The Great Queen Seondeok Ep 1 May 2026
★★★★★ (5/5) Where to watch: Currently available on Netflix, Viki, and Kocowa (region dependent).
Here, the show introduces its core conflict: The King’s chief advisor, Lord Seolji, reminds the court of the prophecy: “Heaven does not grant two suns in the same sky. If the second is a girl, Silla will face a storm.”
When discussing the golden age of Korean historical dramas (sageuk), one title stands as a towering pillar of the genre: Queen Seondeok (선덕여왕). Premiering in 2009 on MBC, this 62-episode epic captured the hearts of millions across Asia. But every legend has a beginning, and the foundation of this masterpiece was laid with breathtaking precision in its very first episode. the great queen seondeok ep 1
If you love Game of Thrones but wish it had more heart (and less gratuitous violence), this is your show. The prophecy of the twin queens—Cheonmyeong (the good sun) and Deokman (the hidden sun)—is just beginning.
As Sohwa flees through the rain-soaked forests, the episode cuts between the crying baby and the grieving queen. The cinematography is stark—the warm, golden interior of the palace contrasts violently with the cold, blue, muddy exterior of the escape. ★★★★★ (5/5) Where to watch: Currently available on
When the second baby girl is born (Princess Deokman, the future Queen Seondeok), her mother’s first reaction is fear, not love. To save her daughter from being killed by the nobility, Queen Maya makes a heart-wrenching decision. In one of the most emotional sequences of the pilot, the queen orders a loyal court lady, Lady Sohwa , to take the infant Deokman out of the palace under the cover of night. The baby is wrapped in a royal blanket, and Lady Sohwa is given one instruction: "Run. Do not let anyone know she is royal. Let her live as a commoner."
Why does this matter? Because Lee Hwa-don’s dying words—whispered to a young boy (who will grow up to be the famous general Kim Yushin )—set the entire plot in motion: "Find the lost princess. She will be the sword of Silla." Perhaps the most famous scene of Episode 1 occurs when Lady Sohwa, exhausted and starving, arrives at a monastery in the middle of nowhere. The monk asks her the child’s name. She has no name. The monk looks at a blooming yellow chrysanthemum. Premiering in 2009 on MBC, this 62-episode epic
When the first child emerges—a healthy princess named Cheonmyeong (Heavenly Light)—the court sighs in relief. But the labor is not over. A second child is coming.