Ranking the main characters on Netflix’s ‘All Of Us Are Dead’
(Credit: Netflix)

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Ranking the main characters on Netflix's 'All Of Us Are Dead'

Following the massive success of Squid Game on Netflix, Lee Jae-Gyu’s high-school zombie apocalypse series, All Of Us Are Dead helped set a new record for South Korean content with its massive success. 

Based on Joo Dong-Geun’s 130-episode webtoonNow At Our School, the 12-episode series is based in Hyosan High School, where a mysterious virus outbreak causes zombification hordes of people. This compels a group of students to fight desperately to survive against these ravenous zombies while being alienated from the outside world. 

Starring Lomon, Yoon Chan-Young, Cho Yi-Hyun, Park Ji-Hoo, Kim Byung-Chul and more, the series also touches on various important and heavyweight issues like teenage conflicts, peer pressure, unnerving academic pressure, bullying, sexual assault, suicide and revenge porn against the backdrop of chaotic teenage conflicts, burgeoning love triangles, betrayal and friendship. 

Since its release, it has become one of the most-watched foreign-language shows on Netflix, topping charts in multiple countries. It has paved the way for the success of Korean content on the streamer yet again. Brutal and heartbreaking, this tale of survival has captured the audience attention due to the layered and complex characters that are a part of the intense storyline. 

Here are the main characters on Netflix’s All Of Us Are Dead, ranked from worst to best:  

Ranking the main characters on Netflix’s ‘All Of Us Are Dead’ 

Yoon Gwi-Nam 

Played by Yoo In-Soo, Gwi-Nam is perhaps the most despicable character. The first-ever half-human half-zombie who exists like the pestilent character that just cannot be killed. The students see him perishing, but he comes back, angrier than ever, thirsting for revenge and showing off his brutal, animalistic side by doing something terrible. 

A sexual assaulter and a bully from the very start harms innocent students and forces the boy to take a video as he sexually violates the girl. He is remorseless and has no redeeming qualities. Throughout the episodes, he turns into an equally frustrating antagonist as he munches on human flesh and scourges through the hordes of zombies to get to Cheong-san he obsessively wants to kill. His bite transforms Cheong-san into a zombie, forcing him to take his own life. We cannot forgive Gwi-Nam, but kudos to Yoo In-Soo for being an extremely compelling, vile, and hateful villain. 

Lee Na-Yeon 

Lee Yoo-Mi was seen in the 2021 Netflix Original Squid Game as Ji-Yeong and was appreciated for how likeable her character was. However, in All Of Us Are Dead, she plays a character that audience members despise. -As Lee Na-Yeon, Yoo-Mi represents one of the most significant issues plaguing society-class conflicts. A rich student, she looks down upon the economically weaker sections of the society, calling the students on welfare “welfies” and using other degrading and derogatory language towards them, especially Gyeong-Su. 

She takes her hateful stature a step further when she deliberately infects Geyong-Su with zombie blood, essentially murdering him to avenge the humiliation he causes her as the survivors speak up against her guts. Although she has little chance at redemption when she tries to pay heed to her teacher’s words about helping her friends and tries to bring supplies for them, Gwi-Nam attacks her. 

Nam So-Ju 

Nam So-Ju’s name should be aeons apart from the two main antagonists of the series in the list. A firefighter by profession and On-jo’s father, So-Ju, risks his life as he crosses military barricades to reach Hyosan High School in search of his daughter and friends. A brilliant father who goes to extreme lengths for his daughter, motivated by love and care, So-Ju sacrifices himself to safely let On-Jo and her friends get to the military camps. He is a lot like Cheong-San’s zombified mother, who still seemingly bears the remnants of her son’s memories, 

So-Ju is bound by his duty as a firefighter and has to answer the call of duty first, much to his chagrin. He cannot come to On-Jo’s rescue faster, which costs a lot of lives in general. However, his unwavering bravery and love for his daughter win our hearts like no other. 

Nam On-Jo

Played by Park Ji-Hoo, who was still a high school student while shooting for the series, On-Jo is one of the lead characters in this popular Netflix show. Although she plays a vital role throughout the episodes, audience members have not liked her due to her minimal contribution to group activities. Although she is the voice of reason and shows exemplary bravery and courage in the most challenging situations, she does not make any impressive or heroic contribution in general. 

The series begins with On-Jo pining for Su-Hyeok, unaware of her best friend’s feelings for her. By the time she realises how dear he is to her, she has to let go of Cheong-San in a particularly heartbreaking moment. One of the sole survivors in the series, On-Jo, offers loyalty, friendship and courage to those who need it the most. 

Choi Nam-Ra

One of the most intelligent students in the group yet an ex-social outcast, despite being the Class President, Nam-Ra has hardly any friends at the beginning of the series. However, her character arc shows her becoming the MVP of the group as she turns into a half-human half-zombie or hambie and senses the presence of other hambies or zombies, helping the group take cover early on. Although Nam-Ra becomes quite powerful after becoming a hambie, she is seemingly more in touch with her humane side as she manages to interact with the humans and control her thirst to bite off their flesh despite the burgeoning need to do so. 

Su-Hyeok and Nam-Ra realise their feelings for one another and even share a kiss that repeatedly took 17 shots to shoot. Although she seems stoic and ignorant, Nam-Ra helps the group understand Gyeong-Su’s predicament, among other important events. Cho Yi-Hyun makes the character extremely likeable with her mellow voice and emotive acting. 

Yang Dae-Su

Im Jae-Hyuk gained a lot of weight to play the role of the happy-go-lucky Dae-Su, who loses his best friend Woo-Jin towards the very end of the zombie attack. Inarguable one of the most likeable characters in the show, he becomes the centre of attention in every scene. He is celebrated for his adorable nonchalance, kindness, wit and ability to sing beautifully. 

While the group gathers on the school terrace around a fire to keep themselves busy and ignorant of the apocalyptic situation they are in, Dae-Su’s melodious voice croons a meaningful song about resilience, strength and survival that brings comfort and courage to those around him. He is also entirely selfless and nearly sacrifices himself in the music room to let the others escape. It is rewarding to see him survive and make it to the end. 

Lee Su-Hyeok

Courageous and one of the most compassionate survivors of the group, Lomon’s Lee Su-Hyeok is an ex-bully-turned-kind-human-being whose fighting skills and audacious bravery helps the group battle against the zombies. Happleslly in love with Nam-Ra, with whom he gets to share a much-awaited kiss, Su-Hyeok is incredibly selfless and does not mind putting himself in danger to save his friends. His delicate romantic liaisons with Nam-Ra in the wake of the epic bleakness surrounding them adds a bit of hope and fresh air to the overall tense atmosphere.  

Also a voice of reason in the group, he is charming, enigmatic and an absolute sweetheart. He supports Nam-Ra as she transitions into a hambie and ventures into the unknown territory. His unwavering affection helps her keep in touch with her human side and keep defending the group against the ravenous flesh-hungry zombies.   

Lee Cheong-San 

Yoon Chan-Young’s Cheong-San is one of the most adorable and frustratingly giving characters on the show who turns out to be the hero with a fated ending. After being bitten by Gwi-Nam, he sacrifices himself for the sake of his friends and attracts other zombies to the building to let his friends escape. He is head-over-heels in love with On-Jo yet does not confess till the very end. It is heartbreaking to see Cheong-San witness the zombified version of his mother right after losing his best friend, Gyeong-Su, to the virus. 

Brave, selfless and an overall wonderful character, Cheong-San’s quick-thinking skills help the group escape various terrifying situations. His determination and courage make up for the lack of physical strength. He displays his unwavering loyalty toward On-Jo and the other survivors when he willingly jumps into the scary horde of zombies to save them. While fans have widely speculated the second season to see the hero’s return, it seems highly unlikely as the finale showed the duo- Cheong-San and Gwi-Nam- get burned to ashes upon the building being bombed while fighting.