Solo Leveling: ARISE — The Complete Guide (Gameplay, Hunters, Tips)

Did you love the anime and the webtoon, and do you want to embody Sung Jin-Woo yourself? Solo Leveling: ARISE is THE game for you. High-octane action, a thrilling power-up progression, an army of shadows to build, and dozens of hunters to recruit: we explain absolutely everything in this comprehensive guide, from the basic concept to tips for getting started.

What is Solo Leveling: ARISE?

Solo Leveling: ARISE is an action-RPG developed by the Korean studio Netmarble, adapted from the famous webtoon with 14 billion views. Released in 2024, it puts you in the shoes of Sung Jin-Woo and lets you relive his legendary rise: from humanity's weakest hunter to the most powerful of them all, the Shadow Monarch.

The game is free-to-play and combines a story-driven campaign faithful to the original work, fast-paced real-time combat, and a significant collection element. If you want a quick initial overview, also take a look at our article discovering the ARISE game.

Which platforms can you play on?

ARISE is available on many platforms:

• Mobile: iOS (App Store) and Android (Google Play).
• PC: via Steam and Netmarble's official Windows client.
• ARISE Overdrive: an enhanced version that expands the experience on PC (Steam) and consoles.

Good news: progress is linked to your account, so you can play on mobile during your commute and then pick up on PC at home. The controller/keyboard comfort on PC is particularly appreciated for the most demanding battles.

The story: relive Jin-Woo's rise

The heart of the game is its Story mode, which faithfully adapts the major arcs of Solo Leveling: the Double Dungeon, the Demon Castle, Jeju Island… You will find the iconic scenes from the webtoon, brought to life with polished cinematics and quality voice acting.

ARISE even offers alternative and original stories that explore "what if?" scenarios in the universe (a multiverse of hunters), providing new content even to fans who know the work by heart. It’s a great way to extend the adventure well beyond the anime.

The gameplay: real-time action

Forget turn-based combat: ARISE focuses on dynamic action battles. You chain attacks, dodge at the right moment (with a "bullet time" style perfect dodge), and unleash spectacular skills and devastating ultimate attacks. The fluid controls make every encounter satisfying.

Each weapon Jin-Woo wields has its own combat style and skills: changing weapons means changing your entire approach. Mastering dodges, combos, and the right timing for ultimates is the key to dominating the toughest battles.

The System and leveling up

Just like in the original work, everything revolves around the System: you level up Jin-Woo, improve his stats, unlock new skills, and strengthen his equipment. This feeling of continuous progression, faithful to his powers, is what makes the game so addictive.

The further you progress, the closer you get to the Shadow Monarch's ultimate power — exactly the fantasy that fans are looking for: becoming the strongest hunter, step by step.

The Shadow Army: extracting your soldiers

It's impossible to talk about ARISE without mentioning Jin-Woo's signature power: Shadow Extraction. Throughout the story, you can extract and power up iconic shadow soldiers like Igris, Tank, or Beru.

These shadows support you in combat, each with its own abilities. Building and optimizing your army is an integral part of the strategy — just like in the webtoon, your strength is also the strength of your army.

Playable Hunters

Beyond Jin-Woo, ARISE allows you to recruit and play as dozens of hunters (nearly fifty as updates roll out). Each one possesses:

• An element: Water, Fire, Light, Dark, or Wind.
• A class: Fighter, Tank, Mage, Assassin, or Support.
• A signature weapon and unique skills.

You will find the iconic figures from the series, starting with Cha Hae-In — available in several versions, including a "Sword Princess" from an alternative reality. Hunters are recruited via a gacha system, and managing your team well (elements, classes, synergies) is essential in the most demanding modes.

Elements and classes: the basis of strategy

To shine in ARISE, understanding the element and class system is essential. Each hunter belongs to one of five elements — Water, Fire, Light, Dark, Wind — and one of five classes — Fighter, Tank, Mage, Assassin, Support. As in any good RPG, some elements are more effective against others, and many dungeons require a recommended element.

The secret to a good team is complementarity: a character who deals heavy damage, a Tank to take hits, a Support to heal or buff. Building several mono-element teams allows you to tackle any content with the elemental advantage, whereas a poorly matched team will struggle against difficult bosses. This tactical dimension adds depth to the game beyond pure action.

Weapons and equipment

Weapons are at the center of Jin-Woo's power: they too are obtained through summons or crafted with materials, and can be leveled up to unlock new effects. Added to this are artifacts (armor) and rune/blessing systems that refine your build.

Optimizing your equipment — good stats, good sets, good synergies — is what separates an average Jin-Woo from an overpowered Shadow Monarch capable of taking down the toughest bosses.

Game modes

ARISE is not limited to the story. The game is packed with modes to progress your character and test your strength:

• Gates: dungeons to clear for farming resources and experience.
• Power of Destruction: a ranking mode against overpowered bosses.
• Battlefield of Trials and Trial of the Tower: increasingly difficult challenges offering valuable rewards.
• Guild Bosses and co-op missions to play with the community.

This variety guarantees almost endless content, with regular updates adding new hunters, dungeons, and events.

Free-to-play: do you have to pay?

ARISE is entirely free to play, and the main Story mode can be finished without spending a cent. The "gacha" dimension (hunters and weapons) might tempt players who want the best pieces, but the game is known for being quite generous with free rewards for a title of this genre. In short: you can thoroughly enjoy it as a free-to-play player; your wallet is not required to have fun.

Our tips for getting started

Some tips to get off to a good start:

• Advance in the story: it's the main source of rewards and unlocks.
• Focus your resources on Jin-Woo and one or two weapons: a solid build is better than ten average ones.
• Do your daily quests and events: they offer a huge amount of free materials.
• Take care of your shadow army and the balance of your team of hunters (elements/classes).

Why ARISE appeals so much to fans

ARISE succeeds where many adaptations fail: it captures the sense of power that makes Solo Leveling so great. Reliving iconic scenes, extracting your favorite shadows, feeling Jin-Woo become unstoppable… it's a true fan's dream. Add to that a polished production and a constant flow of content, and you get one of the most popular mobile/PC games in its category.

DISCOVER IN THE SHOP

Sung Jin-Woo ARISE Figurine

€38.90

See product

Cha Hae-In Figurine

€24.90

See product

Red Igris Figurine

€49.90

See product

ARISE vs the anime: what's different?

While the Story mode follows the webtoon's plot faithfully, ARISE also takes some welcome liberties. Most notably: a true multiverse of hunters. The game introduces alternative versions of the characters (like a Cha Hae-In who leads another guild), with their own original stories — content that exists neither in the anime nor the webtoon.

Another major difference: you are playing, whereas the anime leaves you as a spectator. You decide when to dodge, which skills to chain, and which shadows to summon. And where the anime stops (end of Season 2), ARISE allows you to progress further into the story right now. It is both an ideal complement and a gateway for those who want to "play" Solo Leveling rather than just watch it. To compare platforms, see our guide on where to follow Solo Leveling.

Show your Solo Leveling passion

A fan of the universe? Extend the experience off-screen with our figurines, our posters, and all our Solo Leveling accessories, or browse our merchandise guide and the page for all the characters.

Progression designed to last

ARISE is a "live service" game designed to accompany you in the long term. Once the main story is finished, the power-up progression continues: improving weapons and artifacts, strengthening the shadow army, unlocking new difficulty tiers, and participating in regular events that punctuate every month. Netmarble frequently adds new hunters and dungeons, so the content never truly runs out.

This consistency explains the community's loyalty: there is always a goal to aim for, a tougher boss to take down, or a new hunter to master. For fans, it's the promise of extending the world of Sung Jin-Woo almost indefinitely.

In summary

Solo Leveling: ARISE is your chance to embody Sung Jin-Woo in a free-to-play action-RPG, faithful to the work, packed with hunters to collect, shadows to extract, and modes to devour. Available on mobile and PC, and generous as a free-to-play title: if you love Solo Leveling, it’s a must-play. And to dive (back) into the full story, head over to our guide on Solo Leveling arcs or our article on where to watch the anime.

Sources and references

• Solo Leveling: ARISE — Official Netmarble Website
• Solo Leveling: ARISE Wiki — Hunters (Fandom)
• Game8 — Solo Leveling Arise Characters (Hunters)
• Sportskeeda — All Hunters in Solo Leveling Arise Overdrive
• CBR — Solo Leveling: Arise 1-Year Anniversary Update

Frequently Asked Questions

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Did you love the anime and the webtoon, and do you want to embody Sung Jin-Woo yourself? Solo Leveling: ARISE is THE game for you.