Kingdom: Ashin of the North (2021) ❄️🧟‍♂️

❄️ Vengeance in the Frozen Wilds


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Lets start by showing y’all the trailers shall we?

Trailers 🎥

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Non-Spoiler Plot Overview

Ashin of the North isn’t the thrill-ride zombie fest of the main Kingdom series. Instead, it’s a brooding, tragic prequel that dives into the icy wilderness of the north. We follow Ashin (Kim Si-a as a child / Jun Ji-hyun as an adult), a woman who suffers betrayal, massacre, and loss, all of which transform her into a figure driven by vengeance. Alongside her tragedy is the deeper exploration of the resurrection plant — the root of the zombie plague that defines Kingdom.


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Character Rundown

Ashin (Jun Ji-hyun) – The heart of the film. From neglected outsider to hardened vengeance incarnate, her transformation is both tragic and terrifying.

Young Ashin (Kim Si-a) – Sets the emotional foundation; innocence before the spiral into grief.

Border Soldiers & Ministers – Corruption, betrayal, and cruelty personified. More archetypes than people, but essential to Ashin’s downfall.


This is very much a one-woman show — every frame belongs to Ashin.


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Pacing / Flow

⚠️ Slow burn alert. The runtime leans heavily on atmosphere, grief, and isolation. Zombies only appear in bursts, but when they do, they’re savage and unforgettable. Expect stretches of silence punctuated by horror.


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Pros ✅

Lore Expansion – Finally explains the origins of the resurrection plant.

Jun Ji-hyun’s Performance – Intense, commanding, unforgettable.

Atmosphere – The snowy landscapes, muted colors, and barren villages create a haunting tone.

Zombie Moments – Sparing but vicious, cementing why Kingdom zombies are terrifying.



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Cons ❌

Pacing Issues – Sometimes drags under the weight of its tragedy.

Predictable Arc – Once you realize this is a revenge tale, you can see the ending coming.

Sparse Zombie Action – Fans hoping for Kingdom’s relentless chaos might be underwhelmed.



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Final Thoughts 🎭

This isn’t a film about hope — it’s a film about rot, vengeance, and inevitability. As a piece of the Kingdom puzzle, it’s invaluable, expanding the mythology and giving us one of the saga’s most tragic figures. As a standalone, it’s cold, heavy, and not for everyone.

Rating: 8/10


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Spoiler Warning ⚠️

Full spoilers ahead.


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Spoilers 🩸

Ashin’s life is destroyed early: her father is betrayed and sent on a suicide mission by border soldiers, and her entire village is massacred. Alone, she discovers the resurrection plant. First, she tests it on her dying mother. Later, on corpses from her village.

By adulthood, she has mastered the plant’s power and raised an undead army. Her vengeance is merciless: she uses zombies as a weapon against those who betrayed her, wiping them out in one of the bleakest climaxes in the franchise.

The horrifying twist? Ashin herself becomes the harbinger of the plague. She isn’t trying to save anyone; she’s burning it all down. The Kingdom outbreak, as we know it, begins with her wrath. ❄️🩸


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👉 Ashin of the North shows us that the end of Joseon didn’t begin with politics — it began with one woman’s grief and vengeance made flesh.