Solo Leveling is a massively popular new-gen series that’s taken the world by storm, and it isn’t showing any signs of stopping any time soon. Much of the excitement surrounding Solo Leveling is driven by the main character, Sung Jinwoo, and his incredible appeal, along with his set of abilities, which see him stand as the Shadow Monarch. The most iconic power he has as the Shadow Monarch is his Shadow Army. After defeating enemies, Jinwoo can expand his legion by raising the fallen. In this legion of Shadows, one has stood out far more than the rest, and that’s Igris, Jinwoo’s very first Shadow, extracted from the body of the Red Knight.
There’s a lot we don’t know about Igris, but luckily, Chugong, the original creator of the series, has set up a possible return to Solo Leveling with a new side story covering Igris’s beginnings. Given that Igris is a fan favorite, we can’t wait to learn more about him.
Chugong Sets Up New Igris Story Via The Art of Solo Leveling Release on August 25, 2026
Chugong created Solo Leveling in 2016, but back then, he never envisioned how big his series would become. In 2018, the story was adapted into a manhwa by Redice Studio, and in 2024, finally, an anime adaptation was released. In all three versions of Solo Leveling, Jinwoo starts off his journey as the weakest Hunter of South Korea. Simply put, Jinwoo was almost useless in battle. However, this changed when he unlocked the powers of the System in the Double Dungeon. Following this Awakening, Jinwoo grew with each passing day, but it still took him a while until he tapped into the true powers of the System.
Near the end of Solo Leveling Season 1, Jinwoo was faced with his biggest challenger in the form of the mysterious Red Knight. This Red Knight and his army proved to be a powerful force that pushed Sung Jinwoo to his limits. However, by the end of it, Jinwoo came out as the victor, despite admittedly being weaker. Through the XP acquired from this battle, he was allowed to become the Shadow Monarch. Upon acquiring this new title, he gained the ability to extract Shadows and turn them into loyal allies. To test his abilities, Jinwoo went on to extract the Shadow of the Red Knight and branded him with the name Igris. Thus, Igris became Jinwoo’s first shadow soldier and one of his strongest.
While Igris is his first and one of the most popular Shadows of the Solo Leveling series in general, we don’t know much about him. Because of Igris’s massive popularity and Chugong’s own interest in the character, it has now been implied that a story expansion for him could be on the way. On August 25, 2026, Solo Leveling released its biggest new project in the form of a new art book titled “The Art of Solo Leveling,” dedicated to the manhwa artist who illustrated the series, DUBU. While the art book was mainly focused on art, it also contained new, never-before-seen tidbits about the series.
Specifically, Chugong had an interesting comment in this new art book. This comment comes after he is asked about which character he’d like to expand on in the future. Chugong states the possibility of an upcoming side story following the Red Knight, who would eventually become Igris under Sung Jinwoo. In other words, Chugong seems to have in mind a full spin-off backstory for this character, and it’s going to be an exciting ride as one of Chugong’s first stories in quite some time.
“It goes without saying – It’s Igris. The story of the Red Knight, who lived the life of history’s most powerful swordsman in another world. That kind of classic fantasy is my favorite genre. I hope that someday, perhaps in a side story, I’ll be able to cover Igris’ life.” — Chugong in The Art of Solo Leveling
What We Know About Solo Leveling’s Igris So Far
A story about Igris is an exciting possibility for Solo Leveling, especially one written by Chugong himself. After all, being Jinwoo’s first soldier, fans have always wanted to learn more about him and find out about his past before he met Jinwoo. Being by Jinwoo’s side since the very beginning of his Shadow Monarch journey, he is an incredibly compelling character who takes loyalty to a whole new level. While we don’t know much about Igris through the manhwa and novel itself, we do have more information about this mysterious knight through previous Chugong comments, as well as through the Solo Leveling video game, Solo Leveling Arise. When it comes to official statements made by Chugong, which are canon to the original story, it was revealed that Igris, before his days as Jinwoo’s Shadow and before his days as a mysterious Knight, was actually a man known as Sian Halat.
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“… am I dead? To meet such an empty end… I failed my wife… my soldiers… this place… this gaze… what could it be? You…” — Sian Halat in Solo Leveling Arise Hunter Origin Story
Further comments from Chugong indicate some interesting physical attributes, including the fact that he has long white hair. Even when he was human, he sported red armor fitting for someone named the Red Knight, and he was known as Igris of the Battlefield. We also get more information about Igris, specifically his life as Sian, through Solo Leveling: Arise. It must be stated that Solo Leveling: Arise is not exactly canon, so any information solely revealed through this game should be taken with a grain of salt, as it’s most likely not filtered by Chugong.
“I sense the gaze if something inhuman. A being of unfathomable power and size. But wherefore should such a being observe me?” — Sian Halat in Solo Leveling Arise Hunter Origin Story
Anyhow, Solo Leveling Arise gives us Igris’ Hunter origin story with the release of his playable character Sian Halat on January 15, 2026. Through his backstory, we got to see Sian’s life back when he was a human. We discovered this story through Jinwoo as he read a book titled “The Tragedy of Igris.” In this story, Sian was observed by an all-powerful being, despite his current power and stature. It was revealed that Sian was of low birth, but through his skill and prowess, he was entrusted with a high position by the King. This position would lead to envy among the court, which resulted in Sian being ambushed and attacked. With his wife’s life on the line, Sian decided to give up to save her life. Sadly, this ploy led to his wife being slaughtered, following which he lost his life as well. That is when Igris is awoken by the powerful being, whom we know as Sung Jinwoo.
Igris’s Story and Other Stories Chugong Could Explore
If there is one story that fans have long been asking of Chugong, it’s definitely the origins of Igris. His new comments certainly raise hope in fans about a series comeback. Then again, Chugong is known for promising side stories and not delivering upon them. Because of that, fans should temper their expectations about the possibility of an Igris story, keeping in mind that even if it does happen, it could take a long time to come through.
Chugong has also previously talked about some other interesting stories he would like to write, as he is quite active on Korean social platforms and often responds to fan questions. Previously, Chugong has said he would like to explore a new romance story, not between Jinwoo and Cha Hae In, but this time, between Jinwoo and Joohee. Joohee’s character was wasted in Solo Leveling, but Chugong has other ideas when it comes to her that he would like to explore.
That aside, when asked to comment about Solo Leveling: Ragnarok, Chugong stated he does not consider the story a canon sequel to his own series, and instead sees it as an alternative universe. Because of that, he stated his interest in making his own sequel to Solo Leveling, but of course that has yet to lead to anything.
