Dramas with Outstanding & Well-Written Complex Antagonists

The main villain(s) are usually the chief mastermind instead of a mere serial killer of any sorts. The kind of dramas are usually political (slightly or heavily) with storytelling format that can vary from flat out laying the main suspects as eccentric, grey characters or straight-up villain/corrupt from the get-go. 

Tae Ho Aug 17, 2020
30 Titles Loves
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30 Voters Report
  • Stranger

    1. Stranger

    Korean Drama - 2017, 16 episodes
    8.7
    1,594 points by 16 voters
    Hwang Si Mok underwent brain surgery as a child to curb his violent temper, which left him devoid of emotions. He becomes a prosecutor known for his piercing intelligence and logic, but ...more
  • Flower of Evil

    2. Flower of Evil

    Korean Drama - 2020, 16 episodes
    9.1
    1,069 points by 11 voters
    Although Baek Hui Seong is hiding a dark secret surrounding his true identity, he has established a happy family life and a successful career. He is a loving husband and a doting ...more
  • Nobody Knows

    3. Nobody Knows

    Korean Drama - 2020, 16 episodes
    8.4
    878 points by 9 voters
    Detective Young Jin, haunted by the unsolved murder of her friend by the 'Stigmata' serial killer 19 years ago, is determined to find the killer. Living a solitary life, her only connection ...more
  • Signal

    4. Signal

    Korean Drama - 2016, 16 episodes
    8.8
    673 points by 7 voters
    Fifteen years ago, a young girl was kidnapped on the way from school, and Park Hae Yeong, who was an elementary school student at that time, witnessed the crime. A few days ...more
  • Vagabond

    5. Vagabond

    Korean Drama - 2019, 16 episodes
    8.5
    664 points by 7 voters
    Cha Dal Gun, devastated by his nephew’s death in a mysterious plane crash, embarks on a quest to uncover the truth behind a massive cover-up. Go Hae Ri, the eldest daughter of ...more
  • The Crowned Clown

    6. The Crowned Clown

    Korean Drama - 2019, 16 episodes
    8.4
    490 points by 5 voters
    Amid political chaos and threats against King Lee Hun, a clown named Ha Sun, who closely resembles the king, is brought into the palace as his double. Orphaned during an epidemic and ...more
  • Six Flying Dragons

    7. Six Flying Dragons

    Korean Drama - 2015, 50 episodes
    8.7
    489 points by 5 voters
    A fictional, historical drama about the ambition, rise and fall of real and fictional characters based around Yi Bang Won. Yi Bang Won was the third king of the Joseon Dynasty in ...more
  • Watcher

    8. Watcher

    Korean Drama - 2019, 16 episodes
    8.2
    391 points by 4 voters
    An inspector who decided to live as a watchdog for the rest of his life after being betrayed by a trusted senior. A young police officer who lives suspecting that his father, ...more
  • Doctor Prisoner

    9. Doctor Prisoner

    Korean Drama - 2019, 32 episodes
    8.3
    390 points by 4 voters
    An ace emergency care doctor loses his license after being scapegoated in a malpractice case caused by the hospital director. Determined to get revenge, he becomes a prison internist, aiming to befriend ...more
  • Misty

    10. Misty

    Korean Drama - 2018, 16 episodes
    8.2
    387 points by 4 voters
    Go Hye Ran is an ambitious anchorwoman for the popular news show, News 9. She is passionate about her job and doesn't stop until she gets what she wants. One day, she ...more
  • Designated Survivor: 60 Days

    11. Designated Survivor: 60 Days

    Korean Drama - 2019, 16 episodes
    8.5
    371 points by 4 voters
    Park Moo Jin is a former professor of chemistry and now holds the Minister of Environment position. He doesn't have ambition, personal beliefs or political sense. One day, the cabinet is gathered ...more
  • Memorist

    12. Memorist

    Korean Drama - 2020, 16 episodes
    8.3
    288 points by 3 voters
    Dong Baek possesses an extraordinary gift - the ability to delve into the memories of those he touches. His remarkable talent, striking appearance, and no-nonsense approach have made him a world-renowned detective. ...more
  • Remember: War of the Son

    13. Remember: War of the Son

    Korean Drama - 2015, 20 episodes
    8.2
    284 points by 3 voters
    Seo Jin Woo has hyperthymesia, a condition that makes him remember life experiences in vivid detail. His father, wrongfully accused of murder, was tried and put on death row. Determined to prove ...more
  • SKY Castle

    14. SKY Castle

    Korean Drama - 2018, 20 episodes
    8.7
    283 points by 3 voters
    Han Seo Jin, Noh Seung Hye, Jin Jin Hee, and Lee Myung Joo all live with their families in SKY Castle, a luxury private neighborhood hosting wealthy doctors and professors. All of ...more
  • City Hunter

    15. City Hunter

    Korean Drama - 2011, 20 episodes
    8.3
    282 points by 3 voters
    Lee Yoon Sung is a talented MIT-graduate who works on the international communications team in the Blue House. He plans revenge on five politicians who caused his father's death with his surrogate ...more
  • Train

    16. Train

    Korean Drama - 2020, 12 episodes
    8.3
    279 points by 3 voters
    Haunted by the thought that his drunkard father killed another man before also dying on the same day and not paying for his crime, Seo Do Won lives his life trying to ...more
  • You're All Surrounded

    17. You're All Surrounded

    Korean Drama - 2014, 20 episodes
    8.1
    278 points by 3 voters
    Eun Dae Gu, Eo Su Seon, Park Tae Il and Ji Guk - otherwise known as the P4 - are the new recruits in the violent crime unit at Gangnam Police Station. ...more
  • Money Game

    18. Money Game

    Korean Drama - 2020, 16 episodes
    7.8
    271 points by 3 voters
    Twenty years after the IMF crisis, the drama centers on the clash between the head of the Financial Policy Bureau, who seeks to sell Jungin Bank, near bankruptcy with a third of ...more
  • The Untamed

    19. The Untamed

    Chinese Drama - 2019, 50 episodes
    9.0
    200 points by 2 voters
    Wei Wu Xian and Lan Wang Ji, two talented disciples of respected clans, meet during cultivation training and accidentally discover a secret carefully hidden for many years. Taking on the legacy of ...more
  • Lawless Lawyer

    20. Lawless Lawyer

    Korean Drama - 2018, 16 episodes
    8.2
    200 points by 2 voters
    Bong Sang Pil, a former gangster turned lawyer, seeks vengeance for his mother's death by targeting corrupt individuals who believe they're above the law. With his past skills, he combines legal loopholes ...more
  • Cruel City

    21. Cruel City

    Korean Drama - 2013, 20 episodes
    8.5
    187 points by 2 voters
    It portrays the cruel life of the drug cartels and the story of revenge for a loved one. Jung Shi Hyun is a newly appointed under-boss of the drug cartel. He lives ...more
  • Hyena

    22. Hyena

    Korean Drama - 2020, 16 episodes
    8.2
    182 points by 2 voters
    It deals with very competitive, private lawyers who only work for the richest 1% of society. Lawyer Jung Geum Ja crosses the boundaries of law and lawlessness, justice and injustice, ethics and ...more
  • Three Days

    23. Three Days

    Korean Drama - 2014, 16 episodes
    7.6
    99 points by 1 voters
    The President of South Korea goes on holiday at a private villa. In the middle of the night, three gunshots are fired, and the president goes missing. His bodyguards, led by elite ...more
  • Giant

    24. Giant

    Korean Drama - 2010, 60 episodes
    8.1
    99 points by 1 voters
    This drama tells the story of three siblings who grew up in the 1970s. Lee Gang Mo, his older brother Seong Mo and younger sister Mi Ju were separated at a young ...more
  • Itaewon Class

    25. Itaewon Class

    Korean Drama - 2020, 16 episodes
    8.4
    98 points by 1 voters
    Park Saeroyi's life has been turned upside down after he gets expelled from school for punching a bully and his father is killed in an accident. Following his father's steps, he opens ...more
  • Confession

    26. Confession

    Korean Drama - 2019, 16 episodes
    8.3
    97 points by 1 voters
    A case involving the hidden truth behind the law prohibiting double jeopardy. When Choi Do Hyun was a boy, he had a heart disease. He spent most of his childhood in a ...more
  • Life

    27. Life

    Korean Drama - 2018, 16 episodes
    8.0
    96 points by 1 voters
    This series examines the hospital as a breeding ground for misuse of power. It is a place of conflicting interests and clashing egos. The doctors have the power to save lives, but ...more
  • The Great Queen Seondeok

    28. The Great Queen Seondeok

    Korean Drama - 2009, 62 episodes
    8.5
    91 points by 1 voters
    The story of a beautiful queen, who has to give up her love to save the people. A biopic of Queen Seon Deok, who was born a princess and later became the ...more
  • The World of the Married

    29. The World of the Married

    Korean Drama - 2020, 16 episodes
    8.3
    90 points by 1 voters
    Everything seems perfect in the life of the successful family doctor and associate director, Ji Sun Woo. She lives happily in Gosan with her handsome husband Lee Tae Oh, whom she financially ...more
  • Empress Ki

    30. Empress Ki

    Korean Drama - 2013, 51 episodes
    8.6
    85 points by 1 voters
    Genghis Khan built an empire that spanned vast regions in East Asia and East Europe. And there was one woman who held immense power in the Yuan Dynasty, which Genghis Khan founded, ...more

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