Best historical kdramas

historical kdramas can be good too :)
Anete143 Feb 26, 2024
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  • Alchemy of Souls

    1. Alchemy of Souls

    Korean Drama - 2022, 20 episodes
    9.1
    9,610 points by 97 voters
    In the fictional country of Daeho, young mages struggle to overcome twisted fates caused by the forbidden "alchemy of souls," a spell that swaps souls between bodies. Naksu, an elite assassin, finds ...more
  • Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo

    2. Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo

    Korean Drama - 2016, 20 episodes
    8.7
    8,200 points by 83 voters
    When a total eclipse of the sun takes place, Go Ha Jin is transported back in time to the start of the Goryeo Dynasty of Korea during King Taejo's rule. She wakes ...more
  • Mr. Queen

    3. Mr. Queen

    Korean Drama - 2020, 20 episodes
    8.9
    7,489 points by 76 voters
    Jang Bong Hwan, a South Korean chef, ends up in the body of Queen Kim So Yong after a serious accident, transporting him to Korea’s past. Queen So Yong’s husband, King Cheol ...more
  • Alchemy of Souls Season 2: Light and Shadow

    4. Alchemy of Souls Season 2: Light and Shadow

    Korean Drama - 2022, 10 episodes
    8.9
    6,180 points by 63 voters
    Jang Uk returns from death, and three years later, the story of the mages unfolds anew. Jang Uk becomes a hunter of the soul-shifters when a young woman, a prisoner in her ...more
  • Mr. Sunshine

    5. Mr. Sunshine

    Korean Drama - 2018, 24 episodes
    8.8
    5,834 points by 59 voters
    Mr. Sunshine centers on a young boy born into a house servant's family who travels to the United States during the 1871 Shinmiyangyo (U.S. expedition to Korea). He returns to his homeland ...more
  • Under the Queen's Umbrella

    6. Under the Queen's Umbrella

    Korean Drama - 2022, 16 episodes
    9.0
    4,373 points by 45 voters
    Within the palace exist troublemaking princes who cause nothing but headaches for the royal family and are about to be turned into proper crown princes. Their mother, Im Hwa Ryeong, is the wife ...more
  • The Red Sleeve

    7. The Red Sleeve

    Korean Drama - 2021, 17 episodes
    8.8
    4,318 points by 44 voters
    In 18th-century Korea, Prince Yi San is a perfectionist haunted by his father's murder. He's set to inherit the throne once his cruel grandfather, the current king, passes away. Despite the emotional ...more
  • My Dearest

    8. My Dearest

    Korean Drama - 2023, 10 episodes
    8.9
    3,442 points by 35 voters
    A love-story between a noblewoman and a mysterious man who shows up in her hometown set in the 1600s during the Qing invasion. Yoo Gil Chae is a pretty, bubbly, and a ...more
  • The King's Affection

    9. The King's Affection

    Korean Drama - 2021, 20 episodes
    8.3
    2,914 points by 30 voters
    Set during the Joseon Dynasty, the story follows twins born to the Crown Princess Consort, who orders the death of the daughter due to superstition. To save her, the baby girl is ...more
  • Empress Ki

    10. Empress Ki

    Korean Drama - 2013, 51 episodes
    8.6
    2,528 points by 26 voters
    Genghis Khan built an empire that spanned vast regions in East Asia and East Europe. And there was one woman who held immense power in the Yuan Dynasty, which Genghis Khan founded, ...more
  • The Tale of Nokdu

    11. The Tale of Nokdu

    Korean Drama - 2019, 32 episodes
    8.3
    2,420 points by 25 voters
    Jeon Nok Du lives on an island with his father and older brother. He is smart and a good swordsman. Since he was little, his father did not let him study or ...more
  • The Forbidden Marriage

    12. The Forbidden Marriage

    Korean Drama - 2022, 12 episodes
    8.3
    1,642 points by 17 voters
    King Lee Heon of Joseon has been grieving the death of his beloved wife for seven years. Despite efforts to have him remarry, he remains in mourning, leading to the nation’s geumhonryung ...more
  • Love in the Moonlight

    13. Love in the Moonlight

    Korean Drama - 2016, 18 episodes
    8.2
    1,619 points by 17 voters
    To protect herself and her family, Hong Ra On disguises herself as a man and counsels men on dating. Due to a love letter she wrote for a client, she meets Crown ...more
  • Snowdrop

    14. Snowdrop

    Korean Drama - 2021, 16 episodes
    8.4
    1,349 points by 14 voters
    In 1987, a bloody man jumps into a women’s university dormitory in Seoul. Yeong Ro, a female university student who falls in love with him at first sight on a group blind ...more
  • 100 Days My Prince

    15. 100 Days My Prince

    Korean Drama - 2018, 16 episodes
    8.3
    1,349 points by 14 voters
    Yi Yul, Crown Prince of Joseon, is a perfectionist who disregards most royal palace nobles. His cold and demanding demeanor masks deeply rooted loneliness. He comes to pass a law stating that ...more
  • Six Flying Dragons

    16. Six Flying Dragons

    Korean Drama - 2015, 50 episodes
    8.7
    1,253 points by 13 voters
    A fictional, historical drama about the ambition, rise and fall of real and fictional characters based around Yi Bang Won. Yi Bang Won was the third king of the Joseon Dynasty in ...more
  • My Country: The New Age

    17. My Country: The New Age

    Korean Drama - 2019, 16 episodes
    8.4
    1,169 points by 12 voters
    Set during the transition from the Goryeo to the Joseon period, two friends become enemies due to differing views on "my country." Seo Hwi, a skilled warrior and son of a renowned ...more
  • Queen In Hyun's Man

    18. Queen In Hyun's Man

    Korean Drama - 2012, 16 episodes
    8.4
    1,142 points by 12 voters
    Kim Boong Do is a scholar who had supported the reinstatement of Queen In Hyun when Jang Hee Bin's schemes resulted in her being deposed and replaced as King Suk Jong's queen ...more
  • Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938

    19. Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938

    Korean Drama - 2023, 12 episodes
    8.8
    1,129 points by 12 voters
    An unexpected case leads Lee Yeon back in time to 1938, where he reencounters Ryu Hong Ju. Once a guardian spirit of the mountain in the west, she's now the owner of ...more
  • Faith

    20. Faith

    Korean Drama - 2012, 24 episodes
    8.0
    1,052 points by 11 voters
    A 21st-century plastic surgeon, Eun Su, gets kidnapped and brought 700 years into the past for her healing powers. Goryeo era bodyguard to the king, General Choi Yeong, is smart but a ...more
  • The Scholar Who Walks the Night

    21. The Scholar Who Walks the Night

    Korean Drama - 2015, 20 episodes
    7.8
    1,044 points by 11 voters
    In Joseon Dynasty, immaculately dressed in scholarly robes, the young nobleman Kim Sung Yeol lives as a vampire to keep his promise to his friends. When Sung Yeol still was a human, ...more
  • Jewel in the Palace

    22. Jewel in the Palace

    Korean Drama - 2003, 54 episodes
    8.6
    971 points by 10 voters
    About 500 years ago during the time of Chosun Dynasty, Korea boasted a rigidly hierarchical and male dominated social structure. Based on a true story about a legendary girl, Jang Geum, who ...more
  • The Princess's Man

    23. The Princess's Man

    Korean Drama - 2011, 24 episodes
    8.4
    951 points by 10 voters
    Princess Se Ryung is the headstrong and forward-thinking daughter of Grand Prince Su Yang, who is determined to be King. She falls in love with the son of his mortal enemy, and ...more
  • The Secret Romantic Guesthouse

    24. The Secret Romantic Guesthouse

    Korean Drama - 2023, 18 episodes
    8.1
    948 points by 10 voters
    Yoon Dan Oh had enjoyed a comfortable life as the beloved youngest daughter of a well-off family, but no longer. Now the family breadwinner, she runs the Ihwawon Inn. Current guests are ...more
  • Jumong

    25. Jumong

    Korean Drama - 2006, 81 episodes
    8.3
    861 points by 9 voters
    Ju Mong was the founder of Goguryeo in 37 BC. He was the son of General Hae Mo Su and Lady Yu Hwa and was raised by King Geum Wa, who took ...more
  • Love Song for Illusion

    26. Love Song for Illusion

    Korean Drama - 2024, 16 episodes
    7.6
    845 points by 9 voters
    Crown Prince Sajo Hyun secretly works as a fashion designer in a downtown boutique, hiding his royal identity. He's haunted by a deep childhood wound from his harsh father, Sajo Seung. Hyun ...more
  • Sungkyunkwan Scandal

    27. Sungkyunkwan Scandal

    Korean Drama - 2010, 20 episodes
    8.2
    839 points by 9 voters
    Kim Yun Hee is a smart, responsible young woman with an independent drive. Since her father passed away, she has worked to support her family but has also managed to do well ...more
  • Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung

    28. Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung

    Korean Drama - 2019, 40 episodes
    8.2
    832 points by 9 voters
    The story takes place at the beginning of the 19th century. Goo Hae Ryung is an intern to become a palace historian. However, it was not acceptable for women to write historical ...more
  • Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People

    29. Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People

    Korean Drama - 2017, 30 episodes
    8.5
    759 points by 8 voters
    In the Joseon Dynasty, Hong Gil Dong, a hero to the people and enemy to the elite, faces King Yeonsangun, who is despised by his subjects despite his royal lineage. Born a ...more
  • Captivating the King

    30. Captivating the King

    Korean Drama - 2024, 16 episodes
    8.0
    752 points by 8 voters
    Prince Yi In, held hostage by the Qing Dynasty, is betrayed by his brother, King Yi Seon, who once cherished him. Heartbroken, Yi In endures emotional torment. He encounters an enigmatic baduk ...more
  • Dong Yi

    31. Dong Yi

    Korean Drama - 2010, 60 episodes
    8.5
    659 points by 7 voters
    "Dong Yi" is a historical drama based on the life of Dong Yi later known as Choi Suk Bin. She worked in the royal palace as a lowly water maid. King Sok ...more
  • Queen Seon Deok

    32. Queen Seon Deok

    Korean Drama - 2009, 62 episodes
    8.5
    658 points by 7 voters
    The story of a beautiful queen, who has to give up her love to save the people. A biopic of Queen Seon Deok, who was born a princess and later became the ...more
  • Tree with Deep Roots

    33. Tree with Deep Roots

    Korean Drama - 2011, 24 episodes
    8.3
    637 points by 7 voters
    Early in his reign, King Se Jong accidentally causes the death of his in-laws and their slaves in an attempt to save them from his brutal father, King Tae Jong. Two young ...more
  • Queen for Seven Days

    34. Queen for Seven Days

    Korean Drama - 2017, 20 episodes
    8.2
    535 points by 6 voters
    This drama is about the love story between King Jung Jong and his Queen Dan Kyung, who was crowned and deposed within the span of a week due to rival political factions ...more
  • The Bridal Mask

    35. The Bridal Mask

    Korean Drama - 2012, 28 episodes
    8.5
    489 points by 5 voters
    Lee Kang To is an ambitious and callous Korean officer employed by the Japanese colonists. Despite his mother's disapproval of his work and his own brother's antagonistic history with the Japanese, Kang ...more
  • My Dearest Part 2

    36. My Dearest Part 2

    Korean Drama - 2023, 11 episodes
    8.9
    479 points by 5 voters
    Jang Hyun, a cold-hearted man, finds purpose in life after meeting the charming Gil Chae, who is in love with her engaged fiancé, Yeon Jun. Yeon Jun, a Sungkyunkwan student, struggles with ...more
  • Bossam: Steal the Fate

    37. Bossam: Steal the Fate

    Korean Drama - 2021, 20 episodes
    8.0
    368 points by 4 voters
    Ba U, a degenerate man involved in gambling, stealing, and fighting, hides his true identity while making money through Bossam, a remarriage custom in Joseon where widows were kidnapped to marry. During ...more
  • Moon Embracing the Sun

    38. Moon Embracing the Sun

    Korean Drama - 2012, 20 episodes
    8.4
    363 points by 4 voters
    Thirteen-year-old Heo Yeon U, the daughter of a high-ranking official, meets Crown Prince Yi Hwon at her brother's civil service exam celebration, and they fall in love. Yeon U is chosen as ...more
  • Gu Family Book

    39. Gu Family Book

    Korean Drama - 2013, 24 episodes
    8.3
    293 points by 3 voters
    Choi Kang Chi is a half-human and half-mythical-creature who was adopted by the lord of the Hundred Years Inn. He was the son of Gu Wol Ryung, the guardian spirit of Jiri ...more
  • The Matchmakers

    40. The Matchmakers

    Korean Drama - 2023, 16 episodes
    7.8
    292 points by 3 voters
    Sim Jung Woo is an intelligent and handsome young man. He was the youngest to place first in the state examination, but he was picked to become the princess' husband. During their ...more
  • Arang and the Magistrate

    41. Arang and the Magistrate

    Korean Drama - 2012, 20 episodes
    7.9
    288 points by 3 voters
    It tells the story of a cynical and not-so-friendly government official named Eun O, who wanders the whole nation to look for his mother, who disappeared because of his mistake. Eun O ...more
  • The Crowned Clown

    42. The Crowned Clown

    Korean Drama - 2019, 16 episodes
    8.4
    273 points by 3 voters
    Amid political chaos and threats against King Lee Hun, a clown named Ha Sun, who closely resembles the king, is brought into the palace as his double. Orphaned during an epidemic and ...more
  • River Where the Moon Rises

    43. River Where the Moon Rises

    Korean Drama - 2021, 20 episodes
    7.9
    262 points by 3 voters
    Pyeong Gang, born a princess and raised a soldier, dreams of becoming the first Empress of Goguryeo. Clever and determined, she faces numerous obstacles with unwavering resolve. However, her life changes when ...more
  • Lighter & Princess

    44. Lighter & Princess

    Chinese Drama - 2022, 36 episodes
    8.6
    199 points by 2 voters
    Li Xun, a top scorer and talented programmer, is uninterested in typical college life, causing friction with his classmates. Zhu Yun, a friendly and obedient young woman, meets Li Xun and is ...more
  • Our Secret

    45. Our Secret

    Chinese Drama - 2021, 24 episodes
    8.4
    197 points by 2 voters
    From high school to university, Ding Xian and Zhou Si Yue's youthful love lasts for a lifetime. The superior and unruly campus god Zhou Si Yue is a genius. He is seatmates ...more
  • The King's Daughter, Soo Baek Hyang

    46. The King's Daughter, Soo Baek Hyang

    Korean Drama - 2013, 108 episodes
    8.1
    195 points by 2 voters
    King Mu Ryeong was a Baekje king who oversaw a renaissance during his reign while also building his kingdom into a sea power. He had a hidden daughter called Soo Baek Hyang, ...more
  • Secret Royal Inspector & Joy

    47. Secret Royal Inspector & Joy

    Korean Drama - 2021, 16 episodes
    7.8
    190 points by 2 voters
    A secret royal inspector, Ra Yi Eon, dreams of a quiet life but finds himself uncovering corruption as part of covert missions. Joining him is Kim Jo Yi, a forward-thinking woman advocating ...more
  • Nirvana in Fire

    48. Nirvana in Fire

    Chinese Drama - 2015, 54 episodes
    9.1
    99 points by 1 voters
    In sixth-century China, the Emperor of Great Liang orders the unjust execution of his brother-in-law Marshal Lin Xie alongside the Lin family, his 70,000 army soldiers, and Crown Prince Qi. Secretly surviving ...more
  • The King in Love

    49. The King in Love

    Korean Drama - 2017, 40 episodes
    7.7
    99 points by 1 voters
    Wang Won’s father is the king of Goryeo while his mother is the Yuan emperor’s daughter. He was born with many gifts as he has good looks, the wisdom of a snake, ...more
  • Grand Prince

    50. Grand Prince

    Korean Drama - 2018, 20 episodes
    7.8
    98 points by 1 voters
    Centered around one woman who gets caught up in a bloody romance with two princes. It tells the story of a man who would kill even his younger brother to have the ...more
  • Song of the Bandits

    51. Song of the Bandits

    Korean Drama - 2023, 9 episodes
    8.2
    83 points by 1 voters
    An action melodrama in which the people who have been deprived of their livelihoods blow a refreshing shot for their family and colleagues, set in the 1920s during the Japanese colonial period. ...more

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