will have you on the edge of your seat like Solo Leveling.
As someone who has watched a lot of anime, so much so that I'm pretty sure I have a recommendation for everyone, these kinds of stories are some of the best you can get. I love it when a protagonist is given a chance that you never really thought they would have and decides to use it for the better.
While there are still plenty of excellent fantasy anime or action anime out there to watch, I would highly suggest checking out Solo Leveling, especially in English dub, if given the opportunity.
But of course, be sure to watch the subbed version too – heck, watch all the versions of this great show. You won't regret it. Be sure to check out all the available episodes on Crunchyroll.
