Despite the mixed reactions of the audience towards Arthdal Chronicles season 1, season 2 of the show remains highly anticipated. Since the seasons are set four years apart, there are certainly a lot of gaps in our memory that need to be filled or refreshed. This will also be helpful for those who haven’t seen season 1 to begin with. For the latter group, if you don’t plan on catching up with the 18 episodes of season 1 and want to watch season 2 with an independent perspective, this will fill you in on the details so that you aren’t confused at critical points in the show.
We will start with the horse that we saw in episodes 1 and 2 of Arthdal Chronicles Season 2. It was called the Kanmoreu, and only Aramun Haesulla, who is the God of Unity and Harmony, can ride it. Tagon had proclaimed himself as that, as he was the one who wanted to bring all the tribes together under Arthdal and be its undisputed ruler. Therefore, it made sense to market himself that way, and it fit right in with the goals he had for himself and the country he wanted to form. But the fact that it is Eunseom who can ride the horse is a direct contradiction to Tagon’s ambitions and questions the nature of the prophecy.
Now that we have mentioned it, we were told right at the beginning of season 2 that the trio of Saya, Tanya, and Eunseom would destroy the land. But we also need to remember that Tanya is supposed to be the one who starts a new nation. Therefore, the destruction of Arthdal might just mean the start of a new way of life. Additionally, Saya and Eunseom are twins who were separated at birth. They are both half-bloods, also known as Igutu, born between the people of Arthdal and the Neanthals. This is what gives Saya and Eunseom purple blood. It must also be noted that the Neanthals were heavily discriminated against and thought of as extinct, but they came back eventually. Neanthals are known for their strength and keen senses, but due to the bias against them, they have always lived on the fringes, and the Igutu try their best to hide their parentage. Even Tagon is Igutu, but only Eunsoem, Saya, and Taelha know about this. As for Eunseom, other than his extraordinary speed and strength, he can also talk to animals.
After his father passed away, Saya was found by Tagon and raised by him and Taelha. This is why he is considered a contender for the throne because of his upbringing. Saya has spent most of his life confined to a room, but that has not stopped his cunning and manipulative nature. Eventually, he falls in love with Tanya and is highly jealous of Eunseom since she is in love with him. He works his way to becoming a powerful member of the court, and that threatens the queen most of all since the animosity between them only festered due to her obsession with power and strength and Saya’s need for revenge.
Coming to Taelha, she is not a native of Arthdal. Her tribe came from far away, and their community worked with a very scientific bent of mind. Taelha knew the power of science, but despite being a master of it herself, she preferred to head the scientists for more power than work on it herself.
Finally, there is Tanya. She is shown as a smart girl, and though she comes from a land of peace (the Wahan Tribe), she understands the importance and influence of violence but knows how to be prudent with it. She was destined to be the “spiritual mother” of the land, and she can see what happens in the past and the future. The interesting thing about this is that the people of Arthdal, known as Saram, do not have dreams. But Tanya, Eunseom, and Saya do, as they are the children of the prophecy and are connected to bring about huge change. This is one of the many reasons that we believe that Taelha will eventually side with Eunseom. After all, her priority is not love but power and ambition. Her analytical mind sees the change that the world is going to be subject to. Right now, she is trying her best to contain that with Tagon and their vision of Arthdal. But should things get out of hand, she will switch sides as she finds convenient.
Towards the end of Arthdal Chronicles season 1, Tagon gets his kingdom, and he is the leader. However, that is not without contest. Tagon’s strategy has always been to divide and conquer. Much like Taelha, he divided the population between the strong and the weak and then used them against each other for his own benefit. But what he missed was that in such divisions, the loser is always the one who doesn’t have money and influence. This would have continued as the state of affairs, except that Eunseom decided to protest against it. He started gathering the poor and the weak and formed his own army, one that would eventually be the start of the prophesied new world order.
Saya’s loyalties are completely torn. He mostly thinks of himself, and right now, he wants Tanya, along with revenge and unlimited power. While season 2 has not yet shown whether Saya still likes Tanya or not, we wouldn’t be surprised if the feelings resurfaced at some point. That is why he is in the palace, while promising to help Tanya find and protect Eunseom. As for Tanya herself, she has come closer to her destiny and is easily the spiritual leader of Arthdal. But she is keenly aware of the politics of the land, and her loyalty is with Eunseom, be it as a woman or as a future partner for the kind of place they want to build. She has found her place in the temple, and she will help Eunseom through it while he gathers his forces. Saya will continue his schemes from the place he makes for himself in the army. Season 2 will see how all these factors come together to bring the fate of Arthdal forward.
