The Uncanny Counter: Territories Explained

Jo Byeong-gyu as So Mun in The Uncanny Counter
Credit: Studio Dragon


Jo Byeong-gyu as So Mun in The Uncanny Counter
Credit: Studio Dragon

In The Uncanny Counter, we learned that the Counters are ordinary humans chosen by Yung people to hunt evil spirits. To do that, they have their powers and the Territory to help them. But what is a Territory in The Uncanny Counter?

The K-drama follows a group of demon hunters, known as Counters, as they look for evil spirits to send them back to the afterlife.

These evil spirits possess dangerous men and women and force them to kill other people. Once they do, the evil spirit ingests the victim's soul, which makes him stronger and level up.

It is up to the Counters to fight these spirits and free the souls of the trapped victims trapped. To do that, however, they have to rely on their special powers.

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What Are the Powers of the Counters?

 Yu Jun-sang as Ga Mo-tak, Yum Hye-ran as Chu Mae-ok, Kim Se-jeong as Do Ha-na in The Uncanny Counter
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Credit: Studio Dragon

Once a human gets chosen to become a Counter, he receives special powers. He also has the ability to summon spirits and send them to the afterlife.

In The Uncanny Counter, the four Counters are equipped with the following powers:

  • So Mun (played by Jo Byeong-gyu) - Psychokinesis and summons the Territory at will.
  • Do Ha-na (played by Kim Se-jeong) - Martial arts and reads memories. She can also sense evil spirits better than the other Counters.
  • Ga Mo-tak (played by Yu Jun-sang) - Super strength
  • Chu Mae-ok (played by Yum Hye-ran) - Healing powers
  • Yoo In-so (played by Na Jeok-bong) - Super smell

In the second season of The Uncanny Counter, we learn that there are also Counters in China. However, they were killed by Hwang Pil-gwang's (played by Kang Ki-young) group. Their powers were also absorbed by the trio since they were already Level 3 spirits.

These four Chinese Counters share the same powers as So Mun, Ha-na, Mo-tak, and Ms. Chu. This means that these are the basic powers that Counters are equipped with. If there are other Counters in other countries, they also have these same powers.

In-so is a new Counter that has the ability to sniff out evil spirits after hitting his nose. His power, however, is very unstable since he is only starting out as a Counter.

In the first season, we learn that the Counters are given a special staff made from birch trees planted by the first Yung people. Through these, Counters are able to form a barrier to trap souls inside it.

Unfortunately, when they use the staff, they are unable to move and have to stay in place to keep the barrier up. It also drains them of their power as their energy is used to power the staff.

Discover More: The Uncanny Counter: Counters Explained

Why Is So Mun the Uncanny Counter?

Jo Byeong-gyu as So Mun in The Uncanny Counter
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Credit: Studio Dragon

So Mun is referred to in the show as the uncanny Counter. At first, it was because he was the only human chosen by a Yung spirit who wasn't in a comatose.

The other Counters were in a coma when their Yung counterpart chose them. But in the first season of the show, it was revealed that So Mun was different than the rest.

Towards the end of the show, we learn that this was not the only reason that made So Mun different. In fact, he is the only Counter who has the ability to summon a Territory at will.

Before acquiring this ability, the Counters had no way to rely on the unpredictable nature of Territories. But now that So Mun has this ability, they are able to gain strength whenever they are facing difficult enemies.

As Pil-gwang also learned, So Mun is a very powerful Counter capable of holding his own. He cannot be beat by a level 3 or level 4 spirit so easily.

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What Is a Territory?

Yum Hye-ran as Chu Mae-ok, Jo Byeong-gyu as So Mun, Yu Jun-sang as Ga Mo-tak, Kim Se-jeong as Do Ha-na in The Uncanny Counter
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Credit: Studio Dragon

All this talk about a Territory and how it intensifies a Counter's powers may have confused you by now. So, what exactly is a Territory?

As revealed in both the TV series and the webtoon, Amazing Rumor, a Territory is an energy field amplifies a Counter's strength and powers by up to five times.

A Territory shift happens when the energies of the divine realm (Yung) merge with the energies of the human realm.

Originally, the iridescent pillars of a Territory shift is random and only lasts for a few minutes. But now that So Mun has the ability, he can command these shifts to happen anytime.

To the eyes of a Counter, these are seen as rainbow prisms that come from the ground up to the sky. But to a human possessed by an evil spirit, it looks like fog or smoke.

In the second season of the show, we also learned that the evil spirits with the powers of Counters are able to see these Territory shifts too. They appear as bright, red lights shooting from the ground.

Apart from strengthening the powers of a Counter, a Territory shift also gives Counters the ability to sense evil spirits when they step in one.

What Are the Limitations of a Territory?

The Uncanny Counter Season 2
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Credit: Studio Dragon

In Season 2 Episode 7, it was revealed that Territories have a limitation to them. As it turns out, territories are unable to reach certain heights.

So Mun and the rest of the Counters learned this the hard way when they followed Ma Ju-seok (played by Jin Sun-kyu) up to the top floor of the tallest hotel in Jungjin.

Unfortunately, this was a trap that Ju-seok and Hwang Pil-gwang (played by Kang Ki-young) set up so they could trap the Counters.

Prior to this, Mun did not know that the Territory is unable to reach the 123rd floor. So when they followed Ju-seok to the top floor, they were shocked to learn that the Territory was unable to reach that height when summoned.

That's all we know about Territories right now. But we'll be sure to update this post once more information about The Uncanny Counter gets revealed.

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