In its first season’s wake, Season 2 of Solo Leveling has garnered massive acclaim, with each new episode almost causing server overload. So far into Season 2, the show has delivered numerous thrilling and visually captivating battles and action sequences that have left fans in awe, and it’s only expected to improve further as it approaches the Jeju Island Arc. Since its initial season, Solo Leveling‘s anime has made several alterations to the original source material, generally for the better; however, the latest episode, while exceptional, does have one significant issue that requires attention.
In the eighth episode of Season 2, Solo Leveling, we witnessed an epic battle between Jinwoo and the Demon Castle’s ruler, Demon King Baran, also known as the White Flame Monarch. The fight was spectacularly animated and kept viewers on the edge of their seats. However, there’s a significant point worth discussing – Baran’s unusual color scheme. In contrast to the subdued tones in the original comic, Solo Leveling’s anime inexplicably opted for a vibrant purple hue for Baran’s body. This choice makes him appear less menacing than he should have been, considering his powerful status.
Solo Leveling’s Anime Ruined Season 2’s Coolest Looking Villain
In truth, the colors assigned to Baran in the webtoon can be inconsistent, but they generally stick to a subdued color scheme, transitioning between various shades of grey. Interestingly, some panels portray him as a gray with a touch of purple, yet this is significantly lighter than the intense, saturated purple found in the anime, giving him an almost overly cartoonish appearance. Contrastingly, Baran’s armor in the webtoon is a light gold, whereas the anime uses a darker, more bronze-like gold that creates a stark contrast with his purple skin, further exacerbating the visual discord.
Although the webnovel doesn’t specify Baran’s color scheme, leaving his appearance in the webtoon entirely up to Jang Sung Rak’s creativity and interpretation, it’s logical that he would have gray tones with glowing white hair given his title as the Monarch of White Flames. In the first half of Solo Leveling‘s story, Baran, along with Karagalgan, is undeniably one of the coolest-looking antagonists. It’s a bit disheartening to see that he hasn’t been portrayed as well in the anime, which has been impressive overall.
Jinwoo’s Fight Against Baran Could Have Been Straight Out of Dark Souls
It’s possible to think that maybe they enhanced the contrast of Baran in Solo Leveling to make him pop against the dismal, ruined backdrop of the Demon Castle. Yet, another perspective is that the anime could have adjusted the background colors to make Baran stand out instead, or even more effectively, maintained the original color scheme and intensified the battle’s atmosphere to be more ominous and gritty.
In the original design of the character Baran from the webtoon “Solo Leveling,” he appears to be a villain similar to those found in the game “Dark Souls,” with his wyvern and long flowing hair resembling the Nameless King. As the pace of Season 2 of the anime is fast, featuring a significant battle nearly every two episodes, emphasizing Baran’s gloomy demeanor could have made Jinwoo’s confrontation with him more striking compared to other fights in the series.
It might surprise some people, but just because popular anime series like “Demon Slayer” and “Dandadan” are colorful doesn’t mean they have the best animation quality. In fact, excellent animation isn’t dependent on bright colors. Although these shows have captivated audiences with their impressive animation and fight scenes, “Solo Leveling” may have missed an opportunity to make Jinwoo’s battle against Baran more distinctive. Unfortunately, fans can only hope that the anime does justice to the Jeju Arc and its main antagonist, The Ant King, unlike how Baran was handled.
Solo Leveling Season 2 is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
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2025-03-02 22:09