Key findings
- Relationships in Solo Leveling drive Sung Jin-Woo’s character development, culminating in significant romantic development with Cha Hae-In.
- The contrast between Lee Joo-Hee’s supportive, platonic role and Cha Hae-In’s equal, romantic connection illustrates Jin-Woo’s development.
- Jin-Woo’s evolution from a weak hunter to a powerful personality changes his priorities and leads to a deeper, more suitable relationship with Cha Hae-In.
This article contains spoilers for the Solo Leveling manhwa.
The relationships in Single levels and the character dynamics continue the story and develop the protagonist. Sung Jin-Woo’s journey from being a simple hunter to becoming the strongest in the world is accompanied by a bunch of relationships that influence his choices for his growth. One relationship that was developed on such a basis was his bond with Lee Joo-Hee, his fellow hunter who also acted as a healer, during times when he had to struggle a lot. Despite all the closeness between them, Sung Jin-Woo does not end up with Lee Joo-Hee.
From the first few chapters of the series, it is clear that friendship and caring for one another form the basis of the relationship between the two. Because of this, as a healer, she was always able to save people like Jin-Woo, who was always the weakest hunter in their group. This dynamic created a bond of trust and care between the two, with Joo-Hee feeling protective of Jin-Woo and Jin-Woo grateful for her feelings. But in reality, their relationship is more companionate than romantic, with Joo-Hee seeing Jin-Woo as a sort of friend that she needs to take care of.
Sung Jin-Woo’s changing priorities
From hunted to hunter
As this story progresses, Single levelsIt becomes clear that while they have a strong bond, it doesn’t blossom into romance. It seems like Joo-Hee’s feelings for Jin-Woo are more platonic, born out of her caring nature and the compassion she feels for his never-ending struggles. On the contrary, Jin-Woo greatly appreciates Joo-Hee’s care, but he doesn’t feel the same romantic interest in her; instead, he’s entirely focused on surviving and growing. When such norms are established early on, they tend to set a precedent for most of the series.
As Jin-Woo grows stronger and his circumstances change, his priorities also change greatly. This transformation from weak hunter to superpowered figure has completely changed his understanding of relationships, including the one with Joo-Hee. Now his main interest is his mission to protect those around him, and he is fully involved in the challenges and dangers that arise due to his new power. This strong ambition leaves little time and space for the development of a romantic relationship, especially with someone like Joo-Hee, who remains in the outer circle of his world while he rises to greater heights.
The role of Cha Hae-In in Jin-Woo’s life
Cha Hae-In’s introduction and influence
Cha Hae-In, the strongest female S-rank hunter in Korea, provides another important context in Jin-Woo’s life that stands in sharp contrast to Lee Joo-Hee. Unlike Joo-Hee, Cha Hae-In appears later in the story, when Jin-Woo has already become powerful and has his goals in sight. The strength, determination, and shared experiences with Jin-Woo create a connection that Joo-Hee does not feel in him. From the moment Cha Hae-In was introduced, it was unmistakable that she was someone who could stand by Jin-Woo – not just as a companion, but as an equal.
How could I ever tell him… I want you by my side until my last breath?” – Cha Hae In
This dynamic greatly affects Jin-Woo’s feelings toward Cha Hae-In: the struggles they go through, the deep understanding of each other’s struggles, and the bond they build are based on mutual respect and shared experiences. And it’s only natural that romantic feelings develop between them from such a turn of events. Although Cha Hae-In can relate to his struggles the most and is strong in battle, she is better suited as a partner to the man Jin-Woo has become compared to Joo-Hee’s role in his earlier, weaker days.
Romantic development and similar goals
Growth through mutual support
The romance that develops between Jin-Woo and Cha Hae-In develops gradually, building on mutual respect and shared experiences. Unlike Joo-Hee, Cha Hae-In is the object of Jin-Woo’s interest not because of her strength, but because of the incredible sense of mutual understanding they share as hunters. Perhaps necessary to balance this understanding, their relationships have many tender moments full of mutual support – another point where both experience the intense pressures that come with their responsibilities to the world. Cha Hae-In begins to become more and more important in Jin-Woo’s life, and the bond between them becomes deeper than Joo-Hee’s relationship with Jin-Woo ever does.
It speaks volumes about the different nature of Jin-Woo’s relationships with both women: Joo-Hee speaks to a part of his past, a presence in his life that he is grateful for; Cha Hae-In, on the other hand, speaks to the present and future. Gradually, this mutual support and understanding between Jin-Woo and Cha Hae-In culminates in a romantic relationship that develops organically and deservedly, far from the one-sided, platonic development of Jin-Woo’s relationship with Joo-Hee.
Why Lee Joo-Hee was not selected
From a plot perspective, it makes more sense that Jin-Woo doesn’t end up with Lee Joo-Hee. While Joo-Hee plays an important role in Jin-Woo’s life in earlier parts of the series, in contrast, the further she goes into his dimension, the less she plays a role in his life. The vastness of his world becomes ever larger until he reaches a critical point where he can no longer keep everything to himself. This change reflects Jin-Woo’s development as a character and the change in his relationships, as he becomes much stronger and takes on great responsibilities. As Jin-Woo grows stronger and leaves his past burdens behind, Joo-Hee – an embodiment of safety and security – plays a less and less central role in his life.
Joo-Hee’s character is also not developed in a way that shows how deeply and romantically connected she could be to Jin-Woo. She appears less and less in the series, more as a supporting character rather than a main character. This is in contrast to how the character Cha Hae-In is integrated into Jin-Woo’s journey. This narrative decision allows the story to focus on Jin-Woo’s development and the relationships that better fit his new reality, rather than trying to force in a romantic subplot that doesn’t serve the larger narrative or doesn’t fit naturally into it.
Lovers or friends
Jin-Woo’s relationship with Cha Hae-In has a better parallel
Cha Hae-In is a character who tackles these issues in a way that complements Jin-Woo’s journey through the increasingly complex and dangerous world he finds himself in. This reflects the series’ value in personal development and finding a partner who understands and shares one’s problems, with both being equals and both strong and capable. In contrast, Joo-Hee’s role in Jin-Woo’s life represents a different, earlier stage of his journey, where he was more vulnerable and needed more support from others. While this is a critical stage, it doesn’t quite fit with the direction Jin-Woo’s character takes over the course of the series. By the end of the series, it feels very appropriate that Jin-Woo will be with Cha Hae-In, while his past relationship with Joo-Hee is something that is significant in his past rather than focused on his future.
In the series, the relationships Sung Jin-Woo has with him trace the arduous path from weak hunter to the strongest being in the world. While Lee Joo-Hee can be seen as an important character in his early days, their relationship does not develop into a romantic relationship in his life as the events of the series progress. Instead, Jin-woo’s bond with Cha Hae-In, which is borne of respect, mutual and shared experiences, and emotional support, leads to the central romantic relationship in the story. It only underlines that the development of the plot and characters in Single levels both work on the series’ themes of development and conquerability in their own ways. The decision for Jin-Woo to end up with Cha Hae-In instead of Joo-Hee is a testament to how far he has come and how his life has been shaped by his relationships.
