I Became the First Prince

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Reborn as a sword, he lived for hundreds of years, and then he occupied the body of a 15-year-old prince.

Associated Names
One entry per line
Ego Sword Became a Villain Prince
I Became the First Prince: Legend of Sword's Song
망나니 1왕자가 되었다
Related Series
N/A
Recommendations
How to Live as the Enemy Prince (7)
Trash of the Count’s Family (4)
I am the Monarch (2)
Ending Maker (2)
Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint (2)
Holy Emperor’s Grandson is a Necromancer (2)
Recommendation Lists
  1. Kingdom Novels
  2. Non-Human Leads
  3. No romance/amazing action/interesting plot
  4. no romance with male protagonist I adore
  5. very good (no romance)

Latest Release

Date Group Release
03/27/23 Molidae Translations c293
03/22/23 Molidae Translations c292
02/21/23 Molidae Translations c291
02/03/23 Molidae Translations c290
02/03/23 Molidae Translations c6
01/07/23 Molidae Translations c5
12/22/22 Molidae Translations c4
12/04/22 Molidae Translations c3
11/21/22 Molidae Translations c2
11/08/22 Molidae Translations c1
11/08/22 Molidae Translations c0
11/06/22 Circle Translations c289
11/06/22 Circle Translations c288
11/06/22 Circle Translations c287
11/06/22 Circle Translations c286
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71 Reviews sorted by


seutelar
New seutelar rated it
March 17, 2023
Status: c291
This is really, really good novel. I'm so glad that I didn't give up reading it because the story just kept going better and better at the latter part. The beginning of this novel, is not very good, boring so I must say? But later I came to love the MC. At first he's just an ancient arrogant being that thinks he's righteous and always correct. In time he grows become more humane, learning that all the people around him is precious and so he too came to cherished them.... more>> There are some part that got my eyes bawled, I cried like a baby I swear. The feelings and the thoughts of all side character are conveyed very well too. Gah, it's so good that I hope this novel wouldn't end <<less
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deelnefire
deelnefire rated it
September 22, 2020
Status: v31
At the first, this story is kinda boring. I really wanna drop it but now I am glad that I didn't.

You know what... I really like the development of characters here. The stubborn sword is now seeing the world as it is and not dwelling on his era (400 years ago).

And the uncle. I like him too. He meant what he said and do what he think right. Like him.

I just don't like the possibility this story will become a harem. :") that's all
50 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
sasai
sasai rated it
March 5, 2021
Status: c221
I am rather choosy with what I read because I am not fond of harems and I easily get fed up when there is a romance subplot so this novel really works for me so far. It has all the elements of amazing kingdom-building, politics, family, and I just love the fantasy! Reminds me of LotR in lots of ways but in an easier and reader-friendly scheme, and also without too much description of places! The MC, dragon slayer Adrian is also amazing! He is cool, a bit inhumane... more>> (which is understandable, of course!) And extremely war/battle maniac. Somehow reading this could really draw some emotions.. I sooo love reading and is thrilled of their war/battle strategies, I cheer in their celebration of victories and also shed tear from their defeats.

Spoiler

Specially during and after the fall of the Winter Castle, what became of Adrian was so heartbreaking! I got teary eyed with the death of one of his most important person. Loved how he became a madman slaying all those idiot nobles and then after they finally defeated the Orc King.. The cool, inhumane Adrian just broke down and cried as he remembered his lost. This is my favorite part! Also his angry exchanges with his father about the kingdom's abandonment of the north, one of the best!

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Definitely worth reading!

Edit: urgg I caught up! Now I understand why some people say that it has a bit of ORV concept. What ORV refers to fables/stories are songs/poems in this wonderfully epic novel. Anyways, those with the blood of a Balahard are the best! Whoever is reaďing this review still waddling in confusion and boredom amidst the quarantine life, yes you, just read this novel. This is the sign you are looking for! XD <<less
31 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
Heartless
Heartless rated it
July 1, 2020
Status: c9
This was surprisingly good.

We have an old sword spirit take over the body of the most useless and hated prince. His methods and knowledge have all faded from the common sense and new techniques have taken over.

I won't spoil more, but it was a fairly good read. Well I am a sucker for these kinds of "take-over useless people and change their image"-kind of novels, so I might be a bit biased.

I'll rate it 5 stars for now, I might update this in the future, however.
24 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
sandro530
sandro530 rated it
July 24, 2020
Status: c4
Maybe this is a good novel, but it is impossible to enjoy, because the translation, while maybe readable is terrible. It needs an editor. The story itself in the moment is nothing special. A sword got transferred into the body of a good-for-nothing prince and he will change the mind of everyone around him, so that they will see him in another light.

Meh.
21 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
DRlcuk
DRlcuk rated it
October 27, 2020
Status: c56
It’s really good and I’m really glad I didn’t gloss over this. The MC isnt op or anything because of his age and he does make mistakes in assumptions and corrects himself (character development). The action is well written and some parts gave me goosebumps.

It’s like a serious ish fantasy, you aren’t gonna be seeing the MC blow a hole in the mountains anytime soon (maybe in the future I dunno) but you will see some brutal wars and fights against overwhelming opponents
15 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
aShinyVaporeon
aShinyVaporeon rated it
November 21, 2020
Status: c60
It has a rather cliche premise: super old powerful being possesses a younger body, beats up everyone's expectations, and gets really strong. He also finds that the power system/standard has "declined", and uses the ancient version instead of the modern one.

But it stands out in a few ways:

Spoiler
    • It has a certain writing style which sounds kind of archaic but definitely adds to the medieval fantasy mood. The translator did well with this.
    • The "decline" of warriors has an actual believable reason, and isn't super ridiculous.
    • The MC acknowledges that the "decline" has its own perks. Technically, it was more of an equalizer where people with weaker potentials could climb to levels not achievable with their talent in the old system, but talented people couldn't reach the heights they could with the old one if they used the new one.
    • It has an interesting power system involving songs/poems. Maybe it's not the first to do this, but it's certainly pretty cool.
    • So far, no blaring signs of a harem :D
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Unfortunately, there are also a few cons:

Spoiler
    • I have to say that the rate of development of a fantasy world is disappointing. Language and ideas should have developed at least a little in the 300 years MC was dormant, but the MC doesn't have too much of a problem adapting to the newer world. Kind of a plot hole there.
    • There is a bit of fat shaming, which might tick some people off, but I think it's kind of justified considering the MC wants a strong, efficient body and the fat prince's body isn't exactly strong or efficient. In MC's book, fat prince was only fat because he was lazy, which is actually true because MC burned that fat with exercise in no time flat.
    • I find it hard to believe a sword would be able to magically know swordsmanship. Being a sword is definitely different from wielding one.
    • Races seem to be kind of like the "Planet of Hats" trope...I typically don't like this kind of thing. For example: all the elves are manipulative jerks that are basically a race of green teas/white lotuses.
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Someone defended the original owner of the prince's body... you realize the guy tried to r*pe someone, right? You realize you can't just call that "immature" and say he doesn't deserve the insults... right?

FYI: You should probably ignore the ratings from people who read less than 10 chapters, it's not enough to judge a novel of this length, the exposition is not nearly finished yet at that point. As for the translation, when I read it, it was pretty good. Active Translations goes back to edit their chapters, so it might have been bad before I read it.
14 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
Goldenxman33
Goldenxman33 rated it
July 16, 2020
Status: c13
Love every part of it, but I am very scared from the betrayal tag, the more happy the novel is the more sadness I will feel when something go wrong.

The normal strong OP guy go inside a loser and fix his mistakes and his surrounding life.
13 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
supergimplord
supergimplord rated it
September 12, 2020
Status: c37
Not much to say really except it's really good, theres a few reviews talking about the translation itself, though they seem a little nit-picky, in all honesty it's not that bad.

The way I know this is good and will be great is the mere fact that I'm annoyed there arent more chapters at the time of reading this and that's from a guy who's been reading novels for about a decade.
12 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
lophis
lophis rated it
March 22, 2021
Status: c236
You really just don't know how much badassery this series has. Instead of the usual Wuxia bs of celestial techniques that ultimately don't mean anything, the wars in this series remind of the reading the Iliad including the epic poems. You don't have the usual bs about the moral quandary of first kill and angst of all the bs typical in young MC stories. Instead we have a MC who is a literal human weapon and embraces the slaughter inherent in war. It also helps that the foes he kills... more>> deserve it so you are rooting for him to lay waste.

Exquisite build up before each battles lends to gravity to each battle and then graphic details of weapon impacts on specific body parts perfectly illustrate the brutality of war with cold weapons. Best military webnovel for sure.

<<less
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axl-NU
axl-NU rated it
December 4, 2020
Status: c93
I imagined a different tone and theme after looking at the cover art and the first few chapters, but this is unexpectedly enjoyable. Several elements are quite familiar. For example, we have the Game of Thrones barren North and its main family who maintains a fortress to guard the kingdom against invasions of monsters as well as the wealthier South with its useless nobles. There's even a scene where the Northern rangers take the monsters to show the Southerners. The novel also recalls Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint a bit: in ORV,... more>> characters create "myths" through trials and tribulations, and these serve as the foundation for their strength and power; here, it's the same but with "poems."

I'm nearing the hundredth chapter, but the mana and the "system" are not yet fully fleshed out or completely explained. Also, sadly, there are hints of harem elements that I could do without. <<less
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apaulose
apaulose rated it
June 21, 2020
Status: c8
I'm enjoying it a lot. Not much has happened so far but at the very least it's relatively original. I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes.
11 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
Kyeonne
Kyeonne rated it
June 21, 2021
Status: c283
I came across this on accident and I honestly think that it was a huge stroke of good luck because I am in love with this novel.

The main character accidentally possesses the body of a prince, whose reputation and personality is an absolute mess, after 400 long years of slumber. He may come off as an arrogant jerk in the beginning for glorifying the old ways and barely giving any thought to the new ones but over time, he corrects this viewpoint. His character development is amazing and realistic, and... more>> you won't even realize it until it hits you that he's changed a lot. Strong to the strong and weak to the weak, he can be cruel and murderous but he's also terribly generous and caring. Not gonna lie, I am horrendously in love with the main character.

The novel is relatively serious and realistic, as the characters do not have the power to crush planets or defy the universe. It focuses on small and large-scale wars and conveys the struggles of these battles. There is a lot of loss and pain in this novel and I've cried many, many times reading it. It is easy to sympathize with the characters because the feelings are conveyed very well.

And the characters! They are so well-written and have so much depth to them. Their interactions are so precious and fulfilling. The characters are not at all unimportant. In fact, I think one of this novel's best points is the the relationships and dynamics between the characters. (No romance as of right now)

I am so glad to have chanced upon this, in my opinion, very underrated novel. Although it may not be great at the beginning, it gets better and better as you go deeper. And I'm glad I stuck to it. It is amazing, and it is seriously worth reading. <<less
10 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
Nuage
Nuage rated it
June 13, 2021
Status: c35
After 35 chapters, I don't know what to make of this story. The only thing that kept me going was the smooth style, really.

There is no plot. We follow the MC's whims, and the first trace of a 'plot' appears at chapter 35 when the MC suddenly wants to become the king (even though he had explicitly rejected that avenue). Even so, his motivation to do so is 'for the sake of his dead friends' who would be ashamed of the current state of their country. It would have been... more>> an okayish motivation if not for the MC's constant characterisation as a hypocritical, cynical meathead.

Contradiction is the major problem of this novel. The MC has an overwhelming pride which drives his decisions; he reacts badly to insults and being underestimated, yet sometimes it's fine to get humiliated in front of a crowd, at his own party (i.e. When an old man throws wine at his face). He treats his girl-knights as objects and then criticises others for doing the same. He says that the previous First Prince was tr*sh for all the bullsh*t he pulled on everybody, then pulls more bullsh*t like killing 14 heirs and insulting his guests. He acts upon incomplete information (what? I'm going to a 'seedy' party? Everybody says it's really a bad idea? Bah, what's the worst that can happen! I like surprises.) Our MC is quite simply out of control. <<less
9 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
blaze2904
blaze2904 rated it
December 21, 2020
Status: c72
The story can be a bit over the top at times, but it improves as the story progresses. The beginning of the story is not noteworthy, but my 5 stars are precisely for the later parts. The translation was good at first, then it went downhill for some time. There were some changes in their team, so now, I believe the translation is quite good and hope it remains so for the rest of the story.
9 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
Linnda
Linnda rated it
November 15, 2020
Status: c73
I really love the novel. I don't have any fancy words to say about it but the translation is amazing and has certainly widened my english vocabulary. (They hired a new edditor and are even redoing the translation on the first few chapters)

The protagonist is pretty awesome and makes you want to cheer him on. The way the author writes makes you feel like you are also there in the middle of a battlefield with the soldiers. There is already some character development and I hope that the novel... more>> will keep going this route in the future.

I would definitely recommend it! <<less
9 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
caelumsidhe
caelumsidhe rated it
September 10, 2020
Status: c35
I really like this novel. At first, I wasn't quite sure what to expect on this story but as of the latest chapter, I got a glimpse on the goals of the MC and his possible future struggles and I'm very excited about it. The idea is not that unique - a sword becoming a human but to me it's much better than the usual transmigration/reincarnation stories in this genre. The MC is also likable, he seems somehow arrogant and a bit narrow minded in his beliefs (justifiable since he's... more>> an ancient & you know how closeminded most old people are) regarding powers however that changes later though he still holds true to his beliefs and that's very admirable. Granted, we're still in the very early chapters of this novel but I really look forward to seeing his character growth <<less
9 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
1life4death
1life4death rated it
July 25, 2021
Status: --
This novel is interesting... there are some cliches such as the MC being an old spirit taking over the body of a prince and a lot of prejudgement based on the original host's behavior. But it's actually decent. The characters are interesting and the world-building is quite deep, as it's a core foundation of the plot.

I also like the way they use their sword arts or skills... one of the most unique ways that I have read so far in any novel. Most novels have skills be a set of... more>> techniques or abilities. Here they blend it with poetry, similar to bards tales or sea shanties of the past. Poems of great knights, battles, heroes of the past etc... definitely allows you to create a very unique imagination when reading <<less
8 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
Leonberger123
Leonberger123 rated it
January 31, 2021
Status: c160
The most underrated novel ever! Totally masterpiece! The thrill! Characters! Plot! And the sword dance poems! I love them all! I hope they can upload like 10 chapters/week lol thank you!
8 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
number 999
number 999 rated it
June 4, 2020
Status: c56
3 chapters in and I can say it seems interesting and have a good potential. I think, if you like "How To Live As The Enemy Prince", you will like this too. also fight scenes and the atmoshpere seems very good. writing is good. not just some words put here and there..... and ignore that one review or whatever. like, regardess of anything he said, just what does that mean "The world-building is not that bad". lol. we didn't even get a world building yet in ch 20. anyway, give... more>> it a try guys and you will be amazed. he just made conclusion so very fast. <<less
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Metro3x
Metro3x rated it
January 20, 2022
Status: c288
Don’t listen to that Diego guy... I don’t know how he read up to 50 chapters and still wasn’t able to figure out the plot, dude lacks comprehension skills.
Without a doubt one of the best and most well written Korean novel I have ever read. A story about an absolute badass and his journey to becoming a great monarch and destroying everything that threatens his nation (he’s strong af, but he’s not OP. There’s always someone/something stronger than him). Character development: 10/10, plot 9/10, action: 10/10. Overall: 9.5/10
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