| “ | Living life to the full in honor of the person who died… It’s too selfish. You can’t die even if you want to. You lack the courage to live, but you can’t die. | ” |
–On-jo | ||
Nam On-jo (Korean: 남온조) is the female protagonist of Netflix's All of Us Are Dead.
She is a student at Hyosan High School and the daughter of firefighter Nam So-ju. She is also the best friend and love interest of her childhood friend, Lee Cheong-san.
She is portrayed by Park Ji-hu and voiced by Victoria Grace in the English dub and Yume Miyamoto in the Japanese dub. In the French dub, she is voiced by Maryne Bertieaux. In the Spanish dub, she is voiced by Marina Romero.
History[]
Pre-Outbreak[]
On-jo lived in an apartment block with her firefighter father, Nam So-ju; her mother's whereabouts were never explained. The Nam family lived unit next door to Mr. and Mrs. Lee, and their only son Cheong-san, whom On-jo has been best friends with since they were in kindergarten. She and Cheong-san were such close-knit companions to the point where many classmates believed that they were dating, though the two constantly denied these rumors. For her part, On-jo always presumed that Cheong-san was not interested in her because of his constant teasing and childish antics, therefore she saw nothing more than friendship between them.
She and Cheong-san were in Class 2-5 together under teacher Park Sun-hwa, along with her best female friend Yoon I-sak, and Cheong-san's best male friend Han Gyeong-su - all of whom frequently hung out together, the Lee family's fried chicken restaurant being one of their frequent spots. At the time, On-jo was also harboring an unrequited crush for handsome and popular classmate Lee Su-hyeok, and was thinking of the best way to approach him. She then went to Cheong-san for advice, since he is a guy and acquainted with Su-hyeok; she let her hair down and asked her best friend which side looked better with her locks tucked back, intending to approach her crush in this manner to better attract him. On-jo was unaware of the effect this moment had on Cheong-san, and when he awkwardly dismissed her, she swiftly kicked in the back of his leg - something she would whenever she was very annoyed with him.
On the morning of the outbreak, Kim Hyeon-ju collapsed in On-jo's classroom; she helped Su-hyeok, I-sak, and Ms. Park carry Hyeon-ju to the nurse's office, unaware that she was infected. Hyeon-ju scratched On-jo while she was helping her, but On-jo was bandaged and suffered no ill-effects. Her father was one of the emergency workers called to the school, who made sure On-jo was okay before taking Hyeon-ju to the hospital. On the way back to class, she finally decided to admit her feelings to Su-hyeok by giving him her name tag, indicating she wanted to go out with him. The awkward encounter was unwittingly interrupted by Cheong-san, who heard about her injury from I-sak and was very concerned. Annoyed at his poor timing, she said she was fine and walked away without Su-hyeok's answer.
It was during lunchtime in the cafeteria when On-jo confided in I-sak about what to do next with Su-hyeok; I-sak suggested talking to Cheong-san for hints on Su-hyeok's feelings for her. When On-jo did so, Cheong-san became strangely defensive, which upset her, and she turned to leave the cafeteria.
Outbreak[]
Suddenly, a crowd of students came running into the cafeteria, with some of them covered in blood and mauling whoever they could. She and Cheong-san were able to escape and return to Class 2-5, where other fellow classmates were taking shelter. I-sak found Yang Yeong-ju's phone in her bag, and after Cheong-san used it to make a 119 emergency call, On-jo made another call to request for her father to come, lying that there was a big fire in their classroom to prompt an immediate response - a response that never materialized.
When coach Kang Jin-gu arrived, I-sak spotted the bite mark on his arm, but was too scared to say anything out loud, so On-jo confronted him about it in front of the other survivors. Jin-gu turned and bit Kim Min-ji, forcing the rest of the group to flee the classroom and fight their way to the science lab. The lab door was locked, but On-jo spotted the emergency fire hose nearby and used the spout to break the lock, allowing the group to get inside. However, she lost Yeong-ju's phone during the struggle. After barricading the windows and doors, Su-hyeok was then discovered missing, and On-jo stood by the window to worry about him. I-sak took On-jo's hand and suggested Cheong-san had a crush on her; On-jo denied this, reiterating how her best friend teased her too much to feel that way about her, before realizing that I-sak's hand felt cold.
Having been bitten on the leg during the struggle to enter the science lab, I-sak began to turn and a tearful On-jo tried to console her, but Cheong-san pulled her away and fought off I-sak after she transformed. On-jo pleaded for them to stop, but I-sak lunged at her and Cheong-san was forced to push her out a window. On-jo tried to stop her from falling, looking down at I-sak's undead face and remembering their time together as friends. But I-sak continued to try and bite On-jo's hand, until Cheong-san broke her hold with a lab stool and allowed the zombie to fall to its death. On-jo was traumatized and Seo Hyo-ryung went to comfort her.
Cheong-san fashioned a makeshift rope out of the hose, which the group then used to climb one-by-one down to the broadcasting room, where Ms. Park also happened to be hiding. On-jo was too despondent to go with them, but Cheong-san stayed behind and encouraged her to stay alive, making sure she made the climb down herself. Su-hyeok eventually reunited with the group after saving Cheong-san from a zombie, and in the subsequent discussion about their situation, On-jo realized that Hyeon-ju may have been patient zero for the outbreak as her hands, like I-sak's, felt cold to the touch. Hyo-ryung therefore surmised that Hyeon-ju may have sparked an outbreak at the hospital, which was why no emergency workers had come for them.
After an encounter with a zombie at the window, Lee Na-yeon accused Gyeong-su of being infected due to a scratch and a bloody nose, and he was quarantined for everyone's safety. On-jo and the others urged Na-yeon to give Gyeong-su a personal apology, but when he transformed into a zombie, and Choi Nam-ra exposed Na-yeon as the one who purposefully infected him, On-jo joined the others in labeling her a murderer. Na-yeon and Ms. Park would leave, and On-jo approached Cheong-san and tried to comfort him; both had lost their best guy/girl friends, and hoped that at least their parents were still alive. She would also join the others in wondering if Ms. Park and Na-yeon were still alive, having heard no screams in the hallway after they left, leaving their fates an indefinite mystery.
The next morning, when Cheong-san and Su-hyeok volunteered to obtain another phone from the teachers' office, On-jo implored Cheong-san not to go, masking her fear for him with annoyance, but was unable to stop him. When Su-hyeok returned alone, On-jo began crying and asked what happened to Cheong-san, but despite Su-hyeok's reassurances that he was alright, On-jo continued to worry deeply for her best friend. Knowing how close On-jo was to Cheong-san, Hyo-ryung and Kim Ji-min gossiped about whether or not the pair were dating as they pondered how to best console her. On-jo then turned to Oh Joon-yeong with the idea of using a drone from the science lab's store room to locate Cheong-san, and then send for help outside. On-jo volunteered to climb the rope and retrieve the drone with Joon-yeong, citing her father's fire escape training as her experience.
To On-jo's relief, Cheong-san was located in the music room, but when the drone also revealed that Ji-min's parents had become zombies, On-jo helped to stop her from committing suicide. She then went to comfort her in the recording room, expressing her desire to see her live despite being without hope. Nam-ra then devised a plan to escape the broadcast room by using the intercom system to distract the zombies with music. The group informed Cheong-san of the plan over the same intercom; On-jo then piped in, imploring that Cheong-san listen to her for once and stay put.
The group reached the music room, and On-jo kicked Cheong-san in the leg upon seeing him, scolding her best friend for recklessly endangering himself. She then realized Su-hyeok was missing again, and ran out into the corridor to find him with the rest of the group following, only to run back as Nam-ra and Su-hyeok reunited with them after their fight with Yoon Gwi-nam. Nam-ra's bite mark was discovered, and On-jo stood up for her despite everyone's paranoia, Nam-ra almost biting Su-hyeok, and Cheong-san wanting to immediately kill her. To break up the conflict between her best friend and Su-hyeok (who was very protective of Nam-ra), On-jo questioned them both about what they each saw of Gwi-nam's infection, and deduced that since Gwi-nam did not appear to be a full zombie when he bit Nam-ra, she must be immune like he was. Later on, she used the music room's camcorder to record a message to her father, telling him that she wanted to see him again and she loved him.
When the others discussed making an escape for the roof, On-jo came up with the idea to build a barricade in the middle of the classroom, and then use a music recording from the camcorder to lure the zombies to the other side of it. She put her trust in Nam-ra to be part of the group again, helped to build and reinforce the barricade, and led the survivors in holding the zombies back and creating more noise, allowing for the corridor to empty enough for them to make their escape. Finding the rooftop doors locked, she helped to hold a tarpaulin in place over the stairwell to try and block the approaching zombies. A fire set by Min Eun-ji downstairs would finally unlocks the doors, but the group would miss the rescue helicopter by mere seconds. On-jo helped everyone to enlarge a SOS sign left behind by Kim Cheol-soo for the next helicopter to spot them, and then to build a campfire using a very difficult hand drill method taught by her father - a needless endeavor that was quickly solved by Nam-ra's cigarette lighter.
That night, the group would bond around the campfire discussing their personal struggles and desires. When it came to Cheong-san's turn to speak, and Hyo-ryung and Yang Dae-su asked him if he had a crush on someone, On-jo was immediately intrigued when her best friend said "yes". She pressed him for an answer, only to be surprised when he revealed that his crush was On-jo herself. She tried to laugh it off, thinking that Cheong-san was just teasing her as he always did since they were in kindergarten. But Cheong-san firmly stated that he wasn't joking, and On-jo was utterly shocked; she got up and walked over to a private corner of the roof to gather her thoughts.
Cheong-san would approach her, and though he stated that she didn't have to like him back, On-jo was still upset: she felt that she had lost him as her best friend, and having lost I-sak already, this was another loss she couldn't take. Cheong-san then asked her if she had ever liked him back, but On-jo couldn't answer him; instead, she tearfully told him to leave her alone, wanting space to sort out her feelings. Her best friend obliged, and walked to the other side of the rooftop.
As she pondered over Cheong-san's confession, she heard something climbing the nearby drainage pipe, and turned to see Gwi-nam staring menacingly at her. The bully grabbed her by the face, but Cheong-san's shouting caused him to release On-jo and charge at him instead. On-jo and the survivors battled Gwi-nam, but his incredible strength and toughness made him nearly unstoppable, until Nam-ra finally managed to overpower the bully and throw him off the roof. The survivors gathered around the campfire to recover from their bruises, where On-jo and Nam-ra hoped that their newfound friendships would continue, and that they could bond around another campfire in the future.
A military helicopter eventually arrived, and On-jo and the others stood up excitedly to signal it down, elated that they were being rescued. As the soldiers came down from it to inspect them and carry out their mission, Cheong-san stayed by On-jo's side to reassure her that they were safe. The group would soon realize that the soldiers had been ordered to abandon them; Cheong-san took On-jo's hand and pleaded for them to rescue at least a few of them, implying that On-jo should be one of those considered. After the soldiers and helicopter leave, On-jo tried in vain to calm Cheong-san, who angrily kicked at the campfire and SOS signal, knowing that no one else would be coming.
Suddenly, a thunderstorm gave the disheartened students much-needed hydration, but On-jo and several others began crying, knowing that this small mercy did not change their dire situation. Cheong-san rallied the survivors by acknowledging that they could only save themselves, followed by a plan to escape the school grounds and reach the mountain by using the storm as cover - with On-jo confirming that the mountain would lead them to the town of Yangdong, having hiked there with her father before. He then had everyone pair up and hold hands for protection, and took On-jo as his partner; she resisted at first, but relented when he assured her that this was simply for survival - discussing their relationship would come later. The pair led the group down to the ground floor and main entrance, where Cheong-san spotted a zombie in their way; he informed On-jo that he would lead it away, but reconsidered when she touched his hand, concerned for his safety and insisting that they sneak around it instead.
Cheong-san encountered his zombified mother and became hysterical; On-jo and Su-hyeok attempted to calm him, seeing that the commotion had attracted nearby zombies. It was ultimately On-jo who led him away, helping him rejoin the others in the auditorium, where they would all flee to the safety of the sports equipment room to escape the attacking zombies. On-jo embraced Cheong-san as he wept, trying to comfort him, and slept against his shoulder for the rest of the night. Upon awakening, he told her that he wasn't sure how he could go on living; On-jo promised that they would talk about that after reaching safety, guaranteeing that they had a lot to discuss about their relationship. The two reconciled best friends then encouraged each other to stay strong, no matter what.
Su-hyeok eventually came up with an idea to use the metal carts and sports equipment to form a moving barricade, which the group could use to reach the auditorium's back exit. In a vote led by Nam-ra, On-jo raised her hand together with Cheong-san's for the option to keep the barricade high, which won the vote. Cheong-san would find an old chocolate bar in one of the bins, which would be shared with On-jo and most of the group. She and Cheong-san would then help each other put on some sports padding for bite protection, and help the group fight their way to the back door (losing Joon-yeong along the way), only to find it locked. Luckily, On-jo's father unlocked the door just in time and allowed the students to escape, embracing his daughter and then Cheong-san at long last.
The survivors made it to the tennis court, where So-ju would distract the zombies to allow the students to get out, but become bitten in the process. On-jo begged her father to come with them, but So-ju would lock the tennis court gate and allow himself to be swarmed, begging his daughter to go on and for Cheong-san to take care of her. Cheong-san led her away as she cried out for her dying father. The group soon reached the construction site and took shelter on a concrete ledge.
Jang Ha-ri tried to comfort On-jo as she wept, while covering her mouth to prevent her cries from alerting nearby zombies. Cheong-san motioned for her to move aside and took over, holding On-jo tight and letting her cry openly into his chest. On-jo was touched when Ha-ri thanked On-jo for her father's heroism. Cheong-san continued to console On-jo, who expressed survivor's guilt from having seen so many friends and loved ones sacrifice themselves, but Cheong-san reminded her to stay strong just as she reminded him. He then finally answered her question about her hair from days earlier: her left side looked prettiest to him when it was down. On-jo was confused, unable to remember having asked that question, but Cheong-san shyly promised to remind her "tomorrow".
Nam-ra's enhanced hearing eventually heard a military broadcast announcing that they would bomb several locations throughout Hyosan to eliminate the zombies, which included Hyosan High. Gwi-nam suddenly appeared, blocking the group's only path to escape. In a brief struggle, Su-hyeok held On-jo and everyone else back as Gwi-nam (being too strong to fight) took Cheong-san's arm and bit him. He was about to bite Cheong-san's neck before the high-pitched noises from nearby military drones distracted him; Cheong-san took the opportunity to push him off the building.
On-jo approached Cheong-san, tearfully trying to reassure him that he would be alright. Knowing his inevitable fate, Cheong-san ripped his name tag off and offered it to On-jo, which she accepted; he told her to hold onto it, producing On-jo's name tag and declaring that he would hold onto hers. He then kissed her, and the couple embraced passionately for one last time, before Cheong-san pushed On-jo into Su-hyeok's arms and ran off to lure away the zombies. On-jo cried out to Cheong-san, struggling against Su-hyeok's grip as she attempted to run after him. Cheong-san's brave act succeeded, and allowed the survivors to escape the construction site and into the forest, where they would witness the missile explosion that would destroy the school from afar. They were showered by the resulting debris and enveloped by the ash being pushed by the blast wave. Dae-su suffered a wound to his leg, but the rest would come out unscathed beyond a few scratches.
The next morning, On-jo decided to return to the construction site to look for Cheong-san; Su-hyeok and Nam-ra joined her, not wanting her to go alone. On-jo eventually reached the top floor - the last spot where Cheong-san was heard - only to find the place empty and in ruins. Desperate and distraught, she called out her best friend several times with no response, until Nam-ra told her that she could not sense anyone else nearby, indicating that Cheong-san was likely dead. Nam-ra sadly suggested that they say their goodbyes to him, and embraced On-jo as she cried.
The group would get lost hiking through the mountain, until they discovered several trees wrapped with gold ribbons that marked a path downhill. On-jo followed the trail and found a small flashlight with her father's name written on it; she sadly surmised that her father dropped it while leaving a trail to follow back into town, and took another moment to cry and mourn her father's death. The survivors eventually reached an abandoned neighborhood in Yangdong, and were forced to fight off a small swarm of zombies that had survived the bombings. On-jo barely managed to defend herself, and after Jang Wu-jin's death, she and the others made a run for the outskirts of town.
Nam-ra suddenly abandoned the group; On-jo and Su-hyeok broke off to follow her, only to find Nam-ra cannibalizing one of the zombies they killed. On-jo tried to get her attention, which caused Nam-ra to pounce on top of her, driven insane by the infection's insatiable hunger. On-jo struggled to keep her at bay while Su-hyeok hesitated to kill Nam-ra, until On-jo finally let go and let Nam-ra fall onto her neck, willing to let herself be bitten and die. However, Nam-ra resisted fiercely, and in her torment she ran off further into the smoke-filled city and disappeared. Su-hyeok and On-jo were unable to find her again, and ran back to rejoin the other survivors.
The students soon reached a military checkpoint and were finally rescued. They arrived at the quarantine camp, where each were given a box of personal supplies before heading to their quarters. Along the way, On-jo briefly reunited with one of her father's teammates, Kim U-sin, who noticed she had So-ju's flashlight and realized he had died saving her. The students were then interrogated by an officer, to whom On-jo declared that she would never trust adults ever again, given all the tragedy she had seen them cause.
Post-Outbreak[]
Four months later, On-jo and many of Hyosan's survivors remained in quarantine, but were finally allowed to roam freely in the camp's courtyard. One night, On-jo snuck out of camp alone to mourn her classmates and loved ones by placing some offerings under a tree, which was secretly established for Hyosan High School's victims. Among the many messaged ribbons hanging from the branches were two that On-jo hung: one that read "I-sak, I miss you", while another read "Cheong-san, I love you". She then looked at Cheong-san's name tag and longingly whispered his name, before spotting a bright light coming from the rooftop of the school.
The next day, she told Su-hyeok of what she saw and arranged for him to meet her that night to sneak out again, but at the appointed time she saw that Ha-ri, Dae-su, Hyo-ryung, and Park Mi-jin had joined them as well - all thanks to Su-hyeok's loose tongue. The students stopped for a brief visit at the memorial tree, and then made their way to the school. On-jo led the group back to the top floor of the construction site, and for one more time she surveyed the scene where Cheong-san was last alive, but Su-hyeok encouraged her to move on.
On the school's rooftop, the students were surprised to see that a small bonfire had been set in the exact spot they once gathered around four months ago. On-jo surmised that it was Nam-ra who set it, and the group turned to find Nam-ra approaching them, looking healthy and normal. Exchanging greetings, On-jo asked Nam-ra to come back with them, but Nam-ra claimed that she still had things to do for a group of Hambie survivors just like herself, while reaffirming their unbreakable friendship. Sensing the rest of her own group had returned, Nam-ra promised to come back and then jumped off the roof to meet them, leaving On-jo and the rest to stare off after her.
Physical Appearance[]
On-jo has dark brown eyes, dark brown hair that reaches just below her shoulder blades, and a small, thin frame. Her hair is naturally straight with overgrown curtain bangs, and is typically tied into a low ponytail. When trying to confess to Su-hyeok, she wears her hair down and tucks some of it behind her left ear. In her flashbacks with I-sak, she has her hair in a French braid. She wears the standard Hyosan High School female uniform, as well as grey sneakers. On the day of the outbreak, she wears an beige/off-white zip up hoodie over the vest which she leaves completly unzipped. In her flashbacks with I-sak, she wears the Hyosan High School female summer uniform.
In the Quarantine Camp, On-jo wears a knee length beige coat with a lighter collar, a black turtleneck sweater with wave patterns across the stomach area, tan slacks, and white sneakers. Her hair is also noticeably longer, now reaching just below her chest.
Personality and Traits[]
On-jo was a typical upbeat high school girl who was eager to make her father proud while struggling with her grades, spending time with her friends, and crushing on the school's popular heartthrob: Lee Su-hyeok. The zombie outbreak quickly turned her innocent life upside down, and though she was ill-equipped to take on the zombies by herself, On-jo's maturity, bravery, and resourcefulness would assert themselves as the crisis progressed, and she would use the survival skills she learned from her father to help her classmates plan or take action whenever the occasion arose. She also served as a voice for hope and reason whenever sorrow or personal conflicts peaked among the terrified survivors, and she worried incessantly about the incredible risks her best friend, Lee Cheong-san, would often take to protect her and the group. Passionate and caring, her desire to see everyone survive helped to sustain her and her classmates through the horrors they would encounter.
Relationships[]
Allies[]
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Others[]
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Appearances[]
| Season 1 Appearance | |||
| Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 | Episode 4 |
| Episode 5 | Episode 6 | Episode 7 | Episode 8 |
| Episode 9 | Episode 10 | Episode 11 | Episode 12 |
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- In the original webtoon Now at Our School, On-jo and Cheong-san are also romantically involved. The Netflix series updated this, adding a love triangle between On-jo, Cheong-san, and Su-hyeok.
- In the webtoon, On-jo was the sole main protagonist, while Cheong-san was a supporting character.
- Despite On-jo narrating the entire events in the webtoon, in the series there is only one scene in the entire series where she narrates.
- Her webtoon counterpart has major differences from her series counterpart, in the webtoon she has shorter hair and only ever wore her school uniform (which is a short sleeved green polo)
- In the webtoon it was Nam-ra, not On-jo, who sprayed the fire extinguisher as a way to cover her and Su-hyeok when they left to the classroom next to the broadcasting room in order to get supplies.
