Blood, Borders, and Betrayal: Deconstructing Ai Da Gan and the Tragedy of Kingdom: Ashin of the North

Netflix’s critically acclaimed zombie-thriller series Kingdom expanded its grim, politically charged universe with the 2021 special feature Kingdom: Ashin of the North. Operating as a bridge (or “sidequel”) between seasons two and three, the feature dives deep into the origins of the resurrection plant—the biological catalyst behind the undead plague—and the tragic genesis of Ashin.

At the center of this geopolitical pressure cooker is Ai Da Gan, the imposing and ruthless leader of the nomadic Pajeowi Jurchen tribe. Played with chilling intensity by actor Koo Kyo-hwan, Ai Da Gan is far more than a simple stock villain; he is a crucial chess piece in a sweeping tragedy of state-sponsored manipulation, cultural displacement, and relentless vengeance.

Who is Ai Da Gan?

Ai Da Gan serves as the chieftain of the Pajeowi tribe, a powerful faction of the Jurchen people living near the northern border of the Joseon Kingdom. Characterized by his striking presence, feral unpredictability, and unyielding ambition, Ai Da Gan commands absolute fear across the frontier.

Unlike the settled Seongjeoyain Jurchens—who lived within Joseon borders and pledged loyalty to the crown (including Ashin’s father, Ta Hab)—the Pajeowi operate as free, nomadic warriors. They are caught in a delicate, tense stalemate with Joseon military authorities. Ai Da Gan watches the kingdom with a predatory eye, eager for a pretext to assert dominance and claim what he believes belongs to his people.

The Catalyst: Manipulation and the Fall of a Village

The core tragedy of Ashin of the North hinges on a brutal misunderstanding engineered by Joseon military commander Min Chi-rok. To cover up a diplomatic blunder involving cross-border movements, Chi-rok orchestrates a false flag operation, manipulating Ai Da Gan into believing that a group of 15 Pajeowi tribesmen were slaughtered by the Seongjeoyain villagers.

Enraged by what he perceives as a treacherous betrayal, Ai Da Gan unleashes the Pajeowi on Ashin’s village. The resulting massacre is devastating:

• The Annihilation: The entire Seongjeoyain settlement is wiped out, leaving a young Ashin hidden and watching in absolute horror.
• The Horrific Aftermath: Ashin’s father is not killed outright; instead, he is captured, tortured, and kept alive in unspeakable conditions by Ai Da Gan’s forces for years, serving as a broken symbol of Pajeowi dominance.

Though Ai Da Gan acted as the executioner, the narrative takes care to frame him, too, as a pawn in Joseon’s ruthless border politics. He was a weapon pointed by the state, weaponizing tribal honor to do dirty work.

The Climax: Meeting the Wrath of Ashin

Years later, after training relentlessly and harboring a consuming, generational han (a deep sorrow mixed with unquenchable resentment), Ashin exacts her revenge.

Armed with supreme archery skills and the deadly secrets of the resurrection plant—which transforms the dead into mindless, ferocious monsters—Ashin unleashes a plague upon both the Joseon military garrison and the Pajeowi camp.

Ai Da Gan’s formidable military strength crumbles against an enemy that defies the laws of nature. In a stark, chilling climax, Ai Da Gan meets his end at the hands of an adult Ashin, who dispatches him with a definitive arrow to the head. His demise marks the fall of the Pajeowi leadership and seals Ashin’s descent from an innocent girl into an angel of death bent on wiping out both Joseon and Jurchen soil.

Why the Dynamic Matters

The friction between Ai Da Gan, Ashin, and the Joseon state underscores the primary thematic brilliance of the Kingdom franchise: the exploitation of the marginalized.

• The Expendability of the Outcast: Ashin’s people, the Seongjeoyain, were treated as trash by Joseon—useful only as spies or buffers.
• The Blindness of Tribal Pride: Ai Da Gan, driven by blood-honor and a hunger for power, fell easily for statecraft deception, destroying fellow Jurchens over a lie.

Koo Kyo-hwan’s portrayal of Ai Da Gan injects a magnetic, unpredictable danger into the special. He isn’t just a physical threat; he represents the vicious cycle of violence perpetuated by empires and tribal lords alike—a cycle that Ashin ultimately shatters by choosing total annihilation.