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Main Characters
Won
Wang Won/Chungseon of Goryeo
- Played by: Im Si-wan (adult), Nam Da-reum (teenager), Moon Woo-jin (child), Song Min-jae (four-year-old)
Crown Prince of Goryeo. Grandson of Kublai Khan and first Korean royal of mixed ancestry.
- The Dog Bites Back: He finally snaps after years of his father's abuse.
- Failed a Spot Check: Somehow he doesn't see through San's Paper-Thin Disguise.
- Famous Ancestor: His mother is Kublai Khan's daughter, making him the great-great-grandson of Genghis Khan.
- Half-Breed Discrimination: His father is the King of Goryeo (Korea) and his mother is a Yuan (Mongolian) princess. His father calls him a half-breed to his face and tells him his blood is mixed with barbarians'.
- Hates Their Parent: He hates his father most of all, but he isn't always fond of his mother either.
- Historical Domain Character: Though he has little in common with the real Won
. - I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: He finally accepts San and Rin's feelings for each other, and steps back (quite literally) to allow them to be happy together.
- Like Brother and Sister: He sees Dan as his sister, and tells her this even when he's offering to marry her.
- Literally Falling in Love: San falls on top of him after they climb up the cliff.
- Love Triangle: Between him, San, and Rin.
- Parting-Words Regret: His last words to his mother were telling her to leave the palace if she didn't like how things were going. He regrets this after she dies.
- Playing Drunk: Pretends to be drunk when he answers his father's summons.
San
Eun San/So-hwa
- Played by: Im Yoon-ah (adult), Lee Seo-yeon (teenager)
A nobleman's daughter. Hides her identity to survive.
- Damsel out of Distress: She threatens Wang Jeon with a hairpin, ties him up, and leaves him in the carriage while she escapes.
- False Rape Accusation: Played with, since she isn't the one who makes the accusation. The king wants to depose Won, so he and Song In claim Won tried to rape San. San tries to say it's a lie, but no one listens to her.
- Literally Falling in Love: She falls on top of Won after they climb up the cliff.
- Love Triangle: Won and Rin both love her. She falls in love with Rin.
- Missing Mum: Her mother is murdered early in the series.
- Paper-Thin Disguise: Her disguise is a veil that only covers half her face. Amazingly, Won doesn't recognise her when she's wearing it.
- Poisoned Chalice Switcheroo: Song In gives San and Dan two cups of tea, and says that one of them is poisoned. San pretends she'll give Dan the poisoned one, but she switches them when Song In looks away.
- She Cleans Up Nicely: Rin certainly thinks she does when he sees her in her festival outfit.
Rin
Wang Rin
- Played by: Hong Jong-hyun (adult), Yoon Chan-young (teenager)
Won's childhood friend and bodyguard.
- Cool Mask: During the festival he wears a mask designed to look like a butterfly.
- Faking the Dead: Fakes his death in the final episode.
- Love Triangle: Between him, San, and Won.
- Take Me Instead: Volunteers to be sent to Yuan in his sister's place.
- Terrible Artist: He tries to draw San. The finished drawing looks nothing like her.
Royal Family
The King
Chungnyeol of Goryeo
- Played by: Jeong Bo-seok
Won's father. The twenty-fifth king of Goryeo.
- Abusive Parents / Archnemesis Dad: He publicly mocks Won and calls him a half-breed to his face.
- False Rape Accusation: A by-proxy example. He wants to depose Won, so he and Song In claim Won tried to rape San.
- Historical Domain Character: Though the real Chungnyeol probably didn't publicly humiliate Won like this version of him does.
- Jerkass: Publicly mocks and insults his own wife and son, and he cares nothing for the common people or their opinion of him. He resents Won because his son is the grandson of Kublai Khan, which means — to him — Won's status is technically higher than his own, so he deliberately makes Won miserable.
- Sadistic Choice: Tells Won that he'll kill either San or Rin, and Won has to choose who dies.
- Tantrum Throwing: He throws ornaments around when he has an argument with Won.
The Queen
Princess Wonseong/Queen Jangmok/Princess Supreme of Jeguk/Empress Inmyeong/Qutlugh Kelmysh
- Played by: Jang Young-nam
Won's mother. Kublai Khan's daughter and the first Mongol queen of Korea.
- Abusive Parents: She's willing to physically hurt Won and alienate him from his best friend, while claiming she's doing it for his own good.
- Blood from the Mouth: Her illness makes her cough up blood.
- Famous Ancestor: She's Kublai Khan's daughter, making her the great-granddaughter of Genghis Khan.
- Historical Domain Character: Like her husband and son, she really existed.
- Knight Templar Parent: Everything she does is for Won. Unfortunately, her actions often hurt him as much as other people.
Others
Wang Dan
Wang Jeon
- Played by: Yoon Jong-hoon
Rin's brother.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He's a complete jerk and would-be usurper, but he still cares for his little sister Dan.
Eun Young-baek
- Played by: Lee Ki-young
San's father.
Bi-yeon
- Played by: Park Ji-hyun (adult), Song Soo-hyun (teenager)
San's maid.
- Taking the Bullet: When an assassin tries to kill San, Bi-yeon stands between her and the sword and gets injured instead.
Song In
- Played by: Oh Min-suk
One of Won's enemies.
- Hunting "Accident": Tries to arrange one for the king when he goes hunting, and steals one of Won's arrows so everyone will blame him.
Ok Bu-yong
Moo Bi/Ok Bu-yong
- Played by: Choo Soo-hyun
One of the king's mistresses.
- Honey Trap: Sent by Song In specifically to seduce and manipulate the King.
- Slashed Throat: She dies when Won cuts her throat.
Moo Seok
- Played by: Park Young-woon
An assassin working for Song In.
- Distinguishing Mark: San recognises him by his snake tattoo.
- Pet the Dog: He's responsible for many deaths, including San's mother, but he jumps in front of a horse to save a child.
- Redemption Equals Death: He starts to turn against Song In when Song In tells him to kill Bi-yeon. When they finally confront each other, Moo Seok hesitates too long before shooting at Song In, and gets stabbed because of it.
