Fans of the South Korean zombie horror drama Kingdom may not have official confirmation that Season 3 has received the green light, but the one-off special, Kingdom: Ashin of the North, makes a strong claim for a third season.
Ashin of the North is a prequel of sorts – an origin story for the mysterious stranger that appears at the end of Season 2, who was set up to be a pivotal character moving forward.
The mysterious titular character Ashin (Gianna Jun Ji-hyun) was presumed to be spreading the growth of the enigmatic saengsacho herb, believed to be the catalyst for zombification at the conclusion of Season 2.
Ashin of the North looks set to be the perfect medium for lore building, revealing details of the plague’s origin and helping audiences understand Ashin’s motivations in the supposed Season 3.
The trailer reveals a tale of Ashin’s tragic loss as a child, which triggers her to devote her life to revenge. It also teased that she chanced upon the herb as a child and presumably learnt how to use it to her advantage.
But the tastiest detail has got to be the revelation that Min Chi-rok, the head of the Royal Commandery and one of the prince’s trusted aides, had been approached by Ashin for help when she was a child. The fact that he turned her down could well have been the straw that broke the camel’s back and makes for a potentially explosive reunion in future.
Catch Kingdom: Ashin of the North on Netflix tomorrow, 23 July 2021.
