The antagonist of a series is just as important and vital as the protagonist, and with Halloween around the corner, we’re counting down 7 of the most bone-chilling villains to ever appear on our screens.

Jang Dae Hee from ‘Itaewon Class’

Yoo Jae Myung brought evil to life in his role as Jang Dae Hee from ‘Itaewon Class.’ As one of the first dramas to air in 2020, Itaewon Class still has managed to hold the first place when it comes to the year's most ruthless antagonist. Absolute lack of remorse, extreme ambition, and the absence of any emotion whatsoever, made viewers blood boil whenever he appeared on screen. Even though Ahn Bo Hyun came a close second in the series when it came to villains, viewers still felt an inkling of pity for him. However, when it came to unadulterated evil, the CEO had no competition at all.

Park In Kyu from ‘The World Of The Married’

Provocation, arrogance, infidelity aside, the biggest obvious evil in ‘The World Of The Married’ was definitely In Kyu. It is hard to ignore how daunting it must have been to play this role for Lee Hak Joo. Playing a narcissistic and abusive partner may lead to type-casting for actors, relegating them to just antagonistic roles. Therefore, having taken this project up, Lee Hak Joo showed quite a bit of bravery and preference of the importance of a character over the consequences it might have. It was important for a show like ‘The World Of The Married’ to portray someone as vile, inhuman, and toxic as In Kyu and Lee Hak Joo did his job brilliantly, making every living soul hate his character’s mere existence.

Lady Mishil from ‘The Great Queen Seon Deok’

One of the strongest, most powerful, and easily one of the evilest characters in the history of sageuk (historical) dramas was Lady Mishil from ‘The Great Queen Seon Deok.’ Based on the real history of Lady Mishil, who gained power with nothing but her unmatched ability to plot the most cunning schemes, Lady Mishil is one of the key reasons for the drama’s incredible success. Her genius is characteristic of Shakespearean villainy, and likewise, her tragic fall is quite Shakespearean as well. With insurmountable ambition that, in turn, became her hamartia, Lady Mishil will forever be placed on top when it comes to any list of villains whatsoever.

Coach Kim Joo Young from ‘Sky Castle’

The perfect example of modern evil, actress Kim Seo Hyung plays Coach Kim Joo Young, an exclusive tutor with a 100% success rate. For those who have not watched the series, the character doesn’t sound like very much of a villain, yet the idea of ever crossing paths with her would send chills down the spines of viewers of the drama. Kim Seo Hyung admittedly felt tormented by her own role to the point of depressive episodes while reading the script and her acting made it even worse. Such brilliance was poured into every bit of her character that Coach Kim Joo Young will be etched in the minds of fans as pure twisted evil.

Lee Joon Young from ‘I Remember You’

A psychopathic killer with a God complex and penchant for forensics is someone you want to stay miles away from. Played by EXO’s D.O and Choi Won Young in the earlier and later years of the character, respectively, Lee Joon Young’s character was fully fleshed out as undeniably evil, no matter what his motivations stemmed from. Responsible for bringing the lives of countless children who didn’t know any better to ruin, turning them into cold-blooded killers for his own twisted sense of justice, Joon Young is the worst of his kind.

Queen Consort Cho from ‘Kingdom’

Another remarkable villain from sageuk dramas is definitely Queen Consort Cho from ‘Kingdom.’ Viewers were left dumbfounded at the sheer intensity of her devilry. The Queen Consort was born of evil and died by it. Even her father, Cho Hak Ju, who was seemingly the embodiment of evil, was no competition for his daughter’s sinister hunger for ultimate power.

Do Hui Jae from ‘It’s Okay To Not Be Okay’

Ko Mun Young’s mother was the shadow of the past lingering forever around some of our favorite characters ever, hindering their ability to feel or seek happiness, invalidating their emotions, and overall, pushing them to the brink of self-destruction. That was until her identity was revealed, and she became an actual physical threat to the lives of Mun Young, Kang Tae, and Sang Tae. Jang Young Nam played her role with twisted elegance and pure psychopathy, which quickly turned her character into one of the most hated ones on television.