Summary

• Some All of Us Are Dead characters like Na-yeon and Lee Byeong-chan were killed off too soon.
• Cheong-san is a shy character who becomes a compelling action hero, while On-jo is a layered protagonist who never gives up and suffers many losses.
• Nam-ra and Su-hyeok also steal the show in All of Us Are Dead.

best Korean shows on Netflix, part of All of Us Are Dead’s success has to do with its characters.

Given that most of season 1 took place in one location, the Hyosan High School, All of Us Are Dead had to nail its protagonists. Otherwise, following the same group of survivors for multiple hours in a confined space would have been boring. Fortunately, some of the best All of Us Are Dead characters are still alive, meaning they can return for season 2.

10 Lee Na-yeon (Lee You-mi)

Her divisive redemption arc was cut short

Well-written villains often shine more than the heroes. However, despite doing some of the most cruel things on the show, All of Us Are Dead’s Na-yeon is never treated as a layered villain. Most of her story takes place when the students are still avoiding leaving the room toward the beginning of the outbreak, and the conclusion of it feels very anti-dramatic. Na-yeong getting Gyeong-su infected is twistedly evil, yet the show initially suggests she might be redeemed. However, Na-yeon is killed by Gwi-nam before any form of redemption happens.

9 Lee Byeong-chan (Kim Byong-chul)

A villain killed off too soon

Dr. Lee Byeong-chan, the scientist responsible for the zombie outbreak, suffers from some of the same problems as Na-yeon’s character. Dr. Lee could have been a great villain for All of Us Are Dead’s overarching story, not just because he created the virus but because of the reasons he did it. Still, Lee Byeong-chan is infected and turns into a zombie in the latter half of All of Us Are Dead season 1. He never gets to see the full consequences of his actions, and the nuances behind his motivation are not properly explored. Killing off Lee Byeong-chan so early may have been a mistake.

8 Jang Ha-ri (Ha Seung-lee)

A determined character with a clear goal

At first, it may seem like Ha-ri is not as complex as some of the other All of Us Are Dead characters. She is older than the protagonists, most of her scenes are action-based, and her only goal is to find her brother. However, considering how much pressure Ha-ri was dealing with to make it into the Olympics, it’s interesting to see how she responds to the end of the world. Her interactions with Mi-ji are very fun, and her archery skills lead to some of the show’s most creative fight scenes. While Ha-ri survived and is currently with the other survivors, the end of her story was tragic.

7 Park Mi-jin (Lee Eun-saem)

A funny addition to the series

Mi-ji spends most of All of Us Are Dead away from the main group. Instead, she mostly interacts with her loyal friend, who was with her when the zombie outbreak, and two other senior students that they meet along the way. Mi-jin is a very funny character – someone who does not want to die yet does not seem too bothered about facing a zombie apocalypse. She has a crush on Ha-ri, although they didn’t like each other at first, leading to some great interactions between the two characters. As the situation worsens and the groups merge, Mi-ji’s character becomes more layered.

6 Lee Cheong-san (Yoon Chan-young)

A compelling action hero for the show

As a shy character who rarely reveals his feelings, Cheong-san risked being a one-note protagonist without too much to offer. However, All of Us Are Dead makes perfect use of him by making Cheong-san into an “action hero” who has to survive by himself for most of season 1 so that he can come back to his friends and confess his love to On-jo. It makes for a compelling journey, and by the end of the season, viewers are on the edge of their seats rooting for Cheong-san to defeat Gwi-nam and reunite with his friends. Whether Cheong-sang is dead in All of Us Are Dead remains to be confirmed.

5 Nam On-jo (Park Ji-hu)

A layered protagonist who suffers many losses

Protagonists tend not to be as interesting as some of the ing characters or even the villains. Fortunately, All of Us Are Dead finds a good balance when it comes to Cheong-san and On-jo. In fact, On-jo’s character arc is more interesting to watch unfold than Cheong-san’s, even though they intersect a lot. Seeing On-jo realize what Cheong-san means to her and vice versa leads to emotional moments, especially toward All of Us Are Dead season 1’s ending. On-jo suffers a lot of losses, from her best friend to her father and Cheong-sang, but she never gives up and continues to help her friends.

4 Yoon Gwi-nam (Yoo In-soo)

A terrifying villain

Gwi-nam has no redeemable qualities, which makes him a great villain. All of Us Are Dead never tries to give Gwi-nam a redemption arc, and the character instead gets worse throughout the series. Gwi-nam was already a bad person before the zombie outbreak, acting as a bully and doing despicable things. Becoming a hambie only enhanced Gwi-nam’s worst traits, and the way he first “died” created an intense rivalry between him and Cheong-san. They have some of the best fights on the show, including their final clash right before the city is bombed. If Cheong-san is alive, Gwi-nam might be too.

3 Choi Nam-ra (Cho Yi-hyun)

A complex character whose future is exciting

Despite being the class president, Nam-ra has no friends at the beginning of All of Us Are Dead. This premise sets up a fantastic character arc in which Nam-ra goes from someone with no connections to a dear friend of the main characters. Additionally, Nam-ra’s transformation into a hambie, or halfbie, makes everything about her more complex. Nam-ra is trying to bond with people at the same time she is trying not to hurt them, a dilemma that is made even more noticeable through her relationship with Su-hyeok. Considering how season 1 ended, Nam-ra will play a big role in All of Us Are Dead season 2.

2 Nam So-ju (Jeon Bae-soo)

A heroic father who never gives up

So-ju, On-jo’s father, is a first responder who was working on the other side of the city when the zombie outbreak at his daughter’s school began. All of Us Are Dead season 1 follows On-jo’s dad as he crosses the country to find his daughter, which creates a strong connection between the character and the audience. So-ju faces many challenges along the way, from bureaucracy to helping desperate people fight zombies, yet he never gives up. Although So-ju dies in All of Us Are Dead, he does so saving his daughter and her friends, a tragic but fitting ending for his story.

1 Lee Su-hyeok (Lomon)

A loyal friend who risks himself for others

A former bully who regretted his action and now tries to protect others from the friends he used to hang out with, Su-hyeok steals the show in All of Us Are Dead. Whereas the simplest rule to survive the zombie apocalypse is to run as fast as possible from the monsters, Su-hyeok is always ready to “throw hands” with the zombies. Be it in a cornered space or the open field, Su-hyeok put his life in danger multiple times to fight zombies and help his friends escape. His relationship with Nam-ra is very well-developed, and the way he cares about her until the very end makes the character even better.