Solo Leveling: What Is a False Ranker? Explained!

Solo Leveling is a South Korean novel series that has recently seen an anime adaptation. Arguably the most popular manhwa in the world, Solo Leveling is sure to attract a lot of attention, especially in light of the fact that the anime adaptation is truly great. While we’re enjoying the episodes, we have decided to cover the series as we usually do, and this article is going to be about the status of a so-called False Ranker. What is a False Ranker? How does one attain the title? Keep reading this article, as we are going to explain everything you need to know about this interesting concept.

A False Ranker is someone who is much stronger than he looks and that can be misleading from time to time

In the world of Solo Leveling, every Hunter underwent an “Awakening” procedure to receive their powers and to be able to manipulate their mana. A Hunter acquires their base power and activates their talents and abilities through this procedure. Following that, they go through an evolutionary process whereby they advance through the ranks and gain strength. And such is the general procedure; sometimes, as we have already said here, there is an alternative method. Though it happens infrequently, it actually means that a Hunter will grow even more potent, alerting the Guild to the need to keep an eye on a new character who is a powerhouse. This is called a Double Awakening, and if it goes unregistered and unnoticed, it can lead to a phenomenon known as a “False Ranker”.

This was first revealed during the incident in the C-Rank Dungeon in which Yoo Jin-ho discovered that Sung Jinwoo was way more powerful than he looks. Namely, we know that down there, the stronger Hunters – actually “Lizards” – left Jinho, a D-Rank, and Jinwoo, officially an E-Rank, to be eaten by the dungeon’s boss, the giant spider, so that they could harvest the bounty without being disturbed. The boss was a C-Rank Beast so Jinho thought that the two of them were goners, but he soon observed Jinwoo’s amazing skills. Jinwoo was not only able to fight the boss, but he was also able to defeat it, which completely mesmerized Jinho.

He immediately suspected that Jinwoo might be a False Ranker and this was ultimately confirmed in that Dungeon, as Jinho himself observed. So, what exactly is a False Ranker in Solo Leveling?

A False Ranker is a title given to a Hunter whose official ranking doesn’t match the true level of their skills. On a general level, this happens to Hunters who are officially ranked lower than they are, but it is imaginable (although we cannot confirm whether it is actually possible) that a Hunter might also be able to obtain a Ranking better than his actual Ranking.

This happens if a Hunter’s advancement is not registered or in the case of an unregistered Double Awakening, as it happened with Sung Jinwoo. Generally, it is in the interest of a Hunter to get a better ranking due to various benefits, but it sometimes happens that a Higher Rank is not registered with the Guild, leaving the Hunter with a lower rank. As we can deduce, this doesn’t happen that often but is not a completely unheard-of phenomenon and Sung Jinwoo was, for a long time, the best-known example from the series.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!