The BEST episodes of The Last Empress

Every episode of The Last Empress ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of The Last Empress!

Oh Ssu-Ni is a musical actress with a bright personality. Suddenly, she marries Emperor Lee Hyuk. There, Oh Ssu-Ni goes up against absolute power of the palace and fights against the power. Meanwhile, she falls in love with Na Wang-Sik who is a bodyguard of the imperial family. Na Wang-Sik came to the palace to take revenge on the person responsible for his mother’s death. Due to death of Emperor Lee Hyuk’s grandmother, Oh Ssu-Ni breaks down the royal family with the help of Na Wang-Sik and finds true love.

Last Updated: 4/2/2024Network: SBSStatus: Ended
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Wang Shik Mourns at His Mother’s Side
star
10.00
2 votes

#1 - Wang Shik Mourns at His Mother’s Side

Season 1 - Episode 28 - Aired 1/3/2019

Wang Shik calls the Emperor again threatening to know where his mother's body is, and Woo Bin persuades the Emperor to make a deal with Yu Ra. Woo Bin releases Yu Ra from the hospital and finally learns of where his mother rests. Meanwhile, the Empress does a live broadcast in an attempt to clear her name of the Grand Empress Dowager's murder, but it ends up backfiring on her.

Woo Bin Runs Away With the Empress
star
10.00
2 votes

#2 - Woo Bin Runs Away With the Empress

Season 1 - Episode 38 - Aired 1/24/2019

The Empress Dowager orders Woo Bin to run away with the Empress in the middle of the night. Woo Bin tells the Empress of this, but she decides to play along with the Empress Dowager's scheme. After everything plays out, the Empress Dowager ends up being the one to answer to the media.

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The Fall of the Imperial Family
star
10.00
2 votes

#3 - The Fall of the Imperial Family

Season 1 - Episode 52 - Aired 2/21/2019

With the Emperor dead, the Empress Dowager rushes to make her escape from the palace. As she is about to leave, Kang Hee confronts her. Unaware of the police and media waiting outside the door, they dig their graves as their dispute reveals each of their crimes. The police arrest them and take them away. Later, Sunny completes her quest in bringing down the palace and the people in it, by declaring the abolition of the monarchy.

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The Prince is in Town
star
10.00
2 votes

#4 - The Prince is in Town

Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired 12/12/2018

After talking to the Prince over the phone in after seven years, the Emperor starts to worry. Knowing that the presence of the Prince is a direct threat to his position, the Emperor confronts the Empress Dowager. Meanwhile, with newly found strength and courage, the Empress takes it into her own hands and strips Yu Ra of her title and incarcerates her.

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Yu Ra’s Demise
star
9.60
5 votes

#5 - Yu Ra’s Demise

Season 1 - Episode 24 - Aired 12/27/2018

Wang Shik learns from So Jin that a court lady had tried the food made by the Empress for the Grand Empress Dowager before her death and is now missing. With this new information, Wang Shik and the Empress start to dig deeper into the Grand Empress Dowager's murder. Meanwhile, an anonymous person sends the Emperor information regarding Yu Ra 's connection with Wang Shik.

The Wedding
star
9.50
4 votes

#6 - The Wedding

Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/29/2018

As the nation watches the extravagant wedding, the elevated platform Sunny stands on breaks and sets on fire. Just as the situation gets dire, the new Imperial guard, Woo Bin, saves her. Meanwhile, the Empress Dowager thinks of a way to get rid of Yu Ra who is now the chief assistant of the palace.

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Wang Shik’s Rage
star
9.50
6 votes

#7 - Wang Shik’s Rage

Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/5/2018

After finding out the people involved, Wang Shik returns to Bichido and swears to kill Pil Joo, the Emperor, and Yu Ra. He also tries to abandon Dong Shik, Yo Ra's son, but doesn't have the heart to do it. Angrier than ever, Wang Shik challenges the Emperor to a sparring match and impresses the Emperor.

Pil Joo Finds Wang Shik
star
9.50
4 votes

#8 - Pil Joo Finds Wang Shik

Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/6/2018

Knowing how the Empress must feel, the Grand Empress Dowager spends the day with her and invites her father to the palace. Pil Joo searches through Woo Bin's quarters and finds out that he is Wang Shik. When he goes after Wang Shik, he tells him the truth behind his mother's death.

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Wang Shik Betrays the Empress
star
9.50
2 votes

#9 - Wang Shik Betrays the Empress

Season 1 - Episode 15 - Aired 12/13/2018

While trying to catch the Emperor in the act, the Empress gets entangled in a predicament of her own, putting her loyalty to the Emperor in question. Wang Shik betrays her, and with the Emperor's command, he pushes her off a cliff into a river. Meanwhile, Oh Sunny's father gets caught illegally gambling by the authorities again.

Princess Ari is Promised to Become the Empress Regnant
star
9.50
2 votes

#10 - Princess Ari is Promised to Become the Empress Regnant

Season 1 - Episode 37 - Aired 1/24/2019

Princess Ari jumps up and down in joy after being told by Kang Hee that she will be the empress regnant very soon. Princess Ari keeps her joy in secret but ends up narrating to the Empress that the Chungeum Island painting by the Grand Empress Dowager was bequeathed to the Empress Dowager and not to her. Meanwhile, the Emperor visits Sunny's house and causes a commotion.

The Emperor’s 10-Year Anniversary Celebration
star
9.50
2 votes

#11 - The Emperor’s 10-Year Anniversary Celebration

Season 1 - Episode 50 - Aired 2/20/2019

Knowing that Sunny planned to reveal everything during his 10-year-anniversary as the emperor, he asks her for her forgiveness one last time before he locks her up. On the day of the celebration, Yu Ra helps Sunny escape. Sunny makes it to the venue just in time, and when she stands in front of the crowd, she tells everyone of the unthinkable heinous crimes the Imperial Family had committed. Meanwhile, Mr. Pyo and his henchmen run down Wang Shik, causing him to crash head-on with a wall.

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The Emperor’s Vengeance
star
9.50
2 votes

#12 - The Emperor’s Vengeance

Season 1 - Episode 51 - Aired 2/21/2019

Sunny recuperates from the blast with Hyuk at her side. When she wakes, he tells her that it was Na Wang Shik who was behind the attack. Later, at a press conference held at the palace, the Empress Dowager affirms Na Wang Shik as the attacker, and when questioned about the Empress's accusations, she pins it all on the Emperor. Shattered by his mother's words, Hyuk dresses up as Na Wang Shik and carries on with his vengeance to destroy the palace. Meanwhile, someone buries Wang Shik next to his mother's grave.

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Betrayal in the Palace
star
9.40
5 votes

#13 - Betrayal in the Palace

Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/6/2018

The Grand Empress Dowager overhears Yu Ra and the Emperor talking and learns of their secret. She forbids their love and demands Yu Ra to leave the palace. Later, the Empress tries her best to please the Emperor but following Yu Ra's suggestion only angers him. Meanwhile, Wang Shik starts to get closer to the Emperor.

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Where Is My Mother’s Corpse?
star
9.33
3 votes

#14 - Where Is My Mother’s Corpse?

Season 1 - Episode 26 - Aired 1/2/2019

Wang Shik begins to taunt the Emperor and Yu Ra and lets them know that he is alive and looking for his mother's corpse. The Empress discovers that the diary of the late Empress So Hyun is a map that leads to the Empress Dowager's garden. Meanwhile, an awardee of the Imperial Family scholarship enlightens the Empress Dowager of the similarities in Vincent Lee's novel to the late Empress So Hyun's death.

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Gifts From the Emperor
star
9.33
3 votes

#15 - Gifts From the Emperor

Season 1 - Episode 41 - Aired 1/31/2019

Woo Bin reveals his true identity to Yu Ra, but he doesn't kill her. He takes her to Kang Joo Seung to help him remember the past. The Emperor, who is now free from his duties, continues to court the Empress. However, his gifts to her family as reconcilement turn for the worst. Later, desperate to claim her right to power, Kang Hee visits the Prime Minister's wife at the hospital and reveals his infidelity.

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The Empress Goes Live
star
9.25
4 votes

#16 - The Empress Goes Live

Season 1 - Episode 22 - Aired 12/26/2018

Prince Yoon gives Baek Ho the late Empress So Hyun's diary to help uncover the truth. The Empress starts to broadcast a live show and causes an uproar within the palace. Meanwhile, Wang Shik saves the Empress from an attacker and takes a severe blow to the head.

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Tell Me It’s Not True
star
9.20
5 votes

#17 - Tell Me It’s Not True

Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/5/2018

Without knowing Yu Ra's devious ways, Wang Shik contacts her to meet face to face. When he approaches her, he gets a glimpse of Ma Pil and decides to abort for Yu Ra's sake. Later, his vigilance teaches him of Yu Ra's involvement in his mother's murder.

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The Prince Returns
star
9.00
3 votes

#18 - The Prince Returns

Season 1 - Episode 25 - Aired 1/2/2019

When the Emperor tells the Empress Dowager that he had taken care of Yu Ra without her consent, she smiles and embraces him. She then tells him of her decision to dethrone the Crowned Prince. At the Imperial Auditor's meeting, a new law is passed to keep the option of an empress regnant. Meanwhile, the Prince gives the Empress the diary of the late Empress So Hyun.

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An Antique Clock
star
9.00
2 votes

#19 - An Antique Clock

Season 1 - Episode 30 - Aired 1/9/2019

Prince Yoon charges into the Emperor's chamber and yells in disgust of the incident that took Sunny's mother's life to save the Emperor. The Empress Dowager feels no guilt or remorse of the event, but to the Emperor, it hits his soft spot. Meanwhile, the Empress Dowager orders Sunny to host the Imperial Family's bazaar.

Joo Seung Starts to Remember
star
9.00
2 votes

#20 - Joo Seung Starts to Remember

Season 1 - Episode 42 - Aired 1/31/2019

Joo Seung remembers the day he was supposed to meet Yu Ra and explains it to her in detail. Princess So Jin asks Woo Bin desperately to get back together, and later, begs the Empress Dowager to make him hers. Meanwhile, former Chief Guard Joo reveals himself to the Emperor with information regarding the real Na Wang Shik's whereabouts.

Sunny Is Appointed as the Crown Prince
star
9.00
2 votes

#21 - Sunny Is Appointed as the Crown Prince

Season 1 - Episode 48 - Aired 2/14/2019

The Emperor regrets getting mad at the Empress and begs her not to leave him as she sleeps. Michelle announces Empress Oh Sunny to be the Crown Princess' proxy and tells her about the conversation about her she had with the Grand Empress Dowager before her passing. Later, Sunny tries to match the hairpin she receives from Michelle with the one used in the Grand Empress Dowager's murder, knowing that the only other one, was owned by the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Returns to the Palace
star
8.75
4 votes

#22 - The Empress Returns to the Palace

Season 1 - Episode 21 - Aired 12/26/2018

While the Emperor tries to restore his name to the people, Sunny appears boldly before him and forgives him publicly and asks to start again. Reluctantly, without an option, the Emperor and Empress are once again together. To rectify the issue of the Emperor's illegitimate child, the Imperial Family accepts Ari as a princess. Meanwhile, the Emperor promotes Wang Shik as the Chief Guard and asks him to court the Empress.

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Wang Shik Starts His Revenge
star
8.67
3 votes

#23 - Wang Shik Starts His Revenge

Season 1 - Episode 45 - Aired 2/13/2019

To save Dong Shik and the rest of the imperial guards' lives, Wang Shik withdraws his gun and submits to the Emperor's wishes. However, when taken away by the Emperor's guards, they release him in return for his good deeds. Later, Wang Shik catches the Emperor off guard and gives him a little taste of what he had done to his mother. Meanwhile, the Empress Dowager instates Princess Ari as the Crown Princess.

Michelle Reinstates Hyuk As the Emperor
star
8.50
2 votes

#24 - Michelle Reinstates Hyuk As the Emperor

Season 1 - Episode 49 - Aired 2/20/2019

The Emperor and Prince Yoon catch Kang Hee red-handed admitting to killing Joo Seung, but she reveals that it was the Empress Dowager's decree. Prince Yoon surprises the Empress Dowager in her chamber and accuses her of trying to kill him. Then he and the Emperor play Joo Seung's recorded testimony that coaxes her to admit to the poppy farm on Chungeum Island. Meanwhile, Sunny asks Michelle to reinstate Hyuk as the emperor before she leaves the palace.

A Trap for Kang Hee
star
8.50
2 votes

#25 - A Trap for Kang Hee

Season 1 - Episode 44 - Aired 2/7/2019

The Empress and the Emperor set up a trap for Kang Hee. With so much on the line, Kang Hee takes the bait. When she couldn't look any guiltier of being Prince Yoon's attacker and of knowing something about the death of Empress So Hyun, the Empress Dowager comes to cover for her. Later, the Empress Dowager shows the Emperor proof that Woo Bin, the Empress, Prince Yoon, and even Baek Ho, are making a fool of him.

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