Character	Togon
Appearance	Empress Ki
Media	Korean Drama
Type	Obsessive
Love Interest	Nyang

Togon is the heir apparent to Yuan’s throne. Under Nyang and other’s support, he eventually became Yuan’s emperor.

SPOILERS AND PERSONAL OPINION

After meeting Nyang, Togon quickly became clingy to her. He constantly asked for her whereabouts and kept on mentioning her, to the point where the people around him got annoyed.

He used his authority to keep Nyang by his side even though he knew she liked Wang Yu. When the fake news of Wang Yu’s death came about, he let Nyang think that it was true, and saw it as a chance for Nyang to forget about Wang Yu. He appointed Nyang as his personal servant so that she had to stay by him at all times.

At one point, Togon even sneakily took Nyang’s handkerchief, kept it, and sniff it. This action was portrayed in a cute and innocent manner in the drama, but there is no denying such actions will be extremely creepy in reality.

Afterwards, Nyang went back to Wang Yu, and Togon vehemently denied this fact. He insisted that she will come back to him, and that he must have held a space in her heart. Becoming increasingly disturbed, he had planned to have Wang Yu killed so that Nyang would return to him.

Subsequently, Togon suffered from severe brain trauma, which took away his ability to speak. During this time, when struck with anxiety, Togon would take out Nyang’s handkerchief and sniff it to calm himself.

Through a series of events, Nyang returned to Yuan and competed to be his consort, which meant that Nyang would be beside him once again. Togon regained his speech, and Nyang taught the once illiterate Togon how to read and write.

While Nyang only sought to make use of his authority at first, she eventually fell in love with him. However, Togon never fully believed that Nyang loves him. Unconfident about himself, he thought that Nyang was still in love with Wang Yu.

It did not help that their enemies used this doubt to sow discord between Nyang and Togon. Exchange of falsified love letters between Nyang and Wang Yu were presented to Togon in an attempt to drive Nyang out of the palace. Togon kept it from Nyang and pretended that everything was alright. Although he believed the contents, he was content to keep his current relationship with Nyang and have her with him.

Eventually, the continuous receipt of letters took a toll on him. He fell into depression and illness. Persistent defeat in wars under his rule worsened his condition.

Togon felt that Nyang, the one person he trusts and loves the most, no longer paid him any care. This was far from the truth, but he still loved Nyang completely nonetheless. Togon also began hallucinating about his people mocking him. He became violent and irritable, and only Nyang can let him come to his senses briefly.

Finally, he was convinced by Kolta that Nyang was detrimental to Yuan’s welfare, which caused him to banish her from the palace. Without Nyang’s watch, it gave Kolta the chance to poison Togon slowly. The poison left Togon confused and susceptible, easily believing in anything Kolta tells him. Under the poison’s effect, his health will slowly worsen until a point of no return, where death is guaranteed.

In the end, Togon discovered that the alleged love letters between Nyang and Wang Yu had all along been a scheme by Kolta. However, he had also found out that Nyang had once been in a relationship with Wang Yu, and even bore him a child. This was a heinous crime, especially since Nyang had became the empress of Yuan. To ensure this secret was kept, and that Nyang would not face the consequences, he killed everyone who knew of it.

Eventually, Yuan crumbled under unstable leadership and internal politics. As Togon grew weaker by the day, Nyang faithfully stayed by his side. In his last moments, he once again confessed his love for Nyang, before dying peacefully in his sleep.

While Togon performed drastic actions to have Nyang by his side, he does not seem aware of the severity and consequences of his actions. If anything, Togon acts like a child who just wants things to go his way no matter what. However, there is no question on his overwhelming love for Nyang. This is also why I classified him as obsessive instead of yandere.

I have never really liked Togon throughout the drama. While the show had intended for him to demonstrate growth and improvement over the years, I could not really see any of it.

Yes, he was initially illiterate and later learned to read and write. The show portrayed this as great accomplishment for the emperor. But I beg to differ. Shouldn’t literacy be basic for an emperor? Why does literacy automatically qualifies him as a competent emperor of Yuan, as the show implies?

Furthermore, his literacy did not come easy; Nyang risked serious consequences to secretly teach him without the knowledge of the regent. Instead of gratitude, Togon only made things difficult for Nyang. Either he ignored the lessons and flirted with her, or he whined and sulked in the classes after encountering some unpleasantries in the day.

When grave situations which required the wisdom of the emperor arise, Togon simply sits on the throne and nods according to the advices given by his subordinates, or speak as directed by them. Yet, the drama portrays this as his growth, that he can finally execute something meaningful.

Nevertheless, I felt pity for Togon. Almost none of the people around him was truly sincere to him. Bayan was at first, but he let absolute power get to him. Nyang was only out to make use of him in the beginning, and he played along knowing full well of it. All he hope for was for Nyang to stay with him, be alive and well. And when Nyang finally reciprocates his feeling, he no longer trusted her, only realize her intentions near the very end. Really, Togon is a tragic character.