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15 Must-Watch K-Dramas With Badass (and Totally Fearless) FL

15 Must-Watch K-Dramas With Badass (and Totally Fearless) FL
Image credit: tvN, jTBC, KBS, SBS, MBC

The damsel in distress is kinda overrated anyway, right?..

These fearless female leads tackle everything from solving mysteries to fighting bad guys, and they do it all without batting an eye; maybe they are not role models per se, but they're the kind of characters that make you want to cheer them on and feel proud when they stand up for what's right.

1. "Crash Landing on You" (2019)

15 Must-Watch K-Dramas With Badass (and Totally Fearless) FL - image 1Yoon Se-ri, a South Korean chaebol heiress, finds herself in North Korea after a paragliding accident, and Captain Ri Jeong-hyeok, a North Korean officer, decides to help her hide and eventually return to South Korea, leading them through a series of covert operations, close encounters, and an unexpected romance that defies the border between their countries.

2. "Misty" (2018)

15 Must-Watch K-Dramas With Badass (and Totally Fearless) FL - image 2Go Hye-ran, a popular but controversial news anchor, becomes the prime suspect in a murder case; her estranged husband, Kang Tae-wook, a former prosecutor turned public defender, takes on her case, unraveling complex webs of ambition, love, and betrayal as they work to clear her name.

3. "Into the Ring" (also known as "The Ballot") (2020)

15 Must-Watch K-Dramas With Badass (and Totally Fearless) FL - image 3Goo Se-ra, known for her persistent involvement in civic complaints and community issues, decides to run for local office, where she meets Seo Gong-myung, an efficient but cold civil servant, and together, they tackle corruption and bureaucracy, sparking both societal change and romantic feelings.

4. "Be Melodramatic" (also known as "Melo Is My Nature") (2019)

15 Must-Watch K-Dramas With Badass (and Totally Fearless) FL - image 4This series follows the intertwined lives of three best friends in their 30s – a drama writer dealing with her boyfriend's death, a documentary director navigating her career and love life, and a marketing executive at a drama production company – as they face the trials of work, love, and friendship in Seoul.

5. "Sell Your Haunted House" (also known as "Daebak Real Estate") (2021)

15 Must-Watch K-Dramas With Badass (and Totally Fearless) FL - image 5Hong Ji-ah, a real estate agent who exorcises ghosts from properties to sell them, teams up with Oh In-beom, a con artist who pretends to exorcise spirits, to uncover the mystery behind her mother's death 20 years ago, dealing with various haunted estates and their own complicated pasts.

6. "Mr. Sunshine" (2018)

15 Must-Watch K-Dramas With Badass (and Totally Fearless) FL - image 6Set in the early 20th century, Eugene Choi, a Korean-born American marine, returns to Korea, now under Japanese occupation, and becomes involved in the independence movement, falling in love with Go Ae-shin, an aristocrat's granddaughter and a sniper for the righteous army, navigating a dangerous path of love, loyalty, and resistance.

7. "Flower of Evil" (2020)

15 Must-Watch K-Dramas With Badass (and Totally Fearless) FL - image 7Cha Ji-won, a detective, starts to suspect her husband, Baek Hee-sung, of hiding his past and being involved in a series of unsolved murders; as she delves deeper, she uncovers truths that challenge their marriage and her understanding of who her husband truly is.

8. "While You Were Sleeping" (2017)

15 Must-Watch K-Dramas With Badass (and Totally Fearless) FL - image 8Nam Hong-joo, who has the ability to see future accidents and deaths in her dreams, meets Jung Jae-chan, a prosecutor, and police officer Han Woo-tak, who discover they have similar precognitive abilities; together, they work to prevent the foreseen tragedies and navigate the consequences of altering the future.

9. "Shopping King Louie" (2016)

15 Must-Watch K-Dramas With Badass (and Totally Fearless) FL - image 9Louie, an amnesiac chaebol heir accustomed to a life of luxury, ends up living with Go Bok-shil, a kind, country girl in Seoul, learning the value of love, hard work, and true happiness as they search for Louie's past and deal with his greedy relatives.

10. "I Hear Your Voice" (2013)

15 Must-Watch K-Dramas With Badass (and Totally Fearless) FL - image 10Park Soo-ha, a boy with the ability to read minds, seeks out Jang Hye-sung, a public defender, who he believes is connected to his past; together with lawyer Cha Kwan-woo, they form an unlikely team tackling cases and uncovering a web of corruption, all while confronting a murderer from their past seeking vengeance.

11. "Romance is a Bonus Book" (2019)

15 Must-Watch K-Dramas With Badass (and Totally Fearless) FL - image 11Kang Dan-i, a former successful copywriter struggling to re-enter the professional world, secretly starts working at a publishing company, run by her longtime friend, Cha Eun-ho, a talented writer and editor, leading to revelations, professional challenges, and the blossoming of unspoken feelings.

12. "Pinocchio" (2014)

15 Must-Watch K-Dramas With Badass (and Totally Fearless) FL - image 12Choi Dal-po, a man with a tragic family history, and Choi In-ha, who suffers from "Pinocchio syndrome" which makes her hiccup when she lies, become reporters for competing news stations, confronting their pasts and the corrupt media landscape as they seek justice and truth.

13. "Healer" (2014-2015)

15 Must-Watch K-Dramas With Badass (and Totally Fearless) FL - image 13A skilled "night courier," code-named Healer, becomes embroiled in a complex conspiracy dating back decades when he's hired to protect Chae Young-shin, an aspiring journalist, uncovering secrets that connect them both to a group of friends from the past, leading to love and a quest for justice against those who would keep the truth hidden.

14. "Angel's Last Mission: Love" (2019)

15 Must-Watch K-Dramas With Badass (and Totally Fearless) FL - image 14Dan, an optimistic and carefree angel, is tasked with finding true love for Lee Yeon-seo, a blind and bitter former ballerina who doesn't believe in love or hope, leading to unexpected romance and challenges as Dan learns about human emotions and Yeon-seo learns to trust again.

15. "The Red Sleeve" (2021)

15 Must-Watch K-Dramas With Badass (and Totally Fearless) FL - image 15Set in the 18th century, this drama tells the love story between King Jeongjo and Sung Deok-im, a royal concubine; starting from their youth, it explores their complex relationship marked by personal sacrifice, political intrigue, and the balance of power and love in the Joseon court.