Character Analysis
The Chairperson
This is the guy who doesn't like the Interviewer's original report because it had "'[t]oo many opinions, too many feelings'" (1.1.3). The chairperson has the Interviewer edit out the humanity part, ensuring the report consists of the facts and nothing but the facts so help him cold, passionless data. This act causes the Interviewer to recover the edited material and write the book you just finished reading.
"Patient Zero"
"Patient Zero" is a twelve-year-old Chinese boy bitten while treasure diving with his father in "the sunken ruins of the Three Gorges Reservoir" (2.1.18). Since the father and the unknown assailant never came up, "Patient Zero" gets the dubious honor of the first known zombie of World War Z.
Dr. Kwang encounters him bound in a Chinese village, and the zombie lad is put down when the Chinese government sends its special forces to, let's say, handle the situation. Though based on the novel to follow, we'd say they didn't handle it all that well.
Jacob Nyathi
The interviewee of chapter 2.5, Jacob is a young waiter who witnesses one of the first major zombie outbreaks in Barbados, West Indies Federation.
Dr. Gu Wen Kuei
Dr. Kwang's old war buddy.
Herr Muller
Fernando Oliveira and Doctor Silva's patient. He pays for an illegal heart transplant in Brazil and gets more than he paid for, when it turns out the illegal heart is infected with zombie cooties. He awakens as a zombie, promptly chows down on Dr. Silva, and is then killed by Fernando's .45 "Desert Eagle." Not bad for a guy with no dialogue whatsoever.
Doctor Silva
A heart surgeon killed by his own patient after transplanting an illegal and infected heart. Fernando has no idea what became of Silva's body or whether he became a member of the undead masses.
Tim, Aiden, and Jenna
Mary Jo Miller's family. Their fate remains unknown although they are last seen escaping with Mary, and she's alive, so maybe they are too. We guess?
Mrs. Inez Ruiz
Mary Jo Miller's former workmate. She buys a cabin in Alaska before the zombie outbreak really hits.
Gavin Blaire & Ajay Shah
The interviewees of sections 4.1 and 4.2 respectively. Both characters were eyewitnesses to the Great Panic, and their stories detail the horrors present during those first few days of mass hysteria.
Dr. Kelner & Dr. Sommers
Dr. Kelner is Sharon's caseworker and Dr. Sommers is the Rothman Rehabilitation Home's program director. Both are present when the Interviewer hears Sharon's story, and…that's that.
Pastor Dan & Mrs. Cormode
Pastor Dan runs the church Sharon and her mother hole up in. Mrs. Cormode, his wife, kills a girl named Abbie so the zombies won't get her.
Maria's Platoon
Quiet a few members of Maria's platoon are actually given names in the story—more than most other military guys get. They include:
• Baburin is an old veteran who knows the signs of trouble-a-brewing, and he is seeing those signs clear as a particularly clear day. He's killed by Maria during the decimation.
• Lieutenant Tikhonov is an officer in Maria's platoon.
• "Rat Face" is a higher-up civilian who just shows up one day and starts bossing everyone around. He shots a little girl zombie and doesn't bother telling anyone about the whole "zombie" thing. This causes more than a couple problems.
• Petrenko serves as the platoon's sharpshooter. Since he doesn't know the girl zombie is a zombie, he can't bring herself to shot her, and we can't bring ourselves to blame the guy.
• Arkady is the platoon's heavy gunner. He uncovers the truth about the zombies and starts a bit of a riot. He's shot in the face after being bitten by the zombie he brought back as proof.
Sergei
This guy grew up in a third world section of Russia only to find himself serving the fabulous lifers with Sean Collins on rich-and-famous island.
T. Sean Collins
The interviewee of Chapter 4.5 and 9.2, Sean bares witness to a pretty surreal experience on Long Island, one involving a battle between of the world's rich and famous and a host of some really pissed off people.
Ahmed Farahnakian
The interviewee of chapter 4.6, Ahmed tells the Interviewer how the nuclear war between Iran and Pakistan began.
Xolelwa Azania
The interviewee of chapter 5.1, Azania tells the Interviewer the story of Paul Redeker and the invention of the Redeker Plan.
Rolihlahla
The South African statesman who ordered Paul Redeker create a plan to combat the zombie swarm.
Bohdan Tara Kondratiuk
The interviewee of Chapter 5.3, Bohdan plays witness to the Ukraine's version of the Redeker plan. And if you thought the Redeker plan was awful in its original format, just wait until you find out what the Ukraine's brain trust did with it.
Sardar Khan, Sergeant Mukherjee, & General Raj-Singh
General Raj-Singh became an Indian hero after valiantly sacrificing his own life to blow up a mountain pass, ensuring the success of India's version of the Redeker Plan.
Sardar Khan and Sergeant Mukherjee bare witness to General Raj-Singh's act of awesome valiance, but only Sardar Khan survives to tell the tale to the Interviewer in chapter 5.5.
Joe Muhammed
Joe Muhammed sits down to talk with the Interviewer in chapter 6.3. He's handicap, so he suffers from a bit of discrimination, but that doesn't prevent him from making himself a valuable member of his neighborhood and showing those discriminators the what for.
Colonel Christina Eliopolis & Mets
The Interviewee of chapter 6.5. Colonel Eliopolis is shot down over zombie-infested territory and must survive a dangerous trek to a secure pickup spot on I-10. Along the way, she finds the strength of her inner girl power thanks to the help of a skywatcher code-naded "Mets"—whom may or may not be a figment of her imagination.
David Allen Forbes
The interviewee of chapter 7.1, David explains to the Interviewer how castles proved useful during the zombies wars. Well, how some castles proved useful. Others were little more than well-constructed death traps.
Barati Palshigar
During his interview in chapter 7.2, Barati explains how Radio Free Earth is formed and his job there as an interpreter. Free Earth Radio becomes an important symbol in the novel, so don't forget to click on over to our "Symbols, Imagery, Allusions" section for more.
Mister Verma
A translator working with Barati at Radio Free Earth.
Hyungchoi Choi
In chapter 7.3, Choi tells the eerie story of how the entire country of North Korea went magician's assistant and vanished in a puff of speculation and mystery.
Ota Hideki
An Ainu gardener who takes pity on Ijiro. He offers the blind man a job and friendship until his death.
Admiral Xu Zhicai
The Interviewee of Chapter 7.7. Xu tells the story of Captain Chen and how his former commanding officer ended the Chinese civil war, saving the country from the zombies in the process.
Captain Chen
Captain of the Admiral Zhang. Chen steals his advanced submarine to save what people he can from China's horrible mismanagement of the zombie wars. Ever the loyal soldier, Chen returns to China and personal ends the civil war, killing the leaders of the old regime with a well-placed nuclear bomb.
Commander Chen Zhi Xiao
Captain Chen's son and commander of one of two Type 95 hunter-killer submarines in the Chinese fleet. A member of the rebel forces, Xiao's goal is to find his missing father and return with him to China, so they can combat the loyalist forces.
The Crew of the Admiral Zhang
Need a quick who's who of the Admiral Zhang's crew? Well, here it is:
• Commander Son: the submarine's reactor officer. He also paints landscapes with watercolors.
• Liu: the submarine's sonar operator
• Mrs. Pei: mother of the torpedo man. She had chronic bronchial problems.
• Lieutenant Chin: the submarine's weapons officer. He suggests euthanizing some of the more chronically ill crewmembers. Captain Chen promptly sends him to his cabin, one presumes without dessert.
Terry Knox
Terry spent his stint of the Z-Wars on the International Space Station. There, he kept Earth's satellite system orbiting the planet. He tells the Interviewer his tale in chapter 7.8.
Ernesto Olguin
A naval attaché from Chile. He was present during the "Honolulu Conference" and heard the President's speech that put the entire world on the zombie offensive.
Darnell Hackworth
Darnell owns a retirement center for the K-9 veterans of the zombie wars. In chapter 8.3, he explains to the Interviewer that dogs were instrumental in the United State's victory.
Sergeant Eckhart
A dog handler for the military's K-9 program, Eckhart attempts to save his K-9 companion but is stopped by an officer. Eckhart kills the officer and his hanged as punishment. His death brings many changes to the way the military handles the K-9 program.
Major Kovpak & Colonel Savichev
Officers in Father Ryzhkov's rifle division.
After being forced to kill his infected soldiers, Major Kovpak just up and vanishes one day. Colonel Savichev tries to keep morale up by saying Major Kovpak was sent on a mission and never returned. Everybody knows the truth though.
Master Chief Petty Officer Michael Choi
A submersible expert and the interviewee of 8.5 & 9.12. He takes the Interviewer on a tour of the swarms of zombies migrating the ocean floor. His discussion of whales hints at the ecological impact the zombies had on the Earth.
Chernov
The only ADS diver to die in the zombie wars. Of course, he died while off duty, passing out drunk on a tramline. Doesn't prevent politicians from using his death to push through a program of Remotely Operated Vehicles though.
Andre Renard
In chapter 8.6, Andre recounts the horrors and difficulties of Paris's underground battle with the graveyard ghoulies.
Emile Renard
Andre's brother. He was present at the "Honolulu Conference" and fought in the Parisian underground during the reclamation of France.
Allison & Addison Wainio
Todd's wife and son, respectively.
Sister Montoya
Todd Wainio's combat buddy. She used to be a nun.
Sergeant Avalon
Todd's squad leader from Hope, New Mexico all the way to the East Coast. She is discharged due to post-traumatic stress disorder, leaving Todd the new head honcho.
Major Ted Chandrasekhar, a.k.a. Doctor Chandra
Psychiatrist to Todd's company.