Monarchs vs Rulers in Solo Leveling: Cosmic Lore Explained

At the beginning of all reality, there existed only a supreme cosmic architect known as the **Absolute Being**. From the primordial fabric of the universe, the Absolute Being divided existence into two fundamental, opposing forces: Light and Darkness. From Light, he forged the eight **Emissaries of God**—later known as the Rulers or the Fragments of Brilliant Light. From Darkness, he forged the eight **Monarchs**—primordial sovereigns embodying primal aspects of violence, destruction, plague, and death. However, the Absolute Being was neither benevolent nor righteous. He designed both factions with an inherent, instinctual compulsion to slaughter one another, treating the endless celestial carnage across millions of light-years as mere theater for his own eternal amusement.

The Monarchs are cosmic entities commanding vast armies of demonic horrors, dragons, beasts, and undead: 1. **Antares:** The Monarch of Destruction & King of Berserk Dragons (The Apex Sovereign). 2. **Ashborn:** The Shadow Monarch & King of the Dead. 3. **Rakan:** The Monarch of Beastly Fangs & King of Beasts. 4. **Sillad:** The Frost Monarch & King of Snowfolk (Ice Elves). 5. **Yogumunt:** The Monarch of Transfiguration & King of Demonic Specters. 6. **Tarnak:** The Monarch of Iron Body & King of Monstrous Humanoids. 7. **Legia:** The Monarch of the Beginning & King of Giants. 8. **Querehsha:** The Monarch of Plagues & Queen of Insects.

The Rulers are the celestial archangels of the universe, radiating blinding white-gold divinity and commanding legions of winged angelic soldiers. Unlike the individualistic Monarchs, the Rulers operate as a cohesive military collective bound by duty and moral righteousness. Growing weary of the endless, meaningless war and realizing that their creator was callously manipulating their suffering for entertainment, seven of the eight Rulers staged a historic rebellion. Armed with celestial god-slaying weapons, they stormed the divine throne room and executed the Absolute Being, committing cosmic deicide to end the slaughter.

The only Ruler who refused to participate in the murder of the Absolute Being was **Ashborn**, the Greatest Fragment of Brilliant Light. Bound by profound loyalty, Ashborn fought to protect his creator against his seven angelic brethren. Overwhelmed and fatally wounded by the rebel Rulers, Ashborn collapsed into the void of death. In his final moments, he discovered the secret power the Absolute Being had hidden deep within his soul: the primordial power of **Death**. Rising from the void, Ashborn awoke as the **Shadow Monarch**, wielding the ability to resurrect the souls of fallen angels and demons as immortal shadow soldiers. He initially allied with the Monarchs to punish the rebel Rulers, but when the treacherous Demon King Baran and Rakan ambushed him out of fear of his growing strength, Ashborn annihilated Baran and retreated into solitude, realizing that both factions were hopelessly corrupt.

When the surviving Monarchs fled the Rulers' celestial armies, they targeted Earth—a dimension devoid of magical energy populated by billions of defenseless humans—intending to harvest human souls to replenish their armies. When the Rulers arrived on Earth, the shockwaves of their divine clash completely obliterated humanity and shattered the planet's tectonic crust. Desperate to undo the extinction of an innocent civilization, the Rulers utilized the **Cup of Reincarnation** to rewind Earth's timeline by ten years. Realizing that Earth would inevitably be destroyed again in the next war, the Rulers began intentionally opening **Gates** across Earth, injecting magical energy and magic beasts into the biosphere. Their goal was to force humanity to awaken magical powers and survive the ambient mana radiation, transforming Earth into an adamantine fortress capable of withstanding the final confrontation.

The Cup of Reincarnation is the most powerful divine artifact crafted by the Absolute Being. When activated, it turns back universal time by exactly ten earthly years, preserving the memories of celestial beings while erasing the timeline for mortal inhabitants. However, each activation of the Cup consumed its divine charge, leaving only enough divine mana for one final rewind. Sung Jin-woo's eventual decision to activate this final rewind following the Monarchs War allowed him to fight a solitary 27-year campaign inside the dimensional rift, ensuring that Earth would never experience the horrors of Gates ever again.

With the death of the Absolute Being and the extinction of the original Monarchs, the cosmic balance of power shifted permanently into the hands of Sung Jin-woo. In the sequel series **Solo Leveling: Ragnarok**, the void left by the Absolute Being's death attracts foreign primordial gods from outside the known universe—the **Itarim**. To combat these extraterrestrial entities, the Rulers and Jin-woo's Shadow Army form an eternal alliance, fighting across the outer cosmos while Sung Su-ho defends Earth.