The Broken Hero: A KDrama Trope That Drives Us Crazy

The Broken Hero Trope

Let me just state first, there is nothing wrong with a hero having a tragic backstory. Fallen, broken characters often make stories more interesting and the characters more believable. But KDrama writers have twisted this trope into something else. They have made it dangerous.

Just because a character has suffered in the past does not give him permission to be a complete jerk. Sure, he can try to be. He can be hurtful to the people around him all day long. I’ll believe it. There are plenty of people like that out there. But nothing in his backstory will make it okay for him to act this way. It doesn’t make him charming. It doesn’t make him pitiable. What it does make him is someone who needs redemption.

For example, let’s take the classic KDrama “Boys Over Flowers.” The main male lead is maybe the most famous case of “broken hero syndrome.” In his past, the hero was emotionally distanced by his controlling mother. She was never around and when she was around she was critical, authoritative, and controlling. Over the years, our hero learns his emotional control from watching his mother, so instead of treating people with respect and kindness, he abuses his power. Somehow unchecked by ANY adults (where the heck were they??) he runs his school like he’s a mob boss. Students who offend him are violently attacked by the crowds of students he controls — with sometimes fatal consequences.

But then comes our plucky heroine and captures his attention. For a while, he bullies her just like everyone else, but then she begins to fascinate him — like she’s an animal at the zoo. He decides he’s in love with her, tells his minions to stop beating her up, and pretty soon she falls in love with him. Everything is okay. Happy ending, right?

But it’s not okay. Just because he “fell in love,” doesn’t excuse anything he has done up to now. He isn’t redeemed; The kid should be in juvie.

More times, “broken hero” misuse is less about physical abuse and more about emotional abuse. Let’s look at a more recent KDrama: “Devilish Joy.” Here the hero suffers from a strange version of amnesia that causes him to forget the previous day every morning. Very tragic. Into his life enters our plucky heroine and captures his attention. Naturally, as soon as he falls in love he begins to harras her. He forces her to do unreasonable tasks for him, blackmails her into being around him, insults her, and stalks her. But he is suffering, so she forgives everything and they fall madly in love. Everything is okay. Happy ending, right?

But, but, but he was a complete jerk and we’re going to forget this now? Why??? Because he is Sir Knight of the Perfect Smile???

Unfortunately, the idea of the broken hero is often romanticized. Like these grown men are hurting puppies waiting for women to “kiss them and make them better.” This is not the real world and it encourages people to put up with abuse while believing their feminine charms will someday make the abuse stop. This is a fantasy and it is not okay.

So let’s reimagine the broken hero trope: a grown man with a tragic history meets a woman. He is still broken, but she gently encourages him to get better. So he does what he needs to do. He gets help. Now that’s a happy ending.

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