Linguistic Choices of Power and Identity Transformation in Solo-Leveling: A Critical Discourse Analysis

Power, identity and social hierarchy have been discussed through cultural impact lens in the concurrent anime narratives however there is limited study on the critical discourse-based analyses of anime narratives. The focus of this study is on the discourse analyses of Solo-Leveling anime, analyzing the power and identity transformation through discourse analyses. The research centers its attention on the protagonist, Sung Jinwoo and his transformation from being marginalized to a dominant power figure. The analysis involves critical discourse analyses of selected episodes through Norman Fairclough’s three-dimensional model (1995) and investigates textual elements, discursive features, and comprehensive social conventions. Furthermore, the critical discourse analysis unveils that the inequality is being normalized within the fictional world through institutional language, surveillance mechanisms and hierarchical classification, which altogether functions as discursive tools for this purpose. As Jinwoo’s power increases, discursive shifts reflect the emergence of sovereign identity, marked by concealed authority, strategic silence, and legitimized dominance. The study objectives are: (i) To examine the role of language and discourse in the normalization of power and social hierarchy in Solo-Leveling anime, (ii) To highlight the power structures in Solo-Leveling anime using Fairclough’s three-dimensional CDA model (1995), (iii) To interpret the shifts in Sung Jinwoo’s identity and social ranking in the context of evolving power hierarchies in the anime. The study puts forward the stance that Solo-leveling is presenting dominance as merit-based and inevitable and thus normalizes power asymmetry. By examining anime through critical discourse lens, the study influences the interdisciplinary studies of media, power, and identity, highlighting the role of anime in reflecting and reinforcing contemporary social ideologies.