Returners, a mobile management RPG game developed and serviced by Nexon Korea, has many historical individuals from western and eastern history who are characterized as heroes in the game. Because of the nature of the characters, it is difficult to know all the details of each hero if you do not fully understand the culture, history, and story each hero comes from. Since the game was developed by a Korean game company, it also has many Korean heroes. Taejo, Jumong, and Hong Gil-dong are the most well-known examples.

All of these three heroes existed at one point in history. Hong Gil-dong is the most well-known of them since his name is commonly used as a name placeholder in Korea, much like the name John Smith in some western countries. Due to the role his name has in Korea, and in banks specifically, he has gained a vast sum of financial wealth despite being deceased. Given his fame, it seems only right that he be the first we introduce. Here we will talk about what kind of man the actual Hong Gil-dong was, as well as what he’s like in Returners.

Before we get into more details, we need to talk about a novel that depicts Hong Gil-dong in the same way he appears in Returners - as a righteous outlaw. The novel is called the Biography of Hong Gil-dong; it was the very first Korean novel and a typical heroic story. This was also considered a social novel which criticizes the incapacity of the ancient Korean government and society. It explored subjects such as discrimination between legitimate children and illegitimate children as well as governmental corruption; this was extremely controversial writing in the times of the absolute monarchy.

However, the actual Hong Gil-dong was, in fact, the leader of bandits during the Joseon Dynasty, the era before the current Republic of Korea. Although he is considered one of the 3 Joseon bandits, his background was quite different from the other two. He was able to slip out of crime scenes with the help of relatives who were then members of the administration, and history depicts him as a brutal antagonist. His true self is quite different from the virtuous rebel that Koreans are most familiar with. It is possible that he acted as a sort of “Invisible Hand” within the shadows of society, using his relationships with high-ranking officials and thugs to influence the nation. The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, which records everything about the Joseon Kings and events surrounding them, also contains an excerpt describing how Hong Gil-dong’s actions dealt devastating damage on a certain area of the country; he was responsible for creating many refugees and caused a lack of taxes paid by the people. In summary, the actual Hong Gil-dong was nothing like a righteous outlaw who plundered the corrupt government for the good of people, but an individual who hungered for power and manipulated the government.

Many entertainment industries adopted Hong Gil-dong for their dramas, movies, and games. How about Returners? Hong Gil-dong in Returners is a hero whose motif was taken from the Biography of Hong Gil-dong. His background comes almost directly from the novel.

It’s not clear if the version of Hong Gil-dong in the game is meant to be the same novel character who can use powerful Taoist magic, but it’s clear that whatever magic he does use is very powerful. His ultimate skill, Energy Wave, is considered one the best CC skills in the game since it gathers the enemy together and deals AoE damage. His normal skills are also CC skills which either stun or knock up the enemy. His skillset allows him to shine even in the current ranger-dominated meta.

He’s also one of the heroes you obtain at the very beginning of the game, therefore he is a great asset to players progressing toward the mid-game. Even though he is rarely used in the mid-game, he is often used in a late game team comp commonly referred to as the wombo combo.

It seems that all entertainment industries globally use a common tactic: utilize a certain mythical and famous figures from the past and bring him/her back to life as part of their products. Hong Gil-dong is one of these individuals, and though his true self may not be a good role model, the righteous and strong version found in stories is a role model for many;  this is probably why we see him in Returners. It is not only Hong Gil-dong, but many heroes who existed in the past that are welcoming us to become a master in the game. Each and every one of them has a story - or even many stories - and we do recommend exploring those past stories so you may see why they keep returning in entertainment and games like Returners.