Series · Horror, Thriller · 2019 · TV-MA

Kingdom: parents' guide

16+our pick

Best for ages 16 and up. Rated TV-MA.

A gripping, very gory Korean period zombie drama for older teens and adults, in Korean with subtitles or an English dub. In Joseon-era Korea, a crown prince looking into his father's mysterious illness uncovers a plague that turns the dead into ravenous monsters, along with a palace plot to seize the throne. Across two seasons, expect swarms of flesh-eating undead, beheadings, sieges, starving people fed human flesh, and a baby in danger. There's little or no sexual content. The bloodshed and dread are why we suggest 16. The 2021 special Ashin of the North is not covered here.

What's in it

Violence

Strong

Frequent bloody battles across both seasons: hordes of undead bite and tear at victims, and soldiers and villagers cut them down with swords, arrows and fire. Heads are severed, including the prince's undead father's, and starving patients are unknowingly fed human flesh.

Language

Moderate

Guides disagree: one lists some strong language and another flags profanity, while IMDb's user-written guide reports none. We found no list or count of the words used.

Sex and nudity

None

No sex scenes or nudity were reported in either season. The plot involves pregnant women and a queen who schemes to pass off another woman's baby as her own heir.

Drinking, drugs and smoking

Mild

The plague comes from a mysterious resurrection plant used as medicine to bring the dead back. The guides we found report no drug use or drunkenness.

Scary or intense scenes

Strong

Night attacks by fast, shrieking hordes, long sieges where survivors are trapped and starving, corpses rising, and a son confronting his undead father. An infant is caught in the final palace attack.

Sensitive topics

  • Death of a parent

Worth talking about

Nobles hoard food and power while ordinary people starve and die. Ask your teen how the show uses its plague to say something about leaders and the people they rule.

Where to stream →

On our lists

Similar picks around 16+

Checked October 13th, 2026 against netflix.com, ageratingjuju.com, Wikipedia, theplaylist.net, telltaletv.com, IMDb, mydramalist.com, allscifiallthetime.com. The age is our judgment, not an official rating, and every family draws its lines differently: read the notes, not just the number. Spotted something we missed? Tell us. How we rate.