If You Miss Mr. Sunshine, These Top Best Historical Korean Series 2025/2026

Mr. Sunshine (2018) set an unparalleled standard for historical dramas with its breathtaking cinematography, tragic romance, and gripping political intrigue. If you’re still longing for that same emotional depth and sweeping grandeur, these 12 upcoming sageuk (historical) series from 2025-2026 promise to fill that void—with royal power struggles, forbidden love, and resistance fighters that will leave you breathless.

1. The Last Prince (2025) – Political, Romance

Set during the Joseon Dynasty’s collapse, a disgraced prince (Lee Min-ho) leads a secret rebellion while falling for a noblewoman (Kim Ji-won) torn between duty and love.

Why Watch? A Mr. Sunshine-style epic with lavish costumes, battlefield spectacles, and a star-crossed romance that will wreck your heart.

2. Goryeo Requiem (2025) – War, Betrayal

Amid the Mongol invasions, a Goryeo general (Kim Soo-hyun) must choose between loyalty to his kingdom or survival when his own king sells out their people.

Why Watch? Brutal battle scenes and political treachery rival Game of Thrones, with a Korean historical twist.

3. Scarlet Moon (2025) – Revenge, Romance

A noblewoman (Shin Hye-sun) disguises herself as a man to infiltrate the royal court and avenge her family’s massacre—only to fall for the king’s assassin (Ji Chang-wook).

Why Watch? A gender-bending saga with razor-sharp tension and a love story that defies fate.

4. Kingdom: Genesis (2025) – Horror, Political

The Kingdom universe expands with this Joseon-era prequel, where a plague of resurrection begins in a remote village—and the royal court’s corruption lets it spread.

Why Watch? Zombie horror meets Mr. Sunshine’s political intrigue, with even more jaw-dropping cinematography.

5. Song of the Sword (2026) – Martial Arts, Revenge

An exiled swordsmith (Lee Jong-suk) returns to Joseon to destroy the tyrant who slaughtered his clan, wielding a blade that sings when it tastes vengeance.

Why Watch? Exquisite swordplay choreography and a protagonist as compelling as Mr. Sunshine’s Eugene Choi.

6. The Rebel’s Wife (2026) – Espionage, Romance

A nobleman’s daughter (Kim Tae-ri) becomes a spy for rebel forces, marrying a ruthless royal investigator (Park Seo-joon) to sabotage him from within.

Why Watch? A high-stakes marriage of convenience with Mr. Sunshine’s tension and The Handmaiden’s seductive intrigue.

7. Blood Flower (2026) – Supernatural, Historical

In a world where royal blood grants power, a cursed princess (Park Bo-young) must hide her ability to control plants—or be burned as a witch.

Why Watch? A lush, magical twist on historical drama with feminist themes.

8. Six Flying Dragons: Reborn (2026) – Political, Epic

A spiritual successor to the classic Six Flying Dragons, following a new generation of revolutionaries fighting to reshape Korea.

Why Watch? If you loved Mr. Sunshine’s revolutionary fervor, this is a must-watch.

9. The Silent General (2026) – Military, Bromance

A mute war hero (Nam Joo-hyuk) and his fiery strategist (ASTRO’s Cha Eun-woo) defend their homeland against Qing Dynasty invaders.

Why Watch? A bromance as powerful as Mr. Sunshine’s Dong-mae and Hui-seung, with epic war sequences.

10. Joseon Detective Agency (2026) – Mystery, Comedy

In 18th-century Seoul, Korea’s first female detective (Kim Se-jeong) solves crimes with a con artist (Yang Se-jong) in this witty, fast-paced thriller.

Why Watch? A lighter but equally immersive historical romp with Sungkyunkwan Scandal vibes.

11. The Grand Historian (2026) – Court Drama, Romance

A scholar (Lee Je-hoon) risks execution to document the truth about a tyrannical king, protected only by a palace maid (Kim Go-eun) who smuggles his writings.

Why Watch? A gorgeously filmed ode to truth and resistance, echoing Mr. Sunshine’s themes.

12. When the Storm Ends (2026) – Melodrama, Survival

After a devastating famine, a widowed merchant (Yoo Yeon-seok) leads a perilous journey to smuggle food into Joseon—while being hunted by the elite.

Why Watch? A heartbreaking but hopeful tale of ordinary people fighting oppression, much like Mr. Sunshine’s side characters.