In Solo Leveling Season 2, Episode 7, The 10th S-Rank Hunter, Jinwoo heads back into the Demon’s Castle to finish his climb to the 100th floor. But when he hits the 80th floor, he runs into a squad of Demon Knights tough enough to give his Shadow Soldiers a hard time. Of course, he wipes out most of them without breaking a sweat, but there’s one Demon he saves for last—just to enjoy the terror in its eyes. At first, this Demon Knight seems like just another throwaway enemy for Jinwoo to crush, but turns out, they’re actually one of the best and most beloved characters in Solo Leveling: Esil.
Esil first appears when Sung Jinwoo returns to the Demon’s Castle. After wiping out a group of Demon Nobles on the 80th floor, only one remains—their apparent leader—frozen in fear. Just as Jinwoo moves in for the kill, the Noble suddenly surrenders. It’s then that Jinwoo notices something: the voice belongs to a woman. He removes her helmet, revealing a purple-haired, red-eyed Demon. This Demon is Esil, a member of the Radir clan and the daughter of its king.
Esil the selfish
At first, Esil is nothing more than a selfish and cowardly Demon who only cares about saving her own skin. She has no morals and has no problem lying or deceiving others if it benefits her. Even so, Jinwoo lets her live and chooses to use her as a guide through the upper floors of the Demon’s Castle. Not that he actually trusts her—he knows full well that, even if she wanted to betray him, she wouldn’t stand a chance against his Shadow Army. Still, the fact that he gives her a chance is what eventually sparks a change in Esil.
When Jinwoo first meets Esil, she’s nothing more than a selfish, cowardly Demon who only cares about saving her own skin. Lying, deceiving—she’s got no problem with any of it. But despite all that, Jinwoo still decides to trust her as his guide through the upper floors of the Demon’s Castle. Not that it really matters—Esil might want him dead, but against the Shadow Army, she doesn’t stand a chance. Still, Jinwoo putting even a little faith in her is what eventually sparks her change of heart.
Jinwoo builds trust
That redemption arc is what makes Esil such an interesting character in Solo Leveling, but it’s far from the only reason she’s so memorable. She’s a comedic presence through and through, breaking up the tension of the Demon’s Castle with perfectly timed humor. Every time she’s on screen or gets a line, she stands out. Her growing crush on Jinwoo is endearing, and her running joke about him being “terrible at remembering names” never gets old.
Esil might seem fun on the surface, but her path to redemption isn’t exactly a straight shot. It’s Jinwoo’s constant protection—when he has no real reason to—that slowly changes her. One of the first moments that makes Esil realize she can trust him happens right after they meet. As Jinwoo questions her about Demons and Magic Beasts, the System interferes like it did with Kargalgan and Barca, overwhelming her to the point where she passes out. When she wakes up, she finds out Jinwoo has wiped out hundreds of Demons that tried to attack while she was unconscious. At this point, he had zero obligation to protect her, but the fact that he did shows her just how powerful selflessness can be.
the 100th floor
When they finally reach the 100th floor, Jinwoo tells her they can go their separate ways. Instead of jumping at the chance, Esil refuses to leave, saying she wants to “see what result you’ll get.” It’s obvious by now—she’s invested in his journey, starting to think beyond herself. That said, her tune changes real fast the moment she steps onto the 100th floor and lays eyes on Baran.
After seeing just how insanely strong the Demon Monarch Baran is, Esil starts seriously questioning her loyalties. Jinwoo had her back through the last few floors, sure, but Baran is technically her master—the leader of the Demons—and there’s a real chance he’s even stronger than Jinwoo. If Jinwoo loses and she’s on the wrong side when it happens, she’s dead. Her survival instincts start kicking in again, and she wonders if she should switch sides at the last second.
Baran’s defeat
Right as Esil is debating what to do, Baran unleashes a devastating lightning attack that could easily kill both her and Jinwoo. But before she can even react, Jinwoo blocks it—for both of them. Jinwoo’s decision to protect Esil ends up making a huge difference in the battle. If nothing else, it makes her choice to side with him that much easier. At the peak of his fight with Baran, both are locked in a stalemate—until Jinwoo starts to falter. He’s lost his daggers, and Baran is about to fire a fully charged lightning attack at point-blank range. If it hits, it’s over for Jinwoo.
Right then, Esil makes a snap decision. She throws her sword at Baran. It doesn’t do any damage, but it’s just enough to distract him for a second. That’s all Jinwoo needs. In that moment, he breaks free and lands a devastating punch, severing Baran’s head in one clean strike. It’s easily one of Jinwoo’s closest calls in Solo Leveling, and he only survives because of Esil’s quick thinking.
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