How to create a webtoon like The Remarried Empress
Updated: Nov 20, 2022
This post will break down the story of The Remarried Empress including the characters, story structure, and story techniques. This story breakdown will help you create a webtoon like The Remarried Empress. It will help with understanding why the webtoon is entertaining and how you can apply those elements to your own webtoon.
Empress Navier
One of The Remarried Empress' strong points is the main character. Navier is the Empress of the Eastern Empire, the wife of Emperor Sovieshu, and the protagonist of this webtoon. She is beautiful, reserved, seemingly cold, rich, and powerful.
Navier's Personality
Despite how it seems from the outside, Navier is kind, dedicated, hardworking, and secretly expressive. This is something only readers get to explore while many characters don’t see Navier’s softer side.
What makes this webtoon refreshing is that Empress Navier is not innocent and delicate like a normal Korean drama female lead. She is strong-willed, resilient, and independent. But that's not all. She has moments where she breaks down and cries because that's human. She works hard for a kingdom that doesn't appreciate her enough. She wants to learn and improve so she can better serve the people. Despite Navier's dedication, she is mistreated in the palace.
As a character, Navier is very likeable. Throughout the webtoon, it's clear Empress Navier cares about the people she rules. She puts their needs before her own, spending her own money to fund organizations and charities.
“Luckily hiding my emotions in unpleasant situations has become second nature to me.”
- Empress Navier
Navier’s Goal
Ever since a young age, Navier has wanted to be an empress. She gave up her childhood to learn how to be a great ruler. When her dreams are threatened, Navier doesn’t sit and hope for the best, she takes action. Navier did what no other empress before her dared to do, she got remarried, shocking the empire. Even more surprising, Navier remarried the king of a neighboring kingdom, allowing her to keep her regal status.
Rashta
Rashta is the antagonist in the webtoon the Remarried Empress. She enters the story as a slave but quickly becomes the concubine of Emperor Sovieshu. At a first glance, Rashta is cute, innocent, kind, naïve, delicate, and sensitive. However, beneath everything, Rashta is sly, manipulative, self-serving, and envious of Empress Navier.
In the world the webtoon is set in, criminals can be sentenced to become a slave for hundreds of years. As a consequence, decedents of the criminal are also made into slaves to serve the remainder of the sentence. Rashta was unlucky enough to be born as the descendant of a criminal who was made into a slave.
Empress Navier vs Rashta
In a typical story, a character like Navier would be the antagonist. Meanwhile, Rashta would be the innocent protagonist who fell for the Emperor. However, The Remarried Empress plays with this stereotype.
In this webtoon Rashta, although seemingly sweet, is the hidden antagonist. And Empress Navier is the misunderstood protagonist who is being framed as a villain.
Navier and Rashta both have the same goal – to be empress, the difference lies in their background, reasons, and actions.
In the Eastern Empire it’s almost a tradition for the empress to come from the Trovis family which Navier belongs to. For this reason, Navier was raised to be an empress. As a result of their connections, Navier’s family is very wealthy and influential in the Empire which gave Navier a privileged life. She is used to seeing gold, and jewels and wearing designer clothes, unlike Rashta who is new to the upper-class lifestyle.
A once in a lifetime opportunity
Rashta entering the social circle of the rich is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and she wants to make good use of it. However, Rashta is heavily dependent on Emperor Sovieshu for money and status. Without him, she is no one. This vulnerability is what drives her character. The instability of her position makes her desperately vicious and manipulative.
In comparison, Empress Navier is used to money and power so she can resist greed and use her power to help others. This is one of the key differences between Navier and Rashta. Rashta wants to be empress to enjoy a life of comfort. Meanwhile, Navier wants to be empress to help her people, and because she enjoys the job.
For Rashta being Empress is an escape, for Navier it is a responsibility.
Emperor Sovieshu
Emperor Sovieshu and Empress Navier were childhood friends and were engaged from a young age. For this reason, they were very close, they studied writing, dance, and many other subjects together. They both want to be worthy rulers for their Empire and are both workaholics.
However, Sovieshu began to stray when he met Rashta. He blamed Navier for things that are out of her control and isolated her. Whenever Rashta was involved, he would favor her over his wife, the Empress. Sovieshu’s selfishness and controlling behavior are one of the reasons readers hate him. He doesn’t consider Navier’s feelings or perspective and acts based on what he will gain or lose.
“Why can’t you obediently do as I say for once!”
Sovieshu said this to Navier when she tried to defend her attendant Laura. From this, it is clear what Sovieshu wants from his wife, obedience. He wants her to be more like Rashta, expressive, and childlike. However, these are qualities that don’t fit the Empress of an Empire that Navier was raised to be.
He dislikes Navier’s reserved nature. This is evident when he gave Navier a gift and expected her to be excited, instead, she was indifferent. Another instance is when he gave Rashta a gift and wished Navier would react the same.
Conversely, these traits of Navier’s are what Hienry loves about her. She is the ideal Empress he has been searching for.
Prince Hienry
Prince Hienry is one of the love interests and second male lead in The Remarried Empress. He is childish with those he considers a friend and cold to those he hates. In the webtoon, the few times Navier smiled were when she was with Hienry. He brings out the emotions she suppresses and is there for her when she's upset. This romance is one of the things which draw readers to the webtoon. Readers appreciate Hienry because of the contrast between how he treats Navier and how Sovieshu treats her.
Without spoiling too much, one of the things that make Prince Hienry a unique character is the magic he brings and the secrets he hides. Mysterious characters are interesting and give the reader unanswered questions. This can then be used to craft future conflict and keep readers reading.
Ironic Romantic Connections
The ironic romance connections between characters is one of The Remarried Empress’ strong points. It gives characters the goals that drive the conflict.
Sovieshu wants a reliable Empress as well as a childlike naive woman by his side, he wants Navier to be more like Rashta. Rashta wants to be more like Navier, however, this would mean losing the qualities Sovieshu saw in her. Meanwhile, Prince Hienry simply wants Navier to be his Empress. Because of this, the only way for Navier to keep her identity as Empress is to divorce Emperor Sovieshu and marry Prince Hienry.
The power dynamics, aspirations, and desires of these characters keep the webtoon moving in an engaging way. Readers ask themselves, what will happen if or when Rashta becomes more like Navier and maybe worse? How will Navier react to Rashta stealing her identity? When will Sovieshu see that Rashta is not who he thinks she is? What will happen to the empire without Navier?
Without the character’s goals, the webtoon would be flat because a character’s goal is what pushes a story forward. When characters’ goals collide it pushes them to interact with each other either in positive or negative ways.
Not just a romance
It's just as important that the character’s goals are intertwined with the love story.
The Remarried Empress follows the Kdrama love triangle. This is when there are two guys in love with one woman. One of the love interests is cruel and selfish, and the other is caring and completely invested in the protagonist. There is also a second female lead, usually the antagonist, who is in love with the main male. Longer Korean dramas introduce a third female lead who is also an antagonist fighting for love or power.
However, a love story on its own wouldn’t be as entertaining. Stories like The Remarried Empress have another plot that works with romance. Examples are ‘I Wished You Were Dead’
Examples of stories with more than romance
I Wished You Were Dead is a webtoon about a King who mistreats his Queen because he hates her father. However, there is more going on behind the scenes. Along with the main story, there is romance mixed in as the King battles his feelings of hate and love towards the Queen.
Empress Ki is a Kdrama about the rise of a Korean girl from a gang leader to the Empress of The Yuan Dynasty. Romance is not the primary story; it is used to fuel the plot and drama.
In all three stories, the romance helps motivate characters to take certain actions.
How to make a webtoon like the Remarried Empress
The two examples I provided, Empress Ki and ‘I Wished You Were Dead’ share many other similarities with The Remarried Empress:
1) World building (setting)
In all story examples there are certain individuals who hold the most power. In The Remarried Empress these are Empress Navier, Emperor Sovieshu, and Prince Hienry to name a few. In Empress Ki, they are King Wang Yu, Empress Dowager, Regent Yeon -chul and Wang Go, to name a few.
We need to know who the important and influential people are in our story world.
Knowing the characters with power helps you to understand the power balance in your world . This allows you to create interesting events in your story and form allies and enemies for your character .
2) A setting amongst royalty (setting)
All three stories involve empires and kingdoms and power struggles, much like Game of Thrones.
3) Love and War (genre)
All three stories include romance either as the subplot or the main plot. The romance adds more drama which makes readers anticipate what will happen next. It gives readers more to look forward to and hope for. For example, readers greatly enjoy the romantic moments between Navier and Hienry. We can’t wait to see them eventually fall in love and get married.
Meanwhile, in Empress Ki, viewers savour the moments when the female lead and male lead can be together. Their romance feels more precious as we watch the characters struggle to survive.
4) A strong independent woman (character)
While these characters are strong independent women, they can’t do everything alone. They cry, bleed, struggle, fall in love, and have moments of vulnerability. But this makes readers root for them more.
5) Character motivation (character)
All characters in The Remarried Empress have a goal that motivates them. Their goal is the reason behind all their actions. So to make a webtoon like The Remarried Empress, give your character motives and make their actions reflect that goal. Rashta wants a safe and happy life, so she does what she can to get it. Even if it means stealing someone’s husband.
6) Contrast (Character)
One of the things that increase the positive or negative emotions towards a character is contrast.
In The Remarried Empress, there is a strong contrast between Rashta and Navier’s characters, and Sovieshu and Hienry. Sovieshu is cold, unfaithful, and selfish. He doesn’t treat Navier the way she deserves. In contrast, Hienry is bright, at times childish, and absolutely devoted to Navier. The way readers see the two characters is magnified by the fact that they are in the same webtoon and so can be easily compared.
For example, the difference between –10 and 0 is 10. But the difference between –10 and 10 is 20. So having something to compare, that is the complete opposite, helps to increase positive or negative perceptions.
Another example where this can be used is in a character’s life.
In the webtoon ‘Levelling Up My Husband to the Max’, the main character’s past is filled with sorrow. Her husband neglected her, then they were framed with treason and she was executed whilst heavily pregnant. But she is given a second chance at life and goes ten years back in time. The contrast between the protagonist ten years in the future and ten years in the past is worrying. It shows how horrible life was for her on the estate. As a result, it makes readers root for her more to change her life’s outcome.
7) Stages of Progression (Story Structure)
[Ahead are some Remarried Empress spoilers up to chapter 89. There are also spoilers for Empress Ki up to episode 51.]
Both the Remarried Empress and Empress Ki take readers through stages of progression.
In the Remarried Empress, we see Navier’s everyday life in the first two chapters. Then Navier becomes a tormented empress after meeting Rashta. Each chapter shows us how Sovieshu treats Navier and how she is handling the situation. This builds up towards the next stage – the divorced empress. In this stage, we see how Sovieshu reacts to Navier’s remarriage proclamation. The following is the ‘to be married' stage as Navier adapts to life in a new kingdom with a new husband.
In Empress Ki, Ki Seung-Nyang is introduced as a child about to be offered as tribute to The Yuan Dynasty. Then we see her as a gang leader, pretending to be a man. In this stage, she is getting to know the male lead, King Wang Yoo. Next, she is captured and sent to the Yuan Dynasty as a palace maid part of the Emperor’s harem. This allows her to become closer to the second male lead Emperor Huizong. Meanwhile, she is drifting further away from Wang Yoo. The final two stages are when she becomes a concubine and when she is crowned as Empress.
8) Start with the midpoint (Story Structure)
The midpoint is the section of your story where everything goes horribly for your character. The life they knew is no longer the same. Their worst fears have materialized and they can no longer turn back.
In The Remarried Empress, this is the divorce episode. Interestingly, the webtoon starts at this point and then goes back in time to show us how it happened. Doing this led to more excitement for the divorce chapter. This is because readers couldn’t stand how Navier was mistreated in the flashback. We also wanted to know the outcome of her divorce. This was more effective because readers didn’t see beyond the midpoint. It created curiosity.
9) A game of chess (conflict) The stories I mentioned all include strategic battles similar to Game of Thrones. You can’t be sure who your ally is and who to trust. The antagonist uses mind games, traps, and threats. The conflicts are seemingly hidden from an outsider’s perspective.
Managing Reader’s Expectations
The Remarried Empress plays with readers' expectations and uses these expectations to keep readers hooked to the story. If there’s one thing I learned from the webtoon it is how to make readers expect an event and keep them hooked to the story until that event unfolds.
The Remarried Empress creates many expectations:
(These are not intended to be spoilers; they are examples of events readers are curious about and hoping for. The list is mostly based on comments and my own past expectations.)
Navier’s revenge
The fall of Sovieshu
Navier finding out Queen’s identity
The fall of Rashta
The rise of Hienry and his Kingdom
The remarriage episode
When these things happen and whether these things happen or not depends on the webtoon creator. But simply implanting these ideas gives readers something to look forward to. The majority of the time, readers want to know two things – If and how an event will happen. That is why it is important to unveil your story slowly.
The Remarried Empress makes readers hope for something and either delivers or doesn’t. Regardless, that hope is what makes each chapter addicting. The biggest event readers were hoping for is the chapter where Empress Navier announces her remarriage. Although it was already shown in the first chapter, readers are hoping to see it played out in full and to see how other characters react.
How to create expectations in readers
There are two types of expectations – natural and manufactured. You can take advantage of the expectations your readers have and take them through an emotional journey.
Natural expectations
Natural expectations are born from our environment, culture and upbringing. For example, it is an expectation to help someone after they have helped you. A simpler example is that we are expected to say please when making a request, and thank you when we are helped.
When Sovieshu broke the expectation that a husband should be loyal, readers became furious. The same emotion was felt when Rashta broke the expectation of personal space and respect for the wife of the man you are cheating with.
Natural expectations can also come from experience. Many readers know that things happen in threes. If a character misses their shot twice, readers expect them to succeed the third time. But you can break this expectation by making the character miss on the third shot as well. This is a tactic I go into more detail in my Omniscient Reader blog.
Other examples are people who watch Kdramas expect the female lead to always ignore the second male lead. Viewers of super hero shows expect the hero to always win.
Manufactured expectations
Readers don’t all have the same natural expectations. For this reason, it is better to manufacture expectations. This is when the webcomic creator implies something in their webcomic.
To manufacture expectations, you need to give your audience clues, and slowly build up towards the moment. Don’t show your protagonist suddenly punch someone. Instead show the protagonist clenching their fist or jaws, and a vein popping on their head. Taunt your protagonist for a longer duration. Build up towards the punch.
Quick tip
Take a moment in your story. Break it down and ask yourself – what led to this moment? Why did it happen?
Duke Kaufman – Example 1
[The following two examples contain Remarried Empress spoilers up to chapter 36 and 41.]
Grand Duke Kaufman is a quiet man who uses magic. He is also from another continent further south.
When Navier is entrusted with sorting out trade between the Empire and Kaufman’s country, Luipt. However, when trade deals are cancelled by Sovieshu, Kaufman says he will search for another country to trade with him instead.
When readers read, they are also guessing. One expectation this creates is that Kaufman will trade with Prince Hienry’s kingdom. Readers also expect that Navier will be involved if she marries Hienry. This also makes readers expect the trade to go extremely well so Sovieshu will know what he missed out on.
Love potion
The second event is when Kaufman drinks a love potion that makes him fall for Navier. Combined with the expectation that Kaufman will trade with Hienry and Navier, a love triangle is set up in the reader’s mind. Readers will expect to see how this plays out. This expectation is one of the things that hook readers.
Navier’s brother – Example 2
Before being introduced to Navier’s brother, Kosair Trovi , readers are told of his violent personality. In addition, readers are informed that Kosair loves his sister very much. Due to this, expectations are planted. Readers want to know what will happen when Kosair discovers how Navier has been treated recently.
The natural expectation is that he will lash out and stand up for his sister. This expectation creates anticipation of what might happen next because readers want to know if their prediction is correct. Even more so, there is curiosity about how the writer will make it happen.
Chapter 1 – laying all your cards on one table
The first chapter introduces the four primary characters in a very interesting way – a royal divorce.
The first chapter of The Remarried Empress combines all of the above topics I mentioned. Readers are given a good sense of the character’s personalities, situations, and relationships. This is obvious from small things like Rashta smirking behind Sovieshu which shows that she is likely manipulative. It also shows that Sovieshu sides with Rashta and probably is overprotective of her.
The first chapter shows readers that conflict in The Remarried Empress is strategic. For example, when Navier unexpectedly announces her remarriage, it is like making a move on a chess board. The first chapter illustrates the romantic tensions between the characters, the genre, and the setting.
Finally, the first chapter sets up the biggest expectation for most of the webtoon. Navier announcing her remarriage. After witnessing the things Navier went through because of Sovieshu and Rashta, readers anticipate the scene that shocked the Empire. Readers desperately want Navier to leave that life and find something better. As each chapter progresses, more expectations and hopes are built up. 'When will Navier leave this man?' Readers wonder. As a result, the webtoon is even more binge-worthy.
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