The Walking Dead (TV series)/Characters

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

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.

"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."
 * 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:


 * 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."
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * Papa Wolf
 * Perma-Stubble
 * Revolvers Are Just Better
 * The Sheriff
 * Shoot the Dog:
 * 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..
 * She probably meant that she wanted Rick to simply speak to Shane,
 * Lady Macbeth: "Triggerfinger" ends with Lori
 * Mama Bear: . She's also ready to
 * Parental Neglect: Lets her son wander around freely... in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. In 'Judge, Jury, and Executioner'
 * 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.
 * Your Cheating Heart: Did this with Shane, after they thought Rick had died.
 * 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.
 * Creepy Child: Getting to that territory.
 * Growing Up Sucks: Especially in a zombie apocalypse.
 * The Load:
 * Nice Hat: His dad's sheriff hat, which Rick gives to him after he recovers from.
 * Nice Job Breaking It, Kid: Nice job getting  killed, Carl!
 * Youthful Freckles
 * 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.


 * Anti-Hero: Type IV, sliding towards Type V as the series progresses.
 * Apologetic Attacker:
 * 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 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:
 * Threatening to kill  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.
 * 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
 * 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.
 * Perma-Stubble
 * Pet the Dog: His scene with Carol  However, , 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.
 * 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,, 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:
 * 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).
 * 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.
 * 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).
 * 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.
 * Wife-Basher Basher: Although it turned into a way for him to take out his frustrations.

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
 * Due to the Dead: He is a great believer in this.
 * Guile Hero: He would rather sneak around the zombies than fight them.
 * 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.
 * Nice Hat: His baseball cap.
 * 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.


 * 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.
 * 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,
 * Blood Knight: After getting gun training, she seemed to enjoy cutting down walkers a little too much.
 * Broken Bird
 * Cradling Their Kill:.
 * Dead Little Sister
 * Death Seeker: She becomes one at the end of the first season, following . She really, really doesn't appreciate having her gun taken away, either.
 * Despair Event Horizon:.
 * 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.
 * 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. .


 * 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.
 * Badass Beard
 * Badass Grandpa
 * Big Ol' Eyebrows
 * 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.
 * Guile Hero: He's willing to trick and deceive his camp members if he thinks it will keep the group together and safe.
 * The Heart
 * 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:.
 * 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:.
 * What You Are in the Dark:.

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.
 * 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 . He also is the most insistent on
 * 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.
 * 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
 * Faux Action Girl: After making her explosive entrance stunning a walker, she's done nothing but remain on the farm and freak out the one time she gets attacked by a walker on a scavenging trip.
 * 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 we've seen so far.
 * Batter Up
 * Bob Haircut
 * Dawson Casting: Maggie is 22, while actress Lauren Cohan is 29.
 * Farmer's Daughter: Lampshaded by Glenn.
 * Fiery Redhead
 * Horseback Heroism
 * Promotion to Opening Titles: Beginning in Season 3.
 * Toplessness From the Back: In "Cherokee Rose".
 * Toplessness From the Back: In "Cherokee Rose".

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.


 * Action Girl
 * Big Damn Heroes: Her debut, saving Andrea from a walker by cutting its head off.
 * In the Hood
 * Katanas Are Just Better

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.


 * 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.
 * Hero of Another Story
 * Idiot Ball: Firing his sniper rifle at zombies
 * Mr. Exposition: He explains to Rick about the walkers, and also tells him about the evacuation zone in Atlanta.
 * Papa Wolf
 * What Happened to the Mouse?
 * What Happened to the Mouse?

Duane Jones (Adrian Kali Turner)
Morgan's son, who is attempting to deal with the loss of his mother and the zombie apocalypse.


 * Shovel Strike: How he knocks Rick out in the first episode.
 * What Happened to the Mouse?

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.


 * All There in the Manual: How he became a walker is shown in the flash game "Dead Reckoning" on the AMC website.
 * Clueless Deputy
 * Doomed by Canon: Makes his fate in "Dead Reckoning" a Foregone Conclusion.
 * Mercy Kill: Rick shooting him in the head upon finding his zombified form.
 * The Sheriff

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 zombiefied form is later found by Rick and killed.


 * All There in the Manual: The webisodes are dedicated to showing how she became the bicycle girl zombie.
 * An Axe to Grind: How she dispatches walker!Judy.
 * And Then Hannah Was A Zombie
 * Ascended Extra
 * Doomed by Canon
 * Eaten Alive
 * Heroic Suicide: After getting bitten, she stays behind to let the walkers eat her while her kids escape.
 * Mama Bear
 * Mercy Kill: Rick comes back to shoot her zombiefied body before leaving town.

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.


 * Action Survivor
 * Canon Foreigner
 * Eaten Alive
 * Shoot the Dog: Literally: his dog gets attacked by a walker so he shoots it to put it out of its misery.
 * Too Dumb to Live: Walking alone, without a flashlight, into a dark basement, during a Zombie Apocalypse. The crunch followed by the scream was no surprise.
 * Wouldn't Hurt a Child: Not even a zombiefied kid: this comes back to bite him in the ass when he gets eaten by Palmer's kids, who he had decided not to shoot earlier after Palmer asked him to.

Jamie (Madison Leisle)
Hannah and Andrew's daughter. Hannah entrusts Billy's safety to her at the end of the webisodes.


 * Canon Foreigner
 * Creepy Child
 * What Happened to the Mouse?

Billy (Griffin Cleveland)
Hannah and Andrew's son, and the younger brother to Jamie.


 * Canon Foreigner
 * What Happened to the Mouse?

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.


 * Boom! Headshot!
 * Canon Foreigner
 * Conspiracy Theorist: He thinks that terrorists are behind the walkers, figuring they "found a way to blow us away without bombs".
 * Kill the Ones You Love: Is forced to do this to his wife; he can't bring himself to do it for his kids.
 * Zombie Infectee

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.


 * All There in the Manual
 * Ambiguous Situation: It is left unclear if he was killed by walker!Don alongside Leon.
 * Badass
 * Canon Foreigner
 * Cool Old Guy: Shane thinks so; he gave Shane his first beer.
 * Papa Wolf
 * Red Herring: It is made to appear as if he is infected, and he even bites Leon, but he is simply panicking.

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 zombiefied 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.


 * All There in the Manual
 * Boom! Headshot!
 * Canon Foreigner
 * Hello, Nurse!
 * Mercy Kill
 * Zombie Infectee

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 scavaging 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.
 * Asskicking Equals Authority: He apparantly believes in this, attempting to take over the scavanging 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.
 * Handicapped Badass
 * Big Brother Bully: It's indicated he and Daryl don't have the healthiest relationship.
 * Canon Foreigner
 * 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
 * Large Ham
 * Life or Limb Decision
 * Politically-Incorrect Villain: Merle is quite a bit more of a racist than Daryl.
 * Psycho Party Member
 * Really Gets Around: According to Daryl, he "Got the clap on a regular basis."
 * Tattooed Crook
 * Token Evil Teammate
 * 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.
 * 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's outlived several members of the group so far.
 * Canon Foreigner
 * 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.
 * 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, 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.

Amy (Emma Bell)


Andrea's younger sister,.


 * Cute Little Fangs: Accidentally revealed if you're paying attention while she's on the boat in "Vatos".
 * The Cutie
 * Nice Girl
 * Nice Girl
 * Nice Girl
 * Nice Girl

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.


 * Adaptational Attractiveness: Inverted: while she isn't unattractive, she is older than her comicbook 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.
 * Break the Cutie
 * The Load
 * Shrinking Violet
 * Widow Woman: She doesn't mind much, since Ed abused her and "looked" at Sophia.
 * Widow Woman: She doesn't mind much, since Ed abused her and "looked" at Sophia.

Sophia Peletier (Madison Lintz)


Sophia is the daughter of Carol and Ed, and is a friend of Carl. .


 * Abusive Parents: Her father Ed.
 * Age Lift: Similar to Carl's.
 * The Load:
 * Real Life Writes the Plot:.
 * Youthful Freckles
 * The Load:
 * Real Life Writes the Plot:.
 * Youthful Freckles
 * The Load:
 * Real Life Writes the Plot:.
 * Youthful Freckles
 * Youthful Freckles
 * Youthful Freckles
 * Youthful Freckles
 * Youthful Freckles

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
 * 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.


 * Action Survivor
 * Badass Spaniard
 * Batter Up
 * Happily Married
 * Hero of Another Story: You have to wonder what happens to him and his family.
 * Last-Name Basis: His wife and kids get first names, but his is never revealed.
 * Mauve Shirt: Luckily for him, he was only written out instead of getting killed off.
 * Nice Guy
 * Perma-Stubble
 * Put on a Bus: He and his family leave the group to look for relatives in Birmingham, Alabama.

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.


 * Batter Up
 * Despair Event Horizon
 * Dreaming of Things to Come: In "Vatos" he mentions this.
 * Dying Alone
 * Grease Monkey: He was the groups mechanic.
 * Killed Off for Real
 * Mauve Shirt
 * Sanity Slippage: He may have dreamt the future, or just gone completely insane. Not even he is sure which.
 * Survivors Guilt: He only managed to escape from walkers because they were so busy eating his family.
 * Zombie Infectee: He tries to hide it and begs Jacqui not to give it away. However, she's Genre Savvy enough to tell the rest of the group immediately.

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. .


 * An Axe to Grind: When the walkers attacked the camp, Jacqui was armed with an axe.
 * Canon Foreigner
 * Genre Savvy: When Jim begs her not to tell the others that he's infected, she does so immediately.
 * Out of Focus
 * Out of Focus
 * Out of Focus
 * Out of Focus
 * Out of Focus

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.


 * Almighty Janitor: He was the literal head custodian of the nursing home.
 * Canon Foreigner
 * Gang-Bangers: Subverted: he and his crew were faking it to appear tough.
 * Hero of Another Story
 * What Happened to the Mouse?: Deleated material from the second season premiere shows the nursing home overrun and everyone dead, but this was cut when the premiere was heavily changed following Frank Darabont being fired. As such, the question as to what happened to Guillermo and his people is unlikely to ever be answered.

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,.


 * 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.
 * ; 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.
 * 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..
 * 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.
 * Sole Surviving Scientist
 * Sole Surviving Scientist

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 apocolypse, 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.
 * Doesn't Like Guns: But he sure knows how to use them.
 * Drowning My Sorrows
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * Off the Wagon: Following the
 * Open-Heart Dentistry: After, 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.
 * 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."
 * Shotguns Are Just Better
 * Technical Pacifist
 * Token Religious Teammate: Gabriel eventually replaces him.
 * Technical Pacifist
 * Token Religious Teammate: Gabriel eventually replaces him.

Beth Greene (Emily Kinney)


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


 * Angst Coma: 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
 * 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.
 * Dumb Blonde: Averted, she knows the world has gone to hell.
 * The Generic Girl

Otis (Pruitt Taylor Vince)


Otis was a farmhand on Hershel's farm. After, he accompanied Shane to recover medical supplies. .


 * Adaptation Dye Job: He had red hair in the comics.
 * Age Lift: From the comic version.
 * The Atoner: He volunteers to get medical supplies to
 * Badass
 * Big Damn Heroes: Saves Shane's life from walkers a few times during their mission.
 * Cruel and Unusual Death: Simply being bitten by a walker wouldn't result in a horrible death, but being devoured by a horde of walkers? Yes sirree.

Patricia (Jane McNeill)


Otis' wife, she aids Hershel in maintaining the farmhouse. .


 * Age Lift: From the comic version.
 * Bit Character
 * Widow Woman: After her husband is eaten. Ironically, she shares the same fate.
 * Widow Woman: After her husband is eaten. Ironically, she shares the same fate.
 * Widow Woman: After her husband is eaten. Ironically, she shares the same fate.
 * Widow Woman: After her husband is eaten. Ironically, she shares the same fate.

Jimmy (James Allen McCune)


A young farmhand on Hershel's farm, and the boyfriend of Beth. .


 * Bit Character
 * Canon Foreigner
 * Cruel and Unusual Death: Eaten by the horde.
 * : By the hungry walkers.
 * Heroic Fire Rescue: During the second season finale, Jimmy takes the RV and rescues
 * Gangsta Style: He holds his gun like this during training. After T-Dog tells him not to, he is much more accurate.
 * The Generic Guy
 * Nice Hat: Never seen without his straw cowboy hat.
 * Nice Hat: Never seen without his straw cowboy hat.

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.


 * Affably Ambiguously Evil: He was extremely polite in his conversation with Rick, Glenn, and Hershel, but the entire time something seems off about him, and after Rick refuses one too many times to take Dave and Tony to their camp, he goes for his gun.
 * Boom! Headshot!: He was slower at the quick draw than Rick.
 * Canon Foreigner
 * Deadpan Snarker
 * Knight of Cerebus: The series is already really dark, but Dave's arrival makes it clear that walkers are not the only thing the survivors have to worry about.
 * Not Using the Z Word: He refers to them as "Lamebrains".
 * Perma-Stubble
 * One-Scene Wonder: He's both quite charming and ambiguously threatening. It's an intriguing mix.

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. .


 * Ambiguously Evil: We never quite find out whether he's truly dangerous or not before he's  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.
 * : 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.
 * Canon Foreigner
 * Car Fu: He crushes a walkers head in while driving in "18 Miles Out".
 * Motor Mouth: Notes this himself, telling Shane he talks a lot when nervous.
 * 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.
 * 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?""
 * Bit Part Bad Guy
 * Canon Foreigner
 * Deadpan Snarker:


 * 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 approching, 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.


 * Bit Part Bad Guy
 * Canon Foreigner
 * Eaten Alive: Nose first
 * Gangsta Style: He shoots his gun like this, which may have saved Glenn's life.
 * Red Shirt

Noah
A teenage survivor who forms a friendship with Glenn.


 * Black Best Friend: Glenn does not take his death due to Nicholas's cowardice well.
 * 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 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 Governor
The leader of Woodbury.


 * 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.
 * 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.
 * Eyepatch of Power: Michonne cuts out his eyeball, so he wears one.
 * 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.
 * Pet The Dog: Still loves his daughter.
 * 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.
 * Would Hurt A Child: He won't harm his own children, but children in general are not off-limits.
 * Zombie Infectee: While he never becomes a zombie himself (courtesy of Meghan), 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.

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.