The Evolution of All of Us Are Dead: What to Expect in Season 2

The Return of All of Us Are Dead

All of Us Are Dead is returning, and while not much has been revealed about season 2, it is already very different from season 1. Netflix renewed All of Us Are Dead for a second season a couple of months after the show premiered, thus confirming the cliffhangers from the finale would not be left unsolved. Having one of Netflix’s best Korean shows return for another season is great news, but matching the quality of All of Us Are Dead season 1 will not be easy.

On-jo, Cheong-san, Su-hyeok, and Nam-ra on the poster for All of Us Are Dead

Although a lot of All of Us Are Dead characters have died, there are still quite a few fan-favorite names left for the show to follow. What All of Us Are Dead season 2’s story will be about remains to be seen, but it is safe to say Nam-ra’s return and what really happened to Cheong-say will be major plot points. It is also easy to predict that the second season will be nothing like the first one.

Su-hyeok fighting zombies in All of Us Are Dead

The New Setting

All Of Us Are Dead Season 2 Won’t Be Set In A School

A student being attacked by zombies in a library in All of Us Are Dead

Hyosan High, the school where most of All of Us Are Dead took place, was destroyed at the end of season 1. The school, along with a significant portion of the city, was bombarded by the military in hopes of limiting the zombie outbreak to just one region. The sequence in which Hyosan High was destroyed was one of the most emotional moments in All of Us Are Dead, as viewers had spent more than 10 episodes following their favorite characters trying to survive inside that building. Each signature All of Us Are Dead location, from the classrooms to the hallways, is now gone.

A custom image featuring Cheong-san in front of other All of Us Are Dead characters

All of Us Are Dead season 1's ending saw the remaining survivors entering a quarantine zone controlled by the military. While they briefly escaped the quarantine zone to look for Nam-ra and Cheong-san, the latter of which may be alive, the main All of Us Are Dead characters are currently in safety. It is difficult to predict what season 2 will be about, but the idea of a group of students trying to survive the zombie apocalypse in the limited space of a school with no help from the “outside world” cannot be used again. All of Us Are Dead season 2 will have to change.

A custom image featuring All of Us Are Dead's Su-hyeok, On-jo and Cheong-san

Story Evolution

All Of Us Are Dead Season 2’s Story Cannot Replicate What Season 1 Did

A closeup of Nam-ra in All of Us Are Dead season 1, episode 12

The most interesting aspect of All of Us Are Dead season 1 was following the same group of characters for more than 10 hours as they tried to leave the school amidst the zombie apocalypse. Although there were a couple of small time skips, season 1 felt almost as if the show was happening in real-time. Every poster and promotional material for All of Us Are Dead included the school, meaning Hyosan High became part of the show’s identity. Moving away from that will be difficult, especially because most of the webtoon All of Us Are Dead is based on has already been covered.

A custom image featuring Sweet Home's Kim Young-hoo and the surviving kids from All of Us Are Dead

It can be argued that All of Us Are Dead did not need a second season. Apart from a couple of cliffhangers at the very end, namely Nam-ra joining the halfbies and the possibility of Cheong-san being alive, season 2’s finale could have very well been the end of the show. Most of the main characters made it out of the school alive, the outbreak was partially controlled, and Cheong-san sacrificed himself to save his friends. Still, given how successful All of Us Are Dead season 1 was, it is only natural that the show is returning for a second season.