The Good Wife made me realize how superficial I was, swooning over Lee Tae-joon, not because I liked the character, but because it was Yoo Ji-tae. And Lee Kang-to from Gaksital is still one of my favorite anti-heroes. Could write pages about him. And I agree with the 2 in Heartless City. Well, I just love anti-heroes. ahhh...I gotta run though. Just wanted to chime in before I forgot.

OHKAYY... boys and girls and beanies, this is show time. Lol.
This is -my glorious weak on my knee sketching my bedcover at 3am- type of CATNIP!! haha

Good boy goes heaven, bad boy? Goes everywhere!!

Absolutely one of my catnip!!! Really loving those bad guys which gives me butterflies all over my whole senses. Why oh why? That's a huge problem. Lol.

I have always used "VBB" solely to address my dogs, but thanks to @majie now I can comfortably employ the term in Dramaverse.

niceeeeeee... i LOVE the psychopaths. ???

Bad boys are my weakness irl and in dramaland. Shin Se Gi is the main reason I kept watching Kill Me Heal Me despite how annoying some of the other characters were, lookin' at you Hwang Jung Eum. Heartless City has one of the best bad boys I've ever seen...dang I was hooked on Jung Kyung Ho forreals, so sexy! However, the bad boys I like have to also have that heart of gold underneath...I can't say I've ever liked any psychopaths unless perhaps Cheese in the Trap's Yoo Jung (Park Hae Jin's character) counts as one of these bad boys as I was strangely always drawn to him. Speaking of bad boys in CITT, I was also really drawn to Baek InHo (Seo Kang Joon's character) so yeah I think that explains why Cheese in the Trap is one of my all time favorite dramas. For the record, I thought the ending wasn't all that bad...I mean the guy was a manipulative psychopath, he needed to work on himself lol but that's all I'll say about that.

Anyway in my mind I know I should like the good church oppas but in my heart I go for those bad boys who need to be fixed by my love lol </3

That header Picture!!! But Shin Se Gi was only a bad boy on first glance, inside he was just a kid

I'm sorry, but Kim Woo Bin's photo is distracting me from reading!
Not that I mind really...

Thanks for picking me! I was a little worried about confessing my catnip but so glad to see others joining me in my obsession -- sexy psychopaths will always be my drama-crack (and I really am a totally normal person with very normal relationships!).

Yay!!!Bad boys are also my catnip. Sometimes they are the sole reason I watch a series. The epitome of the bad boy for me is Choi young do for me. He was the sole reason I watched heirs. Despite the horrible things he did, I could not help rooting for him. Honorable mention to Wang so, the most redeeming feature in a train wreck of a series but addicting because of the conflict ridden hero. I am currently loving Yeonsangun of seven day queen. I am not sure which aspect of the bad boy draws me in more, the character itself or the actor playing the character. I'll say it is a combination of both. One cannot exist without the other. The more grey the character is, the more i like. No one needs a perfect guy, it is boring. Cheers the bad boys of kdramaland.

I wish I find my catnip soon too!

I do agree in parts here, specifically Kim Woo Bin as Young Do, Lee Soo Hyuk as Gwi and Shin Se Gi!!

Gosh.....Wang So is my ultimate bad boy. That screenshot of bloodied Lee Jun Ki is so hawttt. I must admit I like the earlier version of Wang So when he was hostile and vulnerable. Guys in drama that exude power simply is very sexy.

While watching Scarlet heart all I could visualise was me running away whenever I would see Wang So, I know blood-shedding in those periods was not uncommon but seeing him so emotionless while killing...

bad boys are my catnip but it has a limit, I like Goong, The King 2 Hearts, Shin Se Gi, bad boys who aren't that bad, they rather come out as childish who's whining over a lost doll

I'm with you guys on the bad boy front. Even the irredeemable ones. The only one that, for me, turned from love to hate was Yoo Ah In in Six Flying Dragons. I loved his determined, bad boy side, and tolerated so much up until the point where he murdered his little brother. That jumped over the line for me, and it was pure hate from there on out. Amazing the horrible things we're willing to tolerate from our delicious bad boys!

Kang Ma-ru from Nice Guy and Soo from That Winter, The Wind Blows ..... I remember being more than a little interested in these two guys for weeks.

VBBs and their fight scenes *swoooooooooning for DAYYYYYS**
"Heartless City" was the first drama that I ever watched with Jung Kyung Ho and it remains one of my favourite works of his (the other being, "Falling for Innocence", which, he was also another VBB, but more like a jerk lol)... And then, and then, and then you give me Lee Jun Ki as Wang So--- and now I'm dead... with heart eyes <3 It's no wonder why I never saw anything deeper or went emotionally anywhere deeper with Wang Wook while watching "Scarlet Heart: Ryeo", but then again, it's probably because Wook wasn't badass enough (the only scenes I remember of him being violent/fighting was 1. Episode 13, when him and Wang So were putting on a show and sparring in the courtyward in their armour, and 2. When Wook killed someone (was it an assassin) on Princess Yeonhwa's behalf because he 'didn't want her hands to be dirty [with blood]') and it was also because Wook was more of a slime-ball than he was a VBB LOL

Dramaland Catnip: Likeable Bad Guys

Most of the time I like a hero to be heroic and a villain to be nasty. Royal born, Lee Jung, in Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People? Hated him. Kang Do-Young in Liar Game? Hated him too. Mi-Sil in The Great Queen Seondeok? Hated her. (Grudgingly admired her, but wouldn't want to invite her over for punch and cookies ever.

I'm not real big on last minute redemptions. As a matter of fact, it really bugs me when an evil, mass murdering-type character “sees the light” in the final 20 minutes of the movie/series,does one good deed, and goes to “heaven.”

(Classic example: Darth Vadar. That scene at the end of the first Star Wars movie where he's [dead and] sitting with Obi Wan and they're smiling and kumbaya-ing with each other. It is upsetting.)

One of my catnips is when a bad guy turns good and allies with the heroes. I enjoy the dramatic tension that ensues. Like did (s)he really change, or is it an act? When Ma Jin-Suk in 38 Task Force, who was such a reprehensible guy in the beginning, joined Yang Jung-Do and Baek Sung-Il tax collecting vigilantes, I was never sure if he was going to betray the group. It surprised that I wound up liking that character. Wasn't he the guy who made that poor woman cram food in her mouth? I was so disgusted with him at that point. But then, later, when he helped the tax team, I liked him. (Even Yang Jung-Do was introduced as a bad guy who turned good. [Or did he?] Wondering if he really was trustworthy kept me worrying all through that FANTASTIC drama.)

Who would have thought I would have had sympathy for a serial killer? But I did. In Arang and the Magistrate, Joo-Wal, the foster son of evil noble man Choi, and obedient minion of Hong-Ryun, the vile being who took over women's bodies, was (on paper) not a sympathetic figure. Sure, he had a tough life. And sure (spoiler) Hong-Ryun made sure he “forgot” each time he murdered for her. But I was so impressed that Yeon Woo-Jin could play his role so well, that I liked him. And was happy for his not-as-tragic-as-it-might-have-been ending.

Or Mori in Rebel, the thief who stole the people. He was bad, but we suspected he wasn't “that” bad for much of the drama. He didn't kill Gil Dong. The babies he was ordered to kill wound up alive in the secret cave, among other actions. And he was so kind to Song Ga-Ryung.

But my favorite (and in a class by himself, because he never turned from his vile villainy and yet I still “liked” him) was Gil Tae-Mi, in 6 Flying Dragons. It was kind of a revelation to me that when I watched 6 Flying Dragons, I discovered that I was rooting for Gil Tae-Mi to live. Much of the credit for this goes to Park Hyuk-Kwon and his over the top portrayal of the flamboyant super swordsman. But I suspect that in the hands of a lesser actor, I wouldn't have “liked” Gil Tae-Mi nearly as much as I did. He could come over to my place for cookies any day—as long as he promised he...

"Heirs, Choi Young-do. I’ll come clean: I hated Heirs." +1
I started Heirs because of the hype and tbh Lee Min Ho (City Hunter was so good). Then Heirs turned out to be such a mess, but I watched till the end for Kim Woo Bin (aka handsome dinosaur ;) ).

In any kdrama, I have always been attracted to the bad boys of the story. They are usually a very interesting character and have that type of personality I like to watch. That being said, Shin Se Gi, Kang Maru, Lee Joon Young, and Wang Yeo were all some of my favorite characters. Whether it is mysterious, revenge-filled lead or a tragic, love-struck King, they will always have my heart's attention.
P.S. VBB is a great nickname.

well well. I saw Kang Ma Ru's pic. i immediately drawn to it. lol. the ultimate bad guys is a hit and miss for me. It depend on the execution and the actor playing it. At times the writers tend to glorify the bad boy image and paint it as kind cool which i usually don't like. Gave me a bad boy and make them face the consequence what of they did and bring on the angst, i will drawn to it

Here is my catnip! and my favourite bad boy too! Shin Se Gi made my heart melt every time he was on scene, I almost wanted him to jump off Cha Do Hyun's head (?) and live his own life kicking asses here and there and making other girls hearts pop. That being said, I also loved Min Hyuk in Secret love, always played by Ji Sung. Even there he was a total j*rk with a soft heart. I think Ji Sung is great when playing these roles, because he has so many facial expressions :)

"Shin Se Gi?!?! " "BINGOOO"

GWI is ultimate bad boy catnip ♥ I watched the hot mess that was Scholar until the end bec of him.

Isn't Geol oh from SKKS fallen into this category too?
Maybe I'm currently falling for YAI, I wish him in every catnip hahahahaaaaaaa...

I like the anti-heros quite a bit but the bad boy thing is very dependent on the story & character. I thought the actor who played Gwi was good looking and had charisma, but I totally couldn't overlook the fact he was a serial killer and Young Do in Heirs....that bullying is tough to watch though I always appreciated the apology to the kid he bullied (even though it wasn't accepted).

Back to the anti-heroes; this just works for me and the more the guy doesn't want to be a good guy but just seems stuck going that way, the more I like it. With regard to Moon Lovers, the mentioned action scene with the monks is probably the best I've seen in a Korean drama (again of what I've seen). I've dissed the PD non-stop, but that whole fight scene was amazing. I don't know what it is about Lee Joon Gi that he can get away with being so pretty but pull off bad ass at the same time.

My catnip is guyliner. All bad guys should be required to wear it.

This whole trope, and especially the last article on VBB, speaks to me on a spiritual level. I am just happy that when I am done with life and ready to sell my soul for these guys who are nothing but trouble, I will surely not be alone for you beanies will be with me!

LOL, this post is gold. So many kinds of bad boys! My favourite is the VBB who has the possibility of redeeming himself. When he succeeds I'm happy. If he fails I'm in despair (thank you sageuks for taking most of my tears). Recent happy examples: Seo Yul (Chief Kim) and Mori (Rebel). The current Yeonsangun is going to break my little heart, even though I know historically he was a tyrant through and through.

I'm surprised Bidam wasn't mentioned here. I didn't like him but half of Korea fell for the catnip, as did Queen Seon Duk.

For me VBB are fascinating n can keep me watching if all else fails. I find myself sympathizing if d character is well written but also wishing 4 dem to pay 4 their actions eg Shunji from Gaskital n Attorney General from Punch. In fact i love almost all types of VBB : antiheroes n d psychopaths. Funny thing though i don't like d just jerky heroes for no reason but will continue to watch if d drama itself is interesting.

"I hated Heirs" We can start a club girl. Yeah Yong Do was the coolest bully ever. He's into Eun sang but keeps making her life miserable and he's so sure he'll get her that way it's painful to watch.

And Yeonsangun from Seven Day Queen... WOW this drama got me hooked by ep 2. I love this character, he's mean but he's not a plain one dimensional bad guy. He's the onion in that story. And we can see the layers in each ep.

I have never been able to understand this obsession with Choi Young-do that people seem to have.
I love Gwi and how they didn't even try to redeem all the bad things he did. Shin Se-gi was more misunderstood than bad in my opinion so I didn't feel the least bit scared of him.
Also, what about Yoo Jung from Cheese in the Trap? Does he count as a bad boy if his badness was directed only to those who deserved it?

Wang Yeo was the most pitiful character one can find in dramaland.. His reign may have been bad because of that cruel minister?... But his life as a from reaper was so pitiful that I don't even want to believe he was the king!! I loved him so much that I wanted to go and give him a comforting hug whenever he was hurting!!!

Gah, I loved Kang Jae in Lovers... but he didn't seem like a VBB, more like just a BB.

@Majie--I think you might like the VBB in Que Sera Sera.

I've probably spent the last half hour thinking about who my favourite Bad Boy is and I drew blank. There are way too many Bad Boys in Dramaland to pick just one. Also I'm trying to figure out if any of my favourite Bad Boys had a happy end. I don't think so... at least none in the dramas that I've recently watched.

And I don't see that changing any time soon. Especially not with Yeonsangun from Seven Day Queen. WHY? OH WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SUCH AN INTERESTING CHARACTER?

How could there is no Kim Nam Gil right there I can't believe it, even his drama itself has 'BAD GUY' title.
Ko Soo was my first love in Empire of Gold, Park Ki Woong was my fave bad boy back then in Monster, and I also loved LeeYoungOh's father in Beautiful Mind, he's a bad ahjussi too.
I can't think of anyone else right now, had sugar depletion lol.

While I can kind of understand the first and second one, to be honest the third one is honestly unhealthy and I would like to point out why. I would like to first point out that Maru does not fall under the VBB category because 1) he was originally wronged by the people he became a criminal for and was seeking vengeance to get justice for himself and 2) Comes around and becomes a better person towards the end 3) Does most everything he does including scamming women to provide for his sister who has an illness. So I'm not including him in this post, because he simply doesn't belong in my opinion. As for the others, phew, listen girl. You are literally romaticizing murderers. I mean let's just put it out there plain and simple. While I can objectively see that the actors who play the villains are attractive, as characters, you're feeling attraction to certain actions they're doing (Like with Tae Joon and the fork stabbing). Now, okay if you had said they're hot but evil, and nothing changes the fact that they're horrible people, or if you had said I like VBBs because they're great villains that make for good conflict or great plot, I could also understand. But no, you're feeling sexual/romantic attraction for characters who are attractive and are actively terrible people doing terrible things that destroy lives. I don't have any issues with the morally questionable lovers, as there are often ethical reasons behind seemingly unlawful or immoral actions. However, the psychopaths part was rather disturbing, as several characters you mentioned were active villains. It's also a little disturbing how many people in the comments are citing said same sexual attraction to men who are abusers, murderers, and criminals both legally and morally. I know you commenting below saying you're in totally normal relationships in real life. I truly hope this is just a drama quirk, and not something that reflects on how you actually are attracted to men in real life. I would also like to point out that just because the actors are attractive doesn't mean what they do as villains as is sexy. I hope that people will be able to separate these two things. I know my opinion will probably be unpopular but what you watch and enjoy is a reflection of who you are to a certain extent. I just wanted OP to know why people might look at her strangely when she says things like that's sexy as someone stabs someone else.

Yoo Ji Tae as Tae Joon is the only bad boy/anti-hero that I really fell for. I don't even remember much of Yoon Kyun Sang tbh.

Aside from YJT being so hot, he played his character so well ♥ And I loved the fact that me as a viewer was so confused: is Tae Joon inherently bad? Or is he just a cunning and ambitious man so focused on his goals he'll do anything to get it? Juxtapose his lying and cheating with his very obvious care and love for his family. Very memorable character indeed

The Psychopath? Mo Tae-gu is the one! Or, probably I have a weird taste when it comes to a villain. But he's different. Can't believe that I praised high a Psychopath character lol

Shin Se-gi from KMHM, okay, he was the bad boy, but the type that swoops in to save his lady & make our hearts stop.

Joo won from Secret Garden, oh he was proud alright, but I never saw him hesitate to follow his love, he was just so straight forward. The moment he realized he was in love with Ra im, he went all out, in his own extravagant style of course.

Shin from Goong, what can I say? A stupid jerk?? Because that's what I felt about him all the time, he was either screaming, being melancholic, or mostly unsure about his own feelings. I mostly watched because of Chae kyung, honestly Eun hye kept the drama alive.

Choi Young-do from Heirs, oh he was good alright, I mean he played a good bad boy, I felt sorry for his twisted personality because of horrid dad, also because he fell in love with the girl a little too late, by that time she had eyes for nobody, though I would've been conflicted over whom to choose between LMH & KWB lol.

King Wang Yeo from Goblin, pathetic & sorry fellow, the backstory was so sad, I'm glad they all got a happy ending.

Wang So from Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, I was on his side, was it because of his looks ? (that mane!) or LJK's acting?? probably both. And I felt sorry for him in the end, oof! He was so lonely in that palace...

ohhhhh...who does not love the bad guy? Underdogs are always my sweet spot. Se-gi and Wang So are my favourites.

I love Shin Segi the most, he has this hard outer shell but soft cottony inside, protecting the girl all the way.

I havent watched most of the dramas listed but Kang Maru, still haunts me these days. I've re-watched a number of times, and I still end up saying "Kang Maru needs to be happy!"

I thought I was the only one who goes 'Is it so wrong that I find that scene hot?' I mean... VBB are just... I don't know... I love them more than the lead most of the times! Particularly the psychopaths! I do like the Volatile Anti-Heroes and the Questionable Lovers but... there's something about psychopaths that makes me want to follow them.

I mean I have watched literally over a hundred dramas (I know cause I list them down when I finish watching them) but the ones that I enjoy so much and had me coming back are dramas with psychopaths and awesome antagonists (and well, fantasy and a little romance too).

My favorite is Park Hae-jin's character in Bad Guys: Lee Jung-moon. That was one awesome drama! Then there's Kwon Jae-hee in The Girl Who See Scents and of course you can't leave out the double psychopath killers Min and Joon Young in I remember you. Those were the awesome ones!

And because of those characters that I find the antagonist in Tunnel sort of lacking. But then I still finished it because it's an amazing drama too!! :D