REVIEW: ‘Solo Leveling’ Episode 9 – “You’ve Been Hiding Your Skills”

Reunited with old friends, Sung Jinwoo (Taito Ban) is ready to help Yoo Jinho (Genta Nakamura) clear enough raids to start his own guild. Solo Leveling (Ore dake Level Up na Ken) Episode 9, “You’ve Been Hiding Your Skills,” presents new challenges for our powerful hero.

Jinwoo has grown exponentially powerful throughout the season. He is no longer the weakest hunter in the world. Despite that, he has kept his new power hidden. If the world knew how powerful he really was, it would bring unwanted attention.

The problem is that Jinwoo can not keep his power hidden for long. As he sets off with his new crew to clear the new gates, he cannot check himself in combat. He easily clears away goblins, something that surprised the hunters. The downside of working with people he knows is that they know what he used to be like after all.

It is fun to watch Jinwoo try to balance his desire to hide his strength with his need to kill more enemies to level up. He is visibly restraining himself as best he can in Solo Leveling Episode 9. A-1 Pictures and Production I.G. have already shown their ability to animate great action, but here they really flex their creative muscles. Still, it becomes impossible for Jinwoo to hide anymore at a certain point.

Enter Kang Taeshik. The Hunters Association’s Surveillance Team sent Taeshik to uncover Jinwoo’s secret. What Jinwoo quickly discovers, however, is that Taeshik is an assassin. Fighting monsters has been tough enough for Jinwoo, but fighting a human who excels at killing other humans is a different beast. This is by far Jinwoo’s toughest test.

It is fitting that we get some of the best fighting animation the series offers. The battle between Jinwoo and Taeshik is truly epic. Taeshik is noticeably stronger than Jinwoo and quickly has him on the back foot. This is partially because Jinwoo still needs to hold back since Mr. Song and Lee Joohee (Rina Honizumi) are still there.

Ultimately, he is forced to use the character screen to heal up. Taeshik is just too powerful, and the only way to beat him is by using his new abilities. It works, but it also reveals to Mr. Song and Joohee how powerful he is. It adds two new people to his small circle of trust. Thankfully, he can trust them. But now he has to navigate even more people knowing his secret.

Solo Leveling Episode 9 also points to something most people, Jinwoo included, probably have not considered. Jinwoo’s power is likely to corrupt him, something both Taeshik and Mr. Song warn him about. We have also seen this hinted at over the course of the season. Jinwoo has watched countless others abuse their power for personal and evil gain. Now, he is starting to see how he is already going down that road.

There is plenty of time for Jinwoo to stop himself from turning evil. An important part of that, as seen in Solo Leveling Episode 9, is allowing others into his life to help keep him in check. Mr. Song will play an important role here, as he has experience training top-tier hunters. He has been there, done that. Mr. Song knows what it is like to be around truly powerful people. He already has a noticeable soft spot for Jinwoo, now Jinwoo needs to trust him.

Solo Leveling Episode 9 also hints at more of a relationship between Jinwoo and Joohee. They had an interesting rapport in the first episode, but their relationship was different. Jinwoo was just someone Joohee took pity on. Now that the roles are reversed, it seems like they can be complementary pieces to each other. It will be interesting to see how their relationship develops if and when Jinwoo opens up more to Joohee.

Solo Leveling Episode 9 is full of heart-racing action and opens up new avenues for exploring the story. Jinwoo is being forced to open himself up to others. It will be interesting to see how that unravels over the rest of the season.

Solo Leveling Season 1 is streaming on Crunchyroll.