Solo Leveling’s Underrated Powerhouses: Top 5 Hunters, Ranked
Chugong’s Solo Leveling is, without exaggeration, the most recognizable and influential manhwa in the medium’s history. If you’ve spent any time around anime, webtoons, or hunter-themed fan communities, you’ll know names like Sung Jin-woo and other hunters such as Cha Hae-In, Thomas Andrea, and Go Gun-Hee—figures that feel practically legendary. That level of fame also carries over to the Ragnarok spin-off, even if it’s a separate branch of the story. Netmarble’s Solo Leveling: Arise, however, is a different situation: even though it’s tied to the same universe, not every character feels equally “household” to newcomers.
Solo Leveling: Arise is a free-to-play gacha game set in an alternate timeline, but it’s treated as canon within the larger multiverse. That matters, because the game’s original cast isn’t just fan-made content—it’s meant to be part of the official continuity. While hunters from the manhwa do appear, some of the strongest fighters in Arise are unique to the game, at least for now. Even if you never plan to launch the app, it’s still worth knowing which hunters are considered powerhouses.
Of course, Arise has a big player base, so a number of these characters are already well known. Still, if you only follow the manhwa or anime, you’re likely missing several excellent hunters. With just one exception, the game-exclusive characters also come with Webtoon-style origin stories that are interesting to read—even if your goal is lore, not gameplay. This write-up is mostly about that lore, with only light touches on the game’s meta.
5 Charlotte & Harper Are OP Pint-Sized Sibling Hunters
Two Solo Leveling Hunters Are Better Than One
- A-Rank
- Charlotte (Blue Hair): Mage
- Harper (Pinkish Hair): Tank
- Hunter Origin 7 & 8: Charlotte & Harper Part 1 & Part 2
Solo Leveling does look beyond South Korea to a degree, but most other countries only seem to get one highlight character—usually their strongest. With multiple countries involved, it would still be reasonable for readers to wonder if the United Kingdom has anything to show, since Britain doesn’t receive a showcase hunter in the main manhwa.
Solo Leveling has no shortage of great characters, and if you’ve been following the anime and manhwa, you’ve probably already seen plenty of memorable women. Solo Leveling: Arise corrects that by adding several British hunters, starting with the sibling pair of Charlotte and Harper.
Charlotte and Harper are part of the game-exclusive Helpers guild. They’re often the most “child-like” hunters in the franchise’s presentation, though they’re actually 16, not little kids. Their playful vibe is a big part of what makes their designs and personalities land so well.
Even with an A-Rank label, Charlotte and Harper work best as a duo. Their kit and style complement each other so strongly that they stack up well against many S-Rank hunters that are considered “lower tier.” Charlotte fights by using dolls, while Harper is the physical powerhouse with a heavy mallet that’s twice her size—making her the perfect counterbalance to Charlotte’s magic-focused approach.
4 Isla Wright Can Predict The Future
She Believes In The Power Of Her Cards
- A-Rank
- Healer
- Hunter Origin 10: Isla Wright
Isla Wright is tightly connected to Charlotte and Harper, and her actual strength goes far beyond what her A-Rank and Healer tags suggest. She’s also one of the stronger playable characters in general. From a lore-only perspective, Isla’s ability lets her foresee the future through tarot cards, though the details can be unclear or incomplete at times. On paper, that kind of power could easily be among the most broken in Solo Leveling if she ever fully commits to using it to its maximum potential.
Despite her A-Rank classification, Isla might as well be S-Rank in practice. In the game’s meta, she comfortably sits among the most powerful playable characters. Her mastery of Darkness gives her meaningful damage output, and she also functions as a helpful support that can boost the entire team. In terms of story, she’s held back slightly by a lack of self-confidence, which leads to hesitation when action is demanded. Even so, she remains one of the Helpers guild’s most valuable members.
3 Emma Laurent Is A Fiery Hunter With An Eye For Vengeance
So Strong, She Got A Promotion
- S-Rank
- Tank
- No Hunter Origin
Emma Laurent is a bit unusual because she debuted before Hunter Origin comics became a feature, meaning she never got an origin story of her own. That’s a shame, because she’s both stylish and extremely powerful. In her early teaser, the French hunter was listed as A-Rank, but Netmarble later raised her to S-Rank before she became playable.
The upgrade was more than reasonable. Emma behaves like a dungeon-destroying force. She fights with an exclusive rapier infused with fire, and her core system revolves around scaling her damage based on her Max HP. The result is a tanky bruiser who hits hard—hard enough that her damage output feels as unstoppable as a freight train.
In Solo Leveling: Arise, she’s also one of the most dependable Break characters, which makes her especially valuable when you’re dealing with tougher enemies that have high defense values. Lore-wise, her bright, cheerful exterior hides a classic revenge arc: she’s determined to eliminate the person responsible for her brother’s death. At first, she believes the culprit is Alicia Blanche, but the situation quickly turns out to be more complicated than she expects.
2 Alicia Blanche Is Europe’s Most Powerful Hunter
The Ice Witch
- S-Rank
- Mage
- Hunter Origin 1: Alicia Blanche
If there’s one original Arise character who feels the most like a protagonist—driven by purpose and personal motivation—it’s Alicia Blanche.
First, she’s known as the “Ice Witch,” a title that matches her cool presentation while also reflecting the complicated history behind her. She was framed for her father’s death, which ultimately led to the downfall of their legendary guild.
Second, Alicia serves as the guild master of Justitia, an organization she built from what remained of her family’s legacy after everything collapsed.
Third, she’s the central figure of the first Hunter Origin webtoon, which is described as one of the most tragic entries in the series.
Solo Leveling Season 3 is officially underway, and it’s expected to bring back powerful hunters who represent the pinnacle of humanity.
Finally, Alicia’s kit places her right alongside hunters like Choi Jong-In. She can manipulate water and ice to freeze high-level dungeon bosses or trigger sudden blizzards. Arguably, she’s Europe’s strongest character across the entire franchise—though that comparison might be a bit unfair, given how limited the region’s representation is. Either way, she’s a true staple hunter in Arise, and she can be slotted into most teams without creating problems.
1 Amamiya Mirei Is A Demon
Well, She Merges With A Demon
- S-Rank
- Assassin
- Hunter Origin 4: Amamiya Mirei
Solo Leveling includes quite a lot of S-Rank Japanese hunters, though the Jeju Island raid leaves the roster somewhat thinner than you might expect. If only they had a deadly assassin who could become a demon and deal absurd wind damage—well, they do.
Written as a hyper-focused, lethal assassin, Mirei isn’t just another sword user. Her role is closer to a spiritual medium: she binds her soul to a powerful, ancient guardian cat spirit called Kuroha. Together, they operate as a dual-entity fighting unit that moves too quickly for the human eye to track. When Mirei channels Kuroha and enters her ultimate state, Kuroha gains massive boosts to his abilities, turning him into a truly dangerous damage dealer.
While none of Arise’s recruitable hunters reach the same level of “broken” as Sung, Mirei comes closest—especially when you consider her lore, where her mechanics and identity are tied together more tightly than most.
