There’s palace intrigue, and then there’sMarco Polo— a show where every side-eye in the Khan’s court is as weaponized as they come. It definitely did not get nearly enough hype, but the show slowly created a world where power changes hands in whispers, and political survival depends on who you’re standing behind… or interring. Set in the Mongol Empire at the height of Kublai Khan’s (Benedict Wong) power, the show drops Italian traveler Marco (Lorenzo Richelmy) right into the midst of a powder keg. Kaidu’s (Rick Yune) rebellion is building, alliances are breaking behind doors, and marriages like Jingim and Kokachin’s (Remy HiiandZhu Zhu, respectively) are breaking under the strain of dynastic pressure. Nobody trusts anybody for longer than a few minutes, and the real wars are fought in back rooms, not on horseback.
WhereGame of Thronesdrops you into bloodbaths,Marco Poloputs you through passive-aggressive council meetings and ceremonial feasts. However, that doesn’t mean that the stakes are lower; in this case, they’re just less noisy. But every conversation holds the destiny of an empire. It’s true thatGame of Thronesgave us dragons and a revenge arc for the ages, butMarco Polomeasures up with court advisors faking loyalty, royal heirs plotting coups, and some of themost biting betrayals seen on TV. In a nutshell,Game of Thronesshowed us what power looks like in Westeros, but here’s how it plays out in the Mongol Empire.
The Main Guy in ‘Marco Polo’ Is Mostly Just Watching Things Unfold
For a show namedMarco Polo,it’s kind of wild how much Marco just… stands there. He’s listening, watching, brooding politely while everyone else is scheming, killing, or riding off to war. But if we’re looking at it, that’s what makes the show work so well. Marco isn’t the story’s power source — he’s the plug that gets stuck into the empire’s chaos. Dropped into the Mongol court in Season 1,Marco is basically afancy hostage-turned-pet scholar. He doesn’t run things in any way; he simply reacts. Perhaps the most exciting thing he did was have a brief affair with Jingim’s betrothed, Kokachin. Admittedly, it was a big “oopsie,” but besides that, he was somewhat of a fly on the wall. Wong’s Kublai owns every room he walks into. Ahmad, the smooth-talking, eyeliner-wearing Chancellor, plays puppet master in the shadows. Even Khutulun, Kublai’s warrior niece, speaks louder through one wrestling match than Marco does in five monologues.
There’s a point when Marco was giftedTom Wu’s Hundred Eyes as a personal tutor.Even his training arc is about him absorbing greatness, not commanding it. Even when he tries to advise Kublai on how to handle the Song Dynasty, Kublai shuts him down like a kid offering Monopoly tips to a real estate mogul. It’s somewhat unorthodox to see a supposedmain characterpushed to the background this way, but that’s the genius.Marco Poloisn’t a tale of Marco being the most important guy in the room.It’s a tale of him witnessing an empire warring with itself— where loyalty is situational, ambition is a blood sport, and silence is generally the best policy. In the end, it’s not about Marco. It’s about the empire he stumbled into. And if the worst thing you may say about your protagonist is that he knows when to shut up and take notes, well — that’s a flex.
‘Marco Polo’ Served Up a Revenge Arc That Gave a Masterclass in Long-Game Villainy
Most villainsstab you in the back and then there’s Ahmad. He props up your throne, kneels before you, and then poisons the wine quietly with a smile. In a world full of warriors and warlords,Marco Polo’s most cunning and deadliest player didn’t even need a sword. He came loaded with a plan and a decade’s worth of resentment. From the show’s first season, Ahmad is portrayed as your typical right-hand man — Kublai-loyal, secret-keeping, always hovering just beyond the firelight.But in Season 2, the fault lines begin to appear. He’s not merely a high-ranking official — he’s a long-suffering orphan, adopted by the Khan, but never truly seen. That’s the tinder: close enough to power to scent it, but never taste it. And then there’s the final straw — finding out that among all the prostitutes in the kingdom, the one he just so happened to sleep with was his mother. Then he kills her, and the horror makes himpractically diabolical.
The Female Characters in ‘Marco Polo’ Did More Than Just Survive
You know a show is doing something right when the women aren’t just background props or tragic love interests — they’re actual players in the game of power.Marco Polodoesn’t give usdamsels in distressor vixens; instead, audiences get women like Khutulun, Empress Chabi, and Mei Lin (Olivia Cheng) —all of whom would completely eatAidan Gillen’s Littlefinger alive. Khutulun, for example, isn’t just the “warrior princess” trope collapsed into a Kublai Khan environment. She’s the brawn, the conscience, and the sanest strategist throughout the entire series. She gets her keep on the battlefield not by whining about it, but by putting full-grown men to the ground — including Marco himself. She’s also fiercely devoted to her father, Kaidu, even when that puts her at direct odds with the Mongol throne. At the end of it all, she’s not just fighting for pride, she’s trying to protect a legacy and outmaneuver court politics — all while making Marco’s heart do somersaults.
Thenthere’s Empress Chabi, the real brain behind Kublai Khan.Her whispers carry the weight of laws, and half of Kublai’s major decisions have her signature all over them. She practically props the entire empire up, running damage control behind the scenes while the men posture. She’s aware that Princess Kokachin is not a virgin before the royal wedding, but ensures she passes the ceremonial check anyway. When her son turns out less than virile, it’s Chabi who sees to it that a stable hand impregnates Kokachin — because the lineage has to look strong even though it isn’t. And don’t underestimate Mei Lin,sultry assassinturned spy for the sake of her daughter. She’s not just smart, she’s an assassin who knows how to wait, striking when necessary and staying alive at court longer than most men. Her path is all snarl, guile, and the tragic toll of survival — and it’s nothing if not compelling. InMarco Polo,the women aren’t stuck responding to the action; they’re making their own moves.
