The Pale Horse

Description

Set in the France 1835. The pretty Rose Dupre is bullied and called the witch's daughter. People say her mother is a witch who kills and eats humans. However, Marie and Peter don't believe all those rumors and decide to protect Rose... But what if the rumors are true?

Original Webtoon:
Daum, KakaoPage

Note: On August 17th 2023, chapters 1-25 were remastered with redrawn arts, writing directions and typesetting corrections. Following chapter will later get remastered as well (Source)

Type

Manhwa

Related Series

N/A

Associated Names

Changbaekan Mal

Pale Horse

Бледный конь

苍白的马

창백한 말

Groups Scanlating

Easy Going Scans

SpotToon

Webtoon Now

Latest Release(s)

c.15 by SpotToon 9 years ago

c.14 by SpotToon 9 years ago

c.13 by SpotToon 9 years ago

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Status in Country of Origin

283 Chapters + Epilogue + 4 Side Stories + Eros Prologue/Epilogue (Complete)

S1: Chapters 1- 34

S2: Chapters 35 - 181

S3: Chapters 182 - 283

Completely Scanlated?

Anime Start/End Chapter

N/A

User Reviews

N/A

Forum

0 topics, 0 posts

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User Rating

Average: 8.7 / 10.0 (185 votes)

Bayesian Average: 8.37 / 10.0

41%

19%

18%

11%

Last Updated

February 14th, 2025 11:25pm PST - 5 months ago

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Genre

Adventure Drama Historical Josei Mature Mystery Psychological Romance Supernatural Tragedy
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Categories

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Recommendations

Author(s)

Artist(s)

Year

Original Publisher

Serialized In (magazine)

Daum Webtoon (Daum)

Kakao Webtoon (Daum)

KakaoPage (Kakao)

Licensed (in English)

English Publisher

SpotToon (155 Chapters - Discontinued)

Tappytoon (239 Chapters - Expired)

Activity Stats (vs. other series)

Weekly Pos #674

(-84)

Monthly Pos #1304

(-183)

3 Month Pos #2181

(-545)

6 Month Pos #3087

(-399)

Year Pos #3429

(-205)

List Stats

On 916 reading lists

On 883 wish lists

On 66 completed lists

On 68 unfinished lists

On 445 custom lists

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User Comments [ Order by usefulness ]

How do you even rate something like this?

by Pogead
1 week ago

Rating: 7.0 / 10.0

This manhwa's probably one of the only ones to make me feel as conflicted as I do now when the subject of rank comes into play.

The Pale Horse begins with a nice, slow-paced introduction that eventually explodes very, very quickly, and all of the strange hints sprinkled around start to converge and make sense. We discover that

Rose is not, in fact, the witch's daughter but the witch herself.

This discovery leads to the second arc, in which the hunters play a very pivotal role. The genre shifts from a coming-of-age to a story of action, romance, drama, political intrigue, and heavy supernatural elements that even exceed its original setting, having contained only one witch at the start. The story delves into the

spawn of a witch, referred to as quarries, which is a placeholder term for what is really a vampire.

From the first twist with

Rose

it is a twist that, for me, was neither welcome nor unwelcome. Twists rely on good execution to pay off, so while a reversal isn't entirely good all on its own (it requires work to make good), cliches aren't all bad, either. They're tried and true classics, and can feel fresh and new when expressed well.

This is one of the ways in which this manhwa fails to live up to its own expectations. The story sets out reminiscent of a folktale, and while no story should be forced to stick to one genre, the author's choice to dally in so many different genres is exactly what weakens its premise. It fails to fully deliver on what first strikes as an epic because it refuses to condemn those it should.

The first arc is a wonderful reimagining of a fairytale with its idyllic setting and otherworldly horror, intertwining both good and bad with a clear focus. The second arc loses its way with this, and while the cast of characters could be blamed for this, given that they pilot the ethical lens through which the reader observes this world, there are instances of redemption, instances where there is again true "good" and true "evil" as we know them. The end of the second arc is probably the best ending one could wish for, as it embodies this in Pierre

achieving his goal of slaying the witch, and, here, the witch can be seen truly as both a perpetrator and a victim. The audience does not abhor Rose because she takes responsibility, effectively exposing her humanity and her lack thereof by tearing her own heart from her chest. It's like the slaying of a dragon. It's poetic, it's beautiful, it's poignant, and one of few moments Rose exercises her agency for the good of another.

The third arc tarnishes this. All of it. All moral ambiguity, all complexity, all darkness that could be found in Rose's character is ultimately displaced onto Lemon, who is made the scapegoat for every act of wrong she's ever committed. Even the

abandonment of her own children is overshadowed by Lemon's manipulation. It is really, truly, only through Lemon that Rose is ever scolded or made to see the wrongs she herself commits. Despite how badly the author wants us to sympathize with Rose, she's reduced to a woman who cannot survive without a man, who is persecuted by men and desired by them in ways beyond her control, but simultaneously, she wields power over them knowingly, as she does with both Lemon and Pierre.

The third arc is truly one of the most maddening things I've ever read. I can't put into words how depressing it is to read all three characters go through a character assassination. The plot also blows up into shreds, where very little of it makes any sense. The ideas are there, but few of them are connected, and with so many different plot threads and characters and histories intertwining all within the final act, there's very little room for these ideas to settle and properly develop with the audience.

Overall, the art is beautiful, the story shows promise, and the flow of the plot keeps you going in spite of all its flaws. With polish, this story could easily clear as a 10/10, although it's a shame that the author chose to switch the genre from a dark tragedy to...whatever this is by the end of it.

... Last updated 6 days ago

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This webtoon will break your heart and piece it back together, only to throw it off a fifty story building

by Lourie
4 years ago

Rating: 9.5 / 10.0

You know what, fuck this webtoon. But also fuck my heart for falling completely in love with it. I think what I feel for this series is exactly how the Quarries feel for Mother: I worship it but I also kinda want to tear it to pieces and forget about it because of how much pain it's caused me.

The story starts off very simple. We see how almost an entire village persecutes the twelve year old Rose and Léa Dupré (her mother) because they think Léa is the witch who's been killing people and animals for years. Thankfully, though, not everyone in the village is an ass. The Duprés are bros with the Grands, who are always ready to come to their defense when other villagers are being jerks.

The one thing that's troubling Rose the most is that she has a crush on Pierre Grand, her one and only friend, and she simply doesn't know what to do with it. Meanwhile Pierre is busy herding sheep like ain't nothin more important than this 🐑✨ So anyway, I thought the story was going to be about these two going around the globe and climbing mt. everest back to back ten times before finally, finally deciding to be together, or about Rose gaining the trust and respect of the villagers.

Enter Lemon, and it all goes to shit.

I can't say much because I don't wanna spoil anything, just know that everyone in this story is both a victim and a fucking devil. Don't get too attached to a character because you'll see the horrible things they'll do later on and you'll just be sitting there like oh dear 👁️👄👁️

I'm genuinely in awe of the way this webtoon so completely and quickly won my heart. Seriously. It's been a while since a story got me this emotional. There were times when when my finger was literally just hovering over the exit button because it hurt so fucking much?? I know they're all just characters in a story but all their sorrow, fear, happiness felt so real and raw. There's no other way to describe it. Every single element like the dialogue, the tiny changes in their facial expressions, all complement each other so perfectly that I, as a result, was able to immerse myself so much more into the story. And the art, my God the art. I was completely awestruck by the sheer beauty of it. I think this is visually one of the best webtoons I’ve ever seen. My words won't do it justice so go ahead and read it and your eyes shall be healed your face cleansed and your sins washed away.

Now, the plot: normally I'd know right away where the story is going based off of a few chapters alone, but I'll admit my two remaining brain cells were basically screaming bish you better STOP. this is too complicated for us at four in the goddamn morning. And I was just like we must endure. 😔✋ So I spent hours and hours sitting on my bed reading about how these characters repeatedly get screwed over by life.

And when I finished ch. 239 (latest chapter in English version), I didn't read anything else for more than a week because I was still so hung up on this series and its characters. I knew that if I did read anything else, it would have seemed inferior to The Pale Horse.

That said, though, I think I'll gladly pretend that Season 3 never existed.

Rose, Pierre, and Lemon are all trash in their own special way, but at least they all own up to it. No I've actually been the good guy all along you know, I'm just pretending to be bad in front of everyone bc of yada yada yada. They're despicable and they know it, the author knows it, and we know and accept them for it. I highly appreciate it when characters' personalities are so flawed and complex, not just simply good or bad.

All that changed when I read S3.

The moment Pierre went after Rose, I knew. I just fucking knew that Lemon would get dragged through the mud because the Rose x Pierre ship had to sail. Sadly I was right. All of a sudden, Rose is the typical "I never meant to do any of it. THEY made me do it." and Lemon turned into this generic final level bad boss character that they both had to defeat in order to live happily together. Gone were the complex characters I knew of, and it genuinely became so much harder for me to continue reading.

I think the people in this thread would be able to explain things better than me. It's full of spoilers so don't click the link if you haven't finished reading the story.

All in all, though, I still consider The Pale Horse a masterpiece. Which is why I've included it in my All Time Favorites list because it deserves nothing less. Please read it if you haven't. It's literally one of the best webtoons out there.

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Captivating

by kira6
8 years ago

Rating: 9.5 / 10.0

According to the author there should be three arcs to this story. The first arc was extremely captivating and began with a seemingly peaceful village setting, but soon enough the true story unravels with twists everywhere you turned. I just couldn't stop reading.

In comparison the second arc (albeit still interesting) has yet to be as captivating as the first. Its downfalls are its slow pace

the first ended before chapter 50 and the second is still ongoing at 110+ and with the main story shifting from centering on Rose to centering on the Hunters. The story still shifts to Rose from time to time but not enough in my opinion. I find this is a problem inherent with a story that shifts among the POV of multiple characters. Sometimes I just want to read the story of one particular character. Her story is the most interesting.

The multiple POVs does add to the story, however. Everybody views what's happening from their own POV, and thus has their own version of the truth. As you bounce among them, the reader also joins the mission of trying to find out what the truth actually is.

But 100+ chapters in and I still have so many questions. The second arc has barely scratched the surface. For example just who is Benjamin, what are his powers really, and why is he so obsessed with Rose.

... Last updated 8 years ago

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interesting

by Rage_Beat06
8 years ago

Rating: N/A

this is a great read, until about 50 chapters in...
The first (two?) parts were excellent and all that everyone is saying, but it just fell off near chap 50...
I tried so hard to want to read more of it, but i cant.
The characters are too odd, and things just dont happen.... Its a little too slow and I dont see how its going anywhere else.

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The Best Manhwa I've Ever Read

by hollym13
8 years ago

Rating: 10.0 / 10.0

This is literally the BEST manhwa I've ever read. It's probably even in the top 3 of any manga/manhwa/manhua I've ever read as well. The art, story, and characters drew me in so deep that I had to binge read it over 3 days before I could even consider doing anything else in my spare time. Its a very emotional and tragic story that makes my gut wrench and my heart sink. And I'm not ashamed to say I may have cried on more than one occasion while reading it. There's only ~65 episodes scanlated, but ~140 episodes available on Spottoon (with only a few episodes on rotation unless you purchase it, which I did and it was SO worth it). I will most definitely give it a 10 at this point. They could still very well f*** it up with a bad ending, but so far it's been absolutely perfect.

... Last updated 8 years ago

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Excellent

by fwoom
10 years ago

Rating: N/A

Excellent series. I would say so far, everything has been near-perfect, but I would not give it a 10 just yet since the series has not yet been completed and all series have the potential to fall short...

Edit: I love this series so much I wrote an in-depth review at http://www.foxymanga.com/?p=63 xD

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Little "Twist"...But

by AnimeFinder166
10 years ago

Rating: 9.0 / 10.0

When I read this it wasn't really that interesting from the first and last time I read the summary I wasn't impressed or curious.Because...the only "twist" is instead of the rumor being false it became or was true and my only thought was: "That's it...That's all instead of the rumor being false they made it true...that's the only "twist"
I only read it because of the art and I was really bored at that time.
All it takes is a little bit of patience to get to the really thrilling and exciting parts it's pretty good right now

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Absolute Masterpiece

by tsubasa22
13 years ago

Rating: N/A

I've read the entire series so far in the original language. Season 1 is over, and season 2 will be up in October 2012. And I will tell you -

This webtoon is an absolute masterpiece. The art is gorgeous, almost like painting rather than a comic. The story is absolutely tragic and beautiful all at the same time. And the characters are amazing - you get to fall in love with every character, Rose, Maire, everyone - which makes the tragic story even more heartbreaking. If The Pale Horse was created as a novel in the 19th century Europe, it would be the iconic story we would be reading in our High School classrooms. No joke.

This webtoon is a work of art in my opinion, and I wish it was translated more so more people could experience it.

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Dat great artwork

by monkry
13 years ago

Rating: N/A

I agree with 2 users before me. Gorgeous not enough.
I do not read webtoon, only one or two, and that, usually, because I do not like the artwork. And what I do not like the most from webtoon's artwork is the coloring, before the artwork. Dunno,maybe too flashy?
BUT THIS ONE. I LIKE IT SO MUCH.
The colors soothe my eyes, and seems detail to me.
While, the artwork itself, is very very gorgeous.

About the story, not much can be told, because so far still nothing happened...
Still mystery everywhere

... Last updated 13 years ago

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Spellbinding

by TheAries
13 years ago

Rating: N/A

I only read the first to chapters as of now (since the rest isn't translated yet) but look at the art. Just look at it. Gorgeous doesn't even come near it.
The story plays in 1835 France - and it feels like it, too. The country atmosphere is lavish, the characters and their clothes are drawn beautifully.
This is the first work I read from this author, but he (she?) certainly has a way with colors. At one point during chapter two, you see a family eating dinner and the colors are chosen in a way that you can practically feel the warm fire burning in the room.
It's beautiful. I don't think I've ever read a story with this much atmosphere. I can't wait to read the rest!

Update 02/2013:

Seriously, you have to read this! Pale Horse it THE best Webcomic I know and is far superior to most of the manga I read. The story is captivating and creepy and beautiful all at the same time, and the coloring is very subtle. Try it! And thank you to Easy Going Scans for making the effort of translating this masterpiece!

... Last updated 12 years ago

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