Dying in a zombie apocalypse is a pretty horrible way to go. Horror movies and shows like Dawn of the Dead, Resident Evil, or even Marvel’s What If…? can all agree on that. The newest Netflix hit, All Of Us Are Dead, follows the same pattern.
The Korean survival drama centers on a group of high schoolers attempting to survive a zombie virus outbreak. Most of the deaths in the show are both tragic and shocking, and it’s hard to claim that a particular character deserved that fate. Even so, some figures in All Of Us Are Dead are unlikable enough that fans can’t help but find their final fate well-deserved.
10 DESERVED BETTER: Lee Cheong-San Dies Protecting His Friends
Protagonist Lee Cheong-san is easily one of the most likable characters in All Of Us Are Dead. Intelligent and resourceful, but often awkward, Cheong-san wins audiences' hearts through his relatability, bravery, and sanguine strength in the face of danger. He’s always there to protect others—which is ironically what put him at odds with antagonist Yoon Gwi-nam. While on the run from the zombies, Cheong-san runs into Gwi-nam in the principal’s office and witnesses the other student kill the adult.
Cheong-san films the whole incident and has a violent argument with Gwi-nam. The whole conflict ends with Cheong-san putting out Gwi-nam’s eye and the bully falling into the zombies’ clutches. Unfortunately, Gwi-nam survives, turns into a half-zombie, and spends the rest of the show hunting down Cheong-san. In the end, he succeeds in finding him and bites him. Cheong-san sacrifices himself, distracting Gwi-nam and the other zombies from his friends and eventually dying in the military bombing.
9 GOT WHAT HE DESERVED: Yoon Gwi-Nam Is Killed Alongside His Nemesis
If Cheong-san deserved better, Gwi-nam more than earned his fate. The most hated character in the show, he becomes more of a threat than the zombie virus itself. Even before turning into a hambie, he kills people without hesitation. In his single-minded pursuit of power and revenge, he doesn’t realize he's not omnipotent.
When the army finally decides to take drastic measures and bombs Hyosan High, Cheong-san makes sure Gwi-nam is consumed by the flames. It may seem like a pyrrhic victory, but it gives Gwi-nam his just deserts.
8 DESERVED BETTER: Han Gyeong-Su Is Infected By A Fellow Survivor
One of the most shocking deaths in the show is without a doubt that of Han Gyeong-su. Cheong-san’s best friend is quick to jump to the defense of others, but that makes his ultimate fate even more painful. Accused by rich girl Lee Na-yeon of having been infected, Gyeong-su proves her wrong by waiting for an hour in isolation.
When asked to apologize, Na-yeon infects him with zombie blood instead. Seeing Gyeong-su succumb to the virus stands out even among the other heartbreaking moments in the series.
7 GOT WHAT SHE DESERVED: Lee Na-Yeon’s Change Of Heart Is Too Little Too Late
Considering Gyeong-san inferior for his financial status, Na-yeon practically becomes a murderer by turning the other student into a zombie. In the aftermath, she leaves the group. She originally survives being infected through the aid of her teacher and takes refuge in the music room.
When the other students arrive, she barricades herself with the supplies, unwilling to face them even upon hearing how much they needed food and water. She later has a change of heart and prepares herself to leave her shelter. It’s too little too late, and she's killed by Gwi-nam before she can actually make amends with the group.
6 DESERVED BETTER: Min Eun-Ji And Lee Jin-Su Never Truly Get Justice
The plotline of All Of Us Are Dead may center on zombies, but it starts from a very realistic premise—that of bullying. Patient zero of the virus Lee Jin-su is infected by his own father in the hope of giving him courage and rescuing him from his bullies. Meanwhile, student Min Eun-ji is sexually assaulted and humiliated so badly she almost commits suicide.
The outbreak stops her, but she braves the throng of zombies anyway to prevent a pornographic video of her from being posted online. Turned into a half-zombie, she's later captured by the army. Her fate isn’t clear, but she's presumed (fully) dead. Either way, she and Jin-su don't truly get justice, and she ends up killing the only person who actually showed her support: Kim Cheol-Soo.
5 GOT WHAT SHE DESERVED: Kim Hyeon-Ju Becomes The First Infected Highschool Student
As a less preeminent figure in the series, Kim Hyeon-ju is the domino piece that starts the original outbreak. She's bitten by a lab rat in Professor Lee Byeong-chan’s science lab and, upon escaping, infects the school nurse. Taken to the hospital, she spreads the virus even further.
The irony is that Kim Hyeon-ju is a part of the group of bullies who participated in Lee Jin-su’s torment. She displays no compassion for him when he's viciously beaten in front of her. Her fate is definitely cruel, but she may have had it coming.
4 DESERVED BETTER: Nam So-Ju Is Killed While Protecting His Daughter
The firefighter father of female protagonist Nam On-jo, So-ju stands out through his heroism and determination to save his daughter. He escapes the quarantine camp and makes his way through Hyosan on his own, braving scores of zombies while injured.
His final reunion with his daughter is incredibly touching and comes at exactly the right moment, and he manages to save her and her friends in the nick of time. But the heroic act costs him. He's forced to distract the zombies away from On-jo and the other students and is turned into a zombie in their stead. His death is without a doubt one of the most tragic moments in the series.
3 GOT WHAT HE DESERVED: Lee Byeong-Chan’s Infection Feels Like Poetic Justice
Jin-su’s father, Byeong-chan, is the genius creator of the Jonas Virus. Upon seeing his son bullied, he first attempts to help him through legal channels and even transfers him to another school. Nothing works and the persecution continues. Byeong-chan sees himself as helpless when confronted with a violent society eager to destroy his child. The only choice he thinks he has is to transform Jin-su instead, preferring to see him live as a monster than die as a human.
By the time he realizes what he's done, it's too late. Byeong-chan is eventually infected with the virus as well while saving Detective Song Jae-il. There are theories that he may have turned into a hambie and could return in the future, but whether that's true or not, his infection is definitely a form of poetic justice.
2 DESERVED BETTER: Park Sun-Hwa Sacrifices Herself For Na-Yeon
Hyosan High is a cluster of unsupportive, uncaring adults that symbolize the overall problems of Korean education and society. One of the few staff members who display a genuine concern for the students is English teacher Park Sun-hwa.
Not only is she the only teacher who prioritizes Hyeon-Ju’s condition when she's found—and apparently assaulted by Byeong-chan—but she's also grief-stricken and reaches out to the students during the outbreak. When Na-yeon leaves the group after killing Gyeong-san, Sun-hwa comes to her assistance. She blames herself for Na-yeon’s actions and tries to reassure the girl even as she's killed by the zombies. She definitely deserved better.
1 GOT WHAT HE DESERVED: The School Principal Is An Overbearing Coward Until The End
The school principal at Hyosan High is perhaps Ms. Park’s complete opposite. He always prioritizes his reputation over the well-being of the students. He doesn’t care about the violence at the school and often buries serious incidents just so he can make himself look good. Jin-su and Eun-ji’s situation are two such cases.
When the outbreak happens, the principal doesn’t even want to notify the authorities. Once he realizes the seriousness of the situation, he attempts to order Gwi-nam to bring him his car, essentially asking the student to go to his death for him. Gwi-nam isn’t exactly happy about it and ends up killing the principal. As monstrous as murder may be, the principal may have very well deserved that fate.