REVIEW: ‘Solo Leveling’ Season 2 Episode 10 — “We Need a Hero”

The Hunters are gathering to help take on the ants at Jeju Island, and Sung Jin-woo (Taito Ban) is still finding out how he fits into all of this. Solo Leveling Season 2 Episode 10, “We Need a Hero,” takes Jin-woo out of his comfort zone as he joins the other powerful Hunters.

Solo Leveling Season 2 Episode 10 starts by focusing on the strength of the other Hunters. These powerful heroes have been talked about before, but we’ve never really had the chance to see them in action. The series has been about how strong Jin-woo is, so it is great to see how strong the other Hunters are, too.

The action in the opening fights is relatively lacking compared to the epic fights the series has displayed before, but that is on purpose. The Hunters are holding back against each other, aiming to avoid causing serious injury. When Jin-woo gets dragged into the sparring, he decides only to do it because his opponent holds nothing back.

This aligns with Jin-woo’s previous hyper-fixation on testing his strength. He sees Goto as a powerful fighter who can bring out the best in Jin-woo. Solo Leveling Season 2 Episode 10 impressively sets up the expectation of an intense battle only to have it end before it gets too heated. It is a reminder that there is a more significant issue at play, the one at Jeju Island, and Jin-woo needs to pay attention to issues outside of his interests.

Jin-woo’s journey from a self-absorbed fighter to becoming a team player has been constantly hinted at throughout the series. Solo Leveling Season 2 Episode 10 is the first time we see him strictly held to that, and he does not push back. A less experienced Jin-woo might have refused to back down, but here we see how he has started to grow into the hero the rest of the Hunters need him to be.

However, Jin-woo is not entirely selfless in Solo Leveling Season 2 Episode 10.

He is still scheming a little bit to gauge his fellow Hunters and find what makes them tick. Seeing him operate this way is much more interesting because it allows him to start taking on a more public role without ultimately compromising who he is. He is an innately curious man, and his actions in Solo Leveling Season 2 Episode 10 build on that curiosity.

Jin-woo does not immediately hop into action, though. His attachment to his family keeps him home while the rest of the Hunters head out on the raid. Given how useful he would be, it is a curious decision, but it again fits with what we know about Jin-woo. His entire purpose had been to help save his mom, so now that she is home, he feels obligated to help.

Still, Solo Leveling Season 2 Episode 10 ends on a cliffhanger, making it impossible to leave Jin-woo out of the action. His strength will be needed against the fierce ants, and he will again be called in to save the day. The difference is that now the stakes are much higher than in the dungeons he had previously taken on. If he fails here and cannot help the Hunters, Korea will be in danger.

Solo Leveling Season 2 Episode 10 gets the ball rolling on Jeju Island and tees up Jin-woo’s role in the upcoming battle. These mighty ants are no joke and will be the ultimate test of Jin-woo’s strength.

Solo Leveling Season 2 Episode 10 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.

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