The story of Yeon Si-eun and his turbulent journey at Byuksan High is far from over. As season 2 looms on the horizon, here’s a recap of all the defining moments of Weak Hero Class 1 that have set the stage for what’s to come.
Directed by Yoo Soo-min and Park Dan-hee, the teen action Korean drama tells the story of top student Si-eun (played by Park Ji-hoon) and skilled fighter Su-ho’s (played by Choi Hyun-wook) refusal to bow down to their bullies at Byuksan High.
Based on the popular 2018 webtoon Weak Hero by Seopass and Kim Jin-seok, Weak Hero Class 1 was released in 2022 and quickly became one of the most-watched K-dramas ever. The series also enjoyed a special premiere at the 27th Busan International Film Festival in October 2022.
With Weak Hero Class 2 releasing worldwide on Netflix on 25 April 2025, here’s all you need to remember.
Weak Hero Class 1 recap: Major highlights
Si-eun’s quiet world begins to crack, and he makes a friend
Yeon Si-eun, a star student at Byuksan High School, is a constant target for bullies. An introvert unwilling to trouble his divorced parents with issues of his school life, Si-eun lives in silence, until the bullying becomes routine. Soon, he fights back and refuses to bow down to their demands.
His defiance catches the attention of Byuksan’s most feared fighter, also his classmate, Ahn Su-ho. The next time the bullies attack Si-eun along with a local gang, Su-ho steps in — not out of pity, but instinct. Slowly, Su-ho weaves his way into Si-eun’s guarded world. Meanwhile, Si-eun discovers the joy of having someone by his side.
Soon after, in the high school thriller K-drama, the duo is joined by transfer student Byeom-seok (played by Hong Kyung), and together they expose Kim Gil-su (played by Na Chul), an illegal gambling site owner targeting students.
Su-ho falls into a coma
Despite their bond, Beom-seok grows insecure, believing Su-ho sees him as a minion, not a friend. Hurt and resentful, he sides with the bullies when they suggest sabotaging Su-ho’s scooter.
Su-ho ends up with a fractured leg and, upon discovering the truth, tells Beom-seok that he disgusts him. Beom-seok sinks deeper, and when Si-eun warns him that the bullies are only using him for money (Byeom-seok comes from a rich family, his father being an Assemblyman), he doesn’t listen.
On Su-ho’s birthday, Byeom-seok calls Su-ho to lure him out with a plan to ambush him using a hired professional boxer. However, Si-eun receives the call and decides to confront him. When he arrives, the bullies attack Si-eun.
Si-eun fractures his arm and ends up in the hospital, but hides it from Su-ho. When Si-eun begins skipping school, Su-ho grows suspicious and forces the truth out of the bullies. The latter’s condition shatters his heart, and he vows to end the fight with the bullies once and for all.
Elsewhere, Byeom-seok arranges a boxing ring. As soon as Su-ho arrives, the bullies, along with the boxer, start to spar with him, but only to cheat. Eventually, Su-ho ends up unconscious. Byeom-seok further worsens his condition by repeatedly kicking him. Soon, Beom-seok’s father’s men arrive and realise the severity of the situation. They suggest that the boys involved flee the place and send Su-ho to the hospital, where he slips into a coma.
What happens to Si-eun, Su-ho and Byeom-seok in the finale of Weak Hero Class 1?
When Su-ho doesn’t show up on the day of their final exam, Si-eun grows anxious and rushes to the hospital to find Su-ho barely clinging to life. Overcome by grief and rage, he hunts down the boxer hired by the bullies. After a brutal fight, Si-eun overpowers him and breaks both his ankles.
Following this, Si-eun returns to Byuksan High, tracks down all the bullies who hurt Su-ho, and beats them without mercy. He then turns to Beom-seok, ready to attack. But unable to hit him, he asks, “Why did you do it?” to which Byeom-seok replies, “I have no idea why I did it”.
Si-eun spares Byeom-seok. On his way out, when Byeom-seok’s father arrives with the teachers and tries to stop him, Si-eun smashes a classroom window with his already fractured hand and screams, “What do you f***ing want?”
The series ends with Si-eun leaving Byuksan. He transfers to Eunjang High because no other schools in Seoul will accept him now. Su-ho remains in a coma. Meanwhile, Byeom-seok is sent off to Paris.
What to expect from Weak Hero Class 2?
According to Netflix, Weak Hero Class 2 will ” explore the tougher sides of teenagers’ lives”.
Haunted by the trauma of failing to protect his best friend, Su-ho, Si-eun will try not to let history repeat itself at Eunjang High School, all the while facing even greater school violence.
Fans can also expect the makers to focus on Su-ho’s recovery and his reunion with Si-eun.
(Hero and featured image credit: NetflixMY/X)