The Great Warriors

Lore & Background

The Great Warriors were the original companions of Zahard during his climb to the Tower's top, an event that predates the current era by thousands of years. Each warrior was a Ranker of such staggering power that their descendants still carry echoes of their abilities: the Khun family's crackling lightning, the Arie family's blade that cuts through space itself, the Ha family's fists that shatter mountains. After Zahard became king, they were granted control over the Ten Great Families, which now dominate the Tower's politics, economy, and military. But not all of them survived the climb—two of the original thirteen Great Warriors, V and Arlene Grace, are confirmed dead, and their names have been scrubbed from official records. However, V and Arlene did not found a Great Family in the same sense as the Ten, so no 'V family' or 'Arlene family' existed as a ruling house.

In Their Own Story

In the shadow of the 134th Floor, a young Regular hears an old tale: how Zahard and his twelve warriors stood before the Guardian, their eyes burning with ambition. The warrior with silver hair laughed, lightning crackling at his fingertips, while another traced a sword's arc that split the air. They were not gods then—just climbers, like any other. But their pact would echo through millennia, binding the Tower to their will. Some say that on quiet nights, you can still hear the echo of that laughter, and see the faint blue glow of lightning in the clouds above the Hidden Floor.

Reader's Guide

The Great Warriors are the cornerstone of Tower of God's lore, representing the original power structure that persists to this day. They are distinct from Irregulars like Bam, as they entered the Tower together with Zahard, not alone. Each warrior's family inherits their founder's traits, such as the Khun's intelligence and lightning, the Ha's physical strength, or the Arie's sword techniques. Key figures include Khun Eduan, still alive and active, and Arie Hon, the current ranker. Their history is intertwined with the mysteries of the Tower's top, the 135th Floor, and Zahard's contract. Understanding them is essential to grasping the series' political conflicts and the origins of characters like Khun Aguero Agnis or Ha Jinsung—and to wondering what happened to the two families that vanished from history.

Did You Know?

• There were originally 13 Great Warriors, but only 10 families survived to the present day.
• Each Great Warrior's family has a unique characteristic, like the Khun's lightning or the Arie's swordsmanship.
• Some Great Warriors are still alive, such as Khun Eduan and Arie Hon, while others are dead or missing.
• The Great Warriors are all Irregulars, having entered the Tower from outside.
• Both V and Arlene Grace are confirmed deceased, but unlike the Ten Great Families, they did not leave behind a ruling Great Family.

The Tower's Architecture and Social Order

The Tower is a sealed, self-contained structure where each floor spans the size of the North American continent, according to the author. Each floor contains three distinct layers: an Outer Tower serving as residential space, an Inner Tower where trials take place, and a Middle Area functioning as a connecting network. Ascension between floors is governed by increasingly demanding tests of strength, dexterity, and wit, overseen by Headon, the First Floor's Guardian. Those who pass become Chosen Regulars, while those who reach the top earn the title of Ranker and are typically far more powerful. At the very apex sit the Ten Great Families, the governing body led by King Jahad, also rendered as Zahard in some translations. The Tower is sealed from the unknown Outside by impenetrable doors, and only rare individuals called Irregulars can breach them. Each floor often maintains its own culture, language, and governance, with isolated nations existing completely unaware of the Tower's existence.

Shinsu and the System of Power

Shinsu, roughly meaning Divine Water, is a pervasive substance within the Tower whose concentration intensifies on higher floors. On lower levels it is diffuse like air, while on upper floors it becomes viscous and water-like, demanding high resistance to survive. Residents must form contracts with each floor's guardian to manipulate it. Power is measured in Bangs, discrete units of control, with unit size called Myeon and concentration called Soo. Techniques range from Shinsu reinforcement to enhance the body, to flow control for devastating attacks, and reverse flow control for defense. Those skilled in Shinsu experience dramatically slowed aging, bordering on immortality. However, Irregulars operate outside these rules entirely, wielding Shinsu with minimal constraints regardless of contracts. This has led to figures like Enryu killing the 43rd floor's administrator, a feat once considered impossible, cementing Irregulars as feared, stigmatized entities viewed as calamities prophesied to disrupt the Tower's order.

Bam's Journey and the Central Conflict

The story follows Twenty-Fifth Bam, a boy who spent most of his life trapped beneath the Tower, with his close friend Rachel as his only companion. When Rachel enters the Tower, Bam is devastated, yet somehow manages to open the impenetrable doors that seal the structure from the Outside. His singular drive, to reach Rachel at any cost even death, propels him upward. Along the way he gathers allies who assist his climb. The central tension is amplified by a critical rule: only Irregulars are exempt from the contract Jahad struck with the Tower Guardians that rendered him immortal, meaning only an Irregular can kill him. This dynamic positions Bam, as an Irregular, at the heart of a conflict that threatens the Tower's entire power structure. His journey is not merely a physical ascent but a challenge to the established hierarchy of Regulars, Rankers, and the Ten Great Families.

Global Adaptations and Cultural Reach

Tower of God was created by S.I.U. and has been serialized on Naver Webtoon since June 2010, with chapters collected into 20 volumes by Young Com as of January 2026. Its international footprint expanded when Line Webtoon began official English translations in July 2014. The franchise has spawned multiple mobile game adaptations and merchandise lines. In Japan, Telecom Animation Film produced an anime television series that premiered on Naver Series On in South Korea before airing in Japan, running from April to June 2020. A second season, produced by The Answer Studio, aired from July to December 2024. This multi-platform presence, spanning webtoon, print volumes, games, merchandise, and two anime seasons across two production studios, demonstrates the series' sustained commercial and cultural momentum well over a decade after its initial launch.