Solo Leveling – Season 1 Episode 12 Recap, Review & Ending Explained

Arise

Episode 12 of Solo Leveling begins where we left off in episode 11 with Sung fighting off the horde of knights. While Sung is combatting the knights, he knows he’s running out of methods to defeat them. Nonetheless, Sung gives it his all in the fight. As Sung starts to dwindle, he starts hearing words echoing through his ears about people claiming that he’s a weak hunter and should quit while he’s ahead. 

What does Chairman Go discuss with Woo about?

Elsewhere, Chairman Go shares a few remarks about the third Jeju Island raid and explains why he didn’t attend to Woo. Unlike Go, Woo says he attended the raid and was performing security duties. Go says that many people lost their lives during that event and knows that the ones who survived still have ill memories about it. However, he knows all hunters must learn to overcome pain and prepare for the calamities awaiting them. 

What does Sung chat about with his past self?

Sung discusses matters with his past self. Although past Sung admires present Sung’s build, he senses weakness within present Sung. While the knights continue harming present Sung, past Sung says present Sung will always be an E-Rank Hunter and nothing more. While the knights overwhelm Sung, he wonders if his past self is right and that things haven’t changed. 

What happens to Sung when the Player Log system penalizes him?

Suddenly, the Player Log appears before Sung, reminding him that he must complete his daily quest. Since Sung can’t complete the quest, the Player Log system transfers him to the penalty zone. Sung arrives at the penalty zone and reflects on what happened to him. Sung summons items from his store and drinks them to heal himself from the wounds he sustained from that job-change quest dungeon. 

While drinking some health potions, the Player Log system informs Sung that if he’s seriously injured, his potions won’t restore his health points (HP) anymore. Therefore, Sung says he must wait for his wounds to heal naturally or level up. Several centipede monsters arrive and Sung notices they’re all on equal grounds with him regarding their title card’s color. He combats the centipedes. 

Meanwhile, we return to following Jinah. Jinah noticed Sung never returned home. She wonders if he’ll make it to the upcoming guardian-teacher meeting on time.

What happens to Sung after his battle with the penalty zone’s monsters?

Back at the penalty zone, we see Sung resting on a centipede. He defeated them all, leveled up, and significantly recovered from his wounds. Sung opens the Player Log system to sort his gear out. Sung opts to check out the system’s store first. He stumbles upon a “Knight Killer” weapon and purchases it. Sung grabs the blade and crushes the Rune Stone he obtained after he defeated Igris.

After Sung crushes the Rune Stone, the Player Log appears. Sung notices he’s obtained the skill “Ruler’s Hand.” This skill doesn’t require mana and will allow Sung to physically manipulate objects without touching them. Sung tries moving the centipede’s corpse but realizes he can’t move heavy objects yet. Sung returns to the job-quest change dungeon. He notices there are more knights in the room than before. He plans to combat them with his new gear and skill.

What happens during Guildmaster Choi’s discussion with Cha Hae-In?

Meanwhile, someone informs Guildmaster Choi and his allies that they’ll arrive in the airspace over Jeju Island shortly. Choi confronts Cha Hae-In since she looks concerned. Hae-In tells him she’s not concerned about this expedition of theirs. However, she admits she wasn’t a hunter during the third raid’s events. Yet, she understands how Choi feels about it. Someone senses multiple mana sources from the ocean’s depths and informs Choi and the others about it. 

What happens during Sung’s battle with the knights and mages?

We return to following Sung and his fight with the knights. Sung says he’s sensing something strange in the area despite the Knight Killer blade giving him aid during his fight with the knights. Sung examines the warriors he’s combatting on the battlefield. He realizes the mages are summoning knights to the battlefield via magic portals. This entices Sung to target the mages instead. 

After Sung defeats one of the mages, several knights crumble. Sung plans to defeat the remaining mages to continue progressing through this enemy horde debacle. After Sung defeats another mage, the remaining mages huddle together. They use their powers to transform their remaining knights into a golem. Despite the mages’ efforts, Sung defeats them and conquers the golem they created afterward. 

What happens to Sung after he defeats the mages, knights, and the golem?

The Player Log appears and informs Sung that he finished the job-change quest. Sung ponders about what will happen next. Suddenly, the Player Log starts showing Sung’s nefarious messages about death and murder. Then, the Player Log tells Sung his new job class is a necromancer, and Sung is puzzled by this. Sung doesn’t like the sound of that. He wants a job class that’s more of the strength variety. 

The Player Log asks Sung if he wants to accept the job. Sung tries to reject the offer, but the Player Log tells him it’s a hidden class. It returns to the original “yes or no” screen. Sung ponders the job over and reflects on his battle with the mages and knights. Simultaneously, Sung wonders if this is all prearranged. After thinking it over, Sung accepts the job. 

What happens to Sung after he accepts the Player Log system’s job offer?

After the Player Log bestows Sung with the job class, it informs Sung that he’s earned another class. This job class is called “Shadow Monarch.” Also, Sung notices he’s obtained several awards and wonders if the entire quest is done now. Several shadows crop out of the knights Sung defeated. The Player Log asks him to input a command word into its system for his “Shadow Extraction” skill. Sung chooses “Arise.” 

Ghostly knight figures rise from the knights. The Player Log feeds Sung intel about the “Shadow Extraction” and “Shadow Storage” skills. One allows him to drain mana to create shadow soldiers while the other allows him to hold on to those soldiers and summon them whenever he pleases.

Additionally, Sung says the Shadow Extraction skill can fail based on the target’s strength or time since death. He learns that he’s acquired shadow mages too. Each has a set level. Sung wanders to Igris’s body and learns he can extract his shadow.

Sung notes there’s a limit to how many beings he can have in his storage. He releases a few knights. Sung tries extracting Igris’s shadow but fails. The Player Log says he has two more attempts left. Sung tries again and fails. 

How does Solo Leveling Season 1 end?

While that’s happening, we overhear Chairman Go reflecting on the hunter-reawakening process. Sung tries persuading Igris to join his side and abandon his former master. Chairman Go continues rambling about the same subject.

Simultaneously, Sung successfully extracts Igris’s shadow. The Player Log asks him to give Igris a new name. Sung gives Igris his name. Igris and the other shadow army members bow before Sung. Sung tells Igris and the others that they’re with him now. 

We cut to Choi and Hae-In observing one of Jeju Island’s magic-beasts on their ship. The season closes with Choi mentioning that the magic beasts are evolving somehow. 

The Episode Review

This action-packed webtoon turned anime series has come to a close, for now at least. Fortunately, fans will be happy to know that A-1 Pictures Studios announced that another season is in the works. Therefore, we anticipate the next season will delve deeper into Sung’s Shadow Monarch powers, the Player Log system, and the other hunters we were introduced to throughout season one. 

That jolly news aside, this episode gave audiences a nice taste of Sung’s necromancer abilities. It’ll be interesting to see what future magic beasts and enemies he’ll extract shadows from in the future. Additionally, the action set pieces sprinkled throughout this episode were pleasing to the eye and will excite everyone who adores this series for its fights alone.

As with the previous chapter, this episode contained some unnecessary material. While catching viewers up on Choi, Go, and Jinah’s developments are nice, many would’ve preferred if this chapter was entirely dedicated to Sung and his job-change quest affairs. Those segments may get in the way of one’s focus on his excursions. Besides that, this was a nice way to wrap up season one.