In A Shop For Killers, Bale was portrayed as a notorious murderer, who was working as a mercenary in Babylon. The lack of empathy in the character makes him stand out in the segment of evil characters. Bale can be compared to the character of David Carradine, who plays the role of a cold-hearted murderer, Bill, in the film Kill Bill. A similar lack of empathy for their victims was seen in Bale’s emotionless eyes, and he seemed to murder people just for sport. He would go on missions and kill civilians just for his entertainment, which was strongly opposed by Jinman. Will Jinman be able to punish Bale for his deeds? Will Bale try to get back at Jinman at the end of A Shop For Killers? Let’s find out.
Spoilers Ahead
Why Did Bale Murder The Civilians?
While on a mission to escort a renowned businessman safely back to Korea, Bale mindlessly killed nine civilians. Bale was even held on trial for murdering those people, but he did not seem to have any regrets about it. However, Bale was let out of jail due to a lack of evidence against him. He thought that he was invincible, and the people were there to back him up even if things went south. The soullessness in his eyes would pierce the souls of his victims, even before he would murder them brutally. It is possible that Bale had been mistreated as a child, leaving a deep impact on his mind. He had opted for the career of a mercenary so that he could get paid to kill people. The enjoyment that he would get out of killing innocents could often be seen in the grin that he had after killing people. Bale was inhuman enough to kill small children if he came across them during or after their mission. He did not think twice before making orphans out of children by killing their parents while staring mercilessly into their eyes.
What Conflict Did Bale Have With Jinman?
Jinman had warned Bale and asked him not to murder the innocent people around him, but he did not pay any heed to his words. After Bale’s trial, Jinman had requested Younghan not to put them together on any mission, but they were sent on yet another mission together, where Bale went back to his old ways and killed many civilians. He bombed some escorts and murdered them. When Jinman learned about it, he was furious and decided to report his acts of cruelty to the company. Jinman had decided that this time he would not save Bale like he had done last time by not testifying against him in court. It is possible that Bale must have thought that he could do whatever he wanted, as none of his comrades would testify against him out of fear. Bale had an immense capacity for manipulation, which led Seongjo and others to follow him around like puppies. The negative aura that he gave off could have been the magnetic factor for the people around him, as it is said that negativity attracts people.
What Fate Did Bale Meet?
Bale was determined that he would not leave any civilians as spoils of war but would murder them right away instead of handing them over to the authorities. While he was on a quest to capture a drug lord, he murdered several escorts in the building. Minhye was one of the escorts who was hiding from Bale to save herself. When she realized that Jinman was not like Bale and was intent on protecting her, she held onto him like last ray of hope. The butcher in Bale was, however, so driven to kill Minhye that he did not think twice before attacking Jinman, who was standing in his way. After an intense fight, Bale was obviously defeated! Minhye had helped Jinman kill Bale, shooting him in the eye. When Jinman saw that Bale was lying helplessly on the floor, he stabbed him and left him to die there.
Why Did Bale Go After Jinman’s Family?
It was later revealed that Bale had not died during his conflict with Jinman and had also managed to survive the fire that the building had caught that night. He approached Seongjo to gather an army to exact revenge on Jinman, as he was a traitor. He manipulated others by saying that Jinman had backstabbed a member of their own clan by trying to murder him and lying to others that he had died in a fire. Bale’s manipulation tactics, which helped him garner ardent followers like Seongjo, proved that he was no less than a psychopath who could go to any lengths to fulfill his sinister desires. He could have chosen to take revenge on Jinman and let the bygones be bygones, but he chose the path of the vile. Bale targeted the weak ones and killed Jinman’s family members one by one. He killed Jinman’s mother in the hospital and then targeted his brother and sister-in-law. He didn’t even think twice about sending assassins to kill Jinman’s niece, who was only 6 years old. The sadistic tendency in Bale reminds me of a poem by William Blake, “The Fly,” in which an individual tries swatting a fly because he thinks the insect is inferior to him and has no strength to fight back. Bale targeted the weak ones as he knew that they could not fight back, and he seemed to gain a sadistic pleasure through it. Bale thought that killing Jinman’s family would weaken his spirits, making it easier for him to kill him.
Bale was so intent on getting his revenge that he did not cease trying to attack Jian, even after Jinman had died. He kept trying his best to deploy the best assassins just to murder a 21-year-old who had nothing to do with him. The massacre that his spirit of vengeance was causing, killing several men, did not seem to bother him much. Bale was just burning in the fire of vengeance and had decided that he wouldn’t sit still until he had killed the last surviving member of Jinman’s family.
What Will Happen To Bale In Season 2?
Jinman will return in Season 2 of A Shop for Killers, and it is likely that he will avenge the murder of his family. Jinman had tried warning Bale through Younghan about the consequences of his action, but he did not pay any heed to it. This time, Jinman will make sure that he puts an end to Bale’s life. Bale is one of the most frightening villains in the history of Korean drama. His lack of empathy makes him one of the most notorious murderers of all time! It is likely that we will get to see a greater chunk of Bale’s monstrosity in season 2. He will go insane when he gets to know that Jinman is still alive. He will go to any lengths to murder Jinman and Jian, just to fulfill his self-destructive desire for revenge.
