One of the biggest and most anticipated K-Dramas of 2023, "Moving" is finally on air and it is topping charts on Disney+ worldwide. Starring industry powerhouses like Ryu SeungRyong, Han HyoJoo, Zo InSung, Cha TaeHyun, Ryu SeungBeom, Kim SungKyun, Lee JungHa, Go YounJung, Kim DoHoon, and Park HeeSoon, the "Moving" K-Drama is a monumental production with iconic characters rightfully living up to its hype.
Based on the highly successful and beloved webtoon of the same name by Kang Full, "Moving" tells the story of Kim BongSeok (Lee JungHa), Jang HeeSoo (Go YounJung), and Lee GangHoon (Kim DoHoon), who are students at JeongWon High School. However, they are no ordinary students. They possess superhuman abilities like flying, regeneration, rapid healing, and super strength. They inherited these abilities from their parents, who now try to protect them from falling into the wrong hands and being abused.
The first arc of the K-Drama, made up of the seven episodes which were released on the day of the premiere, posits the young protagonists of the story - Kim BongSeok, Jang HeeSoo, and Lee GangHoon, touching on their powers and how they got them. It serves as a preface for the greater action that's to come as we learn about these characters, their families and establish just how high the stakes are.
Following the first seven episodes, "Moving" released two episodes weekly and concluded with a finale of 3 episodes. These episodes showed us more of the story surrounding BongSeok's parents - Lee MiHyun (Han HyoJoo) and Kim DooShik (Zo InSung), HeeSoo's parents - Jang JooWon (Ryu SeungRyong) and Hwang JiHee (Kwak SunYoung), GangHoon's parents - Lee JaeMan (Kim SungKyun) and Shin YoonYoung (Park BoKyung) as well as the North Korean opponents.
As we were introduced to new characters, slowly discovering their powers or the extent of the same, "Moving" got more and more entertaining than we could have imagined. This is Korean superhero fiction like we've never seen before, and it deserves all the attention and appreciation in the world.
With that said, in this article, we are going to be ranking the "Moving" K-Drama characters from weakest to strongest, based entirely and solely on what we've seen on the show. So, as always, spoiler alert, and let's get into it!
Updated Ranking (September 21, 2023):
This ranking has been updated following the finale of "Moving". New characters and their powers were introduced, and existing characters were faced with challenges that showed their own strengths and weaknesses. You can check out the final ranking below! You can also scroll to the end for the original article/ranking.
12. Jang HeeSoo
In the final stretch of "Moving", Jang HeeSoo, played by Go YounJung, plays a significant role in taking down Jung JoonHwa temporarily. However, her powers are not fully realized, which renders her rather weak in comparison to the other characters.
11. Lee GangHoon
Lee GangHoon has extraordinary physical strength, but he is no competition for his opponents yet. He does know how to take the punches coming his way and control/channel his strength, but he still has quite a long way to go.
10. Kim BongSeok
Disney+
Kim BongSeok's powers awaken in the final leg of "Moving". He is able to control his strength and flight, his senses are heightened just like his mother's, and most importantly, he has got the hero spirit going for him.
9. Jeon GyeDo
Disney+
Jeon GyeDo unleashes the ultimate electric bolt in the final battle, protecting Kim BongSeok. This is the true form of Jeon GyeDo, and the extent of his power is out of this world, albeit limited, as he could not have done that without the generator.
8. Lim JaeSeok
Disney+
Lim JaeSeok, played by Kim JoongHee, is a new character introduced in the final battle. He possesses a unique and destructive power. He can send a powerful shockwave in any direction just by clapping his hands. However, because of his physical limitations, this power falls short of being too effective.
7. Frank
Disney+
Frank is an incredibly impressive fighter with regeneration ability, but with him being absent from the second half of the show, his rank has changed from our original ranking, which placed him 3rd.
6. Kwon YongDeuk
Disney+
Jang JooWon's mighty rival Kwon YongDeuk (played by Park KwangJae), is not only immensely strong but is also virtually unbeatable, which automatically places him high in the ranks.
5. Jung JoonHwa
Disney+
Jung JoonHwa has flying abilities and is also a formidable fighter. He is the strongest North Korean elite agent.
4. Lee MiHyun
Disney+
Lee MiHyun may have no healing abilities or superhuman strength, but she makes up for it with her sharp intelligence, impeccable fighting skills, and remarkable competence. She also has the power of heightened senses, which makes her a force to be reckoned with.
3. Lee JaeMan
Disney+
Lee JaeMan has superhuman strength and speed, both of which are highly developed. He is nearly unharmed by the end of the final battle, even when a whole building collapses on him, and he also successfully protects his son.
2. Jang JooWon
Disney+
Jang JooWon has super strength and healing abilities. We might as well say he is immortal. Despite encountering near-death experiences time and time again, he comes back stronger than ever.
1. Kim DooShik
Disney+
Kim DooShik is undoubtedly the strongest character in "Moving", and his fight in North Korea proved this title. He has the most refined and developed flying ability and, to top it off, is a highly trained black ops agent. If any character is truly OP in "Moving", it is Kim DooShik.
Original Ranking:
8. Kim BongSeok
Among "Moving" K-Drama characters, Kim BongSeok is currently the weakest, despite being one of the primary protagonists of the show. He is the son of Lee MiHyun and Kim DooShik. Although he seems to have inherited his father's flying ability and his mother's super-senses, Kim BongSeok has no control over his powers and isn't even aware of his full potential. His mother, Lee MiHyun, did not want him to end up like his father, so she suppressed his powers, holding him back from realizing them just so she could protect him.
Previously, in "Moving", we saw Kim BongSeok rebelling against his mother for making him hide his abilities, blaming her excessive discipline for not being able to save HeeSoo in a crisis. This may imply that in future episodes, we will see Kim BongSeok honing his abilities and learning to control them, which will most probably bring him further up in the power ranks. However, for now, he is the weakest character in the show and is painfully aware of the same. Lee JungHa does an incredible job of expressing the desperation, helplessness, and determination of Kim BongSeok, and we're looking forward to his character development in future episodes.
7. Jang HeeSoo
Jang HeeSoo is one of the most beloved and refreshing characters in the K-Drama "Moving". Go YounJung is receiving much praise for breathing life into her character Jang HeeSoo with elegance and joie de vivre. Jang HeeSoo is currently stronger than Kim BongSeok, especially as she knows her strengths and understands how they work. Jang HeeSoo is the daughter of Jang JooWon.
She inherited her father's healing ability and put it to use even before finding out the origin. She also feels no pain. HeeSoo has legendary status among high school students for beating up 17 bullies in her school before she was forced to transfer to JeongWon High. She has extraordinary physical prowess and fighting skills, but they are reliant on grit and instinct rather than technique. She can use her power to her advantage, and that is more than what BongSeok is currently capable of. However, her reflexes are not up to par, as was evident from the gym accident. So, she is currently in rank 7.
6. Jeon GyeDo
Jeon GyeDo, played by Cha TaeHyun, is a character that does not appear in the original webtoon. However, Jeon GyeDo has quickly become a fan favorite among "Moving" K-Drama characters. Jeon GyeDo has the power of electricity, which he inherited from his father, Jeon YoungSeok (code name: Bongpyeong), played by Choi DukMoon. He can harness electricity and manipulate it according to his will. He can also read the memory of electricity, which becomes an extremely important plot point in the drama.
The powers are as exciting as they sound, but there is a disadvantage. Jeon GyeDo needs a source of electricity for his power to work at its fullest. He can only generate a certain level of static electricity himself. While he is a good fighter without electricity, his physical strength is not outstanding. So, he is dependent on a source of electricity, such as a battery, to fight. In addition, Jeon GyeDo was in the entertainment business, thanks to his lucrative power, and later became a bus driver. So, he doesn't have much relevant combat experience. This puts Jeon GyeDo at #6 on our ranking.
5. Lee GangHoon
Lee GangHoon is the strongest among the three student protagonists of the show. However, he is still relatively weak when compared to some other characters. Lee GangHoon is the son of Lee JaeMan (Kim SungKyun). In the "Moving" K-Drama, we have only seen a glimpse of Lee JaeMan's power, which seems to be super strength as he crushes cans without a sweat. In the webtoon, Lee JaeMan is shown to have tremendous superhuman strength as well as high speed, both of which are inherited by GangHoon.
Only GangHoon is seen exhibiting high speed in the K-Drama so far, but Lee JaeMan's powers will be revealed soon, too. As for GangHoon, his powers are fully realized and under his control. He can knock down a tree with a punch and crack a solid wall by simply hitting it. However, he ends up exposing himself when he jumps in to save HeeSoo. Despite having immense power, he can be impulsive, so he has to hold himself back and subdue his anger so as to not fatally injure others with his strength. Kim DoHoon expresses Lee GangHoon's suppressed rage and loneliness with subtle nuance, making his performance impressive and memorable.
4. Lee MiHyun
Kicking off the top 4, we have Lee MiHyun, played brilliantly by Han HyoJoo. Lee MiHyun was a former elite National Intelligence Service agent but had to step down before she could become a black ops agent because of a failed mission. Since then, she worked a desk job in the Information Management Division. She is the youngest agent since the foundation of the ANSP and is extremely talented. Lee MiHyun has super reflexes, and all her senses are highly augmented. However, she had an injury on her first assignment and lost some eyesight. Even so, her powers are incomparable and super effective. She was also said to have flawless scores in shooting and every other practical evaluation.
Currently, Lee MiHyun runs a tonkatsu shop and has retired from the field. However, just because she doesn't use her powers (except for eavesdropping on BongSeok) doesn't mean they aren't still refined and ready to go. Her encounter with Frank (Ryu SeungBeom) was rife with tension, and MiHyun was prepared to protect BongSeok by any means necessary. While we haven't seen Lee MiHyun in action yet, it will be interesting to see the full scope of her powers soon.
3. Frank
We're finally counting down the top 3 "Moving" K-Drama characters based on their powers, and at #3, we have Frank - the formidable antagonist of the first arc of the show. Frank is another character unique to the K-Drama and does not appear in the original webtoon. However, this character was largely loved by fans all over the world. Played by veteran actor Ryu SeungBeom, who is returning to K-Dramas after almost 20 years with "Moving", Frank is one of the "coolest" characters on the show, if you will. Despite Frank being a villain, fans couldn't get enough of him on screen, especially as we got to know more about his tragic back story.
Frank has regenerative abilities and is an exceptional fighter. He also seems to have superhuman strength, and his fighting technique is unparalleled, which allows him to eliminate one agent after another on his mission. He appears apathetic and cruel, driven by bloodlust, which makes him even more daunting. Once he is on the hunt, he doesn't stop unless he has his prey. Ryu SeungBeom is thoroughly entertaining as Frank, giving him an intimidating, fearsome aura that nonetheless commands respect. While it is implied that Guryongpo killed Frank, his death has not been confirmed. As the character does not appear in the webtoon, we can only wait and see where his story will go next.
2. Kim DooShik (Moonsan)
The man, the myth, the legend, Kim DooShik is currently seen as the second strongest among "Moving" K-Drama characters. Played by Zo InSung, Kim DooShik has the power of flying, which he passes on to Kim BongSeok. He is unmatched in his wide array of skills, which include fighting, shooting, intelligence, and more. While only flying is counted as his superpower, his other skills are also exceptionally developed, which has made him the ace of the NIS. By combining all his abilities, he becomes even more powerful. For instance, he can shoot while suspended mid-air, as we see during the "Seagull Operation", where he was on standby.
Kim DooShik's flying ability is unbelievable, which even lets him catch up to airplanes, and he shows no signs of tiredness or exhaustion after using this power. Zo InSung's portrayal of Kim DooShik is charismatic, chic, and effortless, making flying look like a cakewalk. He can even shoot a gun to make a bullet hole in the shape of a heart during shooting practice because he's feeling romantic! Can he get any cooler? Thanks to Zo InSung's charming performance, we cannot help but fall for Kim DooShik and root for him. As we get to future episodes, where Kim DooShik's North Korean mission is revealed, he might just go up the ranks to #1.
1. Jang JooWon (Guryongpo)
Finally, the strongest among all "Moving" K-Drama characters at the time of writing is Jang JooWon, also known as Guryongpo, played by Ryu SeungRyong. The actor's majestic presence and the way he imbues his character with a menacing but mysterious disposition invoke fear and admiration at once. Guryongpo clearly has a reputation among his peers for being a colossal force to be reckoned with because even before Frank meets him, he is warned that Guryongpo would kill him.
So, in essence, before he was a doting father and a chicken shop owner, he was one of the finest black ops agents at the NIS. He is Kim DooShik and Lee MiHyun's junior. His superpower is regeneration and not feeling pain. In the present, when Frank comes looking for him, the two have an epic showdown. As both Guryongpo and Frank have the same powers of regeneration and healing, the fight is like a clash of titans, where Guryongpo emerges victorious.
The trailer for the next episode of "Moving" shows how Jang JooWon came to be known as a "monster" for his raw, unhindered, limitless strength and regeneration ability prior to becoming a black ops agent. We cannot wait to learn more about Jang JooWon's past and how he will contribute to the present dangers looming above the kids.
Characters we're expecting will soon enter this ranking include Kim SungKyun's character Lee JaeMan (Lee GangHoon's father), Kim HeeWon's character Choi IlHwan (JeongWon High School teacher), Park HeeSoon's character Kim DeokYoun and Yang DongGeun's character Jung JoonHwa. We cannot wait to see what they have in store for us next.
You can watch "Moving" on Disney+.
Who is your favorite character in "Moving"? Tell us in the comments section down below!
