10 Best K-Drama Grim Reapers, Ranked

Summary Grim reapers in K-dramas are unique and often kind-hearted, making them perfect romantic interests for audiences.

These 10 grim reaper characters stand out in K-dramas, engaging viewers with their lore and dynamic storylines.

From generational romance to supernatural twists, K-dramas with grim reapers are worth watching for romance and mystery.

It's not unusual for K-dramas to include some tropes or storylines that aren't as typical in the U.S., but that only makes these tropes more interesting, and luckily, characters like the grim reaper come in many shapes and sizes in K-dramas. First and foremost, a grim reaper is a character that represents that mythical being also known as death. Usually, the grim reaper is responsible for guiding souls into the afterlife once they have died. Despite their dark and spooky responsibilities, more often than not these grim reaper characters are kind-hearted and perfect romantic interests.

These are the ten best grim reaper characters in K-dramas at the moment. These are series that engage audiences with their grim reaper lore and bring their dynamic grim reaper characters to the forefront, even if they are a supporting character. Moreover, these grim reaper characters are irresistible both romantically and thematically. Audiences desperately want to know more about them, but also want to see them happy and in love. In this way, they stand out from their cast mates and make their respective K-dramas all the more successful.

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10 Kokdu In Kokdu: Season Of Deity

A grim reaper with a definite dark side is Kokdu in Kokdu: Season of Deity. In this fantasy k-drama series, Kokdu is a grim reaper that returns to Earth every 99 years in order to torture human souls. However, this time around, he becomes distracted by a mysterious doctor with special abilities, and decides to pretend to be a doctor himself to be around her. The idea of a supernatural being taking on the same role as the human they are interested in will appeal to TV audiences who like shows like Lucifer, though the shows are fundamentally different.

Kokdu is definitely a classic k-drama grim reaper because of his tortured past and struggle between good and evil. For grim reaper newcomers, he is certainly a good place to start. Plus, this generational romance is one that will have viewers swooning.

9 Myul Mang In Doom At Your Service

Though he lacks the title, Myul Mang in Doom At Your Service is a certifiable grim reaper with an interesting twist. The series follows a young woman who discovers that she is dying of brain cancer and learns her boyfriend is married and a father-to-be. In her sorrow, the woman wishes that the world would be doomed, and as a result, Myul Mang aka Doom appears.

Doom is more of a god than the traditional grim reaper, and his power allows him to grant someone's wish on his own birthday, so when he's bored with his own life, he decides dooming the world would be a good wish to grant. This is a K-drama that is both hilarious and sad, but most of all, it is romantic. It is intriguing to see how a woman with nothing to lose and a god without control can seek solace in each other. Britain's NME even named the series among the best K-dramas of 2021.

8 Mu-young In Arang And The Magistrate

Despite the fact that Mu-young is one of the villains in Arang and the Magistrate, he is still an interesting character with a great story to tell. Inspired by Korean folklore surrounding the town of Miryang, the story is one that will fascinate audiences unfamiliar with Korean history. This historical K-drama follows a young man who can see spirits and the ghost woman who demands that he help resolve her memories.

Threatening their quest is a mysterious nobleman, and also, Mu-young, the leader of the local grim reaper clan. Although Mu-young is a problem for the main couple, he is still a character worth looking into, especially because of how much the series delves into grim reaper lore. For those intrigued by grim reapers, this k-drama is perfect. The series was nominated for six MBC Drama Awards, winning one for Best Couple.

7 Grim Reaper In Hotel Del Luna

He may not be the leading character in this supernatural k-drama, but he certainly brings his own flair. Hotel Del Luna centers on a hotel that caters to ghosts with unfinished business, and the relationship between the hotel's grumpy owner and her new kind-hearted human manager. The hotel is tied to the soul of its owner who has spent centuries atoning for her sins, which means she has seen a lot of ghosts and a lot of supernatural beings come and go.

Among the many creepy figures roaming the halls of the hotel is Grim Reaper, who is exactly as he sounds. He appears at the hotel frequently to ferry human souls to the afterlife. Despite Grim Reaper's smaller role, Hotel Del Luna is definitely worth the watch for its haunting atmosphere and character dynamics.

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6 Department Chief Yeom In Mystic Pop-Up Bar

While some grim reapers are obvious, others hide behind a human facade. In Mystic Pop-Up Bar, a cursed and hot-tempered woman runs a bar with a naive young man and a former afterlife detective, all of whom work together to break her curse. The characters in the series are a great case of people being more than what they seem.

Another important character is Department Chief Yeom, who is not only the detective's best friend and a regular at the bar, but also was the former mentor to the Crown Prince and has now become a grim reaper. Yeom's complex backstory makes her a very engaging grim reaper character, and unique among other pop culture grim reapers. Audiences can easily commit themselves to unraveling her story while they enjoy this unique and fun K-drama.

5 Byul In The Universe's Star

Though some supernatural k-dramas have intricate plots where grim reapers float in and out, The Universe's Star is fairly straight forward: a gifted singer-songwriter falls in love with a young man who became a grim reaper after dying in an accident. At its core, this is a love story that shows perseverance through rough circumstances, such as the male lead being undead. Overall, audiences who want a grim reaper story that is simple and cute will love The Universe's Star. This series is a strong mix of romance, fantasy, and comedy.

The Universe's Star is an interesting K-drama because it's part of the "Three Color Fantasy" trilogy of K-dramas. The three miniseries were all produced together. While this series represented the color white and focused on a romance between a singer and a grim reaper, Romance Full Of Life was green and featured a young man becoming a superhero, and Queen of the Ring was gold and featured a woman with a magical ring that drew a love interest to her. They all featured average people experiencing extraordinary circumstances.

4 Scheduler In 49 Days

Since grim reapers are linked to death, it's no surprise that some k-dramas with grim reapers are sad. In 49 Days, a young woman gets into a deadly car accident, but the Scheduler gives her 49 days to complete a mission that will save her life. Put in the body of a depressed young woman, the protagonist realizes that her life was not as perfect as she thought.

This K-drama is devastating, but is also worth the pain. It is a story that rewards the viewer once they have it figured out, and the Scheduler is only one part of a larger mystery that will keep any audience member entertained. It's loosely inspired by the Korean concept of Bardo, the place between life and death in which spirits roam the Earth before moving on. The series won two of its seven SBS Drama Awards.

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3 Han Moo-Gang In Black

Black is one of the most popular K-dramas streaming on Netflix, and there's good reason for it. The series follows a man named Han Moo-Gang who, after he dies, becomes a grim reaper. Although his task is to bring human souls into the afterlife, he becomes embroiled in a series of cold cases, bringing him closer to human life than he should be. Things are further complicated when he falls in love with a human woman and starts breaking supernatural rules to get closer to her.

Overall, this is a grim reaper story that is gritty and dark, though it still has hints of romance and love throughout. Black is a well-rounded and engaging story, combining romance, the supernatural, and mystery to cross the bounds of different genres. The series was well-received internationally and ended up getting a Malaysian remake as well.

2 Koo Ryeon & Lim Ryung Gu In Tomorrow

A grim reaper series that has garnered significant acclaim is Tomorrow. It is about a young man who can't seem to find a job anywhere, and as a result after an accident, he begins working for two grim reapers. There is, however, a twist since these grim reapers aren't working in the traditional sense of guiding souls to the afterlife. Instead, these grim reapers aim to help those humans who desire to end their own lives. The human they come across becomes one of their contract workers.

In particular, he becomes the youngest contract worker in a "crisis managament team of death angels." What makes this K-drama so unique is its perspective on death and the afterlife. Rather than having just one grim reaper presiding over the series, there are several, and their responsibilities are seen as jobs and a business. All in all, this is a series that has an interesting premise that is well-executed.

1 Wang Yeo In Goblin

One of the most iconic grim reaper romances to ever grace the k-drama genre appears in the supernatural k-drama, Goblin. Though the series mainly centers on a man cursed to be an immortal goblin, the side romance between grim reaper Wang Yeo and chicken shop owner Sunny is just as entertaining. Wang Yeo is a cynical and suave grim reaper that has no recollection of his past until he meets Sunny, whose light and humanity unlock his memories.

The series was a huge hit in South Korea when it originally aired in 2016 and 2017. It was in the top 10 watched Korean dramas at the time, and earned nominations at many Korean entertainment awards shows. Goblin won 26 awards during the season that followed in categories that ranged from acting to writing to music for the series. It was nominated for an additional 20. Writer Kim Eun-sook even won the Grand Prize at the Baeksang Arts Awards for the series.

Ultimately, Wang Yeo's story is a great one and an integral part of this supernatural series that is a must for anyone interested in the world of K-drama grim reapers.