10 K-drama villains who were way too good at being bad

Strong Girl Nam Soon | Image Via: JTBC
Strong Girl Nam Soon | Image Via: JTBC

K-drama villains show us the terrifying lengths people can go to in order to achieve their goals. They make our blood boil, our hearts race, and our minds question morality.

We despise their actions, but we can’t deny—they’re just too good at being bad. These characters are always ten steps ahead, with chilling smiles and ruthless minds. They’re not just evil—they’re unforgettable.

So, let’s talk about K-drama villains and their ability to leave an indelible mark on our minds.


10 K-drama villains who were way too good at being bad

1) Ryu Shi-oh in Strong Girl Nam Soon

Strong Girl Nam Soon | Image Via: JTBC
Strong Girl Nam Soon | Image Via: JTBC

The hunger for power and strength can be dangerously addictive, often pushing people to extreme lengths. In their pursuit, they begin to lose sight of what is right and wrong. As this hunger intensifies, their moral compass fades.

Ryu Shi-oh is the perfect embodiment of this descent. From the very beginning, he sets the tone for the show’s villainy. Unlike the other characters in the K-drama, he stands out for his sheer ruthlessness and lack of remorse.

His cold-blooded actions leave the viewers shocked. Though his initial interactions with Nam-soon did not depict this, as the story progresses, the viewers understand this.

This K-drama villain steals the show with his arc. It cannot be denied that this K-drama failed to gain the traction its predecessor gained. This K-drama villain, however, remains unforgettable.


2) Kim Joo-young in Sky Castle

Sky Castle | Image Via: JTBC
Sky Castle | Image Via: JTBC

Being a villain does not always mean using physical assault as a means of creating chaos. Sometimes, K-drama villains are also the people who use mind games to disarm and completely ruin a person’s life from the inside.

This K-drama villain is just like that. She might not murder someone for her gains, but her psychological harassment leaves her victims devastated and ruined.

As a teacher herself, she has to cater to her students. However, instead of comforting and caring towards her students, she manipulates and emotionally torments them. This is truly a sickening aspect of her character. This K-drama shows us a realistic and heartbreaking depiction of the significance of mental health.

Kim Joo-young’s villain truly shows us how she is way too good at being bad. The story also shows us this K-drama villain's traumatic past. Her past propelled her into becoming the type of person she is now.


3) Park Joong Heon in Guardian The Great and Lonely God

Guardian The Great and Lonely God | Image Via: tvN
Guardian The Great and Lonely God | Image Via: tvN

The creativity and depth that we see in the depiction of a K-drama villain is truly remarkable.

K-drama villains can be traumatizing even when they are just human beings, but imagine how scarier they might get when supernatural powers are involved.

In this fantasy K-drama, we see how the world of Eun-tak changes when she understands her role as the Goblin’s bride. The man with she stayed for quite a long time, who protected her from numerous dangers, and also made her happy, would only find peace if the sword that is lodged in his chest gets removed.

Now, the K-drama villain in this story, Park Joong Heon, truly stands out because of his actions.

Not only is his past life filled with heinous tasks, but he also keeps on with his villainy even now. Filled with deceit and negativity, Park Joong Heon is truly too good at being a villain.


4) Cheon Seo-jin in Penthouse

Penthouse | Image Via: SBS TV
Penthouse | Image Via: SBS TV

Sometimes, looks can be deceiving. For this K-drama villain, this is absolutely true. Cheon Seo-jin exudes classy style and a cold demeanor. Her air and style are truly worth appreciating.

However, do not be misguided by her exterior. She hides pure evil inside her. She is a master manipulator. With her ability to deceive, she can turn any situation in her favour. This K-drama villain is undoubtedly too good at being evil.


5) Ok Eul-tae in Bulgasal: Immortal Souls

Bulgasal: Immortal Souls | Image Via: tvN
Bulgasal: Immortal Souls | Image Via: tvN

This K-drama villain truly stole the show in this K-drama. With immense wealth and power, Ok Eul-tae’s villainy knows no bounds. He is only driven by his desire to unleash pure evil.

To manipulate and deceive others is a sort of entertainment for him. While people struggle, he enjoys their difficulties with no remorse or empathy. This K-drama is a story of revenge, fate, and the struggle for redemption.

If you truly enjoy K-dramas with in-depth character development and a villain with a backstory, then this K-drama is right for you. This K-drama villain will show you how to do villainy in the right manner.


6) Kim Jang-hyun in Strong Girl Bong Soon

Strong Girl Bong Soon | Image Via: JTBC
Strong Girl Bong Soon | Image Via: JTBC

K-drama villains who have the unstoppable dedication to achieve their desires truly are scary. This K-drama starts off as a fun and lighthearted one. However, it quickly becomes a gritty and suspenseful one with the addition of this K-drama villain.

As soon as this K-drama villain arrives on our screen, you will feel a chill run down your spine. Some villains have no remorse or empathy. All they desire is to achieve their goals with no concern about the consequences.

Kim Jang-hyun is a villain who is inclined towards a play. Bluebird and his seven wives inspire him. This play triggered him to start his kidnapping spree. He starts to kidnap young women.

Then he keeps them locked up in the basement of the junkyard he owns. While he is kidnapping, he wears a facial mask. This mask covers his whole face. Hence, even when he gets caught on the CCTVs, it is difficult to identify him.

After Bong-soon encounters him as she was going to her work, she starts to dig deep into the case. She plans to catch him. During their face-to-face encounter, this K-drama villain is shocked to see her powers.

He understands that she is not a regular woman. His intellect and wit can be seen when he finds out her weakness and uses the loophole to make her lose her powers.


7) Kim Young-soo in Lovely Runner

Lovely Runner | Image Via: tvN
Lovely Runner | Image Via: tvN

This K-drama villain truly took the internet by storm with his constant interference in Im Sol and Sun-jae’s lives. Usually, when we are introduced to a K-drama villain, we try to understand their motives.

However, this K-drama villain’s true motive is truly difficult to understand. It makes us wonder whether some people do not need any reason to be evil. Sometimes, they are just that, pure villain.

Kim Young-soo or better known as the taxi driver, wreaked havoc in Im Sol and Sun-jae’s lives. They tried to evade him multiple times. Yet he was always one step ahead. His agenda and motives are dubious.

However, his dedication to creating chaos is truly unmatched and consistent. This K-drama villain truly shows us how he is way too good at being bad.


8) Su-min in Marry My Husband

Marry My Husband | Image Via: tvN
Marry My Husband | Image Via: tvN

This K-drama villain showed us that sometimes the people who are the closest to us stab us in the back and leave us to suffer on our own without any remorse. Ji-won’s life is not easy.

Not only is the man she loved and married constantly harassing her, but also her own best friend cheats with her husband while pretending to be her good friend.

This K-drama villain is proof that sometimes a villain does not need to kill to be given the name of a villain. Su-min’s actions towards Ji-won throughout the K-drama are enough to boil the blood of the viewers.

She pretends to be her well-wisher, but gives her backhanded compliments and relishes it when someone makes fun of her. When Ji-won falls sick, she flirts with Ji-won’s husband, cheats on her, and makes plans to take her money after her death.

When Ji-won gets a chance to restart again and make better choices, Su-min constantly tries to sabotage her and make her look like a fool. She is truly too good at being bad.


9) Soo-ah in My ID Is Gangnam Beauty

My ID Is Gangnam Beauty | Image Via: JTBC
My ID Is Gangnam Beauty | Image Via: JTBC

Sometimes, we often fail to realise the true nature of a person because of their external behaviour. On the surface, Soo-ah is sweet, but beneath lies deep-seated insecurity. Her childhood trauma manifests as toxic jealousy, leading her to manipulate those around her, especially Kang Mi-rae. Her eventual efforts at redemption show that even the worst characters can change, but the scars they leave remain.

These K-dramas show us that the word villain is not enough. Especially not to a group of people committing heinous crimes. Sometimes, people who constantly manipulate and emotionally torment are also villains.

Their two-faced nature often goes unnoticed. In this K-drama, Soo-ah pretends to be friends with Kang Mi-rae. However, deep down, she resents her for getting attention and compliments.

She consistently sabotages anyone who she thinks would come in her way of getting attention. Her childhood traumas manifested in the form of insecurity. This caused her to become this way.

However, at the end of the K-drama, we see that she is trying to amend herself. This aspect shows us that some villains also deserve redemption.


10) Imoogi in Tale of the Nine Tailed

Tale of the Nine Tailed | Image Via: tvN
Tale of the Nine Tailed | Image Via: tvN

This K-drama villain showed us how some people have no redeeming qualities. Imoogi is pure evil. He has no remorse while killing innocent people around him just for fun.

His urge to gain power knows no bounds. He uses anyone who can become a tool on his path towards his goals. From using Lee Yeon’s weakness towards Ji-ah to sacrificing lives for his gains, he has no empathy or regret. He is truly too good at being bad.


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Edited by Tanisha Aggarwal