Characters / No Tears for the Dead

Protagonists

Gon

Portrayed By: Jang Dong-Gun

A Korean-born, American-raised national who grew up in the foster system prior to working as an assassin for the Triads. His mission to assassinate an associate of Ventura Holdings turn to a disaster when a child was killed by a stray bullet, forcing him to reevaluate his life.

• Ambiguous Situation: The movie doesn't really show if Gon survived the events inside the Ventura Holdings building.
• Being Evil Sucks: So much that Gon was already getting tired (slowly) of the trade.
  Gon: I'm just... tired.
• But Not Too Foreign: Korean-born, but raised in America. According to him, he was raised in Minnesota.
• Combat Pragmatist: Uses martial arts, sneak attacks, improvised explosives and traps and blitz-like assaults to surprise, stun and confuse his opponents.
• Deadpan Snarker: He sure has the guts to talk back to Dai Ban on his refusal to see him in person.
  Gon: I just didn't want to see your ugly wrinkled face.
• Dynamic Entry: Gon uses this on Alvaro via charging knee attack. It works since it gets him knocked out and takes his weapons later on.
• Even Evil Has Standards: When Dai Ban orders him to kill Mogyeong Choi, Gon's greatly troubled by the idea.
  Dai Ban: That is the mother of the little girl you killed.
  Gon: You want me to kill the child's mother now?
• Heel–Face Turn: Gon decides to protect Mogyeong after he finds out that the dead child was her daughter.
• Hitman with a Heart: He's devastated when he accidentally kills a little girl, and fights to the death to save her mother from a similar fate.
• Kansas City Shuffle: Calls the emergency hotline and holds the receiver long enough to get the C4s rigged in his safehouse to explode so that the operator can hear it. This leads to the SWAT team deployed to secure Ventura Holdings due to another possible bomb threat.
• Made of Iron: He takes a lot of punishment over the last act of the film, but keeps fighting.
• Omniglot: Is fluent in English and Korean.
• One Last Job: His last assignment before leaving the trade is to kill Mogyeong Choi. He doesn't go through with it.
• Suddenly Shouting: Does this twice to Mogyeong. Once was to get her attention in order to talk to her via mobile phone. He later does this to make her shoot him with the shotgun.
• Villain Protagonist: For the movie itself.
• Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Implied to be the case with Alvaro.
• Wouldn't Hurt a Child: Was greatly troubled when he finds out that a child was killed by a stray bullet he indirectly caused.

Mogyeong Choi

Portrayed By: Kim Min-Hee

A high-ranking financial risk manager working in Ventura Holdings. She had lost her husband and daughter in a recent calamity, which caused her to have emotional pains and thoughts about suicide. She and her sister are taking care of her grandmother. Mogyeong is the Triads' target, which is suppose to be Gon's last job.

• Determinator: Nothing will stop Mogyeong from finding out what happened to her daughter, even if it means being potentially caught in harm's way.
• Driven to Suicide: Tries to take her own life by overdosing herself with sleeping pills. It doesn't work since the police found her and took her to the hospital.
• Fan Disservice: When Byeon tries to rape her.
• I'll Kill You!: She does this to Gon after he tells her that he can "tell" her on what happened to her daughter.
  Mogyeong: If I hear anything but the truth, I'll kill you with my hands.
• Supporting Protagonist: Plays this in the movie from her perspective after her daughter is dead.
• Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Her possession of incriminating data on the financial assets of the Triads, albeit done without her knowledge, sets off attempts by John Lee and Dai Ban to have her killed.

Ventura Holdings

John Lee

Portrayed By: Kim Joon-Sung

The head of Ventura Holdings, he's secretly in leagues with the Triads to ensure their financial assets (illegal for the most count) are secured via bank accounts in the Cayman Islands.

• Big Bad: Of the entire movie.
  • Non-Action Big Bad: He doesn't get directly involved. He prefers to send in Byeon, hired thugs and the assassins from LA to kill Mogyeong.
• Big Bad Ensemble: Alongside Dai Ban.
• But Not Too Foreign: The dialogue and accent implies that he's Korean-American.
• Disproportionate Retribution: Implied to be responsible for killing the cleaning lady for making fun of him when he spoke English to her.
• Omniglot: Speaks English and Korean.
• "Reason You Suck" Speech/Villain Has a Point: John gives a great one near the end of the movie.
  John: (To Mogyeong) Why bring your child into a criminal transaction? It's because your husband was a fucking coward. Am I responsible for your kid's death? No, it was you! He bought your ticket, too. But you didn't go. Why? It's because of money!
• Villainous Breakdown: John Lee loses his shit when the police surround his building and Gon breaks into the facility itself. Not to mention that Mogyeong was able to drain the Triads' money.
  John: [To Byeon] Run if you wanna live, you moron.
• Would Hit a Girl: He has no problem running in attempts to kill Mogyeong once he gets wind of her having data on the Triads' financial assets.

Byeon

Portrayed By: Kim Hee-Won

An employee of Ventura Holdings and the right-hand man to John Lee, he serves as his personal enforcers in illegal criminal operations.

• Hoist by His Own Petard: Byeon gets killed by Mogyeong when she stabs him in the neck with the knife he dropped.
• Pre Ass Kicking One Liner: Gives one out before he kills John.
  Byeon: How do you say Don't kill me in English?
• The Dragon: His role in the movie.
• The Dog Bites Back: After Mogyeong secures the Triads' money, he also loses it. But he kills his boss in retaliation.
• The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: Byeon hasn't done anything on screen that relates to his legitimate position in Ventura Holdings.
• Would Hit a Girl: To the point of trying to rape Mogyeong.

Triads

Dai Ban

Portrayed By: Dana Lee

The "Mountain Master"^note Title for head of a Triad gang in Los Angeles, he employs Gon alongside Chaoz, Juan and Alvaro as the group's personal assassins.

• All There in the Script: His name is not officially mentioned in the movie, except in web-based cast listings.
• Equal-Opportunity Evil: Employs Asian/Caucasian Americans in his groups as assassins.
• Omniglot: Speaks Mandarin Chinese and English.
• The Man Behind the Man: To John Lee and his attempts to bump off Mogyeong Choi.
• Reasonable Authority Figures: Dai Ban does agrees to Gon's last request to retire, as long as he can take out Mogyeong.
• Would Hit a Girl: His orders to bump off Mogyeong at the start of the movie.
  Dai Ban: [To Gon] So it's only right that you put her out of her misery.

Chaoz

Portrayed By: Brian Tee

One of the assassins working under Dai Ban, he's worked with Gon for a long time out of the quarter, dating back from their time in Cambodia for one mission together.

• Blood Knight: Chaoz happens to be one thanks to his assassin career.
  Chaoz: You remember that mission in Cambodia? I'm feeling that rush again, man. You'd better be ready.
• Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: He can't understand why Gon would risk his life to save the target.
  Chaoz: Why are you betraying the family for her?!
• Implied Death Threat: He's willing to cut up John's tongue and shove it in his ass if he gets interrupted.
• I Owe You My Life: Chaoz thanks Gon for saving him in Cambodia, even if it means killing each other.
• Noodle Incident: We don't know what happened in Cambodia, but it's known that Gon saved him from being killed.
• Pet the Dog: He helps Gon when he got in the elevator after he faints from massive blood loss. He also spares Mogyeong from being killed.
• Spell My Name With An S: His name is sometimes spelled as Chaotz. A few spell it as Charles.
• Would Hit a Girl: Has no problem doing this under orders from Dai Ban.

Juan

Portrayed By: Anthony Dilio

One of the assassins working under Dai Ban, he's worked with Gon for a while. He usually speaks Spanish at times, but otherwise talks in English. He's the only assassin to wear glasses.

• Cold Sniper: Takes out the hired thugs wounded by Gon without second thought.
• Foreign Cuss Word: Juan get to do this at one point in the movie in Spanish.
• Four Eyes, Zero Soul: A hired assassin who wear glasses.
• It's Personal: After he finds out that he killed Alvaro by mistake, he vows revenge on Gon for killing him.
• Lured into a Trap: Gets killed when Gon pretends to be wounded in order to kill him with a microwave set to explode with a sharp pair of scissors and flammable spray cans.
• Omniglot: Speaks English and Spanish.
• Would Hit a Girl: Has no problem doing this under orders from Dai Ban.

Alvaro

Portrayed By: Alexander Wraith

One of the assassins working under Dai Ban, he's known to have a tense relationship that they hate each other's guts.

• Blood Knight: Like Chaoz, he itches for a fight with Gon after he goes rogue.
• Human Shield: Gon has him killed by using his body to shield himself from gunfire.
• Impaled Palm: His hand gets impaled with at least one chopstick by Gon. Alvaro doesn't take it well.
• Shotguns Are Just Better: Uses a Benelli M3 as his main weapon.
• Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Was this with Gon for a while before he was ordered to have him killed.
• Would Hit a Girl: Has no problem doing this under orders from Dai Ban.

Asing

Portrayed By: Rich Ting

An assassin sent by the Triads to take out Mogyeong after Gon fails. He's one of the hired assassins taken out by the man himself in Seoul.

• Assassin Outclassin': Gets into a shooting match with Gon in the underground parking lot. But he didn't last.
  Asing: What the fuck? How did you find me? You don't even know my face.
  Gon: Eight might be a lucky number in China, but not here.
  • Gon happens to be right since ''7'' is considered as a lucky number by Koreans.
• Neck Snap: Uses this to kill a maintenance employee when he finds Asing's hidden cache.
• We Hardly Knew Ye: Nothing much is known about him in the movie for a few minutes.

• Would Hit a Girl: Has no problem doing this under orders from Dai Ban.

Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency

Detective Park

Portrayed By: Kim Min-Jae

A SMPA detective assigned to investigate John Lee after Gon "botched" the assassination attempt on Mogyeong Choi in Seoul.

• Character Death: Was fatally shot by Detective Jang after Gon was able to "reveal" that he was the mole for Ventura Holdings.
• Et Tu, Brute?: After he finds out that Jang has sold out the agency to Ventura Holdings.
• Hero Antagonist: Investigating into John Lee and into the Triads.

Detective Jang

Portrayed By: Jeon Bae-Su

A SMPA detective to work with Park on the John Lee case and provide protection for Mogyeong Choi. He's the mole of Ventura Holdings who blew her location.

• Cop Killer: Shoots and kills Detective Park when his "mole" status was blown by Gon.
• Even Evil Has Standards: Was upset that he had to kill a fellow officer when his "mole" status was blown.
• Freudian Excuse: Gives one out on why he went dirty.
  Jang: I never had any luck with the lottery. When everyone else has big-ass condos and BMW.
• Hero Antagonist: Investigating into John Lee and into the Triads.
• Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves: Is killed with a switchblade-type knife by Byeon when he started to ask for more money so that he can hide from a manhunt.
• The Mole: For Ventura Holdings.
• Walking Spoiler: Talking about this guy is going to harm any chances of revealing significant events in the movie.

Others

Yoo-Mi

Portrayed By: Kang Ji-Woo

The only daughter of Mogyeong Choi. She was killed in the prologue when a stray bullet hit her during a shootout between Gon and armed Russian Mafia mobsters.

• Morality Pet: To both Gon and her mom.
• Plot-Triggering Death: Her death kickstarted the movie's events.
• Spell My Name With An S: Her name is sometimes spelled as Yumi.
• Too Good for This Sinful Earth: She was very young when she died.

Gon's Mother

Portrayed By: Kim Ji-Sung

The unnamed mother of Gon, who immigrated to America with her. Over the years, an unknown series of events has taken the toll on her that she chose to kill herself in the desert.

• Plot-Triggering Death: Her suicide leads to Gon's place in the foster system before he was recruited to be an assassin.
• Posthumous Character: She was dead before the movie started.
• The Unreveal: It's not known why she chose to move to America.
  • It's also not known what happened to her that made her commit suicide.
• Took a Level in Jerkass: After she moved to America, she became a bitch who threaten to do bodily harm to her child.
• Would Hurt a Child: She threatened to abandon Gon in the desert if he wasn't able to get money for her.