Character Relationship Map: The Things You Kill

Characters

• Ali (played by Ekin Koç) — protagonist

  The protagonist, a Turkish literature professor facing infertility and job insecurity. He investigates his mother's suspicious death, suspects his abusive father, and initially participates in kidnapp...

• Reza (played by Erkan Kolçak Köstendil) — protagonist

  A hired gardener who becomes Ali's accomplice in kidnapping Hamit, but soon seizes control. He chains Ali, assumes his identity and university job, manipulates his wife, and attempts to cover up the c...

• Hazar (played by Hazar Ergüçlü) — supporting

  Ali’s wife who shares a prophetic dream about his father. She grows distant due to Ali’s stress and infertility, temporarily leaves him, but returns when they plan to seek medical help abroad. Her pre...

• Father / Hamit (played by Ercan Kesal) — supporting

  Ali’s abusive, patriarchal father who historically battered his wife and shames Ali. He is kidnapped and buried by Ali and Reza, but survives. His car is later recovered, and he reappears at Ali’s hom...

• Mother / Sakine (played by Güliz Şirinyan) — supporting

  Ali’s disabled mother, left bedridden by Hamit’s past violence. Her sudden death triggers Ali’s investigation, revealing she was struck from behind, fueling his suspicion of Hamit and driving the plot...

• Aunt / Melahat (played by Aysan Sümercan) — supporting

  Hamit’s sister whom Reza visits while pretending to be Ali. She reveals the true origin of Hamit’s facial scar, exposing family lies and Hamit’s complex loyalty to his own cruel father, adding depth t...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Ali → Hazar (Romantic Husband) — Their marriage becomes strained by Ali's secrecy, infertility, grief, and isolation.

  Ali and Hazar are married and discuss her dream about Hamit entering their home.

• Father / Hamit → Mother / Sakine (Family Abusive Husband) — Their marriage is defined by Hamit's past physical violence and patriarchal control.

  The plot states that Hamit beat Sakine years earlier, leaving her disabled.

• Ali → Mother / Sakine (Family Son) — Ali's bond with his mother becomes the emotional basis for his investigation.

  Ali visits his disabled mother, finds her home in disrepair, and investigates after she dies under suspicious circumstances.

• Ali → Father / Hamit (Family Son) — A deeply damaged father-son relationship shaped by abuse, shame, fear, and unresolved trauma.

  Father / Hamit is identified as Ali's father. He repeatedly shames Ali, and Ali says he returned to Turkey regretting that he had fled from his father...

• Aunt / Melahat → Father / Hamit (Family Sister) — Her testimony reveals family history that contradicts Hamit's version of his scar.

  Aunt / Melahat is identified as Hamit's sister and explains the true origin of the scar above his eye.

• Ali → Reza (Professional Employer) — Their working relationship initially appears practical but becomes an unequal criminal partnership.

  Ali hires Reza as a gardener to help revive the farm.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Aunt / Melahat → Reza (Narrative Informant) — Her account gives Reza information about Hamit's concealed family history.

  Reza visits Aunt / Melahat while pretending to be Ali, and she tells him about Hamit's abusive father and the origin of the scar.

• Reza → Father / Hamit (Conflict Kidnapper) — Reza treats Hamit as an obstacle to be physically controlled and hidden.

  Reza helps Ali abduct Hamit, beats him unconscious, and participates in forcing him to dig a shallow grave.

Story Analysis

A grieving son confronts inherited violence, false identities, and the persistence of unresolved family trauma.

Plot Progression

1. A House Full of Shame — Ali faces his father's humiliation, his mother's disability, and the deteriorating family home. Hazar's dream introduces an ominous image that later returns at the end.
2. The Mother's Fatal Secret — Sakine dies in a locked home after Hamit delays contacting the family. Ali's infertility, professional insecurity, and grief intensify his isolation and suspicion.
3. Buried in the Desert — Ali recruits Reza while attempting to revive the farm. Their investigation and anger culminate in abducting Hamit and forcing him to dig a grave.
4. The Stolen Identity — Reza turns against Ali, chains him in the farm shelter, and assumes his home and university position. Hazar leaves, then returns after Reza reveals Ali's infertility.
5. The Chain and the Knock — Melahat exposes the family history behind Hamit's scar, while Reza discovers that Hamit's grave is empty. Ali kills Reza, but Hamit's dreamlike return leaves the trauma unresolved.