Solo LevelingSeason 2went out with a bang with a great finale that brought to a close the Jeju Island Arc and set up a possible future installment. In theSolo Leveling Season 2’sfinale, viewers are introduced to Jinwoo’s strongest shadow soldier so far, Beru, who is just as powerful as when he was known as the Ant King and has now pledged loyalty to the shadow monarch. While this addition to his army promises exciting battles inthe future forSolo LevelingSeason 3, there wasa clever Easter egg during Jinwoo’s first interaction with Beru that viewers couldn’t notice in the anime.
Jinwoo using shadow extraction on the Ant Kingwas slightly shortened in the anime, asSolo Leveling Season 2’s finale skipped content from the manhwa in order to cover till chapter 110, which marks the end of the first part of the story. Even though these changes are to be expected in the transition from manhwa to another medium, there’s some context that gets lost in the process, which was the case withthe origin of Beru’s name that wasn’t explained inSolo Leveling Season 2and connects the series with a popular novel trilogy.
Beru’s Name Hides a Clever Easter Egg for Literature Fans
The Tribute Has Been Recognized by the Author Himself
Although this moment was cut from the anime adaptation, inSolo Levelingchapter 106, upon using shadow extraction on the Ant King, his new soldier asks Jinwoo to bestow him a name. Jinwoo struggled for a second, as referring to him as an “ant” didn’t feel right, even more so as he had already added many regular ants to his army, and it would be confusing. However,Jinwoo suddenly remembers an author who wrote a novel called “The Ants” and decides to name him Beru.
This is a clear tribute to the French author Bernard Werber, who wrote the 1991 fantasy book trilogyEmpire of the Ants, where a family is disrupted after discovering a civilization of ants under a house. This is because Werber’s name sounds like “Beru” to Korean speakers, and that became his name in the country.
Despite his somewhat rough appearance at first glance, he is a nice guy. It is a tribute.
Pure coincidence, this is also exactly the face I have in the morning in the mirror when I wake up before I shower and drink my coffee. - Bernard Werber, referring to Beru.
Additionally,this homage was recognized by Werber himself, who included aspecial entry on his blogwhere he describes the tribute as well as Beru’s character, who he amusingly compares to himself. Furthermore, Bernard Werber is a renowned figure, and his novelEmpire of the Antsbecame a bestseller in Korea in 1993 and has continued to make several appearances and conferences in the country in recent years. This explains whySolo Leveling’s author, Chugong, was familiar with the novel and decided to name Beru’s character after Werber.
The Names of Jinwoo’s Strongest Shadow Soldiers Highlight Their Main Traits
Jinwoo’s Naming Sense is a Running Gag in Solo Leveling
In several instances inSolo Leveling, it has been shown howJinwoo struggles to pick names for his shadow soldiers.Jinwoo’s bad naming sense is a running gag in the series, which will be followed inSolo Leveling Season 3, as he isn’t able to decide on a good name for his guild, deeply worrying Jinho.
Until now,Jinwoo has basedthe shadow soldiers' names on their biggest physical traits, as seen with Kargalgan, who has big fangs and was named Tusk, and the leader Iced Bear, who is named Tank for his gigantic size. The only exceptions so far were Igris, for whom Jinwoo uses his original name; Kim Chul, who was called “Iron” due to the Korean meaning of his name; and Kaisel, who was a diminutive of Kaysellin. Either way, this remark shows howSolo Levelingincludes several Easter eggs that enrich the experience for viewers.
Solo Leveling
Cast
Solo Leveling follows Sung Jin-woo, the world’s weakest hunter, who gains extraordinary powers through a mysterious program after surviving a brutal monster attack. As he navigates his newfound abilities, Jinwoo embarks on a quest to uncover the secrets of his powers and the dungeon that altered his fate.
