Kdramania’s Ultimate Top 10 K-Drama Characters List (+ Bonus C-Drama Picks)
- SophieLZ
- 13 hours ago
- 9 min read
I have seen countless K dramas, but only a few special characters still come to mind when I think about the shows I loved. These are the ones that mattered to me.
💙 Top 5 Male Characters
#5 Lee Rang (Kim Bum) - Tale of the Nine Tailed
Why he's one of my favorites: If you opened a dictionary under "charming," Lee Rang’s face would be there. He is the only side character on this list, yet he steals nearly every scene. He plays the trickster, the troublemaker, the mischief stirrer, the walking headache for his brother, but underneath it all sits a heart that hits harder than you expect. That is why he lives rent free in my memory.
Why he stole the show: He plays by his own rules and never cares what anyone thinks. Behind the teasing and chaos is a soft heart he refuses to show. He jokes through danger, turns tension into play, and makes every scene unpredictable. You watch him thinking: I shouldn't love him this much… but I do.
Best moment: Saving his reincarnated dog, now living as a human boy, from the abusive father.
Badges: 👑Scene-Stealer 📌Unforgettable 🧨Made Me Delulu
Best quote: "If someone bites you, just bite them back exactly the same."
One-line tribute: Mischief first. Loyalty deeper than he lets you see.
#4 Ri Jeong-hyeok (Hyun Bin) — Crash Landing on You
Why he's one of my favorites: He’s quietly heroic. He protects without asking for recognition. Even if fear existed, he never let it show. Watching him move through danger with steady loyalty and calm strength felt deeply human. He never felt like fiction. He felt real. A man who chooses others before himself.
Why he stole the show: He risked everything for the people he loved. His bravery is quiet and unwavering. In my eyes he might be the bravest character I have ever seen.
Best moment: When he takes a bullet for Se-ri.
Badges: 🛡Protector 🧩Glue of the Story 🌧Brooding Hero
Best quote: "I don't care if you're far away, Ill be there."
One-line tribute: A soldier with a gentle core and a love that never wavered.
#3 So Mun (Jo Byeong-gyu) - The Uncanny Counter
Why he's one of my favorites: So Mun begins as a regular teenager who suddenly finds himself working for the afterlife. He struggles like any real person would, torn between protecting others and wanting revenge. His emotions feel raw and human in a way k-dramas rarely allow male leads to be. That is what made him stand out for me. He is charming and enjoyable to watch, and he is one of the reasons I rewatch Uncanny Counter more than any other k-drama.
Why he stole the show: His charm, his uniqueness, his loyalty to the people he loves, and his sharp intuition. He feels things deeply and never hides it, which makes him easy to root for.
Best moment: When he wipes out the whole bully group at school and finally takes his power back.
Badges: 🛡Protector ☠Would Die For Him 📌Unforgettable
Best quote: "It's time to go, you son of a b*tch!"
One-line tribute: A wounded soul who became a shield for others.
#2 Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) - Squid Game
Why he's one of my favorites: Gi-hun is the kind of character you remember long after finishing Squid Game. He begins naive with money, a little lost in life, but the games force him to grow. Bit by bit he becomes someone who thinks of others first, someone who aches yet still chooses compassion. Watching that shift is the heart of the show. His growth made him unforgettable, and through every moment he still felt human.
Why he stole the show: He starts flawed and lost, yet he keeps choosing kindness when it costs him. He learns, he changes, he falls and stands again. That journey is what made him stick with me.
Best moment: The marble game with Il-nam where his kindness and desperation collide.
Badges: 🔗Best Character Arc 😩Stress-Inducing King ✨Cinnamon Roll
Best quote: "Humans are..."
One-line tribute: A man who chose compassion in a place built to kill it.
#1 Cha Hyun-su (Song Kang) - Sweet Home
Why he's one of my favorites: He will probably stay my number one no matter how many K-dramas I watch. This role fits Song Kang like it was written for him and he shines here more than anywhere else. Hyun-su begins as a scared teen who has lost everything, but slowly becomes the hero no one expected. He is frightened, misunderstood, treated like a danger, yet he still protects the people around him. Others see a monster. He chooses to fight for their humanity. He chooses them even when they would not choose him. That is what makes him unforgettable.
Why he stole the show: He has a presence you cannot look away from. Song Kang plays him with a natural pull and every time he appears on screen you want to know what he feels, what he thinks, and what he will do next. He does not ask for attention. He pulls you in without asking.
Best moment: The fight scene with Lee Eun-hyeok on the bus.
Badges: 👑 Scene-Stealer 🔗Best Character Arc 🎭Carried the Plot
Best quote: "How can I save the kids?"
One-line tribute: Pain turned him into a monster. Choice turned him into a hero.
Bonus Male Pick from Chinese Drama:
Xiao Heng (Wang Xingyue) – The Double
Why he's one of my favorites: Xiao Heng has a mind like a blade. He reads people, reads rooms, and moves only when it benefits his goal. His intelligence shines in every scene and there is a charm to him that is impossible to ignore. He is beautiful on screen and he knows it, yet he never relies on looks alone. He is thoughtful, strategic, and steady in a world built on power games. He does not panic. He calculates. He wins.
Why he stole the show: He is decisive in ways most characters are not. While others hesitate, he has already chosen a path. His presence is calm and composed, which makes every small expression carry meaning. Nothing about him feels wasted. Every word, every look, every move is intentional and that control is what keeps you watching.
Best moment: When he calmly challenges Princess Wan Ning, refusing to bow to her status and making it clear he will not be controlled.
Badges: 👑Scene-Stealer 📌Unforgettable 🧠Strategist
Best quote: "Is the truth that important to you?"
One-line tribute: A man as sharp as a sword.
💗 Top 5 Female Characters
#5 Lee Eun-yu (Go Min-si) – Sweet Home
Why she's one of my favorites: Lee Eun-yu is my second favorite in Sweet Home and she never leaves my mind. She carries pain that sits beneath her sharp personality, and she hides more than she ever says out loud. She is loyal, observant, quick to read people, and she survives because she refuses to break. Her relationship with her brother reveals who she truly is. She aches, but she stands. That is why she remains one of the most memorable characters among all the kdramas I have watched.
Why she stole the show: From the very first moment we see her practicing ballet in that broken world, it is hard not to fall in love with her. There is grace under her anger, hope under her hurt, and that contrast makes every scene she is in impossible to ignore.
Best moment: When she confronts the grocery store owner Kim Suk-hyun in the apartment complex.
Badges: 🌊Carried sorrow with grace 🧠I think about her often 💥Empowerment fuel
Best quote: "F*ck bastards like you."
One-line tribute: A face of a ballerina, the power of a survivor.
#4 Do Ha-na (Kim Sejeong) – The Uncanny Counter
Why she's one of my favorites: Do Ha-na is someone who carries deep pain behind a strong face. She rarely shows emotion, yet you feel everything she has been through in the way she lives. She is one of the best characters in the show and her presence holds the team together more than they realize. Her abilities are powerful, but her strength is not only in fighting. She observes first, acts second, and quietly protects the people she has chosen. She is loyal to a fault and her emotions come to the surface when any of her friends are in pain.
Why she stole the show: The moment she stepped on screen we see a powerful woman standing in front of So Mun, stopping the bullies without hesitation. One glare and the room goes quiet. We know immediately she is someone who protects others. She does not brag, she just acts. That is what makes her unforgettable.
Best moment: When she confronts her uncle with her team.
Badges: 🌊Carried sorrow with grace 💔Shattered my heart 🛡Heroine who protects
Best quote: "If you call me a b*tch one more time, Ill kill you."
One-line tribute: A silent shield for the people she loves.
#3 Lim Joo-kyung (Moon Ga-young) – True Beauty
Why she's one of my favorites: Lim Joo-kyung is one of the few characters on this list who believes she was born unlucky. She thinks she is plain, invisible, and not meant to stand out. Yet she is also one of the sweetest and bravest girls you will ever watch. Her chaotic moments, silly panics, and genuine heart make her impossible not to love. She walks into a new school with nothing but makeup and hope, trying to rewrite her life. What makes her truly special is that she has no idea how beautiful she already is, even without the mask she thinks she needs.
Why she stole the show: She steals the show not through perfection, but through the parts of her that feel like any one of us. She feels insecure but keeps trying, finding confidence one small step at a time. How many of us have high school memories of not feeling enough. Her humor and her tears feel real. We see our younger selves in her, and that is what makes her shine more than any makeover ever could.
Best moment: When she comes to school without any makeup.
Badges: 🎭Carried the show 💍Romance anchor 🪽Pure heart
Best quote: "Rather than evaluating people's looks, study!"
One-line tribute: She wanted beauty, but found herself instead.
#2 Eun Dan Oh (Kim Hye-yoon) – Extraordinary You
Why she's one of my favorites: Eun Dan Oh is resourceful and she always fights for herself. She refuses to accept the life written for her and does everything she can to change her fate. She is funny, full of energy, and she steals the heart of everyone who watches her. Her charm is natural, her reactions are priceless, and you cannot help but root for her. She is unforgettable simply because her personality shines in every scene.
Why she stole the show: She stole the show by refusing to accept the life given to her. She becomes self aware and chooses her own path with kindness instead of anger. She fights fate without losing her warmth. Her relationship with Ha-ru carries the heart of the story and some of the most beautiful moments in the drama.
Best moment: When she keeps finding Ha-ru again and again, no matter how the story resets. Love chosen, not scripted.
Badges: 🪽Pure heart ✨Healing presence 🍜Comfort character
Best quote: "Everything I do is for the main characters, I don't want to do that anymore."
One-line tribute: The one who changed the script.
#1 Moon Dong-eun (Song Hye-kyo) – The Glory
Why she's one of my favorites: Moon Dong-eun survived horror that could have broken anyone. Instead of losing herself to the darkness, she carried her humanity even while planning revenge. She destroyed the people who tormented her, but she never destroyed herself. She became strong, patient, and relentless, and her strength is something most could never reach. She is unforgettable because she endured, survived, and rose.
Why she stole the show: She stole the show through resilience and sharp intelligence. Her bullies never saw her coming, and by the time they realized, it was too late. She moved with patience, struck with precision, and arrived like a hurricane that swept through every life that once crushed her. Watching her take back power piece by piece was thrilling to witness.
Best moment: Confronting her bullies as an adult without fear.
Badges: 📿I pray for her peace 💔Shattered my heart 🌀Catalyst of change
Best quote: "Starting today, my dream is you. I really hope we’ll see each other again."
One-line tribute: She fights back and keeps spinning.
Bonus Female Pick from Chinese Drama:
Xiong Xi Ruo (Xi Zi) – Oh! My Sweet Liar!
Why she's one of my favorites: Oh My Sweet Liar was one of the first Chinese dramas I watched, and Xiong Xi Ruo made me fall in love with it instantly. She is clever and mischievous, always breaking rules with a grin like she knows she will talk her way out of it. She paints, schemes, jokes, and turns trouble into art. She is talented and a joy to watch, and it is hard not to fall for her charm the moment she appears on screen.
Why she stole the show: She stole the show by getting away with every bit of mischief she set her mind to. She is the kind of girl you want at your side. Watching her spark chaos with a smile is part of the fun.
Best moment: When she pokes fun at Li Hong Bin by painting his face.
Badges: 🍜Comfort character 🧨Instigator 🔥Bold to the bone
Best quote: "I have nothing to fear."
One-line tribute: Trouble, but the kind you love.
So that’s my top 10! Now your turn. Which characters do you still think about at random moments? Who made you laugh, cry, or shout at the screen? Share your favorites below, I’m curious who shows up the most.
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