Iron is one of Sung Jin Woo's Shadows who meets an untimely end. But what are the circumstances surrounding the death of Iron in Solo Leveling, and does he ever return?
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The Death of Iron in Solo Leveling Explained
The Shadow known as Iron came into existence due to a tragedy involving a dungeon. Originally, he was a Korean A-Rank Hunter named Kim Chul.
In the manhwa's Red Gate arc, Kim Chul walks into the titular Red Gate — a Gate that gets sealed once the humans go through it, trapping them.
After a series of misadventures, Kim Chul gets injured and increasingly paranoid, ultimately descending into madness.
As a result, he becomes a threat to Jin Woo, who is fighting the dungeon's boss at the time, leading Igris to kill him.
Following this event, Jin Woo revives Kim Chul, bringing him back as one of his Shadows, whom he names Iron.
Over time, Iron grows to reach the Elite Knight Grade Shadow level, though he never becomes quite as strong as Igris.
He's headstrong, often jumping into a fight without thinking too much about the consequences, not unlike Kim Chul himself.
Despite that, Jin Woo still keeps him around as he's strong and highly effective in battle.
Does Iron Return in Solo Leveling? Find Out What Happened to Him
Iron or Kim Chul is one of the many characters whose fates are altered forever due to Jin Woo's world-changing actions.
In the ending of Solo Leveling, Jin Woo defeats all the Monarchs. Following that, he gains permission to use the Cup of Reincarnation one last time.
With its power, he goes back to a time before the Monarchs' arrival. In this reset timeline, the Monarchs cannot return or create the Gates, as they have already been defeated.
For Iron, this means that he never went through a Red Gate and never died, nor did he become one of Jin Woo's Shadows.
Instead, he continued living a normal life as Kim Chul, with no need to become a Hunter and without any memories of his previous life.
Like other characters, including Chairman Go Gun Hee, Kim Chul got a second chance in life due to Jin Woo's effort.
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