The best characters are not always the ones viewers like or want to see win. They can be heroes or villains or somewhere in between. What makes the best characters stand out is how complex they are. Check out this list of this year's memorable male kdrama characters and why we liked them:

He was bad but not really. Choi Young Do, played by Kim Woo Bin in "The Heirs" started the drama as a bully but viewers quickly got to see his vulnerable side. And once his affection for Cha Eun Sang cracked his hard exterior, he could no longer pretend to be tough.

He was bad but he did so to protect the woman he loved. Harry Borrison was a very appealing, attractive villain in "Missing You" but he had a traumatic past that bound him with Yoon Eun Hye's character Zoe Lou. While protecting her was a priority, his desire for revenge undid him.

He did not like people to touch him but he needed it. Joo Joong Won in "The Master's Sun" prefers if people do not touch him or his money. But it's Gong Hyo Jin's touch that he needs to dispel his own ghosts.

He waited for 15 years. Han Jung Woo never stopped loving Zoe Lou in "Missing You" but that doesn't mean he was a saint. He abandoned her when she needed him most.

He's a con man that sees the light. Jo In Sung's character Oh Soo in "That Winter The Wind Blows" needs money and doesn't care whom he has to hurt to get it. But the surprise is that love totally disarms him.

He's an immature emperor who commands the woman he loves. Emperor Huizong in "Empress Ki" is a big baby. He would be a very annoying character if he were not so endearingly obsessed with Ha Ji Won's character. Ji Chang Wook manages to make him puppyish and likeable.

He will survive no matter what. Both the police and thugs pursue Tae San in the heart-stopping thriller "Two Weeks." Lee Jun Ki's character starts out with little to live for but once he knows he has a child, he knows he must live. It's a bumpy and very believable ride.

He's a man who becomes evil one small action at a time. As the ambitious prosecutor An Do Hoon in "Secrets," Bae Soo Bin starts out with ideals but trades them for money and power. His villainy is very subtle and totally believable.

He defies time for those he loves. In "Nine," Park Sun Woo is an announcer who travels back in time to save his brother and then his love. Lee Jin Wook created a character that wants very much to make things right, no matter how much he has to sacrifice.

He hears voices and it's not a good thing. Park Soo Ha has a unique gift that has in many ways cursed his life. Fortunately, the "I Hear Your Voice" character also has a compass to guide him, his love and gratitude for the girl who stepped forward to help him.

If you missed any of these great dramas, you may want to catch up.