Netflix’s latest hit K-drama,Mercy for None, has an intense story that is told in seven short episodes. If you are looking for something to watch after quickly getting through the action thriller, there are several K-dramas with a similar premise and tone.Mercy for Nonestars So Ji-seob as Nam Gi-jun, a man who embarks on a journey of revenge after his younger brother is killed.Mercy for Noneis undoubtedly one of the best K-dramas of 2025 as it builds an engaging story that comes to a satisfying conclusion.
The series is not only action-packed, but it also draws viewers in with its vengeance premise and compelling lead character. AlthoughMercy for None’s primary plot is about revenge, it also offers an interesting look into the criminal underworld and the consequences of breaking the cardinal laws that every gang member has to follow. DespiteMercy for Nonebeing in a league of its own, other TV shows are just as compelling as the hitNetflix original K-drama.
The Worst of Evil
Cast
The Worst of Evil is a South Korean action/crime-thriller television series released in 2023. Set in the 1990s, The Worst of Evil follows a group of police detectives as they attempt to break into a criminal organization that controls the drug trade across China, Japan, and Korea.
The crime thriller,The Worst of Evil, is one of the K-dramas that shares several similarities withMercy For None.Written by Jang Min-suk, the series, which is set in the 1990s, follows Park Jun-mo, a senior patrol police officer who goes undercover in one of Seoul’s most dangerous gangs. There are some distinctions between the protagonists inMercy for NoneandThe Worst of Evil, but the latter still has an extremely talented cast that brings the noir thriller to life.
Similar toMercy For None,The Worst of Evilfocuses on the criminal underworld and the illegal actions of gangs. The series has a dark tone and is action-packed from start to finish, something which fans ofMercy for Nonewill enjoy. While revenge is the central premise inMercy for None,The Worst of Evilsolely centers around Jun-mo’s infiltration of a crime empire.
9Heartless City (2013)
Starring Jung Kyung-ho, Lee Jae-yoon, & Nam Gyu-ri
If the criminal underworld and complex characters are what made you enjoyMercy for None, then theclassic K-drama,Heartless Citywill be right up your alley. Set in the backdrop of the Busan drug ring,Heartless Cityfollows Yoon Soo-min, a police officer who goes undercover to find out who was behind the murder of her friend. Soo-min falls for one of the criminals in the gang, not knowing that he is also undercover.
Heartless Cityhas a striking resemblance toMercy for None. The noir thriller delves into the running of a drug enterprise, while also showing the violence and brutality that are synonymous with gangs.Heartless City’s intense action sequences and dark tones make it a highly entertaining K-drama. The fear of Soo-min’s real identity being discovered adds an element of thriller to the TV show. UnlikeMercy for None,Heartless Cityalso has a love story at its center that adds high stakes to its premise.
Weak Hero
Weak Hero Class 1 is a drama film released in 2022, focusing on a gifted yet introverted student who faces bullies and adversaries with the help of newfound friends. As he navigates a perilous environment, the challenges reveal the increasing dangers of his world.
Weak Hero Class 1was one of the most underratedcoming-of-age K-dramas. Fortunately, the show got the recognition it deserved when it was added to Netflix’s library ahead of the release ofClass 2. The series, which continues the first installment’s story, sees Si-eun move to a new school and get forced into a battle between the local gangs.
TheWeak Heroseries is based on a webtoon of the same name by Seopass and Kim Jin-seok.
Si-eun and Gi-jun share several traits. While Si-eun doesn’t try to destroy the school gangs because of revenge, his sense of justice and right and wrong is similar to Gi-jun’s.Weak Hero Class 2perfectly blends action with a heartwarming storyline about friendshipthat will resonate with fans ofMercy for None.
Moving
Moving is a South Korean action-drama series that follows a group of high schoolers and their parents who have superpowers. Attempting to keep themselves quiet and off the radar, their peace is disrupted when a dangerous organization begins to hunt them down, forcing the fledgling superpowered teens to fight back against them and various governments that wish to contain and destroy them.
Like Netflix,Disney+ has been investing more and more in K-dramas, and the success ofMovingproves that the streaming platform is doing something right. The fantasy thriller focuses on three teenagers who have superpowers. They have to navigate their new strengths while also dealing with the consequences that come with being a super being.
Movingdoesn’t include criminal activities akin to those featured inMercy for None.The Disney+ K-drama is sci-fiand not a crime TV show. However,Movingis as action-packed asMercy for None. The TV show also has the same core theme asMercy for Nonebecause the main characters have to fight those in power who are trying to kill them.
A Shop For Killers
A Shop For Killers follows a young niece’s journey as she uncovers unsettling truths after her uncle’s sudden death. Raised by her uncle in his shopping mall, her quest for answers reveals hidden facets of her past and the darker aspects of the world she thought she knew.
The Disney+ original K-drama,A Shop for Killers, is one of the most intense and heart-pounding Korean thrillers on the streaming platform. When Ji-an’s uncle dies, she inherits his small shop. Little did she know that her uncle was hiding a lot of things from her. It turns out,the shop was the place where professional killers bought their weapons.
The dark K-drama doesn’t necessarily focus on revenge, but its tone, action, and lead character are reminiscent ofMercy for None.
Ji-an is thrust into a dangerous world that threatens her whole life. The more she learns about her uncle’s life, the more she discovers that she didn’t really know him. The dark K-drama doesn’t necessarily focus on revenge, but its tone, action, and lead character are reminiscent ofMercy for None.
Vagabond
Vagabond is a South Korean television series that premiered in 2019, starring Lee Seung-gi as Cha Dal-geon, a stuntman who becomes embroiled in a mysterious plane crash that kills his family. As he searches for the truth, he uncovers a web of corruption and deceit that leads him to team up with a covert operative, Go Hae-ri, played by Bae Suzy.
An intense thriller,Vagabondsees a stuntman called Cho Hoon get embroiled in a conspiracy. When his nephew dies in a deadly plane crash, Cho Hoon discovers that there was more to what happened than what was reported. He uses his skills to get justice and ultimately reveals the truth about who was behind the plane crash.
Just likeMercy for None, one ofVagabond’s allures is its action scenes.Cho Hoon’s sense of justice drives the K-drama’s narrativeand provides some memorable moments.Vagabondis a gift that keeps on giving. With each episode comes the revelation of interesting facts that make the series even more intense. The K-drama carefully unravels its mysteries and keeps audiences on the edge of their seats.
Lawless Lawyer
Lawless Lawyer is a South Korean crime drama series that follows a former gangster turned lawyer intent on avenging his mother’s death. He uses his legal acumen and physical prowess to challenge corrupt figures wielding absolute power. Released in 2018, the series explores themes of justice and retribution.
InLawless Lawyer, Sang-pil, an ex-gang member and lawyer, moves to Kisung and starts a new law firm. Sang-pil’s mother was killed in cold blood when he was just a child. Since he had nowhere to go and his life was in imminent danger, Sang-pil escaped to Seoul and moved in with his uncle, who was a member of one of the biggest criminal empires in Seoul.
For Sang-pil, avenging his mother was the biggest goal in his life. His willingness to do whatever it took to get his vengeance and punish those responsible for the merciless murder of his mother is similar to Gi-jun’s quest for retribution. WhileLawless Lawyerisn’t as action-packed asMercy for None,its blending of law, a corrupt corporation, and revenge might appeal to fans of the Netflix K-drama.
The Glory
The Glory is a South Korean television series that follows the journey of Moon Dong-eun, a woman who seeks vengeance against those who tormented her during her school years. As she meticulously executes her elaborate plans, the show explores themes of bullying, revenge, and the lasting impact of trauma. Directed by Ahn Gil-ho and written by Kim Eun-sook, the series stars Song Hye-kyo in the lead role.
The revenge K-drama,The Glory, remains one of Netflix’s best TV shows of the past five years. The heart-pounding thriller, which is loosely based on a true story, sees Moon Dong-eun seek to punish those who bullied her when she was in high school. Like Gi-jun fromMercy for None,Dong-eun has tunnel vision when it comes to evening the scores with the people who tormented her.
The Glorywas inspired by a real-life story of teenagers in Cheongju who brutally bullied their classmate.
The GloryandMercy for Nonetell very different stories, so it might seem like they don’t have anything in common. However,The Glory, likeMercy for None, is driven by its revenge narrative. AlthoughThe Gloryisn’t filled with action in the same way thatMercy for Noneis,Dong-eun’s quest for retribution mirrors Gi-jun’s need to get revenge for his brother.
Vincenzo
During a visit to his homeland, a Korean-Italian mafia lawyer gives an unrivaled conglomerate a taste of its own medicine with a side of justice.
Set in the mafia world,Vincezosees its title character escape to Seoul from Italy after a power struggle endangers his life. The mafia consigliere teams up with an attorney, who also has a link to Babel, the corrupt corporation.Vincenzohas a tightly woven premise that is made even better by Song Joong-ki’s performance. Although it takes a few episodes for the K-drama to find its footing, it offers a thrilling story filled with mystery and compelling plot twists once it does.
What makesVincenzoa standout in theworld of K-dramasis its combination of the undertakings of the mafia with revenge. Although it doesn’t seem like retribution is the main focus ofVincenzo, it plays a huge role in the K-drama as it’s the title character’s drive that ultimately leads to the distraction of the criminal enterprise.Vincenzois incredibly written, has a menacing villain, and a compelling lead character, which are the same attributes thatMercy for Nonehas.
My Name
My Name is a South Korean television series starring Han So-hee as Ji-woo, a revenge-driven woman who infiltrates a drug cartel to avenge her father’s death. As she rises through the ranks, Ji-woo must navigate the dangerous underworld of organized crime and confront her own morality.
The critically acclaimed K-drama,My Name, is a dark and gritty show that perfectly weaves an engaging storyline from its very first episode. InMy Name, Yoon Ji-woo, an undercover police officer, infiltrates Dongcheon, a drug gang filled with dangerous people. Ji-woo is motivated by revenge, as her father died at the hands of one of Dongcheon’s members. Together with her partner,Ji-woo dives into the world of crime, and with it comes some shocking revelations.
My Nameis a thought-provoking K-drama that includes a realistic portrayal of gangs while also including the struggles of its primary protagonist.
With Ji-won’s goal to get vengeance for her father, action, and the focus on Seoul’s gangs, it’s clear thatMy NameandMercy for Noneshare some similarities. However,My Nameoffers a different look when it comes to its revenge storyline. Because Ji-woo is a police officer, questions about the morality of her actions are raised.My Nameis a thought-provoking K-drama that includes a realistic portrayal of gangs while also including the struggles of its primary protagonist.
Mercy for None
Mercy for None follows a former gangster who, after distancing himself from his past, returns to investigate his brother’s death. Driven by a desire for truth, he navigates a dangerous path of retribution, confronting old enemies and uncovering hidden secrets. Released in 2025, the series engages themes of loyalty and vengeance.
