5 Manhwa Like Milady: Memoirs of a Villainess
If you finished our Milady: Memoirs of a Villainess review wanting more heroines who scheme back instead of just enduring, this list is for you. What made Milady work wasn't just the betrayal or the second chance — it was a woman who used her return to actually outmaneuver the people who wronged her, instead of hoping things would go better this time. These five picks share that same backbone: political scheming, a heroine reclaiming what she lost, and morally grey choices that aren't apologized for.
1. The Villainess Lives Again
Artezia Rosan spent her life ensuring her brother's rise to the throne, only to be betrayed and imprisoned for the crimes she committed on his behalf. Rescued by Grand Duke Cedric Ebron, she gets a second chance when she travels back in time, and has to decide whether she can turn against her own family to survive.
Why it fits if you liked Milady: This is the closest match on the list. Same shape as Milady's arc: betrayed and condemned, granted a return, and now working with a powerful ally against the people who used her. If you wanted more of Milady's "back from the dead, and done being loyal" energy, start here. See it on Moonlight Toons.
2. Your Throne
Lady Medea Solon has lost her position beside Crown Prince Eros and is willing to do whatever it takes to reclaim it. A body swap with Psyche Callista, the saintess, forces both women into each other's circumstances, upending everything Medea thought she understood about the empire's politics.
Why it fits if you liked Milady: Both heroines are fighting to reclaim a position they were pushed out of, and both stories use a narrative device — Milady's regression, Medea's body swap — to force a heroine to see her situation from a new angle. If you liked watching Milady work the political court from a disadvantaged position, Medea's climb is the same kind of satisfying. See it on Moonlight Toons.
3. Roxana
Trapped in the brutal Agriche crime family, Roxana has to navigate kidnapping, murder, and constant danger while protecting her brother Cassis. Her one advantage is knowledge of a novel called The Abysmal Flower — she knows what's coming, and has to decide how far she's willing to go to survive it.
Why it fits if you liked Milady: Both heroines treat foreknowledge as a weapon, not just a warning system. Roxana leans harder into psychological survival-drama than romance, so it's a good pick if the political scheming was what hooked you more than the romance itself. See it on Moonlight Toons.
4. The Remarried Empress
When Emperor Sovieshu demands a divorce to marry his mistress, Empress Navier doesn't fall apart — she strategically partners with Prince Heinrey of a rival kingdom and sets out to surpass her ex-husband at every turn, on her own terms.
Why it fits if you liked Milady: No time travel here, but the same instinct: a woman who was going to be discarded instead builds a new position of power and doesn't look back. If Milady's refusal to beg for D'Artagnan's forgiveness was your favorite part, Navier's cool, deliberate reinvention will scratch the same itch. See it on Moonlight Toons.
5. Agatha
Princess Agatha lived a sheltered life until her father's death made her Queen Consort, content to let her husband King Halon rule. When she discovers he's secretly conspiring with their kingdom's enemy while corruption spreads at home, she has to transform from a passive consort into an active leader — or watch her country fall apart.
Why it fits if you liked Milady: This is the slow-burn version of the same revenge instinct. It's a tragedy with a much longer fuse than Milady's regression-driven plot, so pick this one if you want the political betrayal and eventual reckoning without the time-loop device speeding things up. See it on Moonlight Toons.
Which One Should You Start With?
- Want the closest match to Milady's plot? Start with The Villainess Lives Again.
- Want more political maneuvering, less time travel? Try Your Throne or The Remarried Empress.
- Want the darkest, least romance-forward pick? Go with Roxana.
- Want a slower burn with a bigger payoff? Agatha is the patient choice.
Check each title's own content warnings on its Moonlight Toons page before you start — these all lean dark, and a couple carry heavier warnings than Milady does. Want the full breakdown on where Milady itself lands? Read the Milady: Memoirs of a Villainess review.
