K-Drama Villains have always been an integral part of every K-Drama series we’ve ever watched. They are the portrayed obstacles we face in life, the terrible boss, the cold-blooded chairman who will stop at anything to take over the country (or his local community at least), the insufferable sibling who can’t seem to let you catch a break, the maniacal parent who can’t see murder as a playtime, the often rich ex-boyfriend who becomes evil as he is determined to be an obstacle of happiness or the king who somehow randomly falls in love with your crush and that leads to war. However shape or form these characters play, they will always play a vital role in the plot of every amazing K-Drama experience. Not all villains are bad though, well at least from the point of view of this article, we do not necessarily hate all K-Drama villains, some we sympathize with, some at first we misunderstand but as their stories unfold, we see the underlying force behind their actions, and others we see try to redeem themselves even when it results to them dying. These are the kind of villains we alongside millions K-Drama faithfuls eventually root for. Here are some of the male K-Drama villain characters whose original storyline changed and we eventually rooted for.
1. “Vincenzo” Jang HanSeo
Misunderstood. That is the word that we can only use to describe the would be the villain of the series Jang HanSeo played by Kwak DongYeon. In the first couple of episodes of the series, we get the feeling that he is the villain, the evil boss in charge who is set to release fatal drugs into the public but as the series evolves, we see he is merely a puppet in his brother’s schemes and he is being controlled by him. He is just a front, a face for the public, and not really in charge. His interactions with his brother show how much he fears him and even scenes where he tries to revolt or goes against his brother lead to even more abuse from him. Scenes where he witnesses his brother’s psychotic actions always show how shocked he was, further putting into light how much different he was from his brother. He eventually gains the courage to work with Vincenzo played by Song JoongKi to bring his brother to justice and save the company’s reputation and the workers as well, but his story takes an even sadder turn as just when we began to root for him, he is killed by his brother when he tries to save Vincenzo. His death was both shocking and sad as viewers seeing the change in his character were hoping he would have a happy ending.
2. “Chief Kim” Seo Yul
2PM’s JunHo is at the helm of the funny, outrageous, and ambitious Prosecutor turned CFO of TQ Company, Seo Yul. At first, we see him as this extremely smart, rude, and mean individual who after many years of prosecuting rich corporate giants decides to take his skills and work for one in a bid to make more money. He is introduced to the company and immediately starts to pursue the said goal. With the persistent interaction of the newly appointed Chief Accountant, Chief Kim played by NamKoong Min, we slowly see his facade begin to crack. Honestly, their interactions are funny. As the story unfolds, we gradually see that he is not as mean spirited or evil as he is initially thought to be, his interactions with Yoon HaKyung played by Nam SangMi at the baseball centers and at the diner where he subtly opens up about his fears sheds light into the character’s personality, and why he acts the way he does. Eventually, he switches sides and joins Chief Kim in his fight to rid the company of its evil and corrupt leaders. He redeems himself in the series, once saving Chief Kim’s life and even going to jail. He might be obnoxious, rude, and mean but he was a good guy in the end and we can’t help but like him for that.
3. “Tale Of The Nine Tailed” Lee Rang
Mesmerizing and Captivating. We are first introduced to Lee Rang played by the amazing actor Kim Bum, as a mysterious being on a path to destroy his brother and everything or everyone he loves. Lee Rang is bold, fearless, vindictive, and seeking revenge on his brother Lee Yeon played by Lee DongWook who he thought betrayed and abandoned him years ago. His course for revenge leads him to release an even bigger monster Lee Ryong (played by Lee TaeRi), with whom he hoped to work together in other to kill his brother, Lee Yeon. But as the story unfolds, we see the reason for his madness and drive. We often see that he is not so vindictive or evil and cares about his family and loved ones and weirdly, what he is doing is because he wanted his brother’s love and recognition. He eventually recognizes his mistakes and teams up with Lee Yeon to destroy Lee Ryong. In the course of their fight to defeat the Imoogi Lee Ryong, his brother dies, and realizing that he needs to fix things and pay for his crimes, he made a deal to exchange his life for his brother’s giving us one of the most heartbreaking scenes in K-Drama. His last message to his brother showed just how much he cared about him, and his love for his family. A true redemption story, he is one of the villains we eventually fell in love with.
4. “The Heirs” Choi YoungDo
If anyone perfectly fits the theme of this article, it has to be Kim WooBin’s character Choi YoungDo. From the very first scene, we get the impression that he is the villain in the series and our thoughts are reinforced by his actions: bullying, fighting, and always persistently trying to get in the way of our lovers’ ship. But as the series develops, we get to see that every negative thing he does is just on the surface, and deep down he is a good guy who has been hurt by the abandonment of his mother and the cold nature of his father. His true kind nature often presented itself in scenes where he helps Kim Tan (played by Lee MinHo) escape from his grandfather’s hold or when he notices Kim Tan’s mother was about to leave and runs to find him, in scenes like these, we can see the warmth in a character that has been portrayed as cold and disruptive. The scene where he finds his victim and sincerely apologizes was so heartwarming and tear-jerking as we can see and acknowledge with deep respect, the character’s growth and development throughout the series. And like many fans have often commented “we came because of Lee MinHo but ended up falling for Kim WooBin”. The Heirs Cast: Where Are They Now? KDRAMA STORIES|Aug 23, 2021 5 K-Drama Actors Who Played Villains But Are The Sweetest In Real Life KDRAMA STORIES|Jul 20, 2021 5 K-Drama Characters Who Stressed Us Out KDRAMA STORIES|Jun 29, 2021
