In the world of Solo leveling, there is a multitude of things that distinguish it from the world of other popular animes and mangas. One of the most notable yet significant differences is that the main protagonist, Sung JinWoo, continues to use daggers till the very end of the story.
Although it may sound simple and obvious when talking about JinWoo’s preferences for daggers instead of longswords, here in this post, I have pointed out a few crucial and meaningful reasons why JinWoo continues to use daggers as his preferred type of weapon.
Almost of the protagonist in animes are equipped with certain types of weapons which they keep handy regardless of their uses.
For example, Naruto used a Kunai for almost all of the episodes in ‘Naruto’ and ‘Naruto Shippuden’.
Sung Jin Woo continues to gain several different kind of powers upon defeating powerful opponents and leveling up, but when it comes to executing the final blow, he mostly preferred to deliver it using his dagger.
Here are the seven reasons:
1. JinWoo had a dagger when he had nothing:
When we recall back to the first few chapters of the Manhwa or the anime episodes, Our protagonist Sung JinWoo is seen to have nothing but a simple yet cheap dagger to partake in the dungeon raids.
Being awakened as the weakest hunter of all time is lamented by JinWoo but he appreciated being awakened at all. Given that he had family responsibilities, JinWoo was more than happy to be a hunter and provide for his sister’s tuition fees and mother’s medical expenses.
Since JinWoo contributed very little to dungeon raids, he barely earned and could never hope to acquire new powerful or useful gears and weapons as they were costly.
As a result, JinWoo might’ve chosen to continue using daggers to pay respects and never forget the days when he had nothing but a dagger.
2. Daggers promote mobility and speed:
Using daggers allows Sung Jin-Woo to maintain high mobility, enabling him to dodge attacks and close the distance between him and his opponents quickly and end the battle.
Swords are a great option as a weapon, but for someone like Sung Jin Woo, whose key strategies highly involve speed and mobility, a sword couldn’t be much of a preference. On the contrary, daggers are light and highly effective in being both offensive and defensive without slowing down the user.
3. Sung Jin Woo possesses dagger-specific Skills:
Jin-Woo acquired several skills specifically attuned to daggers, such as “Dagger Throw” and “Advanced Dagger Arts.” These skills amplified his effectiveness with daggers, providing significant advantages in combat.
As a result, it was no longer an option for him to abandon using daggers, as there were multiple events when JinWoo relied entirely on those enhanced abilities for his daggers
4. JinWoo is an assassin-class hunter:
Alright, we all know JinWoo turns out to hold many titles and becomes adept at several different forms of offensive moves; however, after gaining the system’s powers, his primary class, according to his attacks, can be considered as that of an assassin.
And being an assassin, JinWoo can’t possibly carry long Swords around, as he frequently uses skills like stealth and speed, which makes it easier for a dagger to be easily maneuvered and be pointed exactly where the user intends to.
5. Daggers provide Close-Combat Efficiency:
Daggers are highly effective in close combat, where Sung Jin-Woo often engages his enemies. Their compact size makes them ideal for swift and lethal strikes in tight spaces. There are sufficient examples in the series to support this statement; even for anime-only fans, there are fights where JinWoo has to rely on getting as close to his opponents as possible to deal any damage at all.
6. Compatibility with Shadow Soldiers:
As Jin-Woo gains the ability to summon and control shadow soldiers, daggers synergize well with his role as a commander. He can focus on precise, strategic attacks while his shadow soldiers handle larger-scale combat.
Although JinWoo commands a strong army of shadow soldiers, he never once intended to deploy them and take care of the opponents by themselves. JinWoo prefers to fight instead of winning alone. He craves battlefields and enjoys engaging in intense battles.
7. JinWoo’s Personal Preference and Familiarity:
Over time, Jin-Woo becomes highly skilled with daggers, and they become an extension of his fighting style. Even though JinWoo has been seen fighting flawlessly with both swords and daggers, one can easily distinguish between a choice that suits him better as an assassin who comes from being the weakest hunter in the world to the Shadow Monarch.
These were some of the reasons why Sung Jin Woo started with a dagger and went on to refine and replace them with new and powerful ones instead of choosing swords.
