'My Royal Nemesis' Ending Explained, How Did 'Shin Seo Ri', 'Cha Se Gye' Break The Time Loop Curse?

My Royal Nemesis was one of the most anticipated fantasy rom-com Korean dramas of 2026. After 14 episodes, the series successfully wrapped up on June 20, 2026. For those unaware, the show stars Lim Ji Yeon and Heo Nam Jun in lead roles. Now, if you are wondering about how My Royal Nemesis ended, we have got you covered. 

(Spoilers ahead.)

What is the biggest plot twist of My Royal Nemesis?

Most viewers believed that My Royal Nemesis was a normal soul swap story. However, it is only near the end that we realise ‘Shin Seo Ri' isn't just a modern-day woman whose body was taken over by a ghost from the past. Instead, in a shocking twist, it is revealed that when ‘Seo Ri' was just a child, she almost ended up dead by drowning after a tragic family suicide attempt. This was the exact moment that her soul was sent back 300 years in time, leading her to wake up in the Joseon era as ‘Kang Dan Shim.' 

Later, when ‘Dan Shin' is executed by poison, she does not truly die as her soul snaps back into her original, modern body in the present day. However, due to the trauma, she ends up with fragmented memories and identity confusion, still believing that she was the Joseon concubine only. This twist is one of the best that we have seen in the ‘time travel/soul swapping’ genre, at least when it comes to K-dramas. 

What happens in the last episode of My Royal Nemesis?

The story of My Royal Nemesis reaches its climax when ‘Choi Mun Do,’ the modern-day antagonist, hires a person to stab ‘Cha Se Gye.' In the same moment, a shaman named ‘Bo Sal' reveals the crushing cosmic truth that ‘Seo Ri' and ‘Se Gye' are not only bound to each other across time but are also trapped in a loop. 

Since ‘Se Gye's' past-life self, ‘Prince Cheong Heon,’ was murdered in the Joseon era several centuries ago, now, in 2026, the same tragedy was bound to repeat once again. To stop ‘Se Gye' from dying in the hospital room, ‘Seo Ri' needs to send her consciousness back to the past to change what happened and save him. However, this would leave ‘Seo Ri's' modern body in an irreversible coma. Irrespective of the consequences, she decides to save him without hesitation. 

Waking up 300 years in the past, ‘Seo Ri' finds herself in the exact moment where everything went wrong. Originally, as per the history books, concubine, ‘Kang Dan Shim' was manipulated into letting ‘Prince Cheong Heon' be assassinated. This time, ‘Seo Ri' rewrites history by taking a flying arrow that was meant for the Prince as they both plunge into a river. They both end up surviving, and the single move made by ‘Seo Ri' shatters the centuries-old cycle of betrayal and death. 

'Seo Ri's' action also has a ripple effect on the present day as ‘Cha Se Gye' miraculously survives his stab wound. However, just as the shaman had initially predicted, ‘Seo Ri's' modern body is left in a coma. Feeling broken-hearted, ‘Se Gye' visits a museum where he lays eyes on an ancient painting linked to his past life. Upon touching it, all his past life memories and emotions flow back to him, and he realises how they had been loving, losing, and searching for each other through multiple lifetimes. 

My Royal Nemesis ending explained 

My Royal Nemesis successfully pulls off a happy ending in both the modern world and the past world. It was the main characters’ willingness to sacrifice everything that made it possible to break the cycle. In 2026, ‘Seo Ri' comes out of her coma and with the curse officially broken, she gets to reunite with ‘Se Gye', and they build a normal life together. While ‘Seo Ri' returns to acting, ‘Se Gye' goes back to running his company. Back in the Joseon era, the original ‘Kang Dan Shim' returns to her body and gets a clean start. She is no longer the evil court villainess, making it possible for her to live a more peaceful life with ‘Prince Cheong Heon.'

PC: My Royal Nemesis/Netflix

What are your thoughts on the ending of My Royal Nemesis?

Also read: 'Colony' Ending Explained, Fate Of 'Seo Young' Revealed As 'Se Jeong' Outsmarts The Hive Mind

AWESOME NEWS! Now you can download BollywoodShaadis app and never miss a story. Get App

AWESOME NEWS! Now you can download BollywoodShaadis app and never miss a story. Choose your device Android or IOS (Apple)