Yona of the Dawn

Once upon a time, in the Kohka Kingdom, there lived a beautiful, crimson-haired princess named Yona. There she lived a comfortable life with her father, King Il, and her guard, General Hak. And then one night, all that came to a sudden end...

Stunned by the sudden uprising, Yona is petrified, but Hak rushes to her rescue. The "Lightning Beast of Kohka" has his work cut out for him to get princess out of the castle. And it is only through another's sacrifice that Yona and Hak survive.

As they continue to trek through the mountains, Yona and Hak both remember happier times. Yona is a shell of her former self, only moving at Hak's direction. But Hak is determined to keep his vow to protect the princess, no matter what it takes.

Hak and Yona take refuge in the capital of Fuga, the land of Hak's birth. But when his grandfather Mun-deok indicates he will not support Su-won's ascension to the throne, the Fire clan puts pressure on the Wind clan.

To protect the Wind clan, Hak and Yona both decide to leave the capital of Fuga. Mun-deok advises them to seek the oracle for guidance, but Tea-jung of the Fire clan is determined to capture Yona... and kill Hak.

Having taken a poisoned arrow to save Yona, Hak is cornered and out of options. But a fire is lit inside Yona, and she will not let Hak die. Meanwhile Su-won's coronation day is at hand, and hepromises to be a very different king.

Hak's massive injuries are treated by Yun, the young boy who cares for the long missing oracle Ik-su. Yun distrusts Yona for being of royal birth, but the oracle dreams of Yona's fate, and points her on a new path.

Ik-su wants Yun to leave and travel with Yona, but the "beautiful genius" is torn between his desire to see the world, and his feelings of responsibility for the hapless Ik-su. Yun finds himself thinking back to when he first met the strange oracle...

Yona, Hak and Jun begin their journey to find the Four Dragons, but they have little more than scraps of stories as leads. Frustrated with being a liability, Yona demands Hak teach her to use weapons, but can a pampered princess learn to kill?

Yona is welcomed by the people of the White Dragon's Village, who believe her red hair is a sign she is the king they have been waiting for. Of course, only the White Dragon himself will know for sure if she is the real thing.

Gija proves to be a formidible warrior, but a lousy traveler. The search for the Blue Dragon begins, but with Gija only able to sense a vague direction, Hak and Yun team up to narrow the search. Meanwhile, Yona continues to train...

With Gija's "Dragon sense," Yona and her party find a hidden village inside the rocky mountains. However, the villagers say that they have never heard of any Dragon there. Smelling something fishy, Yona decides to stay and have a look around.

Though the Blue Dragon appears before the party, he immediately leaves. Yona tries to head deeper into the Blue Dragon's cave to speak with him again. Hak tries to stop her out of concern, but she is determined.

Yona and her companions are trapped when the cave collapses. The Blue Dragon appears to assist them, and together they begin digging through a cave wall that will lead them outside.

"I need to become stronger so I don't lose Hak or anyone else. What can I do...?" Yona names the Blue Dragon Sinha, or Moonlight, and he joins the group on its journey. While the group searches for the Green Dragon following Gija's guidance, they pass through a village abandoned by the king and generals. Yona is wounded by the miserable conditions and a villager's criticisms of her father King...

"Are those the eyes of a rabbit...?" At Su-won's suggestion, a "war game" is held to provide entertainment at a festival. Su-won, Ju-do, and Geun-tea participate in the war game. Geun-tea, one of the best warriors in Kouka Kingdom, admires Su-won's father Yuhon, an exceptional warrior. Though he deems the laid back Su-won who is unlike his father a "rabbit," during the war game, Geun-tea...

"I will run from my destiny... Even if King Hiryuu appears, I will kick him away." The Green Dragon's presence leads Yona and her companions to the Earth Tribe's port of Awa. However, the Green Dragon is constantly on the move, and the group is unable to track him down. When Hak heads into the town to purchase some items for Yun, he happens to rescue a young woman being harassed by officials...

"Captain Gigan is right... but... I have my own reasons for not backing down." Yona and her companions leave Sinha behind and head into town. They are unable to suppress their rage when they witness an official unjustly murder a child. Jeaha appears before the group. He tries to recruit Hak to replace the pirates injured in battle, but the moment he sees Yona, he feels the weight of his destiny...

"Maybe it's because you don't really want her." Captain Gigan agrees to allow Yona to fight alongside her pirates if she is able to pick the "senjuso," a rare medicinal herb growing in the middle of a sheer cliff, without anyone's assistance. Yona's companions try to talk her our of accepting such a dangerous task, but Hak, who understands Yona's emotions, desperately suppresses his desire to...

"Why are you always so reckless, Princess? Sometimes I wish I could tie you up..." Sensing the impending battle against Kumji, the pirates steel their resolve. Meanwhile, Yona heads into the town for reconaissance with Jeaha and happens to spot Lord Kumji. Based on the stories of the townsfolk, Jeaha determines the day of Kumji's human trafficking deal with the Kai Empire, Kouka Kingdom's...

Yona and Yun, who willingly entered Kumji's store as bait to help rescue the captured women, successfully infiltrate the ship transporting the women, where Kumji appears before them.

"Why? Why am I so afraid? She's just a little girl..." While suffering injuries, Yona and Yun successfully complete their task, and Jeaha rushes to their aid to fight against hordes of attacking mercenaries. Watching Jeaha fights, Yun realizes how truly amazing those who possess the strength of the dragons are. Sinha joins the fray, and the mercenaries continue to fall. Meanwhile, Hak and Gija...

"You're not the frail princess you used to be." Hope returns to Awa after defeating Yan Kumji, and the townsfolk and pirates throw an extravagant party to celebrate. Jeaha steels his resolve. Yona decides to leave Awa and conveys her desire to her companions.

Yona and her companions continue their journey to find the fourth and final "Yellow Dragon" when they encounter a traveler named Jeno. He is the "Yellow Dragon" they have been seraching for.