SBS’ My Royal Nemesis came to an end with its final episode, which was released on June 20, 2026. With it, the K-drama gave the viewers a happy ending for not just Seo-ri and Se-gye, but also Dan-shim and Yi Hyeon. It also finally cleared the soul-swapping mystery between Seo-ri and Dan-shim.
The fantasy K-drama beautifully connected the premiere episode to the finale by revealing the ultimate twist that it was Seo-ri who drank the poison in Episode 1 and came to the future to change Se-gye’s fate all along.
Here’s what happened in the finale of My Royal Nemesis.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers. Reader discretion is advised.
My Royal Nemesis finale recap and ending breakdown: Seo-ri returns to Joseon
In the previous episode of My Royal Nemesis, Seo-ri was given a choice of staying in the future or returning to Joseon. But only the latter option would help her save Se-gye’s life. Therefore, she decides to go back and change Se-gye’s fate.
In Joseon, she learns that the crown prince is still alive. The king then sends her and the other court ladies to Yi Hyeon with a message and soup from the prince’s mother. Before Seo-ri’s return to Joseon, the crown prince was supposed to drink the poisonous soup and die to protect Dan-shim.
However, Seo-ri doesn’t let Yi Hyeon drink the poisonous soup and escapes with him. As they escape the guards, Seo-ri reveals to Yi Hyeon that his life was linked to the person she loves, and that’s why he has to live. While he promises to live, one of the guards shoots an arrow, from which Seo-ri protects him, taking the arrow herself before they both fall down the cliff.
My Royal Nemesis finale recap and ending breakdown: Shin Seo-ri changes Se-gye’s fate
Later, in the finale of My Royal Nemesis, Se-gye wakes up in his world but is unable to find Seo-ri. Even when he found her, their story remained a tragedy as she was in a coma. While he was waiting for her to wake up, Tae-hee tells him about the portrait of a court lady that looked just like Seo-ri.
As he goes to see the portrait at the museum, his memory of what happened in the Joseon era returns. However, now he had two memories- one where he drinks the poison and dies, and the other where Seo-ri comes and changes everything. He then realises, just as the shaman had informed him, Seo-ri did go back to save his life, leaving him devastated.
In the finale of the fantasy K-drama, while Se-gye wakes up in the future, Kang Dan-shim wakes up in the Joseon era with no memory of him. However, as Se-gye cries and begs for Seo-ri to return, Dan-shim/Seo-ri hears his voice and remembers who she was.
She then decides to go ahead with whatever the king had decided for her, i.e, drinking the poison. This final twist revealed that the concubine who drank the poison in Episode 1 of My Royal Nemesis was Seo-ri and not Dan-shim. The soul swap between Dan-shim and Seo-ri occurred when Seo-ri was in a car accident with her parents as a child. With drinking poison and dying in Joseon, she got the chance to return to her original body.
My Royal Nemesis finale recap and ending breakdown: Mun-do pays for all the crimes he committed
After drinking poison in Joseon, Seo-ri returned to the future, promising Se-gye never to leave him again. Later, the duo uses Mun-do’s own tricks to put him behind bars. As he is jailed for bribery and other criminal activities, Seo-ri confronts him and tells him that just like her, he also got a second chance, but he still ended up wasting it all.
Near the end, it is shown that Se-gye’s grandfather has accepted Seo-ri. Mun-do’s son, Seo-jun, now lives with Se-gye’s grandfather, while Tae-hee has also moved on from Se-gye and is now just a business partner.
It is also revealed at the end that, like Seo-ri and Se-gye, Dan-shim and Yi Hyeon have also survived and are on the run from the king’s guards. Even with living a life in hiding, they both seemed to be happy, concluding the K-drama with a happy ending for everyone.
Keep reading Soap Central for more such stories.
Also Read: Teach You a Lesson Episode 1 recap: Hwa-jin’s fight against student bullies begins
Edited by Debashri Roy