We might have seen some deaths coming, but it still shocked us the way it played out
Will never forget you, Yoon Chan-sung.
*Blows nose*
Ah, K-Dramas really know how to serve that early Game of Thrones-style heartbreak—minus the Season 8 disappointment. Some deaths just sting, lingering long after the credits roll, leaving fans desperate for reincarnation arcs, a surprise Season 2, or any form of closure… but those pleas? They usually fall on deaf ears.
So, which are those 5 shows that left us really wrecked? Here’s our list!
All of Us Are Dead (2022)
Why did Yoon Chan-sung have to die? Our lead had helped all his friends through the terrifying zombie apocalypse that had taken over the school, and had just about managed to confess to childhood best friend that he was in love with her. But, the flame of hope still burns bright. Fans insist that he will return in Season 2, and he would find a way to survive the fiery death in the elevator shaft.
Speaking of which, when are we getting that elusive Season 2?
Hotel Del Luna (2019)
This hauntingly gorgeous fantasy series gave us IU as the cold, stylish, and deeply wounded Man-wol, stuck managing a ghost hotel for centuries. Enter Yeo Jin-goo’s Chan-sung—kind, warm, and doomed to fall for her. After centuries of pain and healing, Man-wol finally lets go and walks into the afterlife. And just like that, they’re done? No loophole? No magical rebirth? Fans still analyse the ending, hoping that one final, dreamy scene was more than just… a dream.
The Smile Has Left Your Eyes (2018)
This one split audiences straight down the middle. Seo In-guk plays a mysterious man with a murky past, who falls into a dark, magnetic relationship with Jung So-min’s character. Their love burns fast—and ends in complete tragedy. Some loved the poetic doom. Others shouted at their screens. Either way, it hurts. And the plot twists? Still questionable.
Squid Game (2021) Season 1
Two minutes silence for sweet, sweet Ali and Ji-yeong, who died in the absolutely brilliantly written, and emotionally exhaustive episode 6 of the show. In the episode, the participants in this death trap, had to play a game of marbles. The twist? They had to somehow get all the marbles from their opponent, in any way they could, without harming them. Ali (Anupam Tripathi) was tricked by Park Hae-soo’s Sang-woo. On the other hand, Ji-yeong sacrifices herself to save Sae-byeok (Hoyeon).
Guardian: The Lost and Lonely God (Goblin)
Oh, the sound of Gong Yoo’s Goblin sobbing is seared into our brain. In this fantastical show that is considered one of the best series ever made in South Korea, Yoo plays a Goblin (a deity), a restless spirit, who is waiting to find the woman who can pull the invisible cursed sword from his chest. He meets Kim Go-eun’s ill-treated yet chirpy Eun-tak, who is destined to be his bride. Their love story is far from easy, spans several years and by the time they’re actually together, she dies in a car accident to save school children. It’s a devastating ending—though hey, she has three more lives, and she returns to him again.
Bittersweet, yes, but we could have done without that anguish and heartbreak.
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