“ | A knight who defends an empty throne... | ” |
Overview |
A Knight Who Defends an Empty Throne? is the eleventh episode of the Solo Leveling anime series.
Synopsis[]
Out of the blue, a "job-change quest" pops up in Jinwoo's window. Feeling that it may help him get stronger, he enters the gate. Inside, he fights wave after wave of enemies, culminating in a knight who brings back memories of the Cartenon Temple.
Key Points[]
- Jinwoo starts the job-change quest in a secluded forest. No potions can be used and neither can the Full Recovery ability
- Yoo Jinho's family dinner reveals tensions and expectations within Yoojin Guild.
- Jinwoo faces knights, assassins, archers, and magicians in the dungeon.
- Choi Jong-In prepares to leads a scouting mission to Jeju Island.
- Jinwoo equips new gear and confronts Knight Commander Igris the Bloodred.
- Despite being outmatched, Jinwoo manages to defeat Igris.
- Jinwoo's victory earns him valuable rewards but further trials in his quest appear, the "beat as many enemies as you can" challenge.
Summary[]

Jinwoo enters the Job Quest gate.
As dusk falls, Sung Jinwoo retreats into the solitude of the woods, wary of the consequences that might arise from summoning the Instance Dungeon. He reflects on his past experiences with other instance dungeons before deciding to proceed with the Job Change Request. Abruptly, a vast purple void gate, alive with lightning, appears before him. On the brink of entry, Jinwoo remembers he forgot to do his Daily Quest, but he decides it can wait until after.
Deep inside the shadowy corridors of the dungeon, a knight stands silently in wait.

Jinho sits timidly across from his brother, Jinsung.
In an elegant dining room, Yoo Myunghan, the Chairman of Yoojin Construction, leisurely swirls his wine glass while his son, Yoo Jinho, sits across the table, filled with nerves. As Myunghan savors a sip of wine, a polite knock interrupts, heralding the entrance of Yoo Jinsung, the older brother, who offers apologies for his delay. However, his father reassures him, stating he's arrived precisely on time. Jinsung exchanges pleasantries with Jinho, remarking on the length of time since their last meeting, as Jinho meets his gaze with a sense of defeat.
Back in the dungeon, Jinwoo navigates a corridor and everything appears unexpectedly normal until he receives a notification informing him that in this area, the use of potions, Full Recovery, and access to the Store are prohibited, and he won't be able to recover his stats upon leveling up or leave until the quest is completed. Metallic thuds grow louder in the distance, prompting Jinwoo to draw Kasaka's Venom Fang from his Inventory. A magical beast clad in armor, a Knight, rushes toward him with a sword.

"I've fought enemies... with hard exteriors before!"
Jinwoo attacks first with a swift slice, but it has no effect. Taken aback, he faces another charge from the Knight, and their blades clash. Using his agility, Jinwoo gains some distance and uses an Active Skill, Fatal Strike. Aiming for a critical hit to the Knight's chest, but again he fails to breach the armor. Nimble and quick, he dodges the Knight's strikes and, recalling his bare-handed victory over Kasaka, replicates the feat by tearing the Knight in two with his sheer strength. The Knight's helmet clatters to the ground, its body emitting smoke as it falls defeated, and Jinwoo gains a level. Regretting his wasted Fatal Strike, Jinwoo braces for another fight as more knights advance toward him.
During the tense family dinner, Jinho's meal remains untouched as his father attempts to ease the atmosphere, inquiring about Jinsung's progress with forming the Yoojin Guild and their struggles to recruit an S-Rank member. Jinsung reveals their attempts to enlist Cha Hae-In and Min Byung-Gyu were unsuccessful, leading him to seek an S-Ranker from Europe and the Middle East, reminiscent of Hwang Dongsoo's situation. Suddenly, he addresses Jinho's C-Rank dungeon escapades and his ambitions, warning him not to go against his own guild plans. Jinho stays silent amidst their father's gaze, yet internally he reassures himself of his secret advantage - Jinwoo.

Jinwoo defeats an assassin
In the thick of battle, Jinwoo tirelessly combats one foe after another using nothing but his physical prowess. However, he quickly realizes that even his stamina has its limits. Just as he considers a brief rest, he senses a stealth attack. Narrowly evading this he takes out a stealthed assassin, and swiftly dodges a blast from a mage. This onslaught of enemies reminds Jinwoo of past confrontations and the specific strategies needed to overcome each type. As the relentless assault wears him down, Jinwoo acknowledges the need to enhance his intellect attribute to effectively counter mages, and wishes to conserve his own skills, all while battling growing fatigue.
At the Hunters Guild, guild leader Choi Jong-In gets ready to board a helicopter with Cha Hae-In and other high-ranking hunters. They’re going on an exploratory mission to Jeju Island, the site of a failed raid years ago. Choi is determined to return one day to finish the fight.
Jinwoo finally finishes off the last of his enemies and finds a B-Rank chestplate on one of the corpses. He equips all of the armor in his inventory for the first time, and he’s delighted to see – or not see – that the pieces are invisible. With new equipment and his fatigue recovered, he’s as ready as he can be for the next stage of the quest. He pushes open a massive door and a gust of wind greets him. When Jinwoo sees his opponent, he can’t help but be reminded of the mysterious double dungeon.
Knight Commander Igris the Bloodred, a foe clad in plate armor as bright red as his overhead name, stands in front of an empty throne. Jinwoo is intimidated by his mere presence. Igris raises his sword and then launches himself toward the hunter with lightning speed. Stone pillars crumble with a swing of his blade. Jinwoo does everything he can to defend himself, but it’s clear he’s outmatched. He puts away his dagger, which can’t pierce Igris’s armor, and his enemy sets down his own weapons to keep the fight fair.
Meanwhile, at the Hunter’s Association, Woo Jinchul enters Chairman Go’s office for a chat. Choi calls to thank Go before they leave for Jeju Island; Go credits him with keeping the island in the public eye to gain support for the mission.
Back in the throne room, Igris grabs Jinwoo and throws him into the ground in the blink of an eye. The hunter barely blocks the following barrage of punches and survives the onslaught thanks to the armor he equipped.Jinwoo activates his Dash skill and attacks, but he still can’t catch Igris the Bloodred. Igris easily throws him around the throne room. Jinwoo counterattacks, finally landing a solid kick to Igris’s throat. Enraged, Igris increases his attacks, landing another blitz of punches and kicks before finally tossing Jinwoo into the wall above the throne. Jinwoo lands on the seat, incapacitated and struggling to breathe. Igris approaches with deadly intent.
Jinwoo slumps over the arm of the throne. Igris calls his sword to his hand for the final strike. Jinwoo catches the blade in his hand and yells that he’s not finished. He calls his own weapon, which he manages to stab into Igris’s eye. He recalls the dagger again and impales Igris through the throat with all the power he can muster.
Igris falls. A system message notifies Jinwoo that the enemy is defeated. Jinwoo considers his victory a fluke since he was clearly outmatched as he looks at his rewards, which include the S-Rank helmet Igris was wearing, a rune stone for the skill Ruler’s Hand and a teleportation stone for the next round of battle.
Jinwoo is shocked to discover he must make it through even more relentless waves of enemies. The longer he lasts, the more advancement points he gains to spend on a higher class. Just as Jinwoo reaches his limit, however, an enemy knocks the teleportation stone from his hands. Knights surround Jinwoo as climax of the quest comes near.
Appearances[]
In order of appearance:
Humans[]
- Sung Jinwoo
- Hwang Dongsuk (Flashback)
- Kang Taeshik (Flashback)
- Yoo Myunghan
- Yoo Jinho
- Yoo Jinsung (Debut)
- Cho Kyuhwan (Flashback)
- Choi Jong-In - Raid Team Leader
- Son Kihoon (Debut)
- Gina
- Lee Bora
- Han Semi
- Seo Jiwoo
- Cha Hae-In
- Go Gunhee
- Woo Jinchul
- Sung Jinah
- Park Kyung-Hye
Magic Beasts[]
- Poisoned-Toothed Giant Desert Centipedes (Flashback)
- Knights (Debut)
- Assassins (Debut)
- Archers (Debut)
- Magicians (Debut)
- Blood-Red Commander Igris (Debut)
Locations[]
- C-Rank Dungeons (Flashback)
- Hapjeong Subway Station (Flashback)
- Demon Castle (Flashback)
- Penalty Zone (Flashback)
- Insects Dungeon (Flashback)
- Goblins Dungeon (Flashback)
- Job Change Quest Dungeon (Debut)
Items[]
- High Knight’s Chestplate
- High Knight’s Gauntlet
- Assassin’s Shoes
- Archer’s Gloves
- Crimson Knight’s Helmet
- Rune Stone: Ruler's Hands
- Job Change Quest
Anime & Manhwa Differences[]
- Before the Job Change Quest Dungeon, Jinwoo plans to finish his Daily Quest afterward. In the manhwa, he only realizes he forgot it once inside, causing embarrassment.
- Igris enters the Throne room from the side, sword in hand. In the manhwa, he's beside the throne, and decends the stairs with his sword dragging on the floor. Unlike in the episode where he points his sword at Jinwoo, he attacks immediately in the manhwa.
- Jinwoo uses the Stealth skill after defeating a few of the Knights during the Job Change Quest. In the manhwa, he activates it immediately as the quest starts.
- When hit by the hammer wielding knight, he drops the Teleportation Stone but recovers. In the manwha he is completely floored by the strike and surrounded.
[]
Season 1 | ||||||||||||
Episode | Episode 1 • Episode 2 • Episode 3 • Episode 4 • Episode 5 • Episode 6 • Episode 7 (7.5) • Episode 8 • Episode 9 • Episode 10 • Episode 11 • Episode 12 | |||||||||||
Gallery | E1 Gallery • E2 Gallery • E3 Gallery • E4 Gallery • E5 Gallery • E6 Gallery • E7 Gallery • E8 Gallery • E9 Gallery • E10 Gallery • E11 Gallery • E12 Gallery | |||||||||||
Season 2 | ||||||||||||
Episode | Episode 13 • Episode 14 • Episode 15 • Episode 16 • Episode 17 • Episode 18 • Episode 19 | |||||||||||
Gallery | E13 Gallery • E14 Gallery • E15 Gallery • E16 Gallery • E17 Gallery • E18 Gallery • E19 Gallery |