Alright y’all, bear with us because we did not watch season 1 or 2 of Arthdal Chronicles, which only amounts to 12 episodes, but we did try and find summeries on YouTube to catch up. So, we think we are ready to tackle season 3 head on!
ARTHDAL CHRONICLES PART I AND II SUMMARY
From what we understand, Song Joong-ki’s character, Eunsum’s, main purpose in this show is to rescue Tanya and their people from this nation that has kidnapped them and forced them into slavery. He is uniquely able to accomplish this because he is a hybrid between animal and human beings. He is very strong and has animalistic instinct as well as a huge birthmark on his bag.
The animals have pretty much been wiped out by the humans, so it appears that only hybrids have survived. The way to tell if you are an animal or a human is by your blood. Animals have blue blood, humans have red blood, and hybrids have purple blood. So, in order to hide that you are a hybrid, you must disguise your birthmark and your purple blood. Hybrids do this by wearing red lipstick (otherwise their lips would be purple) and covering their back. Their birthmark should go away around their 20s.
Eunsum has a twin names Saya that he does not know about who has been raised by the enemy, Tagon. Tagon is also a secret hybrid. Saya’s goal is to make his adopted father, Tagon, into the King which will make purple blood as royal blood, so he will not have to hide that he is hybrid anymore. The twin also took an interest in Tanya and made her his personal slave (it was kind of a mutual thing that Tanya agreed to in order to survive). He tells Tanya that she can be a great shaman. Tanya only wants to rescue her people, so he says that if she becomes a great shaman then she can rescue her people just by muttering a word.
The people do not believe that Tanya is part of a great line of shamans though. To prove it, she has to find an artifact that has been lost for like a thousand years or so. She finds it at the end of season two which proves that she is descended from a long line of shamans and therefore a true shaman. I think that is how season 2 ended.
Of course, we left out a ton. So much has happened in this show (from what we hear anyway), so if you have a better summary, please give it to us in the comments! That would help us out a lot.
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Caution: Be wary of typos
Shorthand Character Chart: Arthdal Chronicles Character Chart
How we do this: We update the post around every 10 minutes. Sometimes sooner, sometimes later depending on the scene. There will be typos which we have fantasies of fixing once the episode finishes airing. Also, there might be lovely updates at the bottom, so check back in!
Recap Countdown: Recap starts at 21:00 KST….check Twitter for updates!
KOREAN DRAMA ARTHDAL CHRONICLES EPISODE 13 RECAP
——-dramamilk.com——-
#1
We open with a rehash of what has already happened in part I and part II of the drama. We see the animal people all get murdered and then we see Eunsom’s mother escape him away to a distant land but his brother is taken as a child by tagon.
there is honestly so much going on that is pretty hard to summarize.
But the last scene is when Tanya proves herself as a real shaman when she finds the medallion. Everyone is stunned.
We open with everyone being stunned that she found this lost medallion and has proven that she is a great shaman.
TY – I am tanya from wahan that has broken the shell. I am the mother of the tribe. I am telling you the last word of the god.
TH – So what, you call gods of Asadal first
TY – I am going to finish it with a wahan word.
She starts to say a lot of nature things with the moon and fire and water and all the animals and fruits. She says that they owe their lives to the gods and should live life. You don’t break things and don’t own things.
In the forest, two guards are talking about if someone isa real heir or not. They laugh that someone will try to take your heart in the small moon and start to laugh and hit each other.
Outside the room, everyone prays to the building.
Inside the room, tanya tells them that the gods told her that everyone exhists with a reason. She rungs the medallion and people start to bow.
Tagon and Saya starts to talk about how much Tanya knows. Saya thinks that tanya betrayed him because she told him that she does not know the words. But Tagon keeps reading and says that Tagon smiled at him. He reads the word butterfly.
Back inside the room, Taelha starts to talk to Tanya about how the gods made them form a country. Aramoon will come 200 years later, but I wonder if he came. Aramoon. tanya says that he already came, you just don’t recognize them. Who knows who I am as the righteous heir as a priestess? Who knows who I am and wil lprotect the country?
tagon comes forward and says that he will show himself in front of her. She tells him that he is the one that connects the sky and the land and the future and the past. You are the reborn of Aramoon hesla.
Everyone starts to yell, Aramoon hesla! and praise tagon. A guard runs out to the people outside and telsl the guards something. then they step forward and all yell that Tanya found the star! Everyone outside starts to cheer. they are in disbelief, but happy. The guards yell that Tanya achnowleged aramoon hesla as leader so it is a blessing for our tribe!
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#2
A young man from the scene tells the guards in the woods that they need to be careful during small moons because of their heart. The guards all cheer because it means that tagon is acknowledged as a truthful aramoon hesla. the guards/warriors all start to dance around and sing about crescent moon. Crescent crescent!
Then Tagon comes out with Tanya. Everyone grows quiet as they look at them. Tagon raises his hand and everyone cheers. Then Tagon looks at Tanya who looks a bit stunned. She raises her hand as well and everyone cheers again.
TY – (Are they calling me? That many people? My name?)
Everyone is exuberant in their happiness and applause. tanya starts to smile
TY – (Eunsom, now I can rescue [us])
Meanwhile, Eunsom is inside a wrap and cannot escape. They are coming out of an underground mine, it was actually their plan in order to escape from the underground mine.
There is a man that is a guard who was threatened by the team, so he is trying to help them get out of the mine. The group are all pretending to be dead so the man tells his guards to just throw them away. But someone else says, Stop!
——-dramamilk.com——-
#3
The man tries to tell this other man that all these people are dead, they have a contagious disease. The other men ask how long they have been dead. The man says that he just murdered them. He also tells them not to touch them. It is a contagious disease, we have to burn them.
But the other man tells him to get out of his way. He pulls the blanket off of one of the men and looks at him closely. Then he looks at the other “bodies” who are still wrapped up. The bodies are showing small signs that they are alive, like they are breathing shallowly or their feet are pointed up instead of down.
Others start to notice that these people might be alive. The guard goes back to the other guard and starts to laugh at him.
Guard – You, who are you?
Man – Well, I take care of the slaves.
All this time, Eunsom has been listening, he rips off his blanket and stands. Pandemonium ensues as all the men rip off their blankets and starts to run away. The guards start to fight the other men escaping. meanwhile, another man starts to help free the slaves that are all tied up above ground. They try to give them weapons as well.
In fact, they might have given them all a lot of weapons because the slaves are all suddenly super armed with axes and hammers and all sorts of things!
The fight continues, Eunsom leads a charge to protect everyone and his people all rally together to help each other. Even his frenemy rescues Eunsom and tells him to get up so he won’t feel sorry to him again.
The guard that helped them escape, is able to run away into the woods, but he is not sure as to what he should do.
Meanwhile, the slaves try to escape from their captivity and try to free themselves by getting out of the wooden gate.
Eunsom is able to take an old man on his back to the place where they dump bodies. I am not sure who this halbae old man is. Eunsom looks at all the dead decomposing bodies and thinks.
Meanwhile, guards go to a village who looks stunned to see them.
Elsewhere, other men go to the location where all the bodies are dumped in order to find Eunsom. Eunsom and the old man are hiding and breathing underwater by using two hay sticks as breathing tubes. When the men leave, Eunsom and the old man come out.
*Missed what the old man tells Eunsom*
Cut back to the elders meetings with the priests. All these priests are not part of the direct line, so Tanya is ahead of them all.
Tanya walks all the way to the front with Tagon, and sits on the throne with him. though she is hesitant so her bodyguard person helps her to the front.
TG – A long long time ago, the priestess came here who was prepared by the gods.
TY – I am the direct line by the mother god. I came back to my right home. We must have a ceremony.
#4
tanya givs a look to Tagon and then tells everyone what the need to do for a ceremony. It looks like her and Tagon planned this together. tanya tells them that they need to go to the mountain to plan for the ceremony. This means that the other head priest needs to head to the mountains. This priest thinks that tagon will trap him there, but he keeps his thoughts to himself and says he will go.
They keep talking about the ceremony, they need to bring all her tribe people here. But one of the men says that those people are trouble makers. Tagon says that it was their own fault because they violated the priestesses/gods will. Tagon says that the white mountains heart, where the gods serve, well they have the god here so the others need to find where they belong (or something similar).
Taelha speaks up and says that this will be a big celebration because they have the decendant here. Please let us celebrate for 7 days. tagon says he will and she tells him to keep his promise.
In an office, Tanya asks what the promise is? The guards sees Saya and remembers Eunsom’s face. So it looks like he recognizes him a bit. tagon starts to tell Tanya that his soldiers are working on it a bit. She tells him that hse wants to free all the poeple that are going to dodambul.
Tagon tells her that she does not need his permision anymore for those tiny things. Then he nods to the masked man and the masked man heads to the door. He lets in Moobaek. Moobaek kneels and tells tanya that it is his honor to see him. Tanya remembers that Moobaek is the one that rescued Eunsom.
Tanya is confused, how did he make them slaves but also rescue Eunsom?
Tagon tells Tanya to give Moobaek orders, herself. So she walks to Moobaek and tells him that her people are slaves in a certain area, bring them here. He says he will bring the fastest horse. He stands to leave, but then he sees Saya, he recognizes him as well.
tagon tells them all that Moobaek just took the order, he also took you from that place so he scored. Moobaek ends up leaving quietly but he wonders what is going on. Is this eunsom or is this a look a like?
Tanya leaves and goes to her new room, which is fabulous. She has several servants who are dressed in all white and wonderful furniture and garments all around. they tell her that she is the rightful owner of this place so she has to wear the proper clothing. They start to give her silk to wear.
But tanya tells them that she wants to see Moobaek.
Meanwhile, Moobaek wonders if that guy is Eunsom or not, as he walks around his guard area. He tells one of his guards that they have to send their fastest soldier to a that area. He tells the guard to bring that guy as well. (but we dont know who that guy is).
——-dramamilk.com——-
#5
Elsewhere, we see that some of Tanya’s people have successfully escaped. they are all starting to gather around a mountain cave area.
Eunsom walks up with the halbae which gets everyones attention. they all run to him in happiness and then talk about who escaped and who was caught. Eunsom tells them that he is going back to rescue their people who did not escape. They start to look around and wonder where Ipsang is?
Cut to Ipsang still pretending like he is dead, lol. He is still all wrapped up in the straw rug. But he can’t really escape right now because guards are still all around.
The guards find out who all escaped and who all died when a man is brought back who escaped. They say that they will torture him for helping rescue the others.
Ipsang gets out of his hiding spot and starts to crawl to a location in order to retrieve a bag. But it looks like the bag fell into a huge hole or something? That bag might have had money in it. He curses quietly and starts to head out.
So, Ipsang sneaks around the different tents and buildings until he sees someone being tortured in a building. Dalsae is being tortured in one of the buildings. Then another man is brought in to be tortured.
Ipsang is able to run around the building and to the woods, but is stopped by Eunsom and one of the other escaped guys. Ipsang asks them why they are back? Eunsom says he needs to rescue his people. Eunsom is all like, okay, you do that. But then he says that maybe they can rescue them together.
So the three go to that small building and start to devise a plan to rescue their people. They are able to take out a guard and make it into the room. But their look out starts to whistle when another guard approaches. Their time is running out!
Eunsom hides as the man comes in to continue with the torture. The guard tells the man to tell him that he is poop, the man says it, but the guard still tortures him with a hot rod. This sends Eunsom into a memory.
——-dramamilk.com——-
#6
Meanwhile, the other guards decide to form a chase team to find the other escaped prisoners.
In the torture room, the guards leaves which allows Eunsom to untie his friend. the friend is unable to walk on his own, so eunsom helps him walk out and gives one last look at the guard who is being tortured.
While walking away, one of the men asks what happened to his gemstones. Where are my gems! Another man says that someone else took them. But Ipsang thinks that he is lying and asks where the gems are. He will cure him if he tells him.
But the man just goes to sleep or passes out. the others think that they should leave, they are too close to the base right now. So they all start to walk away. But they leave this man here. Eunsom goes up to this man and asks if that other guy took the gem from him? Really? Is the gem that important? You will die here.
The man says that this gem gives you power. The people following you are power. When you have the gems, you can buy swords, slaves, or whatever. I can have them all as my followers. It does not matter if you can fight well. Artharon is ruling the ocuntry, not Moobaek. Power is decided by how many people you have, you idiot.
Eunsom starts to walk away. The man asks him why they took him out? (Maybe this is the guy that was being tortured to? Not sure). Eunsom tells him that if he survives he should know that his life is being given to him by a dirty egot.
He leaves and goes to be with his other escaped comrades. There are only 4 of them now. Ipsang is upset about the promise that was broken and sulks.They basically tell him to snap out of it and tell him that he needs to go to a certain tribe because he speaks their language. So Ipsang and Eunsom leave to go to this other tribe.
Meanwhile, back at the guard area, the guards are super upset that the others escaped.
Elsewhere, Eunsom and Ipsang try to survive a sudden snow storm as they walk the mountain. Ipsang says that it will be hard to pass this mountain because of the tribe. Eunsom asks him if he is really part of that tribe or not? You aren’t are you? No one talks about their own tribe like that. So, it appears that Ipsang is a liar.
They stay together though and have to huddle together for warmth as the snow gets deeper. Eunsom tells him not to fall to sleep. To stay awake, they talk to each other about the different gods. One is a god of justice and another is a waterfall that you can jump into. But it is cold so Ipsang wonders if he thinks they will survive the night.
In the palace, Moobaek and tanya talk. Moobaek tells her that he will summarize something for her.
Then we cut to him talking to the masked guard. he says that tanya does not know what is going on and thinks that these two are twins. But they believe that Eunsom is dead.
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#7
Elsewhere, several guards are having a good old time in a tavern as they arm wrestle each other and drink. They say that it is a good day because the god came back. But one of the guards is upset about something and asks if one of these guys is wahan? Is wahan here? The other man does not know.
Then a different man comes in that commands everyones attention. This man takes one of the guards out and tells him to go to the high priest church.
Scene change to tanya being reunited with her tribe people. it is a happy reunion as they find out that she is a high priest now. then that guard comes in, it looks like he is also part of their tribe. they are happy to see him, so it is a big reunion. But this gueard is actually a betrayer. tanya says that everyone who went to that place is coming back. Everyone is happy about this except for the guard.
We start to see people awlking in slowly and being reunited with tanya and the others. Saya looks on with the other people in white.
Meanwhile, another guard is thinking about how Tanya told him that his heart will be taken on on the crescent moon. He drinks as he thinks about it. He is alone with his alcohol when Moobaek comes in. They start to talk about how they will use her and abandon her, when they abandon her then I will cut her throat. he thinks all this is staged and none of this is true.
Cut to Tanya talking to Yolson, who is an elder in their tribe. He says that he likes observing things and making things. She tells him that is good, he is not a slave anymore, so be confident. But she also wants to tell him something….Eunsom is alive. And, asadal has Eunsoms twin, so don’t recognize him. Tell all the waham people also.
In the mountains, we see that Eunsom and Ipsang survived the cold night. They start to walk on again. But Ipsang is having a hard time continuing, he thinks he can’t move anymore. Eunsom tells him to get up, they have to go.
Up ahead, a woman talks to another woman in a shed like house about what they are doing in the mountains. One of the women says that she cannot leave, she promised satunik that they will meet here. But you do not need to visit me anymore. She looks off and sees a baby playing on the floor. the other woman also has a man behind her, maybe a guard or her husband.
But then there is a commotion outside. We see that Eunsum and Ipsang have arived at this village, but the guards have them at sword point. However, Ipsang cannot speak the language well, he says it has been awhile. So Eunsum says, satunik. that makes the woman come out and starts to talk to Eunsom
So Eunsum and Ipsang are saved and given something hot to drink inside.
The two women talk outside about how she does not have to wait anymore. But things look a bit sinister with two of the men who look like they are guards.
Inside, Ipsang and Eunsum eat lots of meat happily and wonder who these people are. they told the women that satunik died with a contagious disease. But if they told them what really happened then these people would want to avenge his death.
Ipsang goes to the baby playing and starts to happily talk to him. He asks the baby if that woman with the fur clothing is his mother? Are you nodding? Yeah, that is your mom! He walks back to the table and starts to wonder what shabara is.
In the woods, we see guards walking through the snow on their way to the house.
Back at the house, the woman in fur comes back inside. Ipsang talks to her and says that they are not from asadal. She asks Eunsom if he is an egot? He says that it is okay. She speaks to him in his language, which is Korean, but she is not fluid in it. She tells them that she owes them big. He says it is okay. But she says that he is speaking too fast, she is not fluid in his language yet.
The woman gives them a medallion for their troubles.
——-dramamilk.com——-
#8
Later on, Eunsom and Ipsang sleep there for the night. Ipsang is happy with the medallion and says that it is a medallion of the momo tribe. So any momo people that see this medallion will help us. it is a big thing!
Eunsom asks them if they all have water on their waste? Ipsang says that it is not water. hen he says that they should sell this. But Eunsom says that they all have to use this together. Ipsang thinks they should share it together, they did all the work. Eunsom wonders how someone can think like him. He did not grow up that way.
He does not know why the world taught them different things and put them together. Both are pretty frustrated and try to sleep.
Outside, the guards say that they are sleeping.
Inside, Ipsang is not sleeping, he wakes up and starts to get ready to head out. he makes sure that Eunsum is asleep and then tries to steal the medallion. he is able to take it away from Eunsom and starts to sneak out.
IS – (That dumb egot, you live your life like that. Ugh, you idiot will die regretting your way. With no money, they all will die.)
He heads out. But then he stops when he sees the guards all moving around outside. then he sees someone get their neck sliced. Ipsang holds his mouth to keep rfrom screaming and starts to watch these men raid the house. He thinks about telling Eunsom but then decides to run out.
But Eunsom is already awake and sneaks out of his room. He sees one of the woman who is dying. The woman tells Eunsom to please rescue Shabara.
#9
Ipsang looks at the medallion in the forest and curses his luck. We also see the other woman running through the forest with the baby. But she is surrounded by the other guards. She has a sword and holds it out to them as she tells them, how dare you try to harm my son!
She starts to fight them but gets injured. Eunsom makes it to her and takes her baby. He also helps her run away, so they both start to run away together. The guards continue to chase them.
But Eunsum and the woman are able to hide to et away from them. The cover of night helps them as well.
However, the mother is injured. Her arm is sliced open so Eunsom has to improvise a tourniquet. he makes one from his own clothing and nicely wraps it around her arm. Then he starts to do some other things and starts to talk to the woman. He tells her that he will lead the men that way. When I go that way, you go this way. Okay?
He speak slowly so that she can understand his language. While walking away, she sees his birthmark on his back.
He finds the guards and holds a bunch of cloth that looks like a fake baby (so that is what he was doing). With that fake baby, he starts to lead the guards away.
Meanwhile, more guards get to the winter building and wonder what happened there.
Later on, the sun starts to come up and Eunsom finds Ipsang. He asks him how he can steal that medallion and see them invading and not help. Ipsang is all like yes, I wanted to tell you, but, don’t kill me!
In the winter building, the woman that was injured is not dead. She starts to talk to these new guards who ask her what happened.
The woman with the baby starts to ride in on the horse and talk to everyone.
Woman – Asadal general, what is up?
General – We are looking for a person, we do not want to fight the Momo.
Woman – Then leave
General – Lets go.
the woman is the chief of all the Momo and decides to kill all those that attacked them. Her men cut off the attackers heads.
Woman – Momo warriors born in water! Momo’s chief Mikarika recieved a big favor from a man that rescued the future shabara (chief). But, I shamefully do not know his name or anything. The thing I know about him is that he has purple lips and this make on his back! (she shows the mark on a flag). Lets go until our sons of our sons die, we will find this man and repay him!
She takes out her sword and cuts her hand with it.
Woman – We give an oath with our blood. That unkown man, we will repay his favor! From until that day, until we repay his favor, this is our flag!
A man starts to swing the new flag that has Eunsom’s mark on it.
In the woods, Ipsang asks if Eunsom ate his clothing because he was so hungry. Eunsom tells him to shut up.
Fade Out
——-dramamilk.com——-
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COMMENTS
Okay, so many questions. If anyone knows what is going on, then please explain it in the comments. Whatever is shared is cherished by us because we are still trying to figure it all out.
Things I enjoy. I really like that this is a complete fantasy. They went all out with the names, locations, architecture, and outfits to make this a fantasy world that feels removed from Korea. I appreciate that because it is something different for dramas! So, I want to support this show because of that.
Now for the things that I just don’t understand. I don’t understand these things mainly because I missed a lot of episodes in the first two seasons. For one, there are so many characters that are hard to keep track off. Though I commend them for having very different sounding names, that also makes it hard to know who a character is because I am getting used to the name right along with the person. In that regard, it is similar to Game of Thrones because Game of Thrones also had a lot of characters and a lot of names to get used to.
I think that is where the comparison with Game of Thrones ends though. This fantasy seems completely original in that it pulls from Korean lore and adds its own spin on things. Because it is pulling from Korean lore, you would think that it would be easier to understand for people who kind of know Korean folktales and traditional stories. But this story is actually hard to understand in the opening. I actually think that was more due to directorial decisions instead of writerly ones. The writer seems to know her story well, so I think the writer and the director need to communicate a bit more in order to add simple things like “this part is a flashback, so make the image grainy,” or “This part happens two years in the future so be sure to put a time stamp on the screen,” or, “This woman-chief is going to show up with horses and a flag depicting Eunsoms mark, but the last time we saw her she was hiding in the woods with a baby, so we need to show her meeting up with her people before this happens.” Things like that will really help with establishing time.
With all that said, I am into the story! It is a hard story to recap due to all the names and locations and people hopping in and out, but the story itself is interesting because I want the Egot people to rule all these humans and therefore “win” in the end.
PREVIEW
TG – Kneel
VO – E, Tagon
VO – My dream last night…
TY – Do you ever wonder about your real parents real siblings?
VO – I am really sorry, father!
ES – Put down your sword!
IS – Why did you do it? Why did you come back to rescue someone like me!
VO – A bigger disaster will come to Asadal
TG – That is the way, we could not move forward without drawing blood.
KDRAMA ARTHDAL CHRONICLES CHARACTER CHART
Thank you for the summary and recap Drama Milk!
Thank you for the recap. It was nice to have this drama back after a full 6 week wait. Though Hotel Del Luna was nice to have in the break ☺️. I’m glad y’all are back to recapping more regularly! Happy you took a summer break, but then I realized how much I missed y’all 😘
Awesome recap – more so as you did it without watching the previous episodes. Thanks for starting with Arthdal- great cast and director and writers! Here for Song Joong Ki ❤️
Author
Thank you, Valentina! We tried hard at it 🙂
Please is the last season or episode out? I stopped at season 7 and the final episode was when Tanya crowned Tagon the king and after the coronation, Tagon planned to go and attack the Ago tribe which is where Eunseom is ! …… What later happened? Who have watched the complete season?