8 K-Drama Kontrabidas Who Were *So Good* At Making Our Blood Boil

The best K-dramas are built on a solid base of conflict. And who better to serve it on a silver platter than a show's resident villain? Kontrabidas add spice to the lives of our favorite protagonists and strengthen their character and resolve to achieve their goals. Modern villains even test the audience's moral compass with their charisma and emotional backstory to the point of being scene stealers that rival a protagonist's place in the spotlight. Here’s a list of our top picks from 2020 to 2022 K-dramas. Tread lightly though, because spoilers are coming your way!

Iconic villains from recent K-dramas

1. The Mistress: A World Of Married Couple's Yeo Da Kyung (2020)
   Where you can watch it: Netflix, Viu, iQIYI
   Nothing screams kontrabida louder than a mistress. Pilates instructor Yeo Da Kyung (Han So Hee) made viewers' blood boil when she crushed Ji Sun Woo’s (Kim Hee Ae) marriage with her relentless affair with the former’s husband, Lee Tae Oh (Park Hae Joon). She stood her ground and didn't back out up until the very last stretch—when she finally experienced how painful karma can be.
   

   
   

2. The Sadistic Businessman: The Penthouse's Joo Dan Tae (2020)
   Where you can watch it: Netflix, Viu, iQIYI
   Joo Dan Tae (Uhm Ki Joon) is the most vicious among all the characters in The Penthouse series. His obsession with money and power led him to end and mess with the lives of the people who got in his way. Poverty and domestic violence spawned his evil side. Betrayal from those around him is what he hates the most, but he has no hesitation in betraying others. Karma eventually caught up to him and his downfall was orchestrated by his ex-wife Shim Su Ryeon (Lee Ji Ah).
   

   
   
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3. The Sinister Lawyer: Vincenzo's Choi Myung Hee  (2021)
   Where you can watch it: Netflix
   Woosang Law Firm's ambitious and ruthless lawyer Choi Myung Hee (Kim Yeo Jin) mastered the art of mixing her mundane life with evil crimes. She loves Zumba dancing and can stomach a mouthful of food wrapped in lettuce after ordering the murder of a person in cold blood. Driven by greed and her will to win at any cost, each murder that she orchestrated reflected her sinister nature. Her onscreen chemistry with fellow villain, Jang Jun Woo (2PM’s Taecyeon) is definitely one for the books! Their moments on the show earned them memes, tribute videos, and fan recognition as the "Psycho Couple." Like most villains, her crimes eventually caught up to her. Justice was served to her Vincenzo-style with a very fiery sentence.
   

4. The Greedy Chairman: Sell Your Haunted House's Do Hak Seong (2021)
   Where you can watch it: Viu
   Dohak Construction's Chairman Do Hak Seong (Ahn Gil Kang) is really a gangster hiding behind a corporate suit. His lust for money and power drove him to end the lives of many, including Oh In Bum (Jung Yong Hwa)'s uncle. Throughout the series, he embodies how evil deeds can be all-consuming.
   

5. The Gangster: Squid Game's Jang Deok Su (2021)
   Where you can watch it: Netflix
   Gangster Jang Deok Su (Heo Sung Tae) enters the Squid Game to settle his huge debts. He makes it his mission to win at all costs. Like a typical playground bully, he builds a gang of minions who help him trim down the competition by murdering the other contestants in their sleep on day one! His downfall in the drama was just as intense as the pain he inflicted on others.
   

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6. The Unloved Son: Bulgasal: Immortal Souls' Ok Eul Tae (2021)
   Where you can watch it: Netflix
   Stylish and charismatic Ok Eul Tae (Lee Joon) was a remarkable scene-stealer. Though his "daddy issues" are no excuse for his evil deeds, the rejection and pain he received from his father spiraled him into an endless loop of chaos and misery. His backstory reveals that he was a victim of protagonist Dan Hwal (Lee Jin Wook) who stole his soul. Though Eul Tae hinted at the presence of a bit of good in him at different points in the drama, he lived a lonely life and never received authentic affection from anyone up until the very end (sob!).
   

7. The Chaebol Fiancée: Now, We Are Breaking Up’s Shin Yoo Jung (2021)
   Where you can watch it: Viu
   Fashion influencer and department store managing director Shin Yoo Jung (Yoon Jung Hee) made things very difficult for Ha Young Eun (Song Hye Kyo) when she found out that Young Eun was her late fiancé's lover. She used her influence at Hill’s, a high-end department store, to kick out the brand Young Eun was in charge of and fueled the flame of Yoon Jae Guk's (Jang Ki Yong) mother's disapproval of his relationship with Young Eun. Unlike other villains who stood their ground till the very end, Yoo Jung gracefully backed down when she realized that Jae Guk was committed to fighting for his love for Young Eun.
   

8. The Elitist Teen: All Of Us Are Dead’s Lee Nayeon (2022)
   Where you can watch it: Netflix
   Wealthy Lee Nayeon (Lee Yoo Mi) sees herself as someone above everyone else. She's an arrogant snob who always looks down on Cheong San (Yoon Chan Young)'s best friend Gyeong Su (Ham Sung Min) because of the laters low-income roots. When the drama's zombie outbreak was in full swing, Nayeon was also very vocal about kicking out students who *might* be infected. Unlike her kind character in Squid Game, actress Lee Yoo Mi was able to successfully transition into a villain who angered viewers with her role as selfish Nayeon.
   

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