Kingdom: 5 Things That Set It Apart From Other Zombie Shows (& 5 Commonalities)

The South Korean Netflix series Kingdom has been described as Game of Thrones meets The Walking Dead by western audiences. However, there is far more to the show than these comparisons. Zombies were never an unknown in Asian culture, and Kingdom has set itself apart from the zombie genre in many ways through exploring Korean history and folklore. With two thrilling seasons, fans are still waiting for news about season 3.

But while there is much more that make the series unique, there are also plenty of tropes that both horror and zombie fans will find familiar.

Note: Spoilers ahead.

10 Unique: Inspired By Chinese Jiangshi Lore

The zombies of Kingdom actually have more in common with Jiangshi than the western undead. Jiangshi are known as “hopping vampires” that hide in caves during the day and come out at night. This is just what the zombies do in Kingdom, which is later elaborated upon with the zombies being active in the cold and inactive in the heat.

Also, they run rather than slowly walk. This is more like the hopping vampire rather than the slow-moving undead of The Walking Dead.

9 Commonality: Zombies Exaggerate Class Conflict

All genres that involve disaster, whether natural or supernatural, exaggerate the flaws of humankind. One of those flaws is the separation of class — the theory that the rich will use the poor as meat shields against oncoming threats and the poor will know far more about survival than their rich counterparts, who are used to lives of luxury.

All of this is common in the zombie genre, and is quite true to Kingdom. The main character is an exiled prince who has a viewpoint of both classes and how they are constantly at odds with one another in how to handle the threat of a supernatural foe.

8 Unique: Not In Modern Times

Kingdom takes place in Korea’s Joseon period, three years after the Japanese invaded. The show expertly reflects these times in its fashions, methods of fighting zombies, politics, and in its characters’ backgrounds. This certainly sets it apart from other zombie shows and movies, as it’s very typical for them to take place in modern times. With the Joseon period, characters have to fight the zombies with swords, arrows, and old, old guns.

Due to the time period, politics is a focus that makes sense in Kingdom, as the Joseon period is commonly used in Korean political dramas. There is a lot for the writers to work with.

7 Commonality: The Real Monster Is Man

Every zombie fan worth their salt knows that the real monster of these stories is man itself. The zombies are there to break down the structures that keep people in line. Once chaos reigns, people show their true selfish or selfless nature.

This is true in Kingdom as well. While zombies are doing a ton of damage, villains rise up and care more about keeping their power than helping those who are suffering.

6 Unique: A Cure Is Discovered

It is a rare scenario for a cure to the zombie outbreak to actually be discovered, let alone for it to be so simple. The idea is that there is a rare plant that can bring the dead back to life. However, the reality is that the plant is in an environment in which a supernatural insect lays its eggs. The worms are the cause of the zombie condition.

So not only is the cause discovered, a cure follows. It is water, as the worms leave the body if it is submerged. But will it be that simple? Only a season 3 will let fans know.

5 Commonality: It Is Spread Through A Bite

If you get bit, you are going to quickly become a zombie. It is the most basic of zombie rules, and Kingdom follows through with it. There is another point at which people unknowingly cannibalize on an infected person, and they all get infected as well.

So far, there hasn’t been a Walking Dead scenario where a character cuts off the bitten limb. However, when the cure is discovered, submerging the bite in water should prevent one from turning.

4 Unique: Society Remains Intact

In Kingdom, life is still going on. There isn’t a big-time leap to an apocalyptic world; while the outbreak is happening, society is still intact. People still shop, follow laws, and do their jobs. The government hasn’t gone silent either.

The story has a major focus on the politics, so of course society hasn’t fallen.

3 Commonality: Must Destroy The Brain

Just like how it spreads from a bite, the shoot ’em in the head sort of rule is incredibly common. Since the zombies are already dead, no injury will suffice except destroying the brain itself.

Due to Kingdom‘s time period, the characters do have an extra challenge, having no access to modern guns. The old guns they use take a long time to reload, which makes the fight scenes even more intense.

2 Unique:  It’s A Sageuk Mixed With The Zombie Genre

Western audiences who compare the series to Game of Thrones often are doing so because they don’t know about sageuk. Sageuk are Korean historical dramas. They are quite popular and deeply tied to Korean culture as they have been made into film since the 1920s.

All the political intrigue and drama that comes from Kingdom is right on the sageuk brand. Mixing it with the zombie genre is quite unique and is likely introducing zombie fans to sageuk and vice versa.

1 Commonality: The Outbreak Was Human-Made

In western video games and film, zombie outbreaks are typically human-made. It is the whole playing god scenario gone wrong. Kingdom‘s zombie outbreak may be supernatural, but it was still human-made. The entire situation began with people trying to bring the emperor back to life through the research and study of the magical plant that can resurrect the dead.

About The Author