Tower of God

Tower of God is a manhwa style webcomic, or webtoon, written and drawn by Lee Jong-hui (Hangul: 이종휘), also known by the pen-name SIU (Slave. In. Utero).^[1] It was created in 2010 as the first story in the Talse Uzer universe. It is edited and released for free by Naver, a popular South Korean search portal. It has been phenomenal in its success, and is translated into Japanese and English by Naver, and additionally to many other languages by way of fan translations.

Plot

The story centers around a boy called Twenty-Fifth Baam, who has spent his life trapped beneath a mysterious tower. Chasing after his only friend, he manages to open a door into the Tower, and must now face challenges at each floor of this mysterious tower as he tries to find his companion.

Universe

The Tower

The Tower is a mysterious structure that is completely enclosed and hosts many unique environments. It is permeated by an element called "Shinsoo", which has strange properties. It is inhabited by many different intelligent species.

Living on the top floors (of which there are 135 known so far) is associated with a higher status in the Tower and better living conditions. This is a result of ascension from one floor to the next being only allowed by passing increasingly difficult tests of strength, dexterity and wit. Atop of the (known) Tower sit the "10 Big Families" which form the governing body of the Tower, with a king (Zahard) as chief leader. The 10 leaders and forefathers of these families are known as the 10 Great Warriors, men of incredible power who together with Zahard ascended the Tower from the bottom to the known top and beyond, and who have been kept forever youthful thanks to the slowed-down effect of time on the higher floors.

Little is known of the Tower's origin. Oldest historical records start with the incursion of Zahard and the 10 Great Warriors into the Tower and their ascension. However, it is important to note that previous to their arrival, the different floors already were populated with peoples native to them. Similarly, 'Guardians', monstrous but intelligent creatures who created the ascension tests for each floor pre-date Zahard and possibly have existed since the tower's creation.

Each floor is composed of three layers: an external Outer Tower which serves as the residential area, an Inner Tower where Regulars are tested, and a Middle Area, which acts as a network linking each floor. Residents of each floor are given the chance to ascend, provided that they are deemed "worthy" of doing so by Headon, the First Floor's Guardian and caretaker of the Tower. Such people are called "Chosen Regulars".

The Tower is sealed from the vast, unknown "Outside" by portentous, impenetrable doors. However, from time to time, extraordinary people, such as the 10 Great Warriors, are able to open the doors (presumably allowed by the Tower's own will) and enter in. Such people are called "Irregulars" and have much greater power than normal "Regulars", which make them feared and revered in turns. Only 5 Irregulars have entered the Tower in its long history since Zahard's ascension.

According to the author, each floor is the size of the North American continent.

Shinsoo

Shinsoo, roughly translated as Divine Water, is a substance found within the Tower in varying concentrations on each floor. On the lower floors, Shinsoo is diffuse and inconspicuous, similar to air. However on higher floors, Shinsoo increases in power and concentration, and is said to be viscous and flow, similar to water. High Shinsoo resistance is required to enter these floors.

Shinsoo can be manipulated to enhance physical abilities, power weapons, and even manipulate the elements.

Characters

Twenty-Fifth Baam

Twenty-Fifth Baam (Hangul: 스물다섯번째 밤; RR: Seumul-daseot-banjjae Bam; literal translation: Twenty-fifth Night) is the protagonist of the story. Baam is the latest Irregular to enter the Tower even though as a young and naive kid, he doesn't resemble at all the qualities that previous Irregulars showed.

Baam enters The Tower in search of his best friend Rachel (Hangul: 라헬; RR: rahel, the only person who visited him and cared for him in the years of isolation that he spent in a cave underneath the Tower, presumably since birth. After entering the tower he meets Headon, who seems amused and intrigued by his incursion in the Tower. Headon tells him all the answers that he seeks will be answered if he climbs the tower and presents him with a seemingly impossible and deadly test. Baam succeeds against all odds and is allowed to move onto the second floor, Evankhell's testing area, where all would-be Regulars start their ascension. Baam makes several friends among the candidates, and together they pass the many tests of the floor, gaining the right to climb the tower. Soon after, he's reunited with Rachel, but she seems to have an agenda of her own for which Baam would be an impediment. She betrays him, leaving him for dead and misleads Baam's friends. They are deeply saddened but agree to continue to climb the floors, carrying Rachel with them believing that they fulfill Baam's dying wish.

Baam returns six years later in Tower of God: Part 2 - The Return of the Prince, using the alias Jyu Viole Grace (Hangul: 쥬 비올레 그레이스; RR: Jyu Biolae Geuraeiseu). Baam is now under the control of the infamous anti-government group FUG, forced to cooperate to keep his old team-mates' safe.

Rachel

Rachel (Hangul: 라헬; RR: Rahel) is an irregular, and the Baam's first friend as she visits him in a his cave from time to time before she enters the tower. She is the reason why Baam will try to climb the tower to find her. She desires to see the stars in the night sky at the top of the tower and is determined to reach it by all means. This wish comes from her fear of the darkness of the night. It is interesting to note that Baam's name means night. Later in the series after a test she is wounded and pretends to be heavily crippled. After this event Baam declares that he will be her legs to help her continue climb the tower to pass the test. In a test (Last Examination) she decides to betray him and kill him. She unexpectedly stands up and pushes him out of the bubble saying, "Sorry. Baam. Here you need to die". She later tell his friends that he died protecting her and profits from the pity of the group that wants to continue the task Baam had started: carrying her to the top of the tower.

Khun Aguero Agnis

Khun Aguero Agnis (Hangul: 쿤 아게로 아그니스; RR: Kun Agero Ageuniseu) is from one of the 10 Noble families that first climbed the tower, and the son of High Ranker Khun Eduan. He meets Baam in the first test of the second floor, and deems him interesting enough to accompany and aids him while they climb the tower. He and Rak quickly becomes Baam's closest friends.

Khun is named after the Argentinian soccer player Sergio "Kun" Agüero.

Rak Wraithraiser

Rak Wraithraiser (Hangul: 라크 레크레이셔; RR: Rahk Rekraisher) is a large, powerful, and very confident spear bearer. He unwillingly teamed up with Baam and Khun during the first test of the second floor, however he quickly became attached to them during the following tests. Due to his features, he is sometimes referred to as Alligator or Gator. Rak is known to playfully call his friends turtles; the term by which he also earnestly addresses his "prey". He loves bananas.

Organizations

Zahard's Empire

Zahard is an irregular who created the Zahard Empire and is the current Ruler of the 134 floors of the Tower that have thus far been explored. He is the third most powerful being in the tower.

Long ago, Zahard and the ten Family Heads came from somewhere outside the tower. They managed to enter the tower and climbed it, defeating each floor's Guardian up to the 134th floor. They were unable to conquer the 135th floor, so they halted at the 134th from where Zahard and the ten Family Heads created their empire, conducting tests on behalf of the Floor Guardians.

FUG

FUG is a nebulous organization composed of various defectors of the ten Great Families, whom they are intent on destroying. It is led by Grace Mirchea Luslec, who climbed the Tower alongside Zahard before becoming dissident. FUG's social hierarchy revolves around Slayers, viewed as "gods", who are powerful beings intended to kill the Family Heads. Luslec is Slayer No. 1, and other Slayers include Karaka, Baylord Yama, and Imort. Ha Jinsung is a powerful high ranker. FUG believes that Baam has the ability to kill Zahard, and thus wish to use him for their own purposes, disregarding Baam's will.

Wolhaiksong

Wolhaiksong (월하익송(月下翼松), "The Winged Pinetree Under the Moon") or The Wingtree (윙트리) is an organization created by Urek Mazino and Baek Ryun with the goal of finding a way out of the Tower. It has been described as having power equivalent to one of the ten families, though while their interests may occasionally conflict due to differing views, Wolhaiksong does not wish to overthrow the ten families. Wolhaiksong has also been described as a mutual association with more resemblance to a social club than to one of the Great Families.

During the course of the story, Wolhaiksong becomes interested in Baam, and intervene during the workshop tournament in order to protect Baam from his FUG rivals.

References

External links

• Tower of God official website on Naver (Korean)
• Tower of God official website on LINE Webtoon
• Tower of God for desktop from LINE Webtoon
• Tower of God official fan translation website on LINE Webtoon