Character Relationship Map: DeadHeads

Characters

• Mike Kellerman (played by Michael McKiddy) — protagonist

  Mike is an inexplicably coherent zombie who becomes self-aware during a zombie attack. As his memories return, he remembers wanting to find his girlfriend and tell her that he loves her. He travels wi...

• Brent Guthrie (played by Ross Kidder) — protagonist

  Brent is a self-aware, coherent zombie and Mike’s companion on the journey. He adopts a feral zombie, names it Cheese, and joins Mike in traveling toward Mike’s girlfriend while they are pursued by an...

• Cheese (played by Markus Taylor) — supporting

  Cheese is a feral zombie adopted by Brent during the journey. Brent gives Cheese this name and brings the creature along as he and Mike travel while being tracked by an evil corporation. Cheese is con...

• Thomas Jeremiah (played by Sebastian Galasso) — supporting

  Thomas Jeremiah is Ellie’s father and a major obstacle in Mike’s attempt to reconnect with her. He previously shot and killed Mike, then confronts him at the reunion and argues that Ellie deserves a b...

• Cliff (played by Harry Burkey) — supporting

  Cliff is a zombie who joins Mike, Brent, and Cheese during their travels through the outbreak. His presence expands the wandering group as they joke, argue, and try to survive among the undead. The pl...

• Ellie Masterson (played by Natalie Victoria) — supporting

  Ellie is the woman Mike hopes to find and reunite with after becoming a zombie. At the reunion, her letter explains that she needs to leave Mike behind and pursue a life beyond their shared past, whil...

• Zombie Doc (played by Bart Pierce) — minor

Canonical Relationships

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

• Thomas Jeremiah → Ellie Masterson (Family Father) — Thomas acts protectively toward Ellie and uses his judgment of Mike to defend what he believes is her best future.

  The plot identifies Thomas Jeremiah as Ellie's father, and Thomas argues that Ellie deserves a better future.

• Mike Kellerman → Ellie Masterson (Romantic Separated Lovers) — Mike's hope of restoring the relationship drives the personal side of his journey, while Ellie's letter rejects their shared past.

  Mike searches for Ellie because he wants to see her again and tell her that he loves her. A letter says Ellie needs to leave Mike behind.

Story Dynamics

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

• Mike Kellerman → Zombie Doc (Unknown Encounter) — The plot establishes a speaking-zombie encounter, but does not explicitly identify that zombie as Zombie Doc.

  The story says Mike encounters another zombie who can speak and learns that the dead are not all mindless monsters.

• Thomas Jeremiah → Mike Kellerman (Conflict Killer And Confronter) — Their relationship shifts from lethal opposition to a painful confrontation about Mike, Ellie, and Thomas's regret.

  Mike explains that Thomas shot and killed him. At the reunion, Thomas confronts Mike and discusses the decision.

• Brent Guthrie → Cliff (Social Traveling Companion) — Brent and Cliff share the group's dangerous journey and its argumentative, comedic interactions.

  Cliff joins the same journey in which Brent travels with Mike and Cheese.

• Mike Kellerman → Cliff (Alliance Traveling Companion) — Cliff expands the group and participates in its joking, bickering, and survival journey.

  Cliff joins Mike, Brent, and Cheese during their travels through the zombie-overrun world.

• Mike Kellerman → Cheese (Alliance Reluctant Travel Companion) — Cheese becomes part of Mike's traveling group despite his dangerous and primitive behavior.

  Mike travels with Brent after Brent brings Cheese along rather than leaving the feral zombie behind.

• Brent Guthrie → Cheese (Social Adopter And Adopted Feral Zombie) — Brent chooses companionship and care over abandoning Cheese, making the feral zombie part of the traveling group.

  Brent encounters Cheese wandering with someone's body part, gives him the name Cheese, and brings him along.

• Mike Kellerman → Brent Guthrie (Alliance Traveling Companions) — Brent remains Mike's closest companion while they travel, evade danger, and pursue information about Ellie.

  Mike and Brent are newly risen zombies who set out together to understand what happened and find help.

Story Analysis

Self-aware zombies pursue companionship and lost love while confronting the painful consequences of the lives they left behind.

Plot Progression

1. Awakening Among the Dead — Mike awakens during a violent zombie outbreak and encounters evidence that some zombies retain speech and awareness. He and Brent begin questioning what they have become.
2. Good Zombies on the Road — Mike and Brent discover that they are zombies but insist that they remain good people. They adopt Cheese and are joined by Cliff while trying to survive together.
3. A Reunion Worth Chasing — Mike learns that Ellie may be at a reunion and makes that personal goal central to the journey. Brent questions the plan as danger and pursuit continue.
4. The Cost of the Past — Mike reveals that Thomas killed him, and the group reaches the reunion. Thomas confronts Mike over Ellie's future and the consequences of their shared past.
5. Love Left Unresolved — Thomas reads Ellie's letter, which says she must leave Mike behind and learn how not to love him. Thomas expresses regret, but the group's final fate and Mike's reunion with Ellie remain unresolved.