8 Most Intimidating K-Drama Leads Who Are Actually the Biggest Softies

While there is a stereotype that women love bad boys, it's a very specific type of character that they actually enjoy. Tough on the outside, he may have a complex past and a lot of blood on his hands, as long as his heart is made of gold and he's willing to change to secure a future with his romantic interest.

Knowing the tastes of their audience, K-drama writers have excelled at bringing this type of man to life in many shows. Here are 8 best examples of such characters who live rent-free in the minds of the fans.

Jang Joo Won from Moving

This man is not only a former assassin who is used to seeing people in pain, but also a person with an inhuman strength that could easily snap anyone's neck in a second.

This combination should have made Jang Joo Won utterly intimidating to anyone, but all we see is the love and support he has for his family, and a true intention to pay for the mistakes of his past and make things right. This character is the most accurate example of a bad boy with a big heart.

Vincenzo Cassano from Vincenzo

Don't get us wrong, Vincenzo is first and foremost a hardcore Mafia boss who was raised by other Mafiosi and knows no life outside of crime. He looks like he could kill you, and he probably would if you'd crossed his path.

However, his miraculous transformation into a character who cares deeply for his love interest and would do anything to make her happy is too remarkable not to include him in this list.

Go Won from Alchemy of Souls

It's not easy to be a crown prince, and Go Won certainly hides a lot of emotions behind his tough exterior. Most of the time he is grumpy and cold, but the more you get to know him, the easier it is to fall in love with him.

His touching affection for the turtles alone deserves all the praise in the world, not to mention the burning passion he develops for one of the fierce servants.

Seo Ji Hwan from My Sweet Mobster

My Sweet Mobster is a gold mine for those who love tough guys with soft souls, because that is exactly what Seo Ji Hwan is. The former mobster turned SEO is done with the life of crime and wants to make things right by helping other ex-criminals get back on their feet after prison.

Not only does he care a lot about his love interest Go Eun Ha, but he also wants to improve the world around him, which makes him the ultimate sweetheart.

Myul Mang from Doom at Your Service

More than anything else, this character is deeply tragic, and that is what makes him so compelling to the viewer. Born between light and darkness, his intentions are often pure, but he is destined to bring only doom and misery to everyone and everything around him.

Yet he fights his own nature and the darkness of his soul, and has too good a moral compass to accept his own ruinous nature.

Seo Jung Hoo from Healer

Even though we are used to thinking that love can change someone, it can't. If there is no light in a person to begin with, the power of love will not be able to warm his heart, no matter how hard you try.

The journey that Seo Jung Hoo takes in Healer, from a loner who dreams of nothing more than escaping to an uninhabited island in the middle of nowhere to a guy who is madly in love with Chae Young Shin, is just proof that deep underneath his tough exterior, he has always been good.

Number 13 from Extraordinary You

Number 13, also known as Ha Ru, seems insignificant at first, but later on he turns out to be the key that helps Eun Da Oh change the course of her life completely. He seems intimidating and cold at first, but turns out to be quite friendly and sweet as his character opens up.

If you are looking for a more lighthearted story without crime and murder, but with the same type of character, Extraordinary You is your best bet.

Nam Gang Ho from Love to Hate You

Not only will you find this character intimidating, but you will probably dislike him intensely at first. Hurt by his past relationship, top Korean actor Nam Gang Ho treats women horribly and spreads his misogynistic agenda despite being loved by millions of women for his romantic roles.

However, all that changes when he meets the female lead, Yeo Mi Ran, an independent lawyer who hates losing to men and doesn't want romance in her life.