In just a few short years, the superhero television genre has grown immensely, with WandaVision cracking Nielsen’s top 10 original streaming series and overtaking other popular dramas such as Bridgerton. Based on how popular the superhero genre is, it’s no surprise the trend has expanded into South Korea, which has seen a growing number of shows featuring characters with extraordinary superhuman abilities. For anyone with a thirst for more superhero content, these five K-dramas are sure to quench it.
Strong Girl Bong-Soon
Do Bong-Soon (Park Bo-Young) is a young, down on her luck woman from Seoul who has been hiding a secret all her life. Bong-Soon has superhuman strength, a hereditary ability passed along only to the women in the family. However, there is one condition — her powers must only be used for good, or she risks losing them forever. Her life changes when the young CEO of a gaming company, Ahn Min-Hyuk (Park Hyung-Sik), hires her to be his bodyguard after accidentally discovering her powers.
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There is plenty to love in this drama for comedy, romance and action fans. Bong-Soon and Min-Hyuk soon develop an adorable, heart-melting relationship that shows the ups and downs of dating a secret superhero. She faces off against petty street criminals, gangsters and a ruthless serial kidnapper, making Strong Girl Bong-Soon the go-to Korean drama for superhero fans.
He Is Psychometric
K-Pop superstar Jinyoung, from the hit group GOT7, stars in He Is Psychometric as Lee Ahn, a young man with psychometry abilities after losing his parents in a fire. Through a single touch, Ahn can read the history of any person or object, an ability that he uses to fight crime. Along the way, he meets Yoon Jae-In (Shin Ye-Eun), a smart young woman with a hidden past.
Ahn and Jae-In soon find themselves investigating a case that has been unknowingly haunting them their whole lives. This thriller drama takes on a more serious tone in comparison to other entries on this list. Still, it has its share of light-hearted moments as well as great chemistry between the two leads. This K-drama is great for those who are looking for a dark detective story with a superhero twist.
Bring It On, Ghost!
This paranormal series (first released in South Korea under the title Hey Ghost, Let’s Fight) tells the story of Park Bong-Pal (played by K-Pop star Ok Taec-yeon), a college student who has the ability to not only see ghosts but physically interact with them. Taking advantage of his abilities, Bong-Pal works as a professional exorcist, where he gets into fistfights with evil spirits to ward them off from bothering the living.
During one of his jobs, he is assisted by the ghost of a high school senior named Kim Hyun-Ji (Kim So-Hyun). After realizing their ability to fight evil ghosts works more effectively when put together, the two become partners. While the duo continues to protect the world of the living, little do they know that the darkest of spirits lingers close behind. This drama is truly a mesh of genres, with a great balance of romantic-comedy, action, and a dash of horror.
My Love From The Star
This iconic Korean drama tells the tale of Do Min-Joon (Kim Soo-Hyun), a human-passing alien with superhuman powers stranded on Earth after arriving on the Korean peninsula in the 1600s. Although he is often cold and cynical towards others, he soon finds himself falling in love with his new next-door neighbor, famous actress Cheon Song-yi (Jun Ji-Hyun). However, the timing cannot be any worse as he is set to depart to his home planet just three months later.
Min-Joon gets tangled up in Song-Yi’s unpredictable life and saves her with his powers multiple times. To make things even more complicated, Min-Joon is targeted by a shadowy acquaintance who seeks to exploit and destabilize his powers. The popularity of My Love From The Star has led to the resurgence of Hallyu (Korean Wave) throughout Asia and North America. This lovable series is considered one of the most popular Korean dramas of all time globally.
Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (a.k.a Goblin)
Kim Shin (Gong Yoo) is a general from the Goryeo dynasty with a dark past cursed upon his death to become an immortal being or a Goblin. As a Goblin, Shin gains many abilities, including nigh-omnipotence, invulnerability, telepathy, teleportation and superhuman strength. He dedicates his time helping others with his powers and protecting those in need, all the while searching for a bride, who is said to be the only one able of lifting the curse and ending his painful immortality.
After roaming the Earth for almost 1000 years and seeing all his friends and loved ones pass away, Shin becomes a lonely and isolated protector. Upon a chance encounter with a cheerful mortal, Ji Eun-tak (Kim Go-eun), Shin finds a greater meaning to life when their lives intertwine and realizes a deep-rooted connection between them. Known worldwide simply as Goblin, this series is currently the fifth-highest rated Korean drama in history and has since become a cultural phenomenon in South Korea and beyond.
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