Breaking Down That Unpredictable All of Us Are Dead Ending

On-jo and Cheong-san shippers: Buckle up.

There are well-known tropes in horror — the final girl, the jump scares and perhaps the most distressing one of all: the way our leads tiptoe into dark and spooky places when they should know better. But the tropes don’t necessarily detract from the story; these breadcrumbs allow us to follow the story more easily, and often these expectations offer us a source of comfort. 

But there’s something to be said about shows and movies that lay down the groundwork and find new ways to surprise us. Case in point: All of Us Are Dead, a series about a group of teens at Hyosan High who band together against a zombie outbreak that threatens their city — as if high school couldn’t get more terrifying. 

All of Us Are Dead stays true to its zombie-horror roots. The blood, the gore and the scares are all there. And because this is a K-drama, there’s also a dash of sweetness and plenty of emotional gut punches. The series, an adaption from a popular Webtoon, takes a few pages from its source material and, like the best thrillers, makes sure to keep the audience guessing about who will make it to the end. 

Whether you’re the type who likes to know what to expect before diving into a series or someone who just watched the finale and needs to process, we’re here to help. We break down the twists and turns and reveal which characters made it — and didn’t make it — out alive. (Obviously, if you don’t want spoilers, you’ll probably want to turn back now.)

Byeong-chan

Jae-ik takes Byeong-chan into police custody. Once there, the scientist reveals his motivation for creating the virus, which was to help his son stand up to bullies. He says the systems in place in the world are too unjust, and he reveals there is no cure. The outbreak spreads to the police station. Byeong-chan gets bit and sacrifices himself for Jae-ik, telling the officer that his laptop at Hyosan High contains information about the virus.

Jae-ik and Ho-cheol

The duo successfully rescue a newborn, a toddler and the vlogger. Ho-cheol nabs a bus and as they are driving, they hit Eun-ji, who was cycling around the city. Since she is a half-zombie, she survives the crash. Soldiers show up and take everyone to the quarantine camp.

Eun-ji and Cheol-su

Nothing bonds you like being the victims of Gwi-nam and his crew. Cheol-su, who was rescued first, is happy to see Eun-ji at the camp. But she seems to be a tad upset with him for not going with her to destroy the cell phone photos Gwi-nam was using to extort her. She lets Cheol-su know how she feels... by eating him. She’s taken into custody at the camp, and it’s pretty clear that after the military studies and conducts experiments on her, they kill her.

So-ju

After saving the students in the gym, On-jo’s father, So-ju, sacrifices himself for the good of the children. He and On-jo are able to embrace one last time, and On-jo knows that he didn’t give up on her. His foresight in marking the forest with ribbons ends up saving the students once more, and they are able to navigate their way out of the forest.

Na-yeon

After being ostracized by her peers for what she did to Gyeong-su, Na-yeon storms out of the classroom. Ms. Park follows. Zombies attack and Ms. Park sacrifices herself. Na-yeon hides in another classroom and has snacks and drinks to survive on (while the rest of the students continue to starve nearby). She meets her fate when Gwi-nam stumbles upon her and digs in. Goodbye, Na-yeon — forever.

The city of Hyosan

The National Security Council conveys how fast the virus will spread if even one infected person escapes from the city. Since martial law has gone into effect, the deputy commander confirms the bombing of Hyosan for the greater good. Warning alarms go off, letting potential survivors know about the impending bomb, but it is still estimated there will be roughly 10,000 casualties.

Gwi-nam and Cheong-san

Gwi-nam shows up to the building where the remaining students are. He bites Cheong-san. After deciding to sacrifice himself, Cheong-san says goodbye to his friends and On-jo, and the two finally kiss. He lures the zombies away, and he and Gwi-nam have their final duel. It ends with Cheong-san and Gwi-nam falling down an elevator shaft and being engulfed by the bomb’s flames.

The deputy commander

After the bombing, the deputy commander records a message taking responsibility as martial law commander. He calls his wife and tells her he loves her. He takes his own life soon after.

The final survivors

Out of all the students, On-jo, Su-hyeok, Hyo-ryeong, Dae-su, Ha-ri and Mi-jin make it to the camp. On-jo sees that a fire has been lit on the rooftop of Hyosan High. She tells Su-hyeok, who volunteers to check it out with her. It’s a dangerous mission and On-jo asks to keep it a secret, but of course, the loyal rest of the students show up to help. 

The crew sneak back into school and find Nam-ra, who survived the blast. On-jo wants her to go back with them, but Nam-ra says she needs to stay; there are more like her out there. She lets the group know their friendship will endure even when they’re not together. Her powers still intact, she jumps off the roof as she hears them nearby.