Copyright Screen Rant
K-dramas all follow a central protagonist, but the villain character is arguably the most important. There are countless heroes that missed the mark because the show’s antagonist fell flat, ruining an otherwise incredible plot. The best K-dramas of all time, however, know how to wisely utilize a villainous character archetype to make themselves stand out as an unforgettable battle of good and evil. Whether the K-drama has a satisfying ending and the antagonist reaps the consequences of their actions or the series takes a dark turn and lets the bad guy win, the hero’s journey is inextricably tied to the villain’s. Of course, there are ways to make both outcomes work, but K-dramas that flesh out their villains set themselves up for success. 20 Hyun Soo-ah My ID Is Gangnam Beauty My ID Is Gangnam Beauty is primarily remembered as a romantic K-drama, but it had an incredibly cruel antagonist: Hyun Soo-ah (Jo Woo-ri). As one of the most popular people in school, Soo-ah had a reputation for being beautiful inside and out. Yet, she weaponized false naivety to cruelly make fun of the main character, subjecting her to bullying, all because Soo-ah felt insecure. Soo-ah’s ability to cut people down with a wide smile was truly unnerving. 19 Lee Yoo-beom While You Were Sleeping While You Were Sleeping is a unique legal K-drama that hinges upon a supernatural twist: the three main characters begin having premonitions of horrific events that they have to prevent or investigate. The heroic trio of a young prosecutor, journalist, and police officer also has a shared enemy: Lee Yoo-beom (Lee Sang-yeob). Yoo-beom was a lawyer driven purely by greed, and he had no respect for the law itself— rather, he would fabricate evidence, falsify records, and skew facts to get the verdict he wanted. Instead of upholding a code of honor and seeking justice, Lee Yoo-beom protected himself to a downright murderous degree. 18 Kang Su-jin True Beauty Despite being a beloved rom-com K-drama with a great female lead, True Beauty also had a surprisingly cruel antagonist. Kang Su-jin (Park Yoo-na) started out as Lim Ju-kyung’s (Moon Ga-young) best friend, but everything changed after Ju-kyung began dating Su-jin’s childhood friend. Su-jin’s inferiority complex — instilled in her by her abusive father — led her to abandon all logic and empathy, and team up with Ju-kyung’s former bullies to expose her secret past. Lim Ju-kyung wins in the end by embracing her natural face, but Su-jin’s selfish plot easily could have ruined the main character’s life. 17 Park Joong-heon Goblin/Guardian: The Lonely and Great God For such a popular fantasy K-drama, Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (also known as Goblin) rests upon an age-old historic conflict: a battle for a throne. One of the spirits we meet, Park Joon-heon (Kim Byung-chul), was a mere eunuch who manipulated the monarchy to gain power. As a result, Park Joong-heon was solely responsible for the main character’s death, which only occurred after Joong-heon sowed distrust among the royal court. Now immortal, the lead gets a chance to confront the vengeful spirit for some much-needed payback. 16 Jang Dae-hee Itaewon Class It’s no wonder that Itaewon Class, one of the premier revenge K-dramas, has a memorable villain. Despite beating the odds and growing his business through hard work and determination, Jang Dae-hee (Yoo Jae-myung) ends up as a corrupt CEO. Dae-hee didn’t bat an eye at his son killing the main character’s father, nor did he extend any sympathy towards the grieving teenager. Instead, Dae-hee demanded he kneel as a sign of respect, proving the CEO had abandoned his former values for absolute power and authority. 15 Lee Lim The King: Eternal Monarch Whether you love or hate this controversial K-drama, The King: Eternal Monarch has an absolutely wicked villain in Lee Lim (Lee Jung-jin). The drama is split between two parallel universes — modern South Korea and the Kingdom of Corea — but Lee Lim manages to wreak havoc across multiple realities. Everything Lee Lim did in The King: Eternal Monarch, from killing his brother to killing his alternate self from the parallel universe, shows his irreparable, evil soul. Lee Lim proved he would murder anyone — including himself — for unrestricted power, which makes him realistically terrifying. 14 Min Joon-gook I Can Hear Your Voice Beyond its dark romance K-drama elements, I Can Hear Your Voice has a deeply unsettling subplot following Min Joon-gook (Jung Woong-in). Joon-gook started out ordinary, but he turns murderous after his wife dies due to not receiving a critical heart transplant. As a result, Joon-gook goes on a revenge-fueled killing spree, determined to kill both main characters. Though he managed to evade capture, trick the legal system, and frame another character for murder, Min Joon-gook got the ending he deserved: life in prison. Regardless, his face during the trial is haunting and will stay with the viewer long after the drama ends. 13 Mok Jin-woo Tunnel Tunnel takes a straightforward serial killer case and gives it a unique spin in this time travel K-drama. The main character chases the "Fishnet Stocking Killer" in 1986, continuing the investigation in 2016 after the two pass through the titular time-bending tunnel. The real culprit, Mok Jin-woo (Kim Min-sang), was extremely disturbed. In 1986, he strangled innocent women with fishnets to “punish” them for promiscuity. In 2016, he became a forensic doctor to evaluate the corpses of his own victims. What’s worse is that, after capture, Mok Jin-woo shows no remorse for his crimes. 12 Seo Moon-jo Strangers from Hell/Hell Is Other People Strangers from Hell (also known as Hell Is Other People) is one of the best K-dramas based on a webtoon ever made. Following a writer who moves into the central Eden Dormitory, Strangers from Hell immediately lasers in on his neighbor, Seo Moon-jo (Lee Dong-wook). Moon-jo seems like a kind and charismatic dentist, but it quickly becomes clear that he is a serial killer hiding in plain sight. Moreover, Moon-jo is the leader of an all-out killing group. Though the ending implied Moon-jo himself was killed, most speculate he survived and returned to the shadows to stalk his next victim. 11 Yoon Gwi-nam All of Us Are Dead All of Us Are Dead is an iconic zombie K-drama, but Yoon Gwi-nam (Yoo In-soo) was a villain long before he was infected. Prior to the show’s apocalypse, Gwi-nam was a ruthless bully who had no qualms about resorting to senseless violence.
