Twenty Five Twenty One — Characters & Cast

Initially motivated by her rivalry with Ko Yu-rim and her desire to prove her mother wrong, her drive evolves into a pure love for fencing and a commitment to being a source of light for those around her.

Hee-do begins as a reckless fencer in a slump, fueled only by passion. Throughout the series, she transforms into a disciplined Olympic gold medalist. Her emotional arc moves from a girl who believes love is eternal to a woman who accepts the beauty of its transience, ultimately finding peace in her memories.

Driven by the guilt of his family's bankruptcy and the desire to reunite them, which eventually shifts toward a sense of duty to report the truth as a journalist.

Yi-jin starts as a broken young man trying to survive his family's collapse. He grows into a respected journalist, but his professional integrity often clashes with his personal happiness. His arc is one of regaining his dignity and finding a purpose beyond his family's debt, even if it costs him his first love.

Protecting her family's well-being and maintaining her fencing career at any cost.

Yu-rim hides her family's poverty behind a cold, gold-medalist exterior. Her arc leads her from being Hee-do's hostile rival to her closest friend, eventually sacrificing her reputation in Korea by changing her nationality to Russia to save her family from financial ruin.

A deep-seated need for justice and a desire to find meaning beyond the rigid expectations of the education system.

The top student and class president who hosts an underground radio show. She undergoes a sharp transformation when she drops out of high school to protest the school's corporal punishment, prioritizing her principles over her academic future.