Cheong-san becoming the villain inAll of Us Are Deadseason 2 would be a heartbreaking twist for the zombie K-drama after his sacrifice at the end of season 1.All of Us Are Deadhas four lead characters – Cheong-san, On-jo, Nam-ra, and Su-hyeok – three of whom are safe and sound ahead of season 2.Cheong-san’s fate inAll of Us Are Dead, however, remains a mystery. While it would be difficult for a person to survive falling from a building as the whole area was being bombarded, there are enough clues to suggest that Cheong-san is alive.
Firstly, Cheong-san was bitten by Gwi-na, a hambie, during their fight in episode 11. This means thatCheong-san could have already transformed into a hambie himself, which would explain his survival. Secondly, while On-jo found the name tag she had given Cheong-san covered in ashes, we never saw his or Gwi-nam’s bodies. Lastly, Yoon Chan-young, who plays Cheong-san, was one of the four actors featured inNetflix’sAll of Us Are Deadseason 2 announcement. That said, Cheong-san’s return may not be all good news, especially if he did become a hambie.
Cheong-san Might Return As A Hambie With No Control Of His Powers
All of Us Are Deadintroduced the concept of hambies or asymptomatic zombies – people that were infected with the Jonas virus but did not fully transform. Hambies will retain their memories and consciousness but will have the same urge to attack people and eat human flesh as any other zombie. While Nam-ra eventually learned how to control her powers, all the hambies we saw inAll of Us Are Deadstruggle to control their powers. Nam-ra herself almost attacked Su-hyeok and nearly killed On-jo. Therefore,if Cheong-san is a hambie now, he may have become too dangerous.
Cheong-san would never choose to hurt his friends, but if he loses control of his newly found zombie powers, he may become a threat.
We don’t know exactly why some people become hambies instead of zombies inAll of Us Are Dead, although it appears to have to do with their will to live. Whether someone will become a hambie or a zombie also has to do with who is infecting them. For example, Nam-ra was bitten by Gwi-nam, which is presumably the reason she became an asymptomatic zombie like him. If so, it’s safe to say that Cheong-san is now a hambie too, assuming he did survive.Cheong-san may be struggling to control his powers, which is why he hasn’t returned yet.
All of Us Are Deadseason 1 will reportedly start filming in 2025.
Transforming into a hambie doesn’t mean Cheong-san will become a villain, but it does suggest that his return will be more complicated than it seems. Two ofAll of Us Are Deadseason 1’s villains– Gwi-nam and Eun-ji – were hambies that struggled to control their powers after all.Cheong-san would never choose to hurt his friends, but if he loses control of his newly found zombie powers, he may become a threat. It would be a dark twist on his character.
Nam-ra Losing Control In Season 2 Means Cheong-san May Become Evil Too
Nam-ra Almost Killed On-jo In Episode 11
The biggest piece of evidence to support this theory is that Nam-ra, despite having a good heart and wanting to become friends with the rest of the group, lost control of her powers a couple of times and almost killed Su-hyeok and On-jo. This is whyNam-ra chose to separate herself from the group at the end of season 1and only reconnected with them a couple of months later. Nam-ra used that time to learn how to control the transformation, although we didn’t see how it happened. She most likely had help from other hambies.
In theNow At Our Schoolwebtoon on whichAll of Us Are Deadis based, Nam-ra’s story ends slightly differently. While she does disappear for a couple of months, she doesn’t necessarily learn how to control the transformation. Instead, the zombie virus fails to take over Nam-ra for some reason, which everyone confirms to be the case after learning that Nam-ra spent several months taking care of a little girl and never attacked. The webtoon ends with the military realizing that Nam-ra is the key to a cure.
All Of Us Are Dead Season 2 Taking This Long To Happen Strangely Makes This Main Character’s Story More Exciting
There may be one good thing about how long All of Us Are Dead season 2 is taking, and it has to do with Cheong-san’s role in the zombie K-drama.
The fact thatAll of Us Are Deadchanged Nam-ra’s endingfrom the source material all but confirms that hambies will play a major role in season 2. This adds to the theory that Cheong-san will return as an asymptomatic zombie too. I assume that Nam-ra never ran into Cheong-san during her time living out in the open, otherwise she would have mentioned it to the group when they reunited. Alone and struggling to suppress his zombie instincts, Cheong-san may no longer be the character we met in season 1.
Cheong-san Not Controlling His Powers Would Make His Return Even Better
An “Evil” Cheong-san Would Add A Dark Twist To All Of Us Are Dead
Ever sinceAll of Us Are Deadseason 1 dropped on Netflix, many have taken for granted that Cheong-san will return. While it is difficult to argue against that – Yoon Chan-young was part of the season 2 announcement after all – Cheong-san’s all-but-confirmed return does lessen the impact of the finale.Cheong-san’s death was supposed to be a big, tragic momentforAll of Us Are Deadseason 1 to end. This is why having him simply return in the first episode of season 2 as if nothing had happened would be very disappointing.
A hambie Cheong-san that can’t control his powers would make for a very interesting character, especially because he already had a difficult temper in season 1 even before the apocalypse began. Cheong-san is always ready for a fight and will stop at nothing to do what he thinks is right, which can be dangerous if his brain is affected by the Jonas virus. The zombie outbreak inAll of Us Are Deadstarted precisely becauseDr. Lee Byeong-chan wanted to turn his son’s rage into strength, which is why both zombies and hambies are so ferocious.
Even If Cheong-san Doesn’t Become Evil, His Return Should Still Be Bittersweet
Cheong-san’s Return Shouldn’t Be All Good News After His Season 1 Sacrifice
All of Us Are Deadseason 2 will likely not make Cheong-san a villain, which doesn’t mean his return can’t be bittersweet. Even if Cheong-san never hurts his friends, he might still want to distance himself from them over the fear of attacking them, just like Nam-ra did. This would be an interesting storyline forAll of Us Are Deadseason 2 to explore – On-jo finding out that Cheong-san is alive and trying to bring him back with the help ofNam-ra and her new hambie friends. Either way,All of Us Are Deadneeds new villains.
Jeon Bae-soo
Nam So-ju
Unless Gwi-nam returns,All of Us Are Deadcurrently does not have a major antagonist. One popular theory is that the military will be the true villains of season 2, with Nam-ra and her friends having to protect the hambies. How Cheong-san will fit into that story is difficult to say. Hopefully, Cheong-san’s return will live up to the expectations without ruining the end of season 1. The long wait forAll of Us Are Deadseason 2 means the Netflix show will be expected to deliver something as good if not better than the first season.
All Of Us Are Dead
Cast
All of Us Are Dead is a South Korean series that centers on a high school overrun by a zombie virus outbreak. The students, facing an unprecedented crisis, must navigate survival while combating the threat of becoming part of the undead horde.
