Dead Talents Society (2025) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

In this afterlife world, ghosts must maintain their existence by possessing a token from their past life, specifically a certificate or prize they earned while alive. Without such an object, ghosts fade away and cease to exist. Rookie's piano competition certificate was accidentally discarded by her sister during a move, leaving her with only a limited time before she vanishes completely.

• ghost deadline
• 28 days
• disappearing ghost
• piano certificate

Rookie's piano competition certificate was not a genuine achievement, it was forged by her father to inspire her confidence. After numerous academic failures, her father wanted her to feel proud and accomplished. Rookie died during an earthquake while scrambling to retrieve the certificate, believing it was her only way to make her family proud.

• forged certificate
• piano competition
• father
• rookie death

Jessica was Catherine's protégé who surpassed her mentor by creating viral jump scare videos that gained massive popularity online. At the Golden Ghost Awards, Jessica's rising fame eclipsed Catherine's, causing Catherine's influence in the underworld to decline significantly. This betrayal represents the competitive nature of ghost stardom where new talents constantly threaten established divas.

Foreshadowing: Catherine's own history of being betrayed sets the stage for her initial reluctance to trust Rookie.

• jessica
• catherine
• betrayal
• golden ghost awards
• jump scare videos

After 20 days of failed training attempts, Rookie accidentally leapt off the hotel building while trying to scare a young couple. She became impaled on the hotel's signboard, triggering an explosion that short-circuited the hotel's power. The couple filmed this comical incident, and the video quickly spread across social media, transforming Rookie into an accidental viral sensation.

• viral video
• rookie
• explosion
• haunted hotel
• social media

The Dead Talents Society is an organization that holds a contest offering ghosts the opportunity to secure their place in the living world. Winners receive a working pass signed by a haunting agency, allowing them to continue existing. Rookie entered this contest desperate to survive after losing her piano certificate, making it her only hope to avoid disappearing.

• dead talents society
• contest
• working pass
• haunting agency

Makoto, Catherine's agent, suggested the partnership after noticing Rookie at the contest. He argued that Rookie's perceived ineffectiveness as a ghost might actually prevent future betrayals, since no talented ghost would want to align with someone who appears untalented. Catherine reluctantly agreed, seeking fresh talent to revitalize her declining career.

Foreshadowing: Catherine's own betrayal by Jessica makes her wary of ambitious protégés.

• catherine
• rookie
• protégé
• makoto
• training

Jessica publicly humiliates Rookie during a talk show appearance, mocking her lack of talent and making her feel inadequate. When Catherine fails to support her during this ordeal, Rookie quits the agency in a fit of rage and frustration, believing she cannot succeed in the competitive ghost world.

• rookie quits
• talk show
• jessica humiliation
• agency

The crossover show, meant to feature both ghosts scaring ghost-hunting influencers, devolves into chaos when Catherine and Jessica actively sabotage each other's performances. Their rivalry escalates into a violent confrontation that destroys the hotel and damages the influencers' equipment, creating a disastrous outcome that satisfies neither ghost.

• crossover show
• catherine
• jessica
• sabotage
• influencers

The Non-Believer is a popular ghost-hunting social media influencer who announces plans to produce a vlog at the haunted hotel where Rookie works. Her involvement creates intense interest both in the living world and the underworld, as her encounter with the ghosts becomes a major event that determines their future careers.

• non-believer
• influencer
• ghost hunter
• vlog
• haunted hotel

During the crossover show disaster, Rookie makes a dramatic comeback and successfully scares the ghost-hunting influencers, fleeing alongside Catherine, Makoto, Camilla, and Kouji. Although they lose at the Golden Ghost Awards, their viral scare causes a car crash that leads to a massive exorcism ceremony, catching the Chairghost's approval and resulting in renewed work permits for everyone.

• rookie
• catherine
• career save
• chairghost
• work permit renewal

In this world, ghosts must be frightening to survive and maintain their existence. They need talent to scare people and earn recognition. Without talent or the ability to instill fear, ghosts risk being forgotten and eventually disappearing. The system rewards popularity and effectiveness in haunting, making the ghost world highly competitive.

• ghost survival
• scary
• talent
• forgotten
• afterlife rules

Rookie confesses to Makoto that her piano competition certificate was forged by her father. Despite her numerous failures and difficult academic journey, she had desperately wanted to be a daughter who made her family proud. This emotional revelation helps Makoto understand Rookie's deeper motivations and encourages her to embrace who she truly is.

• makoto
• father confession
• rookie backstory
• emotional meeting

In the touching conclusion, Rookie visits her sister's newborn child and shares a heartfelt message about not needing to be innately talented. Instead, she emphasizes the importance of being true to oneself. This signifies her growth from a desperate ghost seeking validation to someone who has accepted her authentic self.

• ending message
• sister's baby
• self acceptance
• be yourself