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Weak Hero Class 1 Ending Explained

BBG News

Initially debuting towards the end of 2022, the intense, adolescence-themed series “Weak Hero Class 1” gained widespread acclaim among enthusiasts of Korean dramas (K-dramas). The show was first launched on Waave in South Korea and subsequently made available on streaming platforms such as iQiyi, Kocowa, and Viki for international viewers. Due to positive word of mouth and social media buzz, the series garnered a dedicated following and experienced organic growth in popularity among those who had access to it.

Despite the fact that “Weak Hero Class 1” wasn’t accessible on streaming giant Netflix, which is one of the main platforms for television in today’s divided media landscape, its reach was somewhat constrained. Notably, streamers like Rakuten Viki and iQiyi, which focus on Asian content and made “Weak Hero Class 1” available to U.S. viewers before Netflix, have a combined subscriber base of approximately 200 million users (with 95 million for Viki and 101 million for iQiyi). While the reach of these streamers is significant, they currently account for only about one-third of Netflix’s total number of subscribers. The success of a show on Netflix might seem limited, but as “Squid Game” demonstrates, those limits can be quite extensive.

Currently, “Weak Hero Class 1” is now streaming on Netflix and soon, “Weak Hero Class 2” will premiere later this year. Let’s delve into the heart-wrenching, emotionally draining conclusion of the first eight episodes for newcomers to the series. We find ourselves asking: What becomes of high school boys Yeon Si-eun (Park Ji-hoon from Wanna One), Ahn Suho (Choi Hyun-wook from Twinkling Watermelon), and Oh Beom-seok (Hong Kyung from Revenant)? How does their friendship spiral downwards? And who among them manages to make it through? For those eagerly awaiting “Weak Hero Class 2” since 2022, we’ll also discuss what the sequel season might bring.

Is Weak Hero Class 1 based on a webtoon, anime, or manhwa?

Originally hailing from a popular Korean webcomic titled “Weak Hero” or “약한영웅” in its native language, Weak Hero Class 1 is a spin-off adaptation penned by Seopass and beautifully illustrated by Razen. Debuting on Naver Webtoon in 2018, it gained further recognition when it joined Line Webtoon in 2019 and was subsequently translated into English. As of this moment, the captivating series has produced a total of 199 episodes, with more installments being regularly released. The webcomic is also available in book format within Korea.

How is the Weak Hero Class 1 TV show different from the webtoon?

In the “Weak Hero” webcomic, the story continues from where “Weak Hero Class 1” concludes, focusing on SI-eun as she starts her new life at Eunjang High School. The events of “Weak Hero Class 1” are recounted in flashbacks within the “Weak Hero” webcomic, serving as a dark part of Si-eun’s past. However, these flashbacks are expanded upon and given more depth in the series. Additionally, there are alterations to certain details, and new characters have been introduced, such as Yeong-i, a character from “D.P.” who helps SI-eun bring down gang leader Gil-su, who is not present in the original webcomic.

In the webcomic, Stephen isn’t particularly skilled in combat, but he excels in exams instead. Instead of getting defeated by MMA fighter Bryce (Cha Woo-min from Melo Movie), Stephen is unintentionally thrown off a school building by Bryce and another character, Jung Yeong-bin, who is played by Kim Su-gyeom. In the English version of this webcomic, the main character Gray Yeon, originally known as Yeon Si-eun, remains the same.

Is Weak Hero Class 1 a BL drama?

Boys’ love dramas, often abbreviated as BL, are widely popular on television. While Thailand has gained recognition for exporting such dramas worldwide, South Korea has also contributed a few, like “Semantic Error” and “To My Star”. However, it’s important to note that “Weak Hero Class 1” does not fall under the BL genre. Instead, the relationships portrayed in this series are based on friendship.

Why does Beom-seok turn on his friends?

In the beginning of “Weak Hero Class 1,” we find a blossoming camaraderie among three disparate individuals: diligent scholar Si-eun, street-savvy Su-ho, and shy aristocrat Beom-seok. Their unusual friendship takes root as they are reluctantly thrust into the violent undercurrents of their school and locality.

The series, featuring intense fight scenes that sometimes don’t go well for our main characters, has a pleasant first half filled with heartwarming friendship moments. However, the emotional impact of the harrowing second half—where Beom-seok, who becomes traumatized and self-destructive, turns against his friends—is greatly intensified because of this contrast. At the 2022 premiere of the series at the Busan International Film Festival, Hong, the actor portraying Beom-seok, suggested that the series could be divided into two halves: episodes one to four and then episodes five to eight. In his opinion, these two sections are like separate films combined together.

In episode 4, the story takes an emotional toll as events unfold. After Si-eun, Su-ho, and Beom-seok manage to apprehend local gangster Gil-su, things take a turn for the worse. Beom-seok’s father, Oh Jin-won (from “Love Next Door” played by Jo Han-chul), interferes to protect his son from negative media attention. He manipulates the circumstances of Gil-su’s arrest, but this is only the beginning of Beom-seok’s troubles.

His father orders his men to present Gil-su to Beom-seok, instructing him to physically assault the teenager. However, Beom-seok, who has shown throughout the series that he is not prone to violence, refuses. Upon returning home, Beom-seok faces brutal physical abuse from his father, with hints that this is a recurring pattern of mistreatment, both physically and emotionally.

Jin-won is a ruthless politician who took Beom-seok under his wing primarily for political gain, and he exerts control over his son through threats, intimidation, and violence. This is the behavior that Beom-seok has been taught, which causes him to mimic it himself. Feeling insecure and hurt, Beom-seok starts to suspect that Si-eun and Su-ho only spend time with him because he provides their entertainment. His anger grows, leading him to associate with some of the bullies at school. When Su-ho, who has always intervened when peers abuse their power, confronts Beom-seok and his new companions for cutting the lunch line at school, Beom-seok plots to undermine Su-ho by damaging his motorbike, which he uses for a part-time job as a food delivery worker, and hires Woo-young to physically attack Su-ho.

Following a near-fatal incident with Su-ho, Jin-won enrolls his son at a fresh school in the Philippines. Jin-won warns Beom-seok that unless he leaves, Su-ho’s life could be in danger.

Does Suho die in Weak Hero Class 1?

The season concludes with Suho in a coma due to the grievous injuries inflicted upon him during an assault by Woo-young, followed by Beom-seok and his associates. Although Beom-seok orchestrated and perpetrated this vicious act, he feels remorse when he understands that Su-ho might not survive. He attempts to remain near Su-ho, but is forcibly removed by Beom-seok’s father’s hired hands.

Afterward, Su-ho gets taken to the hospital, where his grandmother and friends such as Si-eun and Yeong-i keep a vigil by his side. The pitiful condition of Su-ho sparks Si-eun’s desire for revenge against anyone connected to the assault. Upon returning to Su-ho’s bedside, worn down emotionally and physically, Si-eun envisions Su-ho awakening and joking with him. However, it is only a figment of his imagination as Su-ho continues to linger in a coma.

Why does Si-eun spare Beom-seok?

Before departing the country, Beom-seok’s father makes him pay a farewell visit to his former school. This offers Jin-won a chance to enhance his image as a caring father politically. Upon entering the school, Si-eun, seeking retribution for those involved in Su-ho’s injuries, has Beom-seok as his final target. However, when confronted with Beom-seok – someone he once considered a friend – Si-eun refrains from violence. It might be due to the despairing pain in Beom-seok’s gaze or simply exhaustion. Whatever the reason, Si-eun chooses not to harm Beom-seok, though it may not feel like leniency to him.

What happens in the mid-credits scene?

As Beom-seok transitions to a new, possibly upscale school in the Philippines, Si-eun finds himself back in education at Eunjang School. This is the only institution that accepts him following his expulsion from his previous school for attacking fellow students, and after Jin-won ensures he’s excluded from other schools. Eunjang is significantly more rough than Si-eun’s prior educational environment. Given his delicate physique, Si-eun once again becomes a target for a classroom bully, this time Choi Hyo-man, who is known as Yoo Su-bin from “Crash Landing on You.” With his pen clutched tightly, serving as his chosen weapon, Si-eun stands firm against Hyo-man. Here we go again.

In a brief scene following the main credits, we encounter a man with a tattooed hand scrutinizing a picture of Si-eun on his smartphone. This individual is referred to as the one who had previously confronted MMA fighter Woo-young and was now attending Eunjang High School. It seems that “the group” was contemplating enlisting Woo-young into their ranks. The man poses a troubling question, “What’s our next move?” before the screen dims, and the credits resume. This scene is hinting at the potential arrival of webtoon character Na Baekjin, also known as Donald in English translations, who serves as the primary antagonist in the story.

In the comic series titled “The Alliance,” or more commonly known as the “Yeongdeungpo Union,” is a student gang that consists of members from five distinct schools, one of which is Si-eun’s new school. With the exception of Baek-jin’s Yeo-il High School, each school has its own leader who reports to Baek-jin.

Will Suho and Beom-seok be in Weak Hero Class 2?

In the webtoon “Weak Hero,” Su-ho rarely makes an appearance, mostly in flashbacks, indicating he may not have a significant part in “Weak Hero Class 2.” However, there’s always the possibility of a surprising cameo that diverges from the original story, but as of now, Choi Hyun-wook is not included in the Season 2 cast list.

In other words, just like how Weak Hero Class 2 adheres to its storyline, Beom-seok won’t appear in Season 2 because he isn’t included among the actors at this moment. Hong Kyung is missing from the current list of cast members.

Park Ji-hoon and the Weak Hero Class 2 cast

For Season 2, Park Ji-hoon will once again take on the lead role of Si-eun (also known as Gray), while actors such as Ryeoun from “Twinkling Watermelon” will portray Park Hoo-min (Ben Park), Lee Min-jae from “Uprising” will play Go Hyun-tak (Alex Go), and Choi Min-yeong, who starred in “XO Kitty”, will bring Seo Jun-tae (Eugene Gale) to life.

In the role of the main adversaries, Lee Jun-young from “Melo Movie” portrays Geum Sung-jae, also known as Wolf Keum, and Bae Na-ra from “D.P.” Season 2 takes on the menacing character of Na Baek-jin, or Donald Na. Choi’s character, Choi Hyo-man (Colton Choi), will carry forward his intense performance from the final scene of “Weak Hero Class 1”.

When will Weak Hero Class 2 be released?

Although Netflix hasn’t specified an exact launch date for “Weak Hero Class 2,” they’ve made it clear that the show is scheduled to premiere during the second quarter of the year.

Regarding queries about how the shift in the series “Weak Hero Class 1” to a new platform might influence the narrative, its creative director Han Jun-hee clarified to Korean media: “The essence of ‘Weak Hero’ remains unchanged. The only alteration is the platform. No other aspects are affected,” explained Han. “There are apprehensions about varying formats and durations, but our approach doesn’t vary simply because the platform has changed.

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2025-03-26 20:07

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