Shaun

"What's the matter, David? Never taken a shortcut before?"

- Shaun, to David

Shaun Riley is a fictional character and the lead role in Shaun of the Dead. He was an a and partner of Liz. He became an unlikely hero during the events of Z-Day.

Background
Shaun is an average 29-year-old male living in Crouch End in London. When he was young, Shaun's father died, and his mother, Barbara, latermarried Phillip when Shaun was 12 years old. Phillip was hard on Shaun, and this created a rift between the two. Shaun no doubt believed that Phillip's strict behavior was born out of a dislike for the boy, but years later (moments before his step-father's death from a zombie bite) he would learn that Phillip did it out of love.

Shaun met his best friend Ed in grammar school, and the two have remained constant companions to this day (despite the fact that Ed is now a zombie). They were frequent customers of the Winchester Tavern, and Ed would often cheer him up by doing an impersonation of Clyde, the orangutan from Every Which Way But Loose. The duo also participated in a quiz competition held at the neighborhood pub. Ed crashed at Shaun's one night and never left. Five years later, he was still sleeping on the couch. These days, Ed is kept chained up in the tool shed, where he continues to enjoy videogames.

Shaun maintained a cordial relationship with Pete, his flatmate. Pete worked as an executive and was always chiding Shaun about not doing more with his life. Shaun often found himself acting as a buffer between Ed and Pete, who couldn't stand one another. When Pete turned into a zombie and bit Ed, Shaun was forced to shoot him.

Personality
Shaun worked at Foree Electric, where he held the position of "Sales Adviser." Hisco-workers were much younger than him, and they often failed to show him much respect. Whether Shaun is still working there after the events of the movie is unknown.

Shaun is an avid fan of music, and he has a very respectable record collection. Included in his collection are: Stone Roses, Dire Straits, Sign of the Times by Prince, The Batman Soundtrack by Prince, Purple Rain by Prince, an original recording of BlueMonday, and Sade (which belonged to Liz). Unfortunately, several of these albums were destroyed when Shaun and Ed threw them at zombies in an effort to kill them in the back garden of the flat.

Relationships
Shaun loved his mother very much, despite the fact that she was married to the dreaded Phillip for 17 years. She lovingly referred to Shaun as "pickle." He would visit her twice a month, but was prone to forget the little things (like flowers for Mother's Day). When she was bitten by a zombie and turned into one herself, a grief-stricken Shaun was forced to shoot her.

Liz is the love of Shaun's life. Even after she broke up with him (for neglecting her needs and being unwilling to change), Shaun braved great danger to rescue her from hordes of zombies. When they were trapped in the cellar of the Winchester and facing certain death, the couple reconciled. These days, the happy couple live together in the house that Shaun used to share with Ed and Pete.

During the zombie invasion, Shaun found qualities inside himself which hedidn't know existed. While he often failed and sometimes looked foolish, he was willing to risk his life to save his family and friends. Despite having to shoot his mother and leave his best friend for dead, Shaun seems to have endured the events of "Z-Day" fairly well.