Liz

Liz is a main character in Shaun of the Dead. She is Shaun's girlfriend and battles through Z-Day with the Gang.

Background
Liz is an average, blonde woman in her late 20’s or early 30’s. She resides in London and is the head of an English department (it is unknown if it is on the college or public school level). She lives with her flatmates, David and Dianne. She is the girlfriend of the film’s central protagonist, Shaun, and they have been dating for 3 years. It is also evident from early on that David, her roommate, is in love with her.

Relationship with Shaun
As the movie begins, Liz tells Shaun that things need to evolve in their relationship. She is unhappy with going to the local pub all the time and hanging out with Shaun and his unkempt roommate, Ed. She wants more alone time with Shaun. She also expresses a desire to go places and meet people. Shaun, to placate her, promises to book them a table at a fancy seafood restaurant for the following night.

Of course, Shaun forgets to make the reservations the next day. When he tells Liz, and then suggests that they go to the local pub, she hangs up on him. Shaun goes to her apartment to apologize, taking with him some flowers which he bought for his mother.

Liz is getting ready to go out with David and Dianne and doesn’t want to hear Shaun’s excuses. He gives her the flowers, but she notices a card attached which tips her off that the flowers weren’t originally for her. She tells Shaun that she’s afraid that if something doesn’t change she’s going to be stuck in a rut for the rest of her life. She then breaks off her relationship with Shaun.

Z-Day
After the zombies attack, Shaun heads to Liz’s apartment to rescue her. She is hesitant at first, but Shaun seems so confident that she finally agrees to go with him.

After a series of misadventures, the group arrives at the local pub to seek shelter. Liz seems to handle the pressure well, often functioning as the "straight person" of the group. She also seems willing to pitch in during the fights and work within the group.

Despite her breaking up with Shaun, it is also obvious that she still cares very deeply for him. The problem isn’t that she no longer loves Shaun; it’s that she’s afraid that she’ll end up at the local pub every night, drinking her life away.

After Shaun’s mother is bitten, David points a gun at her and wants to shoot her. This leads to a stand-off between several of the characters. Liz acts as the voice of reason, convincing everyone to lower their weapons. During this tense scene, we learn that David asked Liz out in college, but she rejected him. Since then, he has always carried a torch for her and resented Shaun, believing him to be unworthy of her affections.

As the final zombie assault begins on the tavern, Liz valiantly helps to fend them off. Eventually, Liz, Shaun, and Ed all seek refuge in the pub’s cellar. Facing certain death, Liz and Shaun reconcile and then contemplate shooting themselves to avoid becoming zombies. As they smoke one final cigarette, the flame from the lighter reveals a way out. Escaping the pub, they are rescued by the military.

Aftermath
The movie then skips ahead 6 months. Liz is now living with Shaun, and the couple seems very happy together. Liz has realized that true love is the most important thing of all.

Throughout the film, Liz is a very strong female character. She knows what she wants, and she is willing to do what has to be done to achieve her goals (even if it means breaking up with Shaun). While characters like David and Ed stand around doing as little as possible, Liz selflessly springs into action. She is young, vibrant, and is most definitely Shaun’s better half.