China's strongest Hunter unleashes his full potential in Solo Leveling: ARISE with the arrival of Liu Zhigang

For a large part of Solo Leveling's story, many characters speak of him as an absolute legend. However, unlike other top-tier hunters, his battles were rarely shown in depth within the original work. Now, Netmarble wants to change that with the arrival of Liu Zhigang, one of the most highly anticipated characters by the Solo Leveling: ARISE community.

Through a new character showcase trailer titled "Hunter Profile: The Sword of Dawn," the studio shines the spotlight on the man considered for years to be China’s strongest Hunter and one of the legendary National Level Hunters—a category reserved exclusively for the most powerful combatants on the planet.

A man who returned from the brink of death

The video introduces Liu Zhigang as a warrior reborn from the flames.

"At the brink of death, he was reborn as a Hunter amidst the flames."

The description fits perfectly with the narrative surrounding the character in the Solo Leveling universe. His story has always been tied to overcoming obstacles, sacrifice, and an unyielding will to keep fighting even when all hope seems lost.

Netmarble also defines him as the game's first Fire Buster, a brand-new role focused on explosive Fire-element damage capable of wiping out entire groups of enemies through wide-range attacks and massive destructive power.

One of the most powerful characters in the entire franchise

For those who only know the anime, Liu Zhigang’s significance might easily go unnoticed.

However, within the lore of Solo Leveling, Liu is an extraordinary figure. He is considered China's strongest Hunter, one of the five National Level Hunters, and held the rank of World No. 2 among the most powerful hunters on the planet before the ultimate rise of Sung Jinwoo.

His fame is so immense that numerous characters describe him as a force capable of altering the outcome of international conflicts single-handedly.

Precisely because of this, his addition to the game has been one of the community's most frequent requests since launch.

A master of weapons taken to the next level

During a recent developer stream, Netmarble explained that they worked closely with the source material to build the playable version of Liu Zhigang. According to the studio, one of the official traits defined by the series creator himself, Chugong, is that Liu is a true Weapon Master.

That philosophy is directly reflected in his skill kit.

Although he primarily fights using twin swords, his advanced techniques allow him to cycle through multiple weapons during his combos, including:

• Dual Swords.
• Spears.
• Bows.
• Massive Greatswords.

The result is one of the most spectacular and dynamic combat styles seen in Solo Leveling: ARISE to date.

The first 7-Star Fire Hunter

Liu Zhigang’s arrival also marks a major milestone for the game's progression.

Netmarble is introducing him as a 7-Star Hunter, a tier reserved for the most exclusive and powerful units in the current roster. Furthermore, he instantly becomes a premier representative of the Fire element within the metagame.

Early patch notes also hint that he will receive specific gear tailored to boost his offensive capabilities, including new sets focused on elemental explosions and massive damage output during overload states.

An addition that players have been waiting for

Since the launch of Solo Leveling: ARISE, Netmarble has progressively expanded its roster with popular characters from the manhwa as well as original content. However, few names generated as much hype as Liu Zhigang.

The reason is simple: while other hunters received plenty of screen time, Liu was always portrayed as a legend whose true potential was barely glimpsed in the original story.

Now, the game has the opportunity to fix that.

And everything indicates that Netmarble wants to make him one of the most impressive characters on the entire roster.

Because if this new trailer makes anything clear, it's that the legend of the Sword of Dawn is only just beginning..