Dear Hongrang ending explained: 7 burning questions answered in Lee Jae Wook and Jo Bo Ah story finale

Indian Express

21-05-2025

Lee Jae Wook and Jo Bo Ah's Dear Hongrang, despite its lukewarm ratings, has stirred up enough noise on Netflix to pull viewers into its historical-fantasy story of Hong Rang and Jae Yi, while leaving a trail of chaos and questions behind. Was it a happy ending? Who died? Are they siblings or lovers? And what about Mu Jin? Sure, the makers didn't keep us hanging by dropping all 11 episodes in one go, but there are still loose ends that need to be answered, especially since the series wrapped on a bittersweet note (or downright tragic).
The story kicks off with the disappearance of the only son from Joseon's wealthiest merchant family, and what follows is his half-sister risking it all to bring him back, only to clash with a stranger claiming to be Hong Rang. She's not buying it, but somehow, the family is. The series throws in a time jump, a romantic arc, and long, beautifully chaotic battle scenes. So here we are, breaking it down for you. Spoilers ahead—this is your last chance to look away if you're not caught up.
Jae Yi is on a mission to find her long-lost half-brother, who disappeared at the age of 12. By episode three, it's clear that Lee Jae Wook, who bears the same scars and habits as Hong Rang, isn't her brother, but a soul reaper planted in the wealthy merchant family to take the Min family down. But Jae Wook isn't just a pawn. His backstory is brutal. Once a lowly slave to a powerful family, he was captured by Prince Han Pyeong and turned into a living 'talisman.' After escaping, he was caught by Kkot Nim, leader of Geomgyedan, who gave him a new identity and trained him to replace Hong Rang. She wanted to avenge the death of her unborn child, killed by the Min family.
Also read: Dear Hongrang Review: K-trauma hits again as Jo Bo Ah–Lee Jae Wook follow Netflix's heartbreak streak post Twenty Five Twenty One
After capturing In Hoe, Han Pyeong also kidnaps Jae Yi to lure Soul Reaper, aka Hong Rang, into his trap. On the other hand, Hong Rang, who promised Jae Yi to free Hoe In and not let the prince succeed in his evil intention, gets startled and filled with rage. He attacks the palace even in his unhealthy state, but fails to save his close friend. However, Jae Yi gets saved, along with the other kids captured by the prince.
Now, coming to the next question, who is Snow Man? He was often sighted on crime spots, whether a kidnapping or taking the body back. The identity of white-bearded, pale-looking man of towering height remained a mystery till the end in episode 10 when Hong Rang kills him, but it is clear that he was mortal. On the other hand, Painter is none other than the evil prince himself, whom Jae Yi's father kept supporting with money. Based on the 2021 novel Tangeum: Swallowing Gold by Jang Da Hye, the story introduces this character as someone who used toxic substances to hurt kids, and Hong Rang was one of the victims.
No, Hong Rang is dead. In the initial episode, it was made clear that a maid witnessed Hong Rang's disappearance, and the Soul Reaper who falls for Jae Yi couldn't lie to her anymore, so he reveals the place where Hong Rang's body was buried, and Jae Yi gets closure. However, the maid later describes what she saw years ago — during Jae Yi's mother's funeral, her stepmother tried black magic on her and contacted a shaman. However, Hong Rang, who saw it all, later slipped from the roof while trying to stop the ritual. The shaman, in turn, asked the servant to throw the boy's still-breathing body. Later, it was discovered that the shaman Gwigokja was also seeking revenge from Hong Rang's mother, who, years before, had got her mother killed.
Also read: Dear Hongrang star Jo Bo Ah reveals nickname she gave to Lee Jae Wook, shares why she keeps distance from male co-stars
There are battle scenes with Hong Rang and Jae Yi against the world, the duo has clearly fallen for each other. The last scene is open for interpretation, but on the surface, we cannot say they end up together. When Hong Rang was captured by the prince in his childhood, Jae Yi's father, Sim Yeol Guk, applied toxic chemicals on his body, alum and arsenic. Years later, after succeeding in his mission, there is no happy ending for the Soul Reaper, whose organs begin to shut down because of the reaction from those chemicals. His health worsens, and though he promised to return to Jae Yi after killing the prince, he only returns to die in her arms.
The show takes a 2-year time jump, showing Jae Yi as the Min family head. She still takes care of her stepmother and is clearly lonely and suffering from the loss of her loved ones. In the final moment, she hears a whisper, Soul Reaper's voice, and says, 'There you are,' while smiling, giving us the impression that they may have met in the afterlife or imagination.
Many were rooting for Mu Jin, played by Jung Ga Ram, to end up with the female lead if Soul Reaper succumbed to injury, given that he always yearned for her despite Jae Yi clearly drawing a sibling boundary. But in the end, Mu Jin, the adopted son of the Min family, trained to replace Hong Rang, sacrifices himself for his love, trying to shield her from the final blow of the crown prince's men.
Hong Rang kills Crown Prince Han Pyeong, starting with chopping off his arms, the same arms that caused so much pain to his victims. The prince tries to trap Hong Rang again after realising he is his 7th living talisman who escaped from his trap, and that sacrificing him in his adult form would make him holy. 'My search for greatness is not driven by selfish aspirations or avarice,' he said in the penultimate episode. 'Rather, it is my fervent zeal for all people. I must become a deity. Only then will this country and the entire world achieve serenity.' But in the finale, Hong Rang kills him, calling him an 'idiot.' 'You were simply a grotesque madman. A mere nobody, bound by a vain delusion in hopes of becoming someone.'