Content warning: This article contains discussions of suicide, terminal disease, and violence.

Thousand-dramas rarely go by one flavor, or perhaps two if they're lucky. This oft means that the overarching storyline has to come to a shut by the season finale. Sadly, non all of these endings are happily always afters. Not all couples stay together nor do the main characters finally get their shot at long-lasting love.

Fans are oft left with bittersweet emotions watching the characters go through many trials and tribulations together to just have a sad catastrophe. In some cases, in that location might be a blink of hope, merely audiences will never truly know.

Updated on June 2nd, 2021, by Gabriela Silva: Every bit mentioned to a higher place, not all K-drama storylines come with a happily e'er afterward. More full general fans might be surprised that at that place are some K-dramas with sad endings that were merely as popular as some of the happier hits, even though they left fans with a sour taste in the oral fissure when all was said and done. After becoming emotionally attached to the main characters, fans but promise for the best and a good resolution yet pitiful endings are no new affair in K-dramas and seem to keep fans coming dorsum to feel the heartbreak all again. Amid the endless Chiliad-dramas available, in that location are a select few that became well known for their unwarranted and lamentable endings. Like A Korean Odyssey, for case. In reality, non all K-drama characters or storylines can cheat fate or how things demand to end, as some of these more classic K-dramas that nosotros've added bear witness so well.

xv Black

Fans really hoped for happily ever after in the supernatural K-drama, Black. A woman who sees ghosts joins forces with a detective who is actually possessed by an elite grim reaper. Fans saw the common cold and night grim reaper, Blackness (Song Seung-Heon), start to fall in love with Ha-Ram (Get Ara).

This catastrophe didn't sway certain fans as the Reapers deem Black'south punishment to be that he never existed. They erase all memories of him from Ha-Ram's listen. This means she grows up to have a normal life like everyone else. Fans didn't take to Ha-Ram not living out her days with Black. It's merely when she's quondam does she retrieve Blackness subsequently receiving a cherry-red string bracelet. Sometime Ha-Ram passes abroad and rejoins Black in the afterlife.

14 Kill It

Fans shouldn't expect a happy ending from this thriller Yard-drama. Kill Information technology tells the story of a height assassin Kim Soo-Hyun (Jang Ki-Yong) and a law detective who cross paths to uncover the truth behind her lover's death. Soo-Hyun and Practice Hyun-Jin (Nana) simply so happen to fall in love.

The ending was bloodshot as Soo-Hyun exacts revenge confronting the person who injure the woman he loves. In the final scene, Soo-Hyun kills said person and causes the SWAT squad to open burn on him. Hyun-Jin falls to the floor beside him to concur his hand one last time.

13 Stairway To Heaven

No, this G-drama has nothing to do with the Led Zeppelin song. Stairway to Heaven is a complex love story about two childhood best friends that are forced apart by evil characters. As adults, Han Jung-Suh (Choi Ji-woo)'s stepsister makes her life hell out of jealousy to a point where she fakes Jung-Suh's death and causes her amnesia.

Years later, Jung-Suh reunites with her childhood friend and truthful dearest merely to fall ill with the same type of cancer her female parent died of. Fans were left heartbroken past the pitiful catastrophe as Jung-Suh doesn't become her happily always after. She dies in the arms of her beloved.

12 Empress Ki

Empress Ki is a highly popular historical K-drama that had a deplorable ending that left fans heartbroken for the principal character. The final episode of the drama entails the terminal of empress Ki'due south (Ha Ji-Won) enemies to exist defeated. The joy of their win is overshadowed past the decease of a main character.

Ta Hwan (Ji Chang-Wook) realizes that he'south been betrayed by someone close to him. He'south been secretly fed poison for some time. Realizing it's too tardily, he allows empress Ki to have over his rule. He subsequently dies leaving empress Ki to over again lose someone she loves and rule the kingdom lone.

11 The Smile Has Left Your Optics

Before fans fell head over heels for Seo In-Guk in the hitting 2021 drama, Doom at Your Service, he starred in the 2018 drama, The Smile Has Left Your Eyes. Kim Moo-Young (In-Guk) is a bit mysterious still has a childlike personality. He falls in love with a woman who is connected to the by he tin can't remember.

Past the stop of the drama, fans were left in stupor with its deplorable ending. Moo-Young accepts the consequences of his conclusion to kill an evil character. At his childhood dwelling, the scene unfolds into tragedy every bit the truth comes to light between Moo-Immature and his dear. In a turn of events, both characters are killed past another and die in each other's arms later declaring their honey.

10 Record Of Youth

Record of Youth is a Netflix testify that debuted in 2020. The ending left viewers with a mediocre feeling. The ii principal characters get through a tough time as the male person lead rises in fame as an role player as the female lead gets recognized as a makeup artist.

By the cease, they part ways believing that it's non the right fourth dimension for them to be together despite their beloved for one another. They do hope that if in the future they come to meet by fate then they'll give information technology another go. The terminal episode shows them meeting by risk at a picture show shoot, strike a chat, and walk together.

9 Cheese In The Trap

Cheese in the Trap became a notorious K-drama for its intense display of "2d-hand lead syndrome" and the love triangle. While fans may non have initially liked the love interest Hong Seol (Kim Become-Eun) chose, fans were left heartbroken in the finale.

Yoo Jung (Park Hae-Jin) ends upward leaving Korea stating that he was the problem in their human relationship and needed time. Baek In-Ho (Seo Kang-Joon) doesn't get the girl either as Hong Seol recuperates from a cleaved heart. However scarred by it, she nevertheless sends emails to Yoo Jung with no reply. The final scene of the testify is one of the emails getting a response.

eight A Korean Odyssey

The ending of the fantasy dramaA Korean Odyssey left viewers with a bloodshot feeling but ultimately made sense for the story. As the story goes, Oh-Gong (Meet Seung-Gi) becomes indebted to Dominicus-Mi (Oh Yeon -Seo) for what he did to her when she was a child. Many tin can say their love story was fated from the start.

Their fate as well came with a dark reality. Sunday-Mi is a Sam Jang and is fated to die at the hands of her true beloved, Oh-Gong. In the final episode, she comes to accept her fate but wants to die on her terms. She ends upward being killed to cease a heinous evil from entering the world just Oh-Gong becomes the one to shell it. In the cease, Dominicus-Mi dies in Oh-Gong'due south arms.

7 The Hymn of Death

The Hymn of Decease was a 2018 drama that was a historical romance. The story would entrance any viewer every bit it depicts the tragic story between Joseon'south first soprano and a playwright. As fans scout the show, they realize what'due south in store for the couple in the end.

Woo-Jin (Lee Jong-Suk) and Sim-Deok (Shin Hye-Dominicus) take hold of a ferry together using their pen names as an alias. That night they get onto the deck for a terminal trip the light fantastic. Sim-Deok tries to hide her tears but Woo-Jin wipes them and takes her hand in his. They share one final moment before turning to the railings. All audiences are left hearing is the crashing of waves.

6 Moon Lovers: Cerise Heart Ryeo

The ending to Moon Lovers was hard and had fans feeling immense emotional pain. The storyline revolves effectually Go Ha-Jin/Hae Soo (Lee Ji-Eun) existence transported to the Goryeo Dynasty and falls in love with the "wolf dog" quaternary prince. Their story goes through the test of time simply in the terminate, she dies after giving birth to her child.

To make matters worse, Wang So (Lee Joon-Gi) doesn't visit her beforehand and upon hearing of her death realizes that the letters he refused to open explained her feelings for him. Hae Soo wakes up in her own time thinking it to be a dream. Fans cried forth with her when she visits a Goryeo exhibit and realizes information technology wasn't a dream at all.

5 Uncontrollably Addicted

Uncontrollably Fond gave fans high hopes as two childhood classmates find each other in adulthood. Noh Eul (Bae Suzy) is tasked to certificate the life of actor/vocalist Shin Joon-Young (Kim Woo-Bin). Fans would recall Kim Woo-Bin for his not-so delightful character in Heirs. The show'south end had fans in shock and tears but it was expected from the kickoff.

Joon-Young comes to terms with his life and in the final scenes, he's with Noh Eul. He rests his head on her shoulder and a while later on she asks if he'due south asleep. There'due south no answer and Noh Eul knows he'due south passed away. Some time passes and in the very final scene, she looks at a poster of him, kisses it, and says "See you tomorrow, Joon Young-Ah."

4 Mr.Sunshine

Mr.Sunshine has gotten high remarks since its debut in 2018. It interweaved the drama and turmoil of a political era and the romance between Eugene Choi (Lee Byung-Hun) and Get Ae-Shin (Kim Tae-Ri). But the phenomenal story ends on a sorry note. In the final episode, Dong-Mae (Yoo Yeon-Seok) dies fighting off his enemies but suffering fatal knife injuries. He dies smiling and thinking of Ae-Shin. Dong-Mae warmed hearts despite his bad boy advent.

Information technology doesn't end there, Eugene saves Ae-Shin from soldiers by using his concluding bullets to carve up her railroad train car. Eugene is and then killed by multiple shots to the dorsum by Japanese soldiers. In the epilogue, Ae-Shin continues to train soldiers under a liberated Korea, and all thanks to Mr.Sunshine aka Eugene.

3 Hotel Del Luna

This drama has fans heartbroken with the finale over Man-Wol (IU) not getting her happily ever subsequently. She spends decades serving for her past offense by helping troubled souls who entered her hotel. Fans loved the character for existence a badass and independent but she still got her own love story.

Her cease was bittersweet. She doesn't drink the moonflower wine that would render her and Chan-Sung (Yeo Jin-goo) to alive out their lives one time once more as the hotel's manager. In an emotional scene, Man-Wol decides to enter the afterlife on her own terms, non escorted by the Grim Reaper. Chan-Sung watches as she fades into the mist. There's an epilogue of what occurs to the remaining characters.

two My Country: The New Age

This Thousand-drama is for fans who desire a prove set in a historical time menstruation riddled with the dangers of war and politics tied with dear and rivalry. The drama centers by and large around two best friends, Seo-Hwi (Yang Se-Jong) and Nam Seon-Ho (Woo Do-Hwan). At the aforementioned time, the state is transitioning into a new era that leads both friends to be enemies.

But in the last episode, the story gets complex and upsetting. Both characters tempest the palace fighting off guards. To allow Seo-Hwi to run across Bang-Won (Jang Hyuk), the prince, Seon-ho sacrifices himself leading him to exist speared multiple times. Seo-Hwi returns to hold his friend and is shot by arrows. They die in each other's arms in a heartbreaking moment.

i I'm Lamentable I Dearest You

If there was one Yard-drama that took the cake for having the most heartbreaking and gut-wrenching end, it's I'm Sorry I Honey You. It told the story of a bad boy scammer living in Australia when he meets Song Eun-Chae (Im Soo-Jung) who gets her items stolen by criminals.

Their dear story actually blossoms when he returns to Korea to discover his birth parents. He shortly comes to acquire about his real family. He, at commencement, seeks revenge but when his newfound blood brother is injured in an accident, he makes a determination. Moo-Hyuk (So Ji-Sub) kills himself in a motorcycle accident to relieve his brother. Before his death, he calls Eun-Chae and says, "I'chiliad sorry. I dearest y'all." In the final scene, she visits his grave and dies past suicide.

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About The Writer

Gabriela Silva (478 Manufactures Published)

Gabriela Silva is a List writer for Screen Rant with experience in all things television, moving-picture show and pop culture. A graduate of Fordham University with previous years experience interning for Cliché Magazine. With her passion for movies, television set and entertainment, she'southward interviewed some bang-up actors from Cress Williams of 'Black Lightning' to Tati Gabrielle from 'Spooky Adventures of Sabrina.' Her dearest for amusement reaches a broad range of interests from 90s thriller movies, guilty pleasure teen dramas, activeness-packed MCU movies to popular G-dramas. You'll well-nigh likely notice her rampage-watching a new television evidence or movies on Netflix into the early on morning.

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