Solo Leveling’s anime debut in 2024 changed the trajectory of the franchise and made it a behemoth in the anime world. While the story was already popular as a Manhwa, its current astronomical success is something nobody saw coming. Solo Leveling has become one of the biggest new anime series, even topping the list for platforms like Crunchyroll with over a million reviews.
Sung Jinwoo’s success is such that the series is getting many exciting projects. With the TV anime not returning anytime in 2026, the biggest project lined up for Solo Leveling this year is a new game called Solo Leveling: Karma. Karma is set to tell the story of the 27 Year Monarch War that has never been seen before in either the novel or the manhwa. Sadly, in the process, it will also take away two of Jinwoo’s strongest Shadows — Iron and Greed. This is a significant loss for Jinwoo, but well worth it for his ultimate goal of changing the timeline for the best.
Sung Jinwoo Will Lose Greed and Iron In Solo Leveling Karma Because Of Time Reversal
Solo Leveling made its breakthrough on January 7, 2024, when its first anime season by Aniplex and A-1 Pictures started airing. This exciting anime series was adapted from the Manhwa by Redice Studio in 2018, which was adapted from the true source material, the web novel by South Korean author Chugong, that was serialized between July 25, 2016, and March 13, 2018. After gaining popularity, the Solo Leveling anime made a return in 2025 with Season 2, but the next TV Season will not be coming anytime soon. As things stand, Solo Leveling is getting a new movie, titled “Solo Leveling: Beyond The System,” which is set for a 2027 release and is currently in production.
As far as 2026 goes, however, Solo Leveling is officially getting its biggest video game yet in the second half of the year. Solo Leveling: Karma is set to be released in the next couple of months, and this game by Netmarble will be available to play on PC, iOS, and Android. We’re all excited for this release as it will tell a brand new story and expand upon the ending of Solo Leveling. In the Solo Leveling epilogue, Sung Jinwoo uses the Cup of Reincarnation to rewind the clock and create a more positive conclusion to the story, saving all human lives in the process. To do this, he undertakes the 27 Year Monarch War. This is the very same war that Karma is delving into, but what many fans might not realize are the implications it has on the Shadow Army of Jinwoo.
Due to the time reversal and his vow to save all humans, Jinwoo is officially set to lose two of his Shadows — Iron and Greed. Iron was his first shadow extracted from a human, and it was taken from Kim Chul. Meanwhile, Greed was the shadow of Hwang Dong-Su. It makes sense as to why Jinwoo can’t have these Shadows in his Army anymore, as Greed and Iron’s existence would conflict with the new timeline where Dong-Su and Kim Chul are alive and well. Of course, there’s a possibility that Solo Leveling Karma will simply ignore this important plot point and keep the Shadows in Jinwoo’s army for fan service, but it would go against the lore of the story established by Chugong. If the game wants to be as accurate as possible to the true lore, then these two Shadows will be lost forever.
Iron And Greed Are Sad Losses, But Jinwoo Has Stronger Shadows
Fans are sad to know Iron and Greed will likely not be featured heavily in Solo Leveling: Karma because of the human lives being spared in the new revised timeline. However, in the web novel and Manhwa, they aren’t Jinwoo’s best Shadows, and neither are they fan favorites. Iron peaked at Elite Knight, while Greed only made it to General. Iron’s main purpose in the army was to serve as comedic relief every once in a while, and his fighting abilities were not that exciting to witness after Season 1. Jinwoo has other, more entertaining shadows, like Beru, that fans care much more for in the grand scheme of things, and they can also put up a good fight.
Why Shadows Like Beru Remain By Jinwoo’s Side In The New Solo Leveling Release
We all understand why Jinwoo lost Iron and Greed in the Solo Leveling story epilogue. They’re Jinwoo’s only human-extracted shadows, after all. However, a few Shadows that made it into the new timeline have shaky reasons for how they’re still in the army. For one, Beru, the shadow of the Ant King defeated on Jeju Island, is definitely a point to address. Jinwoo acquires Beru during his days as a Hunter, but in the new timeline, this isn’t a path he undertakes. Technically, the Ant King shouldn’t exist in the new timeline as the Queen had no purpose of creating him in the first place.
The story tries to explain this by simply stating that since the Ant King never exists in this timeline, his existence in Jinwoo’s Army doesn’t cause a paradox. Furthermore, Beru would’ve definitely been a heartbreaking Shadow to lose, so we’re glad Chugong kept him, even if it might be a bit confusing as to how he is still around while the human Shadows aren’t. Beru, at the end of the day, is one of Jinwoo’s strongest Shadows. He is one of only three Shadows who belong to the Marshall rank, the second highest after that of Grand Marshall, held by Bellion. Beru is also one of Jinwoo’s most fun Shadows around in the Manhwa, with his more laid-back personality outside of battle.
More Solo Leveling Karma Information Coming Before Official Release In 2026
We’re excited to know Beru is definitely going to be in Solo Leveling: Karma, and can’t wait to see more content from this upcoming game, such as another trailer and more gameplay footage. Solo Leveling: Karma recently had a stage at Anime Expo 2026, and the reveals, including a new teaser, were absolutely massive. It was also confirmed that the storyline of Karma will see direct involvement from Chugong himself.
Hopefully, we can finally get a release date for this highly anticipated game soon. At the moment, we don’t know what month Karma is set to be released. All we know is that it’s going to drop in the second half of 2026, but we’re sure more information will be divulged soon enough. For now, all we can do is wait patiently.
I’m Abhishek Sharma, an author at TigerJek.com. I enjoy exploring games, testing different strategies, and turning what I learn into clear, useful guides. My goal is to help players understand the game better and improve without the usual confusion.
