< The Walking Dead (TV series)

The Walking Dead (TV series)/Characters


Characters from the television show The Walking Dead (includes webisodes and the Dead Reckoning flash-based adventure game)

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Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln)

"I'm just a man looking for his wife and son. Anyone who gets in the way is going to lose."

Rick was a sheriff's deputy before the outbreak alongside Shane, but was shot and ended up in a coma. He awoke in the hospital weeks after the outbreak began, and quickly learned of the walkers. He headed to Atlanta looking for his family, and found them in a camp outside the city, where he became the leader of the survivors.

  • An Axe to Grind: Rick uses one to chop up a dead body as part of a plan to sneak past the walkers and escape Atlanta. He later buries it in the skull of a walker.
  • Anti-Hero: Type III / Good Is Not Nice in the season 2 finale.
  • Badass: When you've survived all the crap he's gone through, you count. Rick's only rival in handling a gun is Shane.
  • Badass Boast: Rick gets one during this exchange with Merle in the second episode:

Merle: You won't shoot me. You're a cop.
Rick: All I am anymore is a man looking for his wife and son. Anyone who gets in the way of that is going to lose.

  • Because You Were Nice to Me: One of the reasons why he went to rescue Glenn.
  • Berserk Button: Threatening his family, stopping him reaching his family, trying to steal his family, suggesting he cannot protect his family etc.
  • Beware the Nice Ones: Rick is likely one of the nicest characters in the show, but hitting one of his berserk buttons will end you.
  • Chronic Hero Syndrome: Averted. Rick was declared leader by popular vote the second he showed up at the camp site, despite not really asking for it. He has spent almost every second since questioning whether the decisions he's making from his position are the right ones or not, not to mention the rest of the group asking the same questions.
  • Cool Hat: Counts as his Iconic Item as well, until he gives it to Carl.
  • Cowboy Cop:
    • He is willing to attack and kill Merle when the latter endangered his mission to find his family.
    • Proved in "Nebraska", where he kills two men who drew guns on him.
  • Determinator
  • Fair Cop
  • The Fettered: He's extremely unwilling to allow loss of human life, especially when compared to Shane.
  • Firing One-Handed: Rick likes to do this, specifically when picking off walkers.
  • A Friend in Need: Rick's reasoning to go rescue Glenn, since Glenn could have easily left Rick to die in the tank but instead risked his life to rescue him.
  • Give Me a Sign: In "What Lies Ahead", Rick Grimes expresses his doubts about his leadership in a church, asking a wooden figure of Jesus for "a nudge... anything... to let me know I'm going in the right direction." Possibly subverted since in the next scene his son gets shot.
  • The Gunslinger: Type D, Quick Draw.
  • The Hero: Easily the most unambiguously heroic character in the cast. Begins getting deconstructed in the latter half of season two.
  • Hero Stole My Bike: Rick pulls one of these on a zombie. Of course, it's not like she had any legs to pedal it with.
  • Honor Before Reason: He will not break any of Hershel's rules in order to keep the group from getting kicked off the farm, and is even willing to help him capture walkers to put in the barn, even though he knows how dangerous that is.
  • The Idealist
  • Incorruptible Pure Pureness: Rick often displays this. The show deconstructs and reconstructs this trope though. Rick is still one of the most idealistic and merciful members of the cast, but he's still being changed by his experiences and is becoming more ruthless.
  • The Leader: Type II.
  • Manly Tears: After waking up from his coma, and coming into his house only to find out that his family is gone, and after he kills Shane.
  • Papa Wolf
  • Perma-Stubble
  • Revolvers Are Just Better
  • The Sheriff
  • Shoot the Dog: After poking holes in Shane's story about Randall escaping(who was already dead thanks to Shane) which led all the men in a wild goose chase and lured Rick in open field to kill him, Rick stabs him in the heart, killing him.
  • Slept Through the Apocalypse: He was in a coma in hospital after being shot. Partly justified by Shane blocking his room's door with a trolley to prevent walkers entering, and someone in such a position having a small chance of surviving dehydration.

Lori Grimes (Sarah Wayne Callies)

"I think folks around here can make up their minds without bringing my marriage into it."

Lori is Rick's wife, who knew he was in the hospital. Shane went back for him, honestly believed him dead, and returned to camp to regretfully inform Lori. Lori and Shane became an item until Rick turned up alive at the camp thanks to Glenn.

  • Action Survivor: Making up for her stupidity in "Nebraska", Lori has a Let's Get Dangerous moment right after her car crash. Still suffering from shock, she stabs a zombie clambering into the car through the eye with a torn-off piece of the car, then smacks another over the head with a hub cap before fetching her gun from the car and headshotting it.
  • Adaptational Badass: Believe it or not. In the comic, Lori would often fumble with her gun, and Carl saved her on more than one occasion. Here, she is making headshots at night without panicking.
  • The Chick
  • Drives Like Crazy
  • Hot Mom
  • Housewife
  • Hypocrite: She warns Rick that Shane might be dangerous, and something might need to be done about him. When Rick kills Shane after he tried to kill him and tells Lori, she walks away from him in disgust and horror.
    • She probably meant that she wanted Rick to simply speak to Shane, not kill him. Also, she doesn't get too angry until she learns that it was Carl who killed Shane.
  • Killed Off For Real: Admittedly, she wasn't terribly popular with the fandom.
  • Lady Macbeth: "Triggerfinger" ends with Lori more or less telling Rick he's going to have to kill Shane.
  • Mama Bear: Otis is likely lucky to have died before he met Lori and suffered her wrath for shooting Carl. She's also ready to brave a walker invasion of the farm to go hunt down her missing son, and is only talked out of it by Carol.
  • Parental Neglect: Lets her son wander around freely... in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. In 'Judge, Jury, and Executioner' this leads directly to Dale's death.
  • Secret Relationship: What she thought her relationship with Shane was. Turned out Dale, Daryl, and Andrea had all figured it out, and Rick caught on pretty quickly to what had happened between her and Shane while they thought he was dead.
  • Stay in the Kitchen: She apparently literally believes this is what the women should be doing during the Zombie Apocalypse, and is annoyed with Andrea for wanting to protect the camp. Andrea is understandably incredulous and pissed off upon being told this.
  • Who's Your Daddy?
  • Your Cheating Heart: Did this with Shane, after they thought Rick had died.

Carl Grimes (Chandler Riggs)

"Are we safe now, Dad?"

Carl is Rick and Lori's son. In Rick's absence, he has come to regard Shane as something of a father figure. This causes no small amount of friction once Rick returns, as Carl loves his dad but still loves Shane -- to say nothing of the adult relationships.

  • Age Lift: Went from 7 or 8 in the comics to 12 for the show.
  • Corrupt the Cutie: Shows signs of this in "Judge, Jury, Executioner," where he at one point entertains himself by throwing rocks at a walker he finds with its feet stuck in the mud at a riverbank, then seems to find a weird sense of pleasure, or at least fascination in Randall's situation. When Rick and Shane are beginning the execution, it's Carl wanting to watch and encouraging Rick to do it that convinces Rick that Dale is right, and that they're starting to lose their humanity.
  • Creepy Child: Getting to that territory.
  • Eye Scream: He eventually ends up getting shot again. Only this time he loses an eye.
  • Growing Up Sucks: Especially in a zombie apocalypse.
  • The Load: Particularly after he gets shot. However, he eventually is able to defend himself from walkers, though he still runs the risk of running out of bullets.
  • Morality Pet: Arguably for Shane.
  • Nice Hat: His dad's sheriff hat, which Rick gives to him after he recovers from getting shot.
  • Nice Job Breaking It, Kid: Nice job getting Dale killed, Carl!
  • Youthful Freckles

Shane Walsh (Jon Bernthal)

"There is nothing easy about taking a man's life no matter how little value it may have. But when you get it done, you have to forget it."

Rick's best friend and fellow police officer. He saw Rick in the hospital, then went back in to serve and protect. Before the hospital was given up for lost, Shane checked one last time on Rick. He heard no heartbeat but tried to leave things in a way that his friend would be safe if he did wake up. Believing Rick dead, he broke the news to Lori, which led to a full romance, which was broken off abruptly when Rick returned. Shane has not coped well since losing both his position as leader and his position in the hearts of Lori and Carl. Shane has a ruthless streak which we get to see more and more of as the show progresses.

  • And Then Shane Was A Zombie
  • Anti-Hero: Type IV, sliding towards Type V as the series progresses.
  • Apologetic Attacker: He tells Otis he is sorry, before shooting him in the leg so he can escape from the walkers with the medical equipment for Carl.
  • Badass: Best seen when he goes to the school with Otis for medical supplies.
  • Crazy Jealous Guy
  • Crazy Survivalist: Well in that territory.
  • Drill Sergeant Nasty: When training Andrea to shoot.
  • He Who Fights Monsters: Especially poignant if you consider the title of the show.
  • Hot-Blooded
  • Important Haircut: After killing Otis he shaves his head, after snagging his hair almost got him killed.
  • It's All About Me
  • Jerkass
    • Jerkass Has a Point: He may be brutal, but most of his suggestions for the safety of the group are correct. He's just too ruthless, stubborn and quick in trying to implement them.
  • Kick the Dog:
    • He shoots Otis and leaves him for the walkers to get time to run away. Although this was partly done to get medical supplies for Carl, he was saving his own skin too.
    • Threatening to kill Dale if he causes too much trouble also counts.
    • Ruthlessly executing a walker in front of Herschel is one.
  • Kick the Son of a Bitch: Shane beating the crap out of Ed probably had a little more to do with his own frustrations than with doing the right thing, but damned if he didn't pick a deserving target.
  • Killed Off for Real: He is stabbed to death by Rick after attempting to trick him, Daryl, and Glenn into thinking Randall escaped, luring Rick to a secluded field on the pretext of tracking the "escapee", and then trying to murder Rick. Afterwards he rises as a zombie, only to be shot by Carl.
  • The Lancer: Shane is Rick's right-hand man, and often offers completely contrasting advice, normally of a harsher nature.
  • The Leader: When he was in charge of the group, Shane was a combination of Type III and IV.
  • Love Makes You Evil
  • Moral Event Horizon: Whether it was when he was pointing his shotgun at Rick, leaving Otis as zombie bait, throwing a huge wrench at Rick, breaking Randall's neck in the woods, or threatening to kill Rick a third time, Shane was clearly past this point at the time of his death.
  • Mr. Fanservice: The writers seem determined to have him show as much skin as possible in Season 2.
  • Murder Is the Best Solution: Multiple times.
  • Murder the Hypotenuse: Shane nearly goes through with it. Twice.
    • In "Better Angels", after hinting at trying it a third time, the hypotenuse kills him.
  • Perma-Stubble
  • Pet the Dog: His scene with Carol after Sophia is found to be zombified and then shot. However, it's been pointed out that, even though he's doing this for Carol, most of Shane's dialogue in this scene is still about his own problems.
  • Really Gets Around: An entire scene in season two was devoted to he and Rick talking about his... escapades back in high school, including mention of the 30-year-old PE teacher. He's also gotten with 2/3 of the remaining female group members - Andrea and Lori (no mention of whether he's considered it with Carol).
  • The Resenter
  • Sanity Slippage: Mostly generated by guilt and rage.
    • When Rick comes back from his coma, Shane loses his relationship with Lori and Carl. He takes it badly enough to contemplate shooting Rick to have his spot back as group leader and loved-by-Lori.
    • When walkers close in on them, Shane shoots Otis, presumably so he can get away to bring the medical equipment to Carl, but also to save himself.
    • Dale calls him out on pointing his gun at Rick. Shane asks Dale what he thinks Shane would do if he's the kind of man who'd shoot his own best friend. He's doing some very creepy swaying and other body language all the while.
  • The Sheriff
  • Silly Rick, Idealism Is For Kids
  • Sociopathic Hero
  • Spared by the Adaptation: Until "Better Angels."
  • The Starscream: Although Rick is not a Big Bad, on at least one occasion Shane has considered killing him and taking back leadership of the group (not to mention giving Shane another chance with Lori).
  • Team Killer
  • Token Evil Teammate: Almost shooting Rick in cold blood.
  • The Unfettered: He's gradually losing his moral restrictions, including repeatedly considering killing Rick.
  • What You Are in the Dark: Fails early on, after trying to shoot Rick in cold blood and only stopping when Dale sees him.
  • Wife-Basher Basher: Although it turned into a way for him to take out his frustrations.
  • Zombie Infectee: He briefly turns into a walker and comes after Rick before Carl shoots him.

Glenn (Steven Yeun)

"Nice moves there, Clint Eastwood. You the new sheriff come riding in to clean up the town?"

Glenn is more than he seems. He's quick, clever, and brave, and these traits helped him save Rick when they met in zombie-overrun Atlanta. He is kind of laid back personality-wise, though, and has a tendency to let youthful exuberance override common sense; which causes the group to underestimate him and take advantage of him.

  • Action Survivor
  • Almighty Janitor: He knows his way around Atlanta better than anyone else in the group because of his former job delivering pizza.
  • Asian and Nerdy
  • Bad Liar
  • Chronic Hero Syndrome
  • Come with Me If You Want to Live: His introduction to Rick, saving him from the Walker herd.
  • Deadpan Snarker
  • Death By Irony: Considering he wore a baseball cap in the early days of the show, it's rather ironic that he's slain by Negan and his baseball bat Lucille.
  • Due to the Dead: He is a great believer in this.
  • Guile Hero: He would rather sneak around the zombies than fight them.
  • Happily Married: He ends up being happily married to Maggie. Unfortunately, he dies before he can be introduced to his son, Hershel.
  • Hidden Depths: Who would expect a pizza delivery guy to be so good at strategy? Maggie even lampshades that Glenn is better then anyone else at becoming live bait for the "walkers".
  • Hollywood Nerd: References playing Portal.
  • I Work Alone: Glenn as much as said this to Maggie.
  • Killed Off For Real: He ends up dying much the same way as he did in the comics, when Negan introduces him to Lucille. The difference is that he died because Daryl made the mistake of angering Negan by punching him, encouraging him to kill another survivor to get Rick and his companions to submit to him.
  • Nice Hat: His baseball cap, though he only wears it on the early days of the hsow.
  • Plucky Comic Relief: As much as someone in a zombie apocalypse can be, anyway.
  • The Scrounger
  • Secret Keeper: Forced into this role, though he admits that he is a terrible one.
  • The Smart Guy: Glenn can make effective and safe strategies for dealing with walkers, and is the best in the group at maneuvering around Atlanta.

Andrea (Laurie Holden)

"The pain doesn't go away. You just make room for it."

Andrea was a civil rights lawyer before the outbreak, but was on a road trip with her sister Amy when the apocalypse began. She and her sister were doing fine at the camp until her sister got bitten. Andrea had to put her own sister down rather than let her continue as a walker. This experience led her to having a death wish. Dale guilt tripped her into not going through with it; she holds something of a grudge against him for that, but is beginning to shake the death wish off -- sort of. She does, and by the end of the second season has become one of the group's protectors before she gets separated from the rest in the finale and forced to fend for herself.

  • Action Girl: Andrea is the female survivor who carries a gun the most. Once she gets some training she's mowing down walkers with the best of them. Best shown in "By The Dying Fire", as she is on the run through the forest for hours while being hounded by zombies and carrying an entire bag of weapons. She takes down a ton of them, but running out of ammo and exhaustion allowed one to finally jump her. Thankfully, Michonne chose that moment to make her debut.
  • Adaptational Angst Upgrade: Her depression was highly increased over the comic version.
  • Age Lift: In order to further increase the differences between her and Amy.
  • Badass: She has her moments earlier in Season 2, but she officially earns this title in the Season 2 finale, having fought and run her way through a walker infested forest for the better part of twelve hours.
  • Blood Knight: After getting gun training, she seemed to enjoy cutting down walkers a little too much.
  • Broken Bird
  • Cradling Their Kill: Her sister Amy, after she turned into a walker.
  • Dead Little Sister
  • Death Seeker: She becomes one at the end of the first season, following Amy's death. She really, really doesn't appreciate having her gun taken away, either.
  • Despair Event Horizon: First her sister Amy gets killed by a walker, then Andrea has to put her down.
  • Eye Scream: In the second-season premiere, Andrea repeatedly stabs a walker in the eye with a screwdriver.
  • I Just Want to Be Badass: She wanted gun training in order to defend the camp, but her desire to prove herself led to her accidentally shooting and wounding Daryl.
  • The Load: Her Season 2 character arc involves wanting to grow out of this. She succeeds admirably.
  • Nice Hat: Her straw hat.
  • Took a Level in Badass: After Shane trained her on how to shoot, to the point that she can run all night carrying a bag of guns (but no ammo) killing walkers with a knife.

Dale Horvath (Jeffrey DeMunn)

"I may not have what it takes to last for long, but that’s okay. At least I can say that when the world goes to shit I didn’t let it take me down with it."

Dale is an old man who is kind of the father figure to the group. He is quiet and observant, and often something of a trickster as he'll let the others believe incorrect information if he believes it's in the best interests of the group. He is killed when he gets gutted by a walker and Daryl is forced to Mercy Kill him.

  • An Axe to Grind: He decapitates a walker with a axe in "Tell It to The Frogs".
  • Badass: We rarely see him without his scoped rifle.
  • Big Ol' Eyebrows
  • Boom! Headshot!: Via Daryl, to prevent Dale from suffering after getting attacked and gutted by a walker.
  • Cool Old Guy
  • The Conscience: Even more so than Rick. Partly deconstructed though in that he can come off at times as preachy, and his moral advice is not always useful in the harsh situations the group find themselves in.
  • Cruel and Unusual Death: Fortunately for Dale, he manages to avoid being bitten by a walker. Unfortunately for Dale, the walker apparently realizes that if he kills him, he can devour him without a fuss, so he rips his belly open. Thankfully, Daryl mercy kills him by shooting him in the head...which ironically enough prevents him from becoming a walker himself, meaning that it's merciful for both the survivors and Dale himself.
  • Death by Adaptation: Type II. His character was written out of the series due to his actor's departure from the show, so the writers decided to kill him off. He is mentioned in passing in the followup though despite this.
  • Go Out with a Smile: Kinda hard to see but he is smiling just as Daryl Mercy Kill him.
  • Guile Hero: He's willing to trick and deceive his camp members if he thinks it will keep the group together and safe.
  • Gutted Like a Fish: By a walkers hands.
  • The Heart
  • Killed Off for Real: After getting angry with the group over their treatment of another human and leaving he is disemboweled by a zombie and mercy killed by Daryl.
  • Nice Hat: His omnipresent white bucket fishing hat.
  • Team Dad: Dale is the member of the camp most dedicated to keeping it together, and who takes the most time to make sure its members are ok. Whether they want him to or not.
  • Weapon of Choice: A Ruger M77 Hawkeye rifle.
  • What You Are in the Dark: After taking the guns to prevent Shane from arming everyone to kill the walkers in the barn and take over Hershel's farm, he has the opportunity to kill Shane, who he knows is a threat to people in the group. However, he can't bring himself to actually pull the trigger and take a human life.

Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus)

"Shoot me again? You best pray I'm dead."

Daryl is one of two redneck brothers who joined the group. Merle was the nastier and more vicious of the two, and eventually got left behind in a Dirty Business sort of situation. Daryl is slowly growing away from the behavior he displayed with his brother now that he is among the rest of the group without Merle's influence.

  • Abusive Parents: According to Norman Reedus, Daryl was beaten and abandoned as a child.
  • Alliterative Name
  • A Man Is Not a Virgin: WordOfGod states Daryl is a virgin. Due to his Character Development, he swings between this trope and Chaste Hero.
  • An Axe to Grind
  • Anti-Hero: Type III, although he has a tendency to view himself as a Type V.
  • The Archer: We rarely see him use an item other than his crossbow.
  • Badass: Uses a crossbow, has a no-nonsense attitude to the apocalypse and panicking camp members, kills walkers with deadpan one-liners, is a fantastic shot and a very competent tracker. Yeah, he's the strongest contender for most badass character.
    • Badass Biker: Becomes one in season 2. Apparently the bike used to be Merle's, so he probably counts as one too.
    • Injured Badass: After being badly injured after a fall and impaled on one of his own crossbow bolts, Daryl wakes up with a zombie attempting to eat his (thankfully booted) foot. He kills it with a stick, and then pulls the aforementioned bolt out of his own body and uses it to shoot another.
  • Battle Trophy: Daryl begins a collection by making a necklace of the ears of the zombies he killed while searching for Sophia, as an indication to himself how tough and strong he is. It might also have had the practical use of masking his living scent.
  • The Big Guy: Class 3.
  • Boisterous Bruiser
  • Canon Foreigner: Daryl and his brother are original characters created for the show.
  • Combat Pragmatist: Wields a Crossbow, recognising that he can both hunt food for the group and silently stealth kill any Walkers he encounters without bringing a dozen more down on his head. He also attempts to recover fired bolts if he can, allowing him to conserve ammunition. He even knows how to make new ones.
  • Covered with Scars: Also, according to Norman Reedus.
  • Deadpan Snarker: After a zombie growls at him, he replies with a crossbow bolt through the head and "Shut up".
  • Determinator
  • Good Is Not Nice: Well, not all the time.
  • Hallucinations: Daryl, after two falls down a riverbank and a pretty severe injury.
  • Hidden Depths: Shown to have this side to him in season 2. He's the most confident that they will find Sophia alive and even comforts Carol.
  • Iconic Item: His crossbow.
  • The Idealist: Surprisingly: aside from Rick, he was the one who was the most confident they would find Sophia alive. He was wrong.
  • I Work Alone
  • Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique: To Randall.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: A racist redneck like his brother Merle, but he continually goes out of his way to help others in the group, such as helping Rick rescue Glenn from the Vatos, saving T-Dog's life several times, and even revealing Merle's secret drug stash when T-Dog gets a nasty infection. He also cares about finding Sophia far more than any of the other members of the group.
  • Made of Iron. He falls down a steep slope and impales himself on one of his crossbow bolts. He then climbs up the slope, falls, then tries again, eventually limping back to camp, where not even being grazed on the head by a rifle shot keeps him down.
  • The Nicknamer
  • Noble Bigot: While being no fan of Glenn or T-Dog, he won't simply stand by and withhold assistance if either one of them is in need, even if it means putting his life on the line.
  • No One Gets Left Behind: This is a big issue for him, possibly because of what happened to Merle. Whenever someone goes missing, he will be the first to volunteer to look for them. The only time he refused was shortly after the barn massacre and Sophia being found as a walker, as he was too torn up about his failure. He also is the most insistent on returning to search for Andrea when the farm is overrun and she is separated from the group.
  • Politically Incorrect Hero: Mildly racist, but still willing to stick his neck out for all the members of the camp.
  • Promotion to Opening Titles: Beginning in Season 2.
  • Pure Awesomeness
  • Scarily Competent Tracker: Shown by when he and Rick look for Sophia at the start of Season 2.
  • Sherlock Scan: Twice. He figured out that Shane killed Otis due to the fact that Shane had Otis' gun when he supposedly did a Heroic Sacrifice, and the second time when he determined Shane killed Randall by noting their footprints were walking together, the tree which Shane banged his face against to make it seem like Randall had attacked him, and Randall's broken neck.
  • Sleeves Are for Wimps: His signature look, though sleeves are beginning to appear as winter nears.
  • Warrior Poet: In "Cherokee Rose", describing the myth about the plant.
  • Weapon of Choice: His crossbow.

Maggie Greene (Lauren Cohan)

Maggie is Hershel's oldest daughter, and the most welcoming member of the farm to the group. She quickly establishes a relationship with Glenn.

  • Action Girl: She's about as much of a badass as her husband Glenn.
  • Age Lift: From around 17 in the comic to 22 in the show.
  • Badass: Smacking a zombie in the head with a baseball bat while charging it mounted on a horse is the most inventive attack on a zombie.
  • Batter Up: Ironically, this is how her husband Glenn died,
  • Bob Haircut
  • Calling the Old Man Out
  • Dawson Casting: Maggie is 22, while actress Lauren Cohan is 29.[when?] It's not a massive age difference though.
  • Farmer's Daughter: Lampshaded by Glenn.
  • Generation Xerox: While her sister Beth seems to have acquired her mother's characteristics, she and her father are a lot alike. For example, they're both valiant and don't let tragedy overwhelm them. Generally, Maggie is more willing to keep them around the farm than her father is, however. (Hershel is by no means a bad man, but he's already done a lot for Rick and his companions by helping Carl survive).
  • Horseback Heroism: Much like Rick himself.
  • Promotion to Opening Titles: Beginning in Season 3.
  • Statuesque Stunner: She's certainly taller than her sister. She's actually only two inches shorter than her husband Glenn.
  • Tomboy and Girly Girl: A sisterly example with her and her sister Beth.
  • Toplessness From the Back: In "Cherokee Rose". Averted when the Governor takes her shirt off, but she's at least allowed to cover her chest.

Michonne (Danai Gurira)

Michonne is now a member of the group, after having rescued Andrea from the farm, going back for revenge on Woodbury, and bringing Baby Formula to Rick's Group. She has a close connection to Carl (Rick's Son) and usually watches after him when Rick is away, foreshadowing her eventually marrying Rick.

  • Action Girl: While previous female characters in the series weren't exactly fighters (though there was a reasonable explanation for this, since the male characters wanted everyone other than Dale to fight the walkers whether they wanted the females to attend to their other needs, though Andrea did want to help the men), Michonne proves herself quite capable of combat, and successfully gouges out the Governor's eye. She's actually referred to as a samurai by Gareth.
  • Arch Enemy: Though they're not the same gender, she serves as this to the Governor, not Rick. However, this actually isn't the reason why she kills the Governor...he was trying to kill Rick and she wouldn't allow that because he spared her life.
  • Big Damn Heroes: She rescues Andrea from the zombies as her establishing character moment.
  • Black Best Friend: She becomes Andrea's best friend. She acknowledged that she misses her following her death at the Governor's hands.
  • Dressing as the Enemy: She keeps two zombies tethered to her, which prevents the walkers from realizing she's human...or from their perspective, fresh meat. They're eventually revealed to be related to her. It actually isn't so different from the severed walker head, though Michonne seems to think that the Governor is keeping his own zombified daughter as some sort of pet and puts her of her misery.
  • Mercy Kill: She does this to the Governor's daughter, who has turned into a walker. Unfortunately, the Governor believes it to be an act of malice.

Cynthiana, Kentucky Survivors

Morgan Jones (Lennie James)

A survivor in Rick's hometown, Morgan lost his wife while they and their son were passing through the town. They found Rick after he woke up, and explained to him what was going. Rick gave him a radio so they could keep in contact, but he has yet to respond.

Eventually, his son is killed by the walkers as well...specifically, his wife Jenny. This causes him to go insane.

  • Ax Crazy: He goes off the deep end following his son's death...but he eventually regains his sanity. Rick certainly helps.
  • Badass
  • Death Seeker: Shows signs of this after the loss of his wife, which might likely have prompted his actions at the end of the pilot. Even more so once his son shuffles off this mortal coil as well.
  • Hero of Another Story
  • Idiot Ball: Firing his sniper rifle at zombies to attract a horde around his house (which his son is in!) so he can shoot his zombified wife. He doesn't even manage to do that.
  • Mr. Exposition: He explains to Rick about the walkers, and also tells him about the evacuation zone in Atlanta.
  • Papa Wolf: Which makes the son of his death drive him crazy.
  • What Happened to the Mouse?: He comes back in Season 3...but by then, Duane has met his maker...because Morgan decided not to shoot his zombified wife.

Duane Jones (Adrian Kali Turner)

Morgan's son, who is attempting to deal with the loss of his mother and the zombie apocalypse.

  • Killed Off For Real: Ironically, he meets the same fate as his mother.
  • Shovel Strike: How he knocks Rick out in the first episode. Morgan calls him out on it, citing that since Rick was capable of speech, he most likely isn't a walker. Survivors can certainly be hostile to other survivors, however, so it wasn't necessarily the wrong thing to do.
  • What Happened to the Mouse?: This particular mouse got caught in a mousetrap...metaphorically speaking of course.

Leon Basset (Linds Edwards)

A sheriff's deputy who served alongside Rick and Shane, he was present when Rick was shot. He was later infected during the initial stages of the outbreak, and shot by Rick upon being found as a walker.

Hannah (Lilli Birdsell) (Melissa Cowan as a walker)

Hannah lives in Cynthiana with her kids Jamie and Billy, and is divorced from Andrew. She gets killed attempting to get her kids to an evacuation zone, sacrificing herself so they could escape. Her zombified form is later found by Rick and killed.

Andrew (Rick Otto)

Hannah's ex-husband, he married Judy after the divorce and gets custody of Jamie and Billy on weekends. He works to keep his family alive during the inital days of the outbreak, but gets eaten by a neighbors kids while looking for car keys.

Jamie (Madison Leisle)

Hannah and Andrew's daughter. Hannah entrusts Billy's safety to her at the end of the webisodes.

Billy (Griffin Cleveland)

Hannah and Andrew's son, and the younger brother to Jamie.

Mike Palmer (Rex Maynard Linn)

Palmer is Andrew's neighbor, and was celebrating his 50th birthday with his family when walkers attacks. His kids and wife were bitten and turned, and he was forced to kill his wife, but could not bring himself to put down his kids. He was also bitten in the process, and had Andrew kill him in exchange for his guns.

Gary Taylor

The father of one of Shane's old girlfriends, he is arrested by Shane after killing his daughters boyfriend Paul, who had become a walker. He is let out when Shane figures out what is going on, but his daughter is killed after turning. He stays behind with Leon Basset at the police station to help others.

Patty Taylor

One of Shane's old girlfriends, and the daughter of Gary. She is a nurse at the hospital, and is bitten by her zombified boyfriend Paul before her dad kills him. She flees, but goes to the police station after her dad is arrested to see him. However, she turns and attacks Leon Basset, and Shane is forced to put her down.

Atlanta Survivors

Merle Dixon (Michael Rooker)

"Kick off them damn high heels and climb, son."

Merle is Daryl's much more racist and jerkass brother. He put the scavenging group sent to Atlanta at risk, and attacks other members of the group. This forces the others to leave him behind, and he ends up forced to cut his own hand off to escape, disappearing into Atlanta.

  • An Arm and a Leg: Type I. It actually turns out he didn't have to remove his hand to stay alive...but he decided not to wait to see if Rick and his companions would come looking for him, even though it would be difficult for him to escape the zombie-infested Atlanta alone.
  • Asskicking Equals Authority: He apparently believes in this, attempting to take over the scavenging group in Atlanta after beating up T-Dog. Luckily, Rick had something to say about that.
  • Badass: He may be a total dick, but you have to respect his amputation of his own hand and his escape through a zombie-infested city.
  • Big Brother Bully: It's indicated he and Daryl don't have the healthiest relationship. Daryl still mourns his passing, though.
  • Canon Foreigner: Much like his brother.
  • The Determinator: He sliced through his own hand, slowed the blood loss, climbed down the staircase of a skyscraper, killed several zombies, cauterized the stump and then escaped with the heroes' truck. He did all of this bleeding heavily and quietly to avoid attracting more zombies. If Merle has one defining characteristic, it's his absolute refusal to die.
  • Establishing Character Moment: Recklessly shooting walkers which draws attention to the survivors, beating up T-Dog and calling him a nigger, and attempting to take control of the scavenger group through violence.
  • Jerkass: T-Dog in particular doesn't get along with him.
  • Large Ham
  • Life or Limb Decision: Subverted, if he had waited longer Rick and his friends could have freed him. But he didn't wait.
  • Politically-Incorrect Villain: Merle is quite a bit more of a racist than Daryl. T-Dog doesn't take it well.
  • Psycho Party Member: Why he got abandoned.
  • Really Gets Around: According to Daryl, he "Got the clap on a regular basis." Which is ironic considering he's not the most likable person in the world.
  • Redemption Equals Death: He dies trying to kill the Governor, rather than turn in Michonne to him in hopes that he'll spare everyone.
  • Tattooed Crook
  • Token Evil Teammate: Deconstructed when Rick handcuffs him, and they are later forced to abandon them. T-Dog had the key but he ended up dropping it.
  • What Happened to the Mouse?: As mentioned, he hasn't been seen (other than as a hallucination by Daryl) since being left behind by Rick and co. early in Season 1.

Theodore Douglas/T-Dog (IronE Singleton)

"I'm the one black guy. You realize how precarious that makes my situation?"

T-Dog is a member of the original survivor group. He feels that that he doesn't really have a place in the group, and seeks to find a way to prove himself to the others.

  • Action Survivor: All of them are of course, but T-Dog is the only guy in the original group who's not a badass survivalist or ex-cop.
  • Bald of Awesome: He might be bald...but that doesn't necessarily mean that he's evil. Merle might think he's evil, though.
  • Batter Up: Several times in the first season.
  • The Big Guy
  • Black Dude Dies First: Lampshades this early in the second season, after he becomes delirious due to a fever. He comments to Dale that both of them would be the first ones to go if their situation ever got bad enough, and thinks that he'll be "lynched". Averted in that he outlived several members of the group, though he does eventually die early in Season 3.
  • Canon Foreigner: Not in the comics.
  • Car Fu: How he takes out a walker in "Beside the Dying Fire".
  • The Cynic: Possibly the most cynical character in the series.
  • Deadpan Snarker
  • Drop the Hammer: He dispatches a few walkers this way.
  • Fingerless Gloves: He starts wearing some at the end of the second season.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: A justified example occurs when he rescues Carol from the walkers. Since he had been bitten by one, he was going to die anyway.
  • The Klutz: Deconstructed and Played for Drama. His dropping of the keys to Merle's handcuffs is frequently referenced, and he sliced up his arm when there was a herd of walkers nearby. Though he might not have dropped the keys if he weren't frightened of Merle.
  • Must Make Amends: He felt terrible about dropping the key to Merle's handcuffs, even if the guy was racist, figuring that no one deserved his fate. He decided to go with Rick, Daryl, and Glenn to help rescue him, but by the time they got to the roof, Merle had cut his hand off and disappeared.
  • Only Known by Their Nickname: Heck, he only mentioned his real name while ranting under the effects of drugs and a fever!
  • Out of Focus
  • Screw This, I'm Outta Here: After the farm falls to the walkers, T-Dog escapes with Lori and Beth. He wants to head to the east coast, and is only convinced not to when Lori and Beth both threaten to leave unless he tries to find the others.
  • Token Minority: Often accused of being this in season two by fans and reviewers who felt his character was extremely underused. At least he goes out with a Heroic Sacrifice.

Amy (Emma Bell)

Andrea's younger sister, who was killed in a zombie attack early in the series.

Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride)

Carol survived the initial stages of the zombie apocalypse with her husband and daughter. Ed abused her, but died during the zombie attack on the camp. With her husband dead, Carol became more independent, but the disappearance and death of her daughter has demoralized her again.

  • Adaptational Attractiveness: Inverted: while she isn't unattractive, she is older than her comic book counterpart, and has quite a bit less hair.
  • Adaptation Dye Job: Went from having medium length blonde hair in the comics to short cropped grey-black hair.
  • Boyish Short Hair: Initially. But it grows longer over the series.
  • Break the Cutie: She has an abusive husband, though she at least has a loving daughter. Unfortunately, her daughter dies during Season 2.
  • Despair Event Horizon: Seeing the undead Sophia walking out of the farm. Daryl has to stop her from reaching her.
  • The Dog Bites Back: Ed isn't around to feel it, but Carol isn't hesitant to unleash her rage on him once he is killed by the walkers.
  • Happily Married: She finds a good husband in the form of Ezekiel. She might have married Daryl otherwise, but after being married to Ed, she most likely wants someone who's a total saint.
  • The Load: Until Ed dies.
  • Shrinking Violet
  • Spared By The Adaptation: She's been around much longer than her comic counterpart.
  • Widow Woman: She doesn't mind much, since Ed abused her and "looked" at Sophia. She ends up being married again, only this time it's a much more happy marriage.

Sophia Peletier (Madison Lintz)

Sophia is the daughter of Carol and Ed, and is a friend of Carl. She went missing in a forest after running away from walkers, and was eventually found in the barn of Hershel's farm, having become a walker. She was put down by Rick.

Ed Peletier (Adam Minarovich)

Ed was the abusive husband of Carol and the father of Sophia. He died during the walker attack on the camp outside of Atlanta.

  • Asshole Victim
  • Crazy Survivalist: Showed a few signs of this in a flashback.
  • Death By Pragmatism: A rare example of the pragmatic qualities being revealed after death. This applies to Ed in the second season.
  • Disproportionate Retribution: When Ed tries to drag away his wife for a beating and slaps her, Shane intervenes and (proportionately) knocks him to the ground, beats and kicks him, then (disproportionately) threatens to beat him to death if he sees it again. This came shortly after Lori told Shane she wanted nothing to do with him, and to stay away from her family. In other words, Shane was using Ed as a punching bag to vent.
  • Domestic Abuser: Ed hits his wife Carol in the third episode. Comments between the characters indicate that he has a history of doing this. That and "looking" at his daughter.
  • Dying Alone: His own fault.
  • Eaten Alive
  • Hate Sink: Though having said that, he doesn't deserve to suffer what Shane does to him...to some extent.
  • Jerkass
  • Karmic Death: Ed the abusive husband gets eaten by a Walker just one episode after he slaps his wife. Notably, he gets killed because he's alone in his tent - he refuses to eat with the others since Shane beat him for hitting his wife, and his wife and daughter don't want to spend time around him.
  • Survivalist Stash

Morales (Juan Gabriel Pareja)

A member of the original survivor group, Morales and his family left to look for family in Birmingham.

Jim (Andrew Rothenberg)

Jim was a survivor in the original group who was infected during a zombie attack. He was left behind after asking to die from the infection, feeling he didn't deserve to live for failing his family.

Jacqui (Jeryl Prescott Sales)

Jacqui is a survivor who worked for the Atlanta city zoning department, and uses knowledge from her job to aid the survivors. She chose to commit suicide by staying in the CDC with Dr.Jenner when it exploded.

Guillermo (Neil Brown Jr.)

Guillermo is the leader of a group of survivors at a nursing home who protect the elderly residents from the walkers.

Dr. Edwin Jenner (Noah Emmerich)

"This is what takes us down. This is our extinction event."

Jenner is the last surviving scientist at the CDC in Atlanta. He allowed the survivors inside, neglecting to tell them the building was set to explode. He tried to convince them to stay and end their suffering, but only one survivor took him up on his offer, and they died together in the explosion.

  • Apocalyptic Log: Dr. Jenner's recordings of everything he has done by way of research and study, while locked up in the CDC facility.
  • Canon Foreigner: He doesn't appear in the comics, but he does provide Rick with information that is relevant to the comic series as well.
  • Despair Event Horizon: Which leads to him committing suicide. It didn't help that his wife was already dead by the time that Rick Grimes and his friends met him.
  • Driven to Suicide; Additionally, he offers the other survivors to commit suicide with him, on the basis that they wouldn't want to live in a world that's overrun by zombies, especially since you don't actually have to be bitten by a zombie in order to become a zombie, you just need to make your maker. Jacqui accepts...and Andrea also accepts, but Dale persuades her not to and to continue on, which she does.
  • Drowning My Sorrows
  • Foreshadowing: He assures Rick that he won't be grateful for letting them live. For a time in Season 6, Rick actually isn't grateful to Jenner for letting them live.
  • Half Truth: "I told you: once that front door closed, it wouldn't open again." Sure Doc, the real meaning of those words was so obvious then.
  • Killed Off for Real
  • Meaningful Name: Edwin Jenner was named after Edward Jenner, the "father of immunology".
  • Mercy Kill: Does this for his wife after he finished studying her. It is also what he "offers" to the rest of the survivors by locking them in the CDC as it prepares to explode. Only Jacqui takes him up on that offer. (Andrea was going to take him up on that offer too, but Dale persuaded her not to.).
  • Not So Stoic: It's obvious despite his deadpan demeanor that Patient TS-19 was someone important to him when he can describe how long from death to reanimation down to the second... and he only loses it in private with her photo and when the survivors realize he intends to lock them in for the end of the countdown.
  • Sanity Slippage: Due to his wife getting infected and being forced to put her down, the rest of the staff abandoning the CDC, and his discovery that everyone is infected and will become a walker even if they die without getting bitten.
  • Sole Surviving Scientist

Hershel's Farm Survivors

Hershel Greene (Scott Wilson)

"You people are like a plague. You destroyed it all!"

Hershel is the owner of a farm that was mostly spared by the zombie apocalypse, up until some walkers heard gunshots coming from the farm's direction. He allowed the survivors to stay on the farm during their search for Sophia, but secretly kept a barn full of walkers, including his wife and step-son, believing they were simply sick.

After his farm is attacked, he accompanies Rick and his group to a prison as a new hideout from the walkers. Unfortunately, he is bitten on the leg by a walker, requiring amputation.

  • Abusive Parents: His father beat him badly, causing Hershel to leave the farm until he died.
  • The Alcoholic: Got sober the day Maggie was born.
  • An Arm And A Leg: He's bitten on the leg by a walker playing possum, but Rick saves him by amputating his leg.
  • Badass Grandpa: He sure knows how to use his God shotgun. His actor Scott Wilson speculates that Hershel was pretty wild in his youth.
  • Closest Thing We Got: Despite being a veterinarian, Hershel mostly treats the various scrapes, bullet wounds, and arrow wounds that the survivors tend to accumulate.
  • Cool Old Guy: "Triggerfinger" shows that Hershel is a fair shot, and he later prepares to amputate a man's leg while zombies are approaching on all sides.
  • Despair Event Horizon: When he sees first hand his zombie neighbor shot and then put down by Shane. Then Shane forces his own group to massacre the zombies in the barn, including Herschel's zombified family and neighbors. He realizes that his family couldn't be saved, though in his defense, the zombies didn't seem to be trying to break out of their confinement.
  • Doesn't Like Guns: But he sure knows how to use them.
  • Drowning My Sorrows: Deconstructed, Beth mentions that he has been sent to jail a few times.
  • Last Stand: Tries for one in the second season finale but gets rescued at the last moment in favor of accompanying Rick to a prison.
  • The Medic: He's a literal lifesaver when a pandemic hits the prison.
  • Mentor Occupational Hazard: Subverted when he's bitten on the leg by a walker. Rick actually does manage to save him by amputating his leg. He seems to have eventually gotten a prosthetic leg.
  • Not That Kind of Doctor: Hershel reveals to Lori that he's a veterinarian, not a practicing surgeon. This does not comfort Lori at all considering that he's about to attempt a complicated surgical procedure on a critically injured Carl. Fortunately, Shane shows up in the nick of time...but Otis doesn't.
  • Off the Wagon: Following the barn massacre of the walkers.
  • Open-Heart Dentistry: After Carl is shot, Hershel has to operate to remove the bullet fragments, but he had only done the procedure on animals before, since he is a veterinarian.
  • Overprotective Dad: Oh boy. Both to his blood relatives and his step-kids. He happens to be worried about Maggie hooking up with Glenn.
  • Politically Incorrect Hero: He initially only refers to Glenn as the "Asian boy", although he never treats him poorly. He later tells Glenn the country was built on immigrants, however.
    • This may be partly because of Maggie's infatuation with Glenn. Later, he gives Glenn his father's watch, saying, "No man's good enough for your little girl until one is."
  • Selective Obliviousness: Towards the fact that walkers are no longer people.
  • Shotguns Are Just Better
  • Technical Pacifist
  • Token Religious Teammate: Gabriel eventually replaces him following his death.
  • Zombie Advocate: He considers them merely sick people who could one day be cured. Until Shane shoots one several times in front of him and it keeps going.

Beth Greene (Emily Kinney)

Hershel's youngest daughter, and the girlfriend of Jimmy.

  • Angst Coma: Following the barn walkers being shot and being attacked by her own undead step-mom. She snaps out of it, but starts thinking about suicide.
  • Canon Foreigner: Incidentally, she forms a friendship with another canon foreigner, Daryl Dixon.
  • Despair Event Horizon: Crosses it following the barn massacre of the walkers.
  • Driven to Suicide: She doesn't believe there is any hope left in the world, and tries to convince Maggie that they should kill themselves together. When she tries, she only makes a shallow cut on one wrist and can't go through with it.
  • Dumb Blonde: Averted, she knows the world has gone to hell.
  • The Generic Girl
  • Happily-Failed Suicide

Otis (Pruitt Taylor Vince)

Otis was a farmhand on Hershel's farm. After accidentally shooting Carl, he accompanied Shane to recover medical supplies. Shane shot him and left him to be eaten by walkers so he could escape with the supplies.

Patricia (Jane McNeill)

Otis' wife, she aids Hershel in maintaining the farmhouse. She was eaten by walkers when Hershel's farm was attacked.

Jimmy (James Allen McCune)

A young farmhand on Hershel's farm, and the boyfriend of Beth. He was eaten by walkers when Hershel's farm was attacked.

Dave's Group

Dave (Michael Raymond James)

A survivor from Philadelphia, who traveled south with his friend Tony, and is a seemingly polite guy. Dave met Rick, Glenn, and Hershel in a bar near the farm, and after they refused to allow him and Tony to join them, he went for his gun to shoot them. Rick responded by putting a bullet through his head and killing Tony as well.

Tony (Aaron Munoz)

Dave's fatter friend who traveled with him from Philadelphia, Tony is a lot ruder than Dave. He was killed alongside Dave by Rick when they attempted to force him to reveal where his camp was.

  • Canon Foreigner
  • Coup De Grace: Rick shoots him twice in the shoulder and gut, then finishes him off with a bullet to the head.
  • Fat Slob
  • Jerkass: Rick is not so willing to invite him to the farm for this reason. It may be a seemingly safe haven from the zombies but the other survivors probably wouldn't put with him...except for maybe Daryl.
  • Perma-Stubble
  • Urine Trouble: It's his inappropriate choice of places to tinkle which drives the point home that he and Dave are probably not good news.

Randall (Michael Zegen)

Another member of Dave's group, Randall is a local who went to school with Maggie, and claims he only joined up with Dave and his people because he had no other choice. He is captured by Rick's group, forcing them to try and figure out what to do with him. Shane lets him loose and breaks his neck as part of his plan to kill Rick, but Randall returns as a walker and is put down by Glenn.

  • Ambiguously Evil: We never quite find out whether he's truly dangerous or not before he's murdered by Shane. Dale suggests that they give him a chance to prove that he's not evil, and only to take action if he does turn out to be evil.
    • But the Talking Dead season 2 finale reveals the original draft of the season 2 finale had him escape and kill Hershel (which never comes to pass if only due to the aforementioned murder), implying that he was a bad guy in the finale.
  • And Then Randall Was a Zombie: This is the moment that the survivors realize that you don't need to be bitten by a walker to become one of them.
  • Badass: He manages to take a walker down despite having his hands tied.
  • Bound and Gagged: How Rick and Shane keep him for most of "18 Miles Out".
  • Butt Monkey: He gets impaled through the leg when he fails jumping off a roof, gets trussed up in a car, left for dead accidentally by Rick and Shane and told repeatedly to shut up by them. Then he gets tortured by Daryl and nearly executed. And then he gets his neck snapped and becomes a walker.
  • Canon Foreigner
  • Car Fu: He crushes a walkers head in while driving in "18 Miles Out".
  • Killed Off for Real. Twice if you count that And Then Randall Was a Zombie and gets stabbed in the head by Glenn.
  • Motor Mouth: Notes this himself, telling Shane he talks a lot when nervous.
  • Neck Snap
  • Roof Hopping: He tries this, and fails spectacularly.
  • Saying Too Much: When Daryl is interrogating him, he mentions that his group raped two teenage girls in front of their father, but insists he did not participate. Daryl doesn't believe him.
  • Small Role, Big Impact: Though he has a small role, he does leave the survivors wondering if you need to be bitten by a zombie to become a zombie, though they had witnessed Dale dying and not becoming a walker.
  • Wrong Genre Savvy: He thinks that telling Rick and Shane that he knows Maggie means that they'll spare him due to the connection and a sense of empathy. Actually it makes the argument that they should kill him even more convincing, as that means he knows where the farm is and could notify his friends where it is.

Nate (Phillip DeVona)

Another member of Dave's band.

Nate:"We're looking for Dave and Tony and nobody checks the damn bar?"

  • Screw This, I'm Outta Here: After Sean gets shot he decides to abandon him and drive away and calls on Randall. When Randall falls on the gate and his leg gets impaled on a gate, Nate abandons him as well.
  • Revenge Before Reason: Unlike Randall and Sean, he wasn't willing to go back to the rest of his group without killing Rick, Glenn, and Hershel for killing Dave and Tony even after Rick explains to him what happened. After Sean got wounded and Walkers began approaching, he decided fleeing was a better idea.

Sean (Keedar Whittle)

A member of Dave's group who gets killed in the confrontation with Rick, Hershel, and Glenn.

Other Survivors

Noah

A teenage survivor who forms a friendship with Glenn. He accompanies Rick's group to Alexandria...but meets his maker during a supply run.

  • Black Best Friend: Glenn does not take his death due to Nicholas's cowardice well.
    • He can also be considered this to Beth, especially when Beth helps him escape the Grady Memorial Hospital. Unlike other examples, they're not the same gender.
  • Cruel and Unusual Death: As Glenn watches, he gets brutally devoured by zombies.
  • A Death in the Limelight: Par for the course of a deceased Walking Dead character.
  • Double Entendre: When he tells Glenn not to let go, one can interpret it as him telling Glenn not to let go and let him be devoured by the Walkers. However, Noah is telling Glenn not to let go of his humanity, indicating that he knew that he was going to die.
  • The Load: Subverted. Though he's not exactly a fighter, he does tell Rick and his group that Tyreese had been bitten. It doesn't save him, but it does prevent him from becoming a walker. And he does help out during a supply run, though it still ends in disaster due to Aiden's actions.

Judith

The daughter of Shane and Lori. Though not actually her father, Rick agrees to take her as his own. Michonne later adopts her as her own daughter, incidentally.

  • Distaff Counterpart: She and her brother Carl are alike in many ways, though her father is Shane, not Rick.
  • Generation Xerox: Michonne isn't her biological mother, but she's still inherited aspects of her personality.
  • Happily Adopted: Though Michonne isn't actually her adoptive mother, she gets along very well with her. Even when Jocelyn abducts her, she still doesn't wish to kill her.
  • Incorruptible Pure Pureness: Jocelyn wasn't able to add her to her army of child soldiers for that reason.
  • Infant Immortality: Despite being an infant in a zombie apocalypse, she's managed to survive surprisingly well.
  • Living Lie Detector: Fortunately for Judith, she can tell when someone is lying, which is useful if a survivor doesn't have good intentions for her fellow survivors.
  • Samus Is a Girl: It's not immediately revealed that she's a girl in her debut episode, though it doesn't last long.
  • Spared By The Adaptation: She didn't make it in the comics, but she's alive and well in the TV series. In fact, she's managed to make it to Season 10.

The Governor

The leader of Woodbury.

  • Adaptational Heroism: The tragic backstory is present in both versions (though it's not dwelt upon in the comics outside of a prequel), but even so, he's less evil than he is in the comics.
  • Arc Villain: He serves as the main villain of Season 3, before returning to antagonize Rick's group in the eighth episode of Season 4.
  • Cold-Blooded Torture: It's implied that for killing his zombified daughter (and gouging out his eye, no less), he intends to torture Michonne to death. This persuades Michonne's best friend Andrea not to stay in Woodbury any longer. However, he eventually decides not to do so to Michonne, but he does find another use for the torture chair, using it to restrain Andrea while Milton kills her, whether the Governor has to turn him into a walker or not.
  • Creepy Souvenir: He keeps a bunch of severed heads in his personal chambers (which due to the zombie virus have reanimated) to help him cope with his fear of the walkers. Michonne breaks a few of the tanks but she isn't bitten.
  • Exact Words: Strictly speaking, what he tells his fellow survivors (which were formerly led by Martinez) to persuade them to take the prison for themselves is true (such as them killing his daughter)...he just leaves out several details along the way, such as the fact that his daughter was a zombie.
  • Eyepatch of Power: Michonne cuts out his right eyeball, so he wears one.
  • Foil: To Rick. While Rick is perfectly sane (he does engage in acts of violence, but it doesn't happen very often), the Governor has gone off the deep end some time ago. He does have moments of sanity such as when he addresses his people, but they're the exception rather than the norm.
  • I Lied: He had no intention of sparing Rick and his friends if they delivered Michonne to him. In fact, he was going to treacherously slaughter them all as soon as they did so.
  • Knight of Cerebus: While it wasn't the first time Rick and his group encountered humans corrupted by the zombie apocalypse (Shane in particular might not have tried to kill Rick were it not for the outbreak warping his mind), he really proves that the apocalypse can really change people for the worse. He was a normal man before the walker epidemic changed him into the sociopath he is now. Unfortunately, he turns down Rick's generous offer of redemption.
  • Non-Action Big Bad: Subverted. While his ability to manipulate others to do what he wants (by lying about the people he killed, claiming they couldn't defend themselves from the walkers, not him, and leaving out details about Rick and his group (though he's technically not lying in that case) is a big reason why he's a threat, he's actually a very good fighter. In fact, he kills his own military single-handedly. His lack of a right eye most likely impaired his vision, so it's pretty impressive.
  • Pet The Dog: Still loves his daughter. He eventually understands why Michonne killed her, though the two of them aren't so different regarding what they think of the walkers who are their loved ones.
    • He rescues Meghan from the walkers, instead of simply trying to save himself. He does shoot her in the head without a trace of emotion once she's bitten by a walker and dies, but he likely didn't want to keep her around in her reanimated state like he did with his biological daughter.
    • He does legitimately love Andrea, only turning on her when she attempts to kill him.
    • He decides not to use the torture chair on Michonne...but he finds another use for it.
  • Sanity Slippage: What eventually leads to him killing his own military. The few survivors side with Rick, with the exception of Martinez.
  • The Sociopath: In a way, he's even more horrifying than the walkers themselves. He won't eat people, but killing them is another story entirely.
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist: Preserving Woodbury is understandable. Killing other survivors so that he can steal their weaponry (and in one case, a tank)) and donate it to the town, not so much. He isn't noble, however, as he lies to Rick and his group about sparing them.
  • Would Hurt A Child: He won't harm his own children, but children in general are not off-limits. Ironically enough, he persuades his group of survivors that Rick and his group are willing to do this.
  • Zombie Infectee: While he never becomes a zombie himself (courtesy of Lilly), he's well-aware that everyone in The Walking Dead is a zombie infectee, and he takes advantage of it at one point using Milton.

Negan

The leader of the Saviors.

  • Adaptational Villainy: As opposed to Walking Dead toning down the Governor, AMC makes him worse than he was in the comics, such as having him kidnap Daryl and treat him like an animal. He still has redeeming qualities in both versions, however.
  • Ax Crazy: He has a complex personality, but generally he's a scary man. And a deadly one too.
  • Batter Up: His signature weapon is the baseball bat Lucille, which he named after his late wife. He generally keeps it with him wherever he goes.
  • Foil: He's more comedic than the Governor was, though he still engages in brutal actions, such as his execution of Abraham and Glenn. And unlike the Governor, he seems to have retained his sanity to some extent.
  • Pet The Dog: Instead of killing Carl for killing two of his men and for trying to kill him, he decides to show him around the Sanctuary instead.

Milton

Woodbury's scientist.

  • Four Eyes, Zero Soul: Subverted, he legitimately cares about Andrea and doesn't help the Governor kill her. Not voluntarily, at least.
  • The Evil Genius: Again subverted with the evil part. Though he technically works for the Governor, he justifies not killing the Governor on the basis that Martinez would replace him, who he assumes would continue the Governor's attempts to siege the prison that Rick and his companions are using as a hideout from the walkers. And he legitimately cares about Andrea, and he refuses to kill her even when the Governor tells Milton he won't be leaving the room until he kills her.
  • Hot Scientist: Andrea might have hooked up with him if he hadn't been killed by the Governor.
  • The Load: Subverted. He might not be a fighter, but he has excellent intellect. This is why the Governor has him be Woodbury's scientist.
  • Smart People Wear Glasses: Unfortunately, his eyesight seems to be no longer impaired when he becomes a walker.

Gabriel

A priest hiding in a church who joins Rick and his companions in Season 5.

  • Bald of Awesome: Subverted, he left survivors to die at one point. But played straight later on.
  • Brutal Honesty: When accused of kidnapping Bob, Carol, and Daryl, he admits to have left fellow survivors to die. This causes the heroes to realize he's not responsible for the kidnappings. Sure enough, they found out what happened to Bob, though they don't find Carol and Daryl.
  • Dirty Coward: Deconstructed. He didn't offer sanctuary to his fellow survivors, which got them killed. However, he becomes braver when some cannibals decide to pay a visit to the church. He freezes up when he encounters a walker...but that was because that walker just so happened to be his wife.
  • Enemy Mine: He makes one with Negan. Unfortunately, that enemy mine involves using walker guts as a disguise...which end up entering his open wounds.
  • My God, What Have I Done?: He regrets not opening his doors for his fellow survivors.
  • Scary Black Man: Initially. It's scary what he did to his fellow survivors, which was pretty ironic considering he did it out of fear. However, he becomes less scary when he overcomes his cowardice.
  • Token Religious Teammate: Though a variety of survivors probably wouldn't believe in God given the zombie apocalypse, Gabriel still does.

Martinez

The Governor's right-hand man, though he forms his own community of survivors after the Governor goes insane and massacres his own military.

  • Alcohol-Induced Idiocy: His fellow survivors believe that he fell into a walker pit...because he was drunk.
  • Big Bad Duumvirate: He gives this offer to the Governor, but the Governor wants leadership for himself.
  • Didn't Think This Through: Rubbing his leadership in the Governor's face wasn't such a good idea, considering that he had seen what he was capable of. He does allow the Governor to be the leader alongside him though.
  • The Dragon: To the Governor, until he breaks off and becomes the leader of his own community.
  • Dragon Ascendant: Milton states this will happen if Andrea kills the Governor. Ironically enough, the Governor kills him so that he can be the leader of Martinez's community.
  • Eaten Alive: Ironically enough it's his own former boss who does this to him, by putting him in a pit full of zombies. Everyone else theorizes that he got himself drunk and then he fell in.
  • Pet The Dog: He saves a young girl from being bitten by a walker.
  • Undying Loyalty: His loyalty to the Governor is really remarkable. This is likely why he was chosen as his number two.

Tara

A survivor who accompanies the Governor on his assault on the prison...but comes to regret her actions. Just so happens to be a lesbian.

  • Badass Gay: She wouldn't have survived the zombie apocalypse if she wasn't. Ironically, she ends up in Oceanside at one point, which for the most part consists of female survivors.
  • Driven to Suicide: Subverted. She was planning to, but Glenn talks her out of it.
  • My God, What Have I Done?: She regrets helping the Governor conquer the prison.
  • Like Brother and Sister: To Glenn. Were it not for the fact that Glenn is already a married man (and Tara herself is homosexual), they might be lovers.
  • Official Couple: With Denise.

Abraham

A survivor on the way to Washington. Killed by Negan in the Season 7 premiere.

  • Anti-Hero: He has some violent tendencies...but he isn't evil outside of that.
  • Berserk Button: Based on what Eugene does, he doesn't take it well when people lie to him. Though it might have to do with the fact by what Eugene lied about specifically: having the cure to the zombie apocalypse.
  • The Big Guy: He's big and strong, though he's not stupid.
  • Defiant to the End: Though Negan chooses him to be his victim, he still chooses to defy the leader of the Saviors. Too bad Negan doesn't stop with him.
  • Killed Off For Real: Courtesy of Negan and Lucille.
  • Official Couple: With Rosita.

Eugene

A survivor who claims that he knows the cure to the walker virus.

  • Ambiguous Disorder: It's implied he's autistic, but it's never confirmed.
  • I Lied: Turns out he didn't know how to cure the virus. Despite this, it's shown that he does legitimately care about Abraham, and he doesn't take his death well.
  • Face Heel Turn: Sort of. He joins the Saviors in Season 7, but while he does help the Saviors, he doesn't intend to kill Rick or any of his companions, either.
  • Fat Idiot: Averted, he might not know the cure for the zombie virus but that doesn't mean he's dumb. He's a smart man.
  • The Millstone: He deliberately tries to sabotage the group so that they don't get to Washington. He figures that the later that they figure out he doesn't have the cure, the better.
  • Perpetual Frowner: He doesn't smile very often. Considering he lied about knowing the cure to the virus, perhaps there's a reason for that.
  • The Smart Guy: Much like Abraham whose the big guy. This is why Negan chooses him to be part of his group, and a high-ranking group at that.

Rosita

A survivor who is in love with Abraham, and accompanies him to Washington.

  • Action Girl: Abraham invites her to join his cause for this very reason.
  • It's Personal: In retaliation for killing Abraham, she decides that she's going to kill Negan with a bullet designed by Eugene. Unfortunately, it doesn't work out.
  • Official Couple: With Abraham...but they eventually break up.
  • Red Oni, Blue Oni: Ironically, she happen to be this to Eugene's blue, even though Rosita is female and Eugene is male.
  • Widow Woman: Well, technically she and Abraham weren't married, though they were lovers. But she's still hurt by his death.

Gareth

The leader of Terminus.

  • Bait the Dog: He seems like a nice man at first, but Rick has every right to be suspicious when he discovers that for some strange reason, Glenn's pocket watch is now in his inventory.
  • Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: He doesn't take it well when Carol kills his mother.
  • Evil All Along: Terminus was a trap the entire time.
  • Faux Affably Evil: His friendliness towards survivors is an all act to get to them to trust him.
  • Freudian Excuse: Evil survivors invaded Terminus and drove the Terminus survivors off the deep end.
  • I'm A Humanitarian: He eats human flesh. For example, he and his group eat Bob's leg. He comforts Bob by telling that he tasted a lot better than he thought he would. Unfortunately for him, Bob neglected to tell them that he had been bitten by a walker. Perhaps not knowing that everyone on the show is already infected, his group doesn't take it well.
  • It's Personal: He doesn't take it well when Carol destroys Terminus by attracting walkers to it.

Simon

Negan's right-hand man.

  • Bad Boss: Unlike Negan, Simon isn't particularly concerned about his men. When Maggie threatens to execute her Savior prisoners if he refuses to leave Hilltop, he shrugs it off.
  • Faux Affably Evil: He only acts affable when he's not angry. Once he is, you can tell just how evil he is.
  • Hate Sink: Unlike Negan, the show makes no effort to take Simon towards redemption. And even Negan himself hates him.
  • Leave No Survivors: It seems to be his solution to everything, wipe out entire survivor communities who decide to rebel. Library survivors causing trouble? Kill them all. Oceanside resisting? Kill every male member of the community who isn't ten or older. The Scavengers decided to side with Rick? Send them off to meet their makers. This puts him at odds with Negan who would rather not do such pointless killing.
  • Make an Example of Them: He wishes to wipe out other communities to make examples of them so that subjugating other communities would be easier. Ironically, Negan does this to Simon by adding him to his walker fence.
  • Meaningful Name: He's number two for the Saviors, so whatever he says goes.
  • Obviously Evil: Generally, survivors look like normal human beings, so you can't tell whose evil just by looking at them. But Simon? You can probably tell just by looking at his mustache.

Gregory

The leader of Hilltop.

  • Big Good: Subverted on the good part.
  • Dirty Coward: In an effort to save his own skin, he lets people suffer at the hands of the Saviors.
  • Hate Sink: He's not as bad as Simon, but he's still a very bad person. His defining trait is his selfishness.
  • Humiliation Conga: Since he chose to ally himself with the Saviors, Maggie decides to lock him up with some Savior prisoners.
  • Not Worth Killing: Maggie opens the gates to allow him back in Hilltop for this reason.
  • Public Execution: He undergoes one as a consequence of his actions.
  • Token Evil Teammate: Generally, the citizens of Hilltop aren't bad people, but Gregory is.

Jesus

A citizen of Hilltop.

  • Badass Gay: Despite his nickname, he happens to be homosexual, much like Aaron.
  • Kleptomaniac Hero: He's far from a bad person, but he has a habit of stealing from others based on how he interacts with Rick and Daryl.
  • Name's the Same: He has the same name as Jesus Christ...it's not his actual name though. Only his nickname.
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