The following contains spoilers for the Solo Leveling manhwa and novel.

Solo Leveling is set in a world full of monsters and mayhem, with even its many Hunters not always being able to contend against these threats. Coming from another dimension, these foes threaten the peace of everyday civilians who lack any sort of magical abilities. They aren't the only antagonists that Sung Jinwoo and the Hunters face, however. One of the first major enemies seen in Solo Leveling is the Statue of God.

Wearing a creepy smile and wielding immense power, this construct is integral to the protagonist becoming one with "the System." It's also a manifestation of the series' biggest enemy, making it much more than a simple statue. The Statue of God is only somewhat hinted at in the anime series so far, but it plays a much bigger role in the events to come, as seen in the manhwa and novel source material.

The Statue of God Is Pivotal in Solo Leveling

The Statue of God is the Cause of Jin-woo's Second Awakening

Appearing in the introductory arc of Solo Leveling in the anime, manhwa and novel, the Statue of God is seen in the dungeon that changes protagonist Sung Jinwoo forever. Seemingly stuck in a creepy grin, the statue's conscious nature was noted by Joohee when she noticed its eyes moving. Sung Jinwoo finally comes to the same conclusion when the doors of the dungeon close and other statues come to life. The Statue of God itself quickly proves its power, vaporizing some of the Raid Hunters, despite their skill and power. This prompts Jinwoo to realize the religious nature of the dungeon and command the others to bow down to the statue and praise it.

While this initially works, the rampage of the statues doesn't stop, with several Hunters being stomped to death underneath the statues' gigantic footprints. Not even Jinwoo is immune to this danger, and he's eventually brought upon an altar to be used as a sacrifice. This unforeseen ritual sees him fulfill the third "commandment" of the statue, making him into the requisite "player" of The System. From there, Jinwoo experiences his second Hunter Awakening, tapping into more power than he had ever known. It's this transformation that makes Jinwoo into who he is, as he was previously the weakest Hunter ever and had little in the way of power or skill.

So far in the anime, the Statue of God hasn't been revisited. After all, the initial season of the show only adapts about the first 45 chapters of the manhwa (the first seven arcs). Much of the backstory and mythology that ties into the statue has yet to be touched, with Sung Jinwoo only just now discovering and learning about his basic abilities. This wasn't the end for the Statue of God in the story beats that of the manhwa and novel cover, however, and this was only a hint at the construct's creator.

The Statue of God Represents a Major Deity In the World of Solo Leveling

The Statue is a Representation of the Absolute Being

The Statue of God is aptly named, as it represents the creature known as the Absolute Being (despite not looking a lot like him). Responsible for the creation of the Monarchs and the Rulers at the beginning of time, the Absolute Being possesses power that even Hunters could only dream of. Unfortunately, this immense strength wasn't matched with a sense of benevolence, with the Absolute Being instead acting as a cruel and callous individual. Caring little for his creations, he refused to intervene in the war between the Monarchs and the Rulers, even when asked. Instead, he saw their conflict as a source of entertainment and beneath his intervention.

Nevertheless, the arrogant Absolute Being wasn't invulnerable, which became his undoing. His creations eventually turned on him, storming his throne room and spearing him to death. This happened due to the fact that the Absolute Being did not possess infinite reserves of power, as he believed. Likewise, what power he did have, he couldn't use entirely while in battle. This laid the path for his inevitable downfall at the hands of his creations. Nevertheless, The Absolute Being's legacy is still manifested through the likeness shown in the Statue of God.

Who Created the Statue of God?

The Architect Created the Statue in His Own Image

Kandiaru created the Statue of God in his own image. He was just as sadistic and arrogant as the Absolute Being that the statue was based on. Just like his creation, Kandiaru is notable for his creepy smile, instilling fear into most who see him. He's also the secret boss of the Double Dungeon, which is where Sung Jinwoo first encountered the Statue of God. He worshiped the Monarchs as gods, and he eventually came to ally himself with Ashborn (who had ironically switched sides to join the Rulers). Their deal was that Kandiaru would be granted immortality if he helped Ashborn find a suitable human host. This saw the creation of The System, which was used to find the perfect human vessel for Ashborn's power. That vessel turned out to be none other than Sung Jinwoo.

This meant that the course of the series was simply the machinations of some perverse cosmic game between individuals who couldn't have cared less about humanity. Likewise, protagonist Sung Jinwoo's ascension wasn't mere happenstance, and his growth in power was simply meant to build him into a worthy vessel for a vile villain. This ties the Statue of God and Sung Jinwoo's Second Awakening all together with The Architect and the Absolute Being. Upon reaching Level 100 of his power, Sung Jinwoo is invited back to Double Dungeon, where he first encountered the Statue of God. Kandiaru does this in order to test the potential vessel's mettle.

One of the threats that The Architect sends against the more powerful Sung Jinwoo is the Statue of God, which tries and fails to take out the Hunter with its heat vision attack. Likewise, simply stomping on him also failed, showcasing just how much Jinwoo had grown since his first encounter with the statue. At the same time, his physical attacks initially had little effect on the statue. It wasn't until he combined his attack power with his immense speed that he finally put a dent in it, knocking the Statue of God over and showing his superiority. Even then, the statue still wasn't down for the count, as it attempted to get back up and take out the other Hunter Guild party members with its heat vision.

Though they defended themselves against its attacks, these other Hunters didn't put up much of a fight against it. Ultimately, Sung Jinwoo ended up killing The Architect, who warned that his creations would continue to fight anything and anyone, even with him gone. It's possible that Sung Jinwoo went back to destroy the Statue of God and the other "puppets" of Kandiaru. These events take place much later in the story of the Solo Leveling manhwa and novel, so it will be quite a while before fans of the anime will see Sung Jinwoo attempt to knock the smirk off the Statue of God's face once and for all. If the second season follows the pace of its predecessor, that means that fans will probably have to wait until at least Season 3 and beyond to watch Jinwoo take on the Statue of God again.

Solo Leveling

Anime

Action

Adventure

8

10

In a world of gifted hunters and monsters, a weak hunter Sung Jin-Woo gains extraordinary powers through a mysterious program, leading him to become one of the strongest hunters and conquering even the strongest dungeons.

Release DateJanuary 7, 2024

CastAleks Le , Taito Ban

Main GenreAction

Seasons1

StudioA-1 Pictures

CreatorChugong

WritersNoboru Kimura

Streaming Service(s)Crunchyroll