A New Era Begins As Solo Leveling Drops The Spinoff Fans Have Waited 9 Years For

Liu Zhigang is one of Solo Leveling’s most intriguing mysteries and fan favorite characters. Despite being introduced as China’s legendary National Level Hunter and one of the strongest individuals in the world, the original series offered only brief glimpses of his abilities and personality. Now, fans are finally getting the spotlight story they have wanted ever since the character first appeared.

Released on June 3 as part of the ongoing Hunter Origin series tied to Solo Leveling: Arise, and available on Netmarble’s official website, Liu Zhigang’s new one-shot manhwa explores the life of a character who remained largely unexplored in the original narrative. Arriving five years after the main Solo Leveling manhwa concluded, the chapter gives readers their first detailed look at the man behind one of the franchise’s most respected names.

Liu Zhigang Finally Gets the Spinoff Fans Always Wanted

The Hunter Origin project was created to expand the backgrounds of characters connected to Solo Leveling: Arise, but early chapters received mixed reactions from readers. Over the last two years, however, the series has steadily improved, delivering more substantial stories that feel meaningful within the wider Solo Leveling universe.

Liu Zhigang’s chapter may be the strongest example yet. The story begins long before he became a world-famous Hunter. Born into a wealthy and influential family, Zhigang was expected to inherit both status and responsibility. His future seemed secure until a mysterious illness shattered everything he had planned.

As the disease worsened, Zhigang became physically frail and eventually began losing his eyesight. The chapter uses this decline as both a literal and symbolic loss of direction. Once seen as the family’s future leader, he found himself unable to even envision his own future, creating a tragic foundation for his eventual rise.

The One-Shot Reveals Why Zhigang Became a Legend

Just when his life reaches its lowest point, Zhigang experiences a dramatic awakening. Emerging as a National Level Hunter, he unleashes overwhelming fire-based power that nearly destroys his family estate. While his relatives immediately see opportunities for political influence and prestige, Zhigang rejects their ambitions and chooses his own path.

The chapter emphasizes the values that later defined him in the original story. Rather than using his strength for personal gain, he pursues what he considers genuine honor. That decision transforms him from a privileged heir into a leader determined to protect others from the disasters threatening the world.

What is possibly the most exciting aspect of the one-shot is finally seeing the true scale of Zhigang’s abilities. Although known primarily as a Fighter-type Hunter who specializes in sword combat, the chapter showcases his devastating fire manipulation. At one point, his uncontrolled power causes destruction on a citywide scale, demonstrating why he was considered one of humanity’s greatest weapons.

The new chapter also reinforces Zhigang’s place among the strongest characters in Solo Leveling history. At the beginning of the original story, he was widely regarded as the second-most powerful Hunter in the world behind Thomas Andre. The narrative even hints that the gap between them may not have been as large as official rankings suggested. By finally giving Liu Zhigang both an interesting backstory and a showcase of his incredible strength, Solo Leveling has turned one of its most mysterious figures into one of its most complete characters, opening an exciting new chapter for the franchise’s expanding universe.