How to Get Transcendent SJW (True Shadow Monarch) in Anime Vanguards

True Shadow Monarch is the Transcendent evolution of Song Jinwu and Igros in Anime Vanguards, introduced as the first Transcendent evolution questline in the 2nd Anniversary update. Reaching it means running a brand-new Player Quest, clearing a dedicated dungeon, and then sacrificing your existing Song Jinwu and Igros unit to trigger the transformation.

Quick answer: Accept the “Do you want to be a player?” prompt, grind System Quests from Level 0 to 100 (touching the lobby well at 25, 50, 75, and 100), clear the Returned Dungeon, then delete your Song Jinwu and Igros to evolve it into True Shadow Monarch.

What you need before starting

This questline evolves an existing Song Jinwu and Igros unit, so you must already own one. The quest will consume that unit near the end, so do not plan to keep the base version.

A Song Jinwu and Igros unit in your inventory.
A team capable of clearing a 10-wave Returned Dungeon raid.
Time to grind the Player Quest from Level 0 to Level 100.

Step 1: Start the Player Quest and reach Level 100

Log in and accept the prompt that reads “Do you want to be a player?” This begins the System Quest line and sets your Player Level to 0.

Grind the System Quests to raise your Player Level from 0 all the way to 100. Each stage clear awards levels, with some objectives like “Defeat Bopotch x3” and “Defeat Pirate Grunt x3” feeding your progress. A reliable story lineup includes Bounty Hunter and a Song Jinwu Vanguard to clear these quickly.

At Player Levels 25, 50, 75, and 100, return to the lobby and interact with the glowing water well pool. Skipping these milestone interactions stalls the quest, so visit the well each time you hit one of those levels.

Step 1: Becoming a Player & System Quest Levels — The lobby tracks your System level milestones along the bottom; check the well at 25, 50, 75, and 100. Shown at 00:51 in AB Plays’s video.

Step 2: Open the Returned Dungeon and clear it

The Returned Dungeon Key is awarded when you reach Level 100. In your Inventory, locate the key in the items section and activate it to get the invitation: “You are invited to the Returned Dungeon.”

Step 2: Returned Dungeon Key & Team Setup — Hitting Player Level 100 drops the Returned Dungeon Key, your entry into the raid. Shown at 02:29 in AB Plays’s video.

Build a strong team before you enter. A Dragon Ball lineup works well here, using Holy Deceiver (Dark), Roku (Super 3), Rogita (Super), Boo (Evil), and a farm unit such as Unlikely Doctor, with Song Jinwu kept in the active party.

Fight through all 10 waves in the Returned Dungeon raid, taking on bosses such as the God Statue along the way. Focus your damage to advance through each wave.

Returned Dungeon Raid Wave 10 Showcase — Wave 10 of the Returned Dungeon pits your deployed units against the God Statue boss. Shown at 03:10 in AB Plays’s video.

Step 3: Delete the system to trigger the evolution

Back in the lobby, open your units inventory and select your base Song Jinwu and Igros unit. If it is locked, unlock it, and unequip it from any team before continuing.

Choose to delete or sell the unit. Confirm “Yes” on the “Delete the Shadow Monarch?” prompt, then keep confirming “Yes” through the cascading “Are you sure?” warning windows that stack on screen.

Obtaining TSJW: Deleting Song Jinwu & Igros — Several overlapping confirmation boxes appear as you delete the unit; keep answering Yes. Shown at 04:36 in AB Plays’s video.

Select “Yes” on the final “Delete the system?” prompt. This triggers the cinematic sequence where the system is destroyed and the unit transforms into True Shadow Monarch.

Cinematic Cutscene — The deletion plays a cutscene showing the system shattering and the monarch rising anew. Shown at 05:01 in AB Plays’s video.

Deleting the system permanently consumes your base Song Jinwu and Igros. Only do this once you are ready, and make sure the correct unit is selected.

How to confirm the evolution worked

When the cutscene ends, the evolution screen depicts Song Jinwu and Igros becoming True Shadow Monarch at Transcendent rarity. You also receive the Rib of the Saint, and a notification marks the first Transcendent evolution questline complete. If the new unit and reward are both present, the quest is finished.

Unit Evolution Screen & Rewards — The evolution screen confirms the swap from Song Jinwu and Igros to True Shadow Monarch. Shown at 05:55 in AB Plays’s video.

The stat jump is significant at the same level. Below is the comparison at Level 60.

Stat	Song Jinwu and Igros	True Shadow Monarch
DMG	2,696	28,895
SPA	6	5.6
RNG	27.8	34.7
Placement	2x	2x

After the evolution: Shadow Trials and replays

Further upgrades for True Shadow Monarch run through the Shadow Trials, accessible from the main lobby. Use these to grind the materials needed to keep developing the unit.

If you own more Song Jinwu and Igros units and want to evolve them too, the quest can be run again. Open the Settings menu and go to Transcendent Quests, then Player Quest, and select RESTART to repeat the process from the beginning.