History Characters / OldScars

* KickTheSonOfABitch: After saving Sarah from a violent rapist, Zeke stabs him repeatedly to let out any pent-up anger towards his father.
** Another example is after Troy smashes Sarah's glasses. Zeke doesn't hesitate to tackle him to the ground and beat his face black and blue.

* HeroLookingForGroup: The first few chapters focus on Zeke coming to trust Christa and Omid and becoming accepted into their group.

An OriginalCharacter created by [[https://www.fanfiction.net/u/5429585/WalkingDeadRox WalkingDeadRox]] and one of the two main protagonists. A simple wandering teen, Zeke grew up in an abusive household run by his alcoholic father whom he eventually killed out of spite. Afterwards, he and his little brother, Decker, began wandering across the United States until Decker's untimely death at the hands of a crazed scavenger. Afterward, Zeke was found by Christa and Omid and chose to travel them for the next year and a half.
While he's tough, perceptive and adaptable, he is traumatized by his past and struggles to cope with it.

* ArcherArchetype: Zeke carries a compound boy and a quiver full of arrows. Smart choice seeing how guns attract more walkers.

* NerdGlasses: Sarah wears a pair of “Cat-eye” glasses until Troy crushes them under his boot. After that, she recieves her mother's glasses.

* HundredPercentAdorationRating: Barring Nick and Carlos, everyone in the group seems to approve of Pete's leadership.

** OverprotectiveDad [=/=] KnightTemplarParent: Her father is fiercely protective over her. He even threatens to kill Zeke if he gets too close to her.

* AmbiguousDisorder: Kenny's behavior shows signs of PTSD, including agitation, hostility, apathy and irritability.

* AntiHero: Zeke has some serious issues regarding his family, a messed up past, and a BerserkButton you do ''not'' want to push.

* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: He's got more experience in survival and fighting than the others living in Ski Lodge, so it's understandable that he's the leader.

* NiceHat: Her trademark baseball cap.

* AxCrazy: It's obvious that underneath his guise as a leader, Carver is unhinged and extremely dangerous. UpToEleven when he beheads [[spoiler:Vince]] for speaking up to him.

* KnifeNut: Zeke carries a small knife with him when dealing with close quarters combat.

* BaldOfAwesome: He has a shaved head and is pretty badass.

* BadassBeard: He grew one out over the past two years.

* NotSoDifferent: He claims he's this with Clementine, stating they're both of strong body and mind with the determination to survive. Only difference is Clementine is still innocent and idealistic, something Carver sees as weakness and wants to change.

* NotSoDifferent: To Carver. Both of them value family more than anything, and are dedicated to raising Clementine. They're also clearly unhinged after everything they've gone through. [note]Although Carver definitely does a better job at hiding it.[/note]

* NotSoDifferent: To Zeke. Clementine informs him how Zeke also had a difficult life before the outbreak, being abandoned by his mother, abused by his father, and losing his younger brother and only friend. [[spoiler: It's this revelation that leads to Nick's HeroicSacrifice.]]

* InfantImmortality: Time will tell. But so far, she's survived over a year and a half of traveling and avoiding walkers, and was very close to having Carver slit her throat.

* MoralityChain [=/=] MoralityPet: The better person Zeke has become is thanks in large part to her.

* YourCheatingHeart: She had previously had an affair with Carver before meeting Clementine, but is now fully devoted to her husband, Alvin.

* AbusiveDad: His father was a real piece of shit. When he wasn't drinking, he was beating his two sons on a regular basis, which eventually drove Zeke to killing him in self-defense. It’s no surprise that he's the reason for most of Zeke's problems.
* {{Adorkable}}: Some of Zeke's flirting with Sarah can be seen as this.
* AmbiguousDisorder: Zeke clearly suffers from undiagnosed PTSD as he shows signs of agitation, flashbacks of past trauma, anxiety, guilt and nightmares. Even after some time, Zeke still hasn't properly healed.

* BadassAndChildDuo: With Genevieve.
** Downplayed with Clementine, seeing how their age-gap is pretty small and that both are capable of taking care of themselves.
* BerserkButton [=/=] TraumaButton: If anyone threatens him or someone he cares about in any violent fashion resembling his father… oh boy…
* BewareTheNiceOnes: While Zeke can be easy to get along with, he’s also somebody who doesn’t take threats lightly and isn't afraid to react violently when someone threatens him or his friends.

* BrokenAce: He isn’t the most mentally-stable compared to some of the other survivors.
* BrokenTears: After saving Sarah from a potential rapist, the scavenger attacks Zeke in an aggressive manner similar to Zeke’s father. Zeke kills the rapist, but lets out all his pent up anger by repeatedly stabbing him in a hysterical fit of tears.
* BroodingBoyGentleGirl: Zeke’s life is a series of trials and traumas that have left some deep scars in his psyche. Sarah is a sweet yet innocent girl who’s trying her best to adapt to her new environment. Needless to say, they make for a pretty good couple.

* CynicismCatalyst: If killing his abusive father didn’t push him over the edge, watching his little brother get killed most definitely tipped the scale.

* LoveAtFirstSight: With Sarah. Downplayed from his side, as he feels more attracted to her at first and starts to bond with her after having an actual conversation together. But when your surviving in the apocalypse and don’t know many kids your age, you really can’t be picky and probably won’t get another chance like that.

* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: He saves Sarah from a Scavenger who was planning on raping her. And he doesn’t let him off easy.

One of the Protagonists of the story. After losing her former guardian, Lee, Clementine is discovered by two strangers who offer her a place in their settlement. Having nowhere else to go, she accepts and finds a new life at Howe’s Hardware and is adopted by Rebecca and Alvin. It doesn’t last long, however, when she and a group of deserters flee from their tyrannical leader, leading them to encounter Ezekiel Bowman.

* BadassAdorable: Come on… it’s Clementine.

* CharacterRerailment: Her time spent at Howe’s Hardware gave Clementine the opportunity to be a child again.

* JuniorCounterpart: To Zeke. Both of them had to endure traumatizing experiences in order to survive and still struggle with them on occasion. But while Clementine got to escape it all after being accepted into the Howe’s Hardware community, Zeke continued to face whatever challenges arose out in the wild and became more hardened as a result.

* ShipperOnDeck: She’s aware of Sarah and Zeke’s attraction to one another and seems to approve.

The {{Deuteragonist}} of ''Old Scars''. A teenage girl living in Carver’s Settlement, Clementine's closest friend and Zeke's LoveInterest. Initially an anxious and sheltered girl, Sarah starts to show more signs of maturity and independence after meeting Zeke.

* {{Adorkable}}: While she can be a bit awkward at times, she is sweet and lovable. Plus, her interactions with Zeke are pretty darn cute.
** When Zeke kisses her for the first time, she turns into a stuttering MotorMouth.
--> '''Sarah:''' "That was so cool. My first kiss! *giggles* (...) I um… I don’t know what to think… I mean, I want to like it. I’ve always wanted a boyfriend, but I don’t know about that kiss."
--> '''Zeke:''' "Well… we might still be young and we’re definitely inexperienced. This was my first kiss too."
--> '''Sarah:''' "Oh, okay… so it’s not a bad thing if I didn’t feel all that much… I mean I thought I would feel something more from my first kiss. Don’t get me wrong. I did feel something and I liked it. I just… I thought it would be something more."

* AttemptedRape: She’s rendered unconscious and almost raped by a scavenger. Thankfully, she is saved by Zeke.

-->'''Carlos:''' "I’m sorry, Sarah… I… I tried to protect you… I wanted to keep you… innocent."
-->'''Sarah:''' "But that’s the thing, dad… I’m not and I can’t be… Just because I lose some of my innocence won’t turn me into a monster."

* AdaptationalJerkass: He’s more aggressive and confrontational than he is in the video game.

--> '''Sarah:''' “Dad… I know you’re just worried about me, but… Zeke isn’t like the bullies. He’s nice… and I like him. I’ve actually spent time with him. I know what he’s like.”
--> '''Carlos:''' “Sarah… you have no idea what he’s like.”
--> '''Sarah:''' “I have a better idea than you. You don’t even spend time with him. I know what he’s like.”

The oldest member of the Howe’s Hardware Deserters and Connie’s brother. While rough around the edges, Pete cares for everyone’s well-being and tries to keep the conflict to a minimum. He is the most welcoming of Zeke.

* DeclarationOfProtection: Before making his heroic sacrifice, he instructs Zeke to keep Clementine safe, saying that there aren’t many people like her left in the world.

* LetHerGrowUpDear: He defends Sarah and Zeke’s relationship from Carlos, telling him it was only a matter of time before she took interest in boys.

One of the Howe’s Deserters, who assumes the role as leader after Pete's death. Luke is a reasonable and amicable young man who tries his best to keep things under control. He serves as a big brother figure for Clementine and Zeke.

Connie’s hot headed son and Luke’s close friend. He struggles with the deaths of his loved ones and his mistakes become a detriment to the group. Despite this, Nick is a good man at heart and means well.

* AbusiveParents [=/=] DisappearedDad: Nick’s father wasn’t around much when he was a kid. And when he was, he wasn’t good company.
* TheAtoner: [[spoiler: His willingness to take a bullet for Zeke can definitely count as this.]]
* BigNO: After his mother is killed by a walker.

Alvin’s wife and Clementine’s adoptive mother. She's a very caring and devoted parent, who only wants to keep her family and the group safe.

--> “She’s just so wonderful. Luke, I’m glad you found her. Someone like her shouldn’t be out there in this world."
* EducationMama: Downplayed. She tutors Clementine, Sarah and Becca (even though she’s more reluctant).
* GoodParents: To Clementine, who couldn’t be happier.

* ShipperOnDeck: She's fully aware of Sarah’s liking to Zeke and doesn’t seem to mind.

Rebecca’s husband and Clementine’s adoptive father. While he’s more levelheaded than his wife, he is a bit of a pushover.

* BewareTheNiceOnes: He kills Carver’s friend, George, while the group fled the compound.
* GentleGiant: He’s big and kind of intimidating, but he’s friendly, soft-spoken and tries to be a voice of reason.

* HappilyMarried: With Rebecca.

* NiceGuy: He’s a pretty friendly man and a great father to Clementine.
* PapaWolf: After hearing how Carver’s disregard for Clementine’s safety nearly got her killed, Alvin was convinced that they needed to leave Howe’s Hardware.

Nick’s mother and Pete’s sister.

* ActionMom: She seemed to be good with a gun and didn’t want any coddling from her brother, Pete.

The ruthless leader of Howe’s Hardware that the group is fleeing from. Those who aren’t a part of his settlement are understandably terrified of him.

* AxCrazy: It’s obvious that underneath his guise as a leader, Carver is unhinged and extremely dangerous. UpToEleven when he beheads [[spoiler:Vince]] for speaking up to him.

* CantKillYouStillNeedYou: He sees Clementine as the next leader for his community and can’t afford to let her get harmed.

* MiseryBuildsCharacter: He believes the next generation needs to be stronger and harder in order to survive, and can’t afford to be pampered or groomed. This leads to him torturing and abusing Clementine in horrific fashion.

* NotSoDifferent: He claims he’s this with Clementine, stating they’re both of strong body and mind with the determination to survive. Only difference is Clementine is still innocent and idealistic, something Carver sees as weakness and wants to change.
* PassingTheTorch: He plans on turning Clementine into a version of himself, so she can assume the title as the new leader to Howe’s Hardware, whether she likes it or not.

* VirtueIsWeakness: When he hears Clem’s unwillingness to kill a human, he becomes disappointed in her and calls her weak.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: All he wants is what everyone else wants: to survive. Unfortunately, he’s willing to abandon nearly all morals in order for that to happen.
* WouldHurtAChild [=/=] WouldHitaGirl: He’s been physically abusive towards Clementine and has made two threats upon Genevieve’s life.

Another member of Howe’s Hardware who helps Carver bring back the Deserters.

* ApologizesALot: Invoked. Bonnie apologizes to the deserters as a means of trying to get them to trust her again. Unfortunately, words aren’t enough to make up for what she’s done.
* TheFriendNobodyLikes: The Cabin survivors make it clear that any friendships they had are over. Even Sarah, one of the sweetest members of the deserters, makes it very clear she’s done with Bonnie, seeing how her actions nearly got Zeke killed and ended with Nick’s death.

* HeroWithAnFInGood: She genuinely wants the Deserters to trust her again, but seeing how her actions brought them back to Howe’s Hardware and got Nick killed, nobody seems to buy any of her apologies.
* TokenGoodTeammate: She’s appalled by the idea of Carver killing Sarah or Zeke and is saddened by Nick’s death.

One of Carver’s enforcers who’s temper is as foul as his mouth.

* ChildHater: He’s mean to pretty much everyone, even Clementine and Sarah.
* TheFriendNobodyLikes: Nobody at Howe’s seems to like him. Not even Carver.
* HairTriggerTemper: His temper is even worse than Nick’s, and he’ll start swearing and making threats at the drop of a hat.
* {{Jerkass}}: Played straight. He’s short-tempered, mean, and swears like a sailor. He always has something abrasive, aggressive or threatening to say.
* KickTheDog: Alongside his multiple death threats towards Zeke, he responds to Zeke’s rebellious attitude by breaking Sarah’s glasses.
* SirSwearsALot: You’d having an easier time counting his sentences that don’t have swears in them.

A young woman living at Howe’s Hardware with her younger sister, Becca.

* NiceGirl: In comparison to Becca. She’s more sympathetic to the Deserters, is soft-spoken towards Zeke and Sarah, and tries her best to stick up for Bonnie.

Shel’s rambunctious, slightly bratty, younger sister.

* BrattyTeenageDaughter: She’s rude, self-centered and badly behaved. She also hates the idea of going back to school.

A quiet young woman who was forced to work for Carver’s settlement. She aids Clementine, Zeke and the gang in their coupe to escape from Howe’s before striking out on her own, only to come back and saving Zeke’s life. After surviving the night, she and Zeke stuck together as they figured out their next plan.

* AdaptationalHeroism: Jane is shown to be much more selfless than her game counterpart. She saves Zeke’s life three times, nurses him back to health, and chooses to stick by him. In the game, Jane hides her fear of losing those close to her by acting like a pragmatic survivalist.

* BirdsOfAFeather: Jane lampshades that she’s this with Zeke. See {{Foil}} below.

* {{Hypocrite}}: Jane firmly believes that she’s better off on her own, yet she goes through the trouble to save Zeke’s life three times and even asks him to stick with her. Granted, this could be because Zeke has proven to be more capable than most of the people she’s known and can take of himself just fine.

An old friend of Clementine’s from two years ago whose re-entered her life. However, past events have clearly done irreversible damage to him, making him less of the Kenny she knew before.

* AdaptationalJerkass: Surprisingly, even more than he was in the game. He’s willing to separate Clementine from the Deserters who have been like a family to her for over two years. What’s worse is that she’s already adopted, meaning he’s willing to separate Clementine from her ACTUAL family.
* AmbiguousDisorder: Kenny’s behavior shows signs of PTSD, including agitation, hostility, apathy and irritability.
* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: He’s got more experience in survival and fighting than the others living in Ski Lodge, so it’s understandable that he’s the leader.

* HairTriggerTemper: Kenny’s temper has significantly worsened over time, making him more hostile and aggressive than he was before.

* NotSoDifferent: To Carver. Both of them value family more than anything, and are dedicated to raising Clementine. They’re also clearly unhinged after everything they’ve gone through. [note]Although Carver definitely does a better job at hiding it.[/note]
* PapaWolf: As stubborn as he is, he values both Clementine and Sarita’s safety and is willing to help the Deserters fight off Howe’s Hardware for Clementine’s sake.

* BadassGay: He’s a survivor and in a relationship with Walter.
* BreakTheCutie: [[spoiler: Walter's death at Carver's hand is definitely not doing him any favors.]]

* SparedByTheAdaptation: Instead of being shot by a trigger-happy Nick, he is saved by Zeke, who ruins Nick’s aim.

An Indian woman who resides in the Ski Lodge. She’s Kenny’s new partner who is also pregnant with his child.

* NiceGirl: Like the rest of the Ski Lodge residents, she’s unfailingly kind and quick to trust them. She also manages Kenny’s mood swings surprisingly well.

A former teacher who lives at the ski lodge. He’s also Matthew’s partner.

* BadassGay: He’s in a relationship with Matthew and if he’s survived this long, he must be.

A survivor who let's Zeke join his group after losing Clementine.

* {{Adorkable}}: A lovable, goofy guy.

* {{Foil}}: To Clementine. Both came of age during the apocalypse and blame themselves for the loss of their closest companions. However, Clementine had a happy life before it all began, while Zeke's life was constantly an uphill battle. And while Clementine managed to escape it all and find a new life during the next year and a half, Zeke continued to survive, making him more hardened and capable.

* TraumaCongaLine: Before the outbreak, Zeke's mother left when he was very young, leaving him and his little brother, Decker, in an unloving household with their abusive, alcoholic father that Zeke eventually killed out of spite. After the outbreak, Zeke and Decker were forced to survive in the wasteland, before Decker was killed by a psychotic scavenger, leaving Zeke all alone. After that, Zeke tracked down the man responsible before practically torturing him to death.

* AbusiveParents [=/=] AlcoholicParent: His father was a real piece of shit. When he wasn't drinking, he was beating his sons on a regular basis. It’s no surprise that he's the reason for most of Zeke's problems.

* AdultsAreUseless: At first. Seeing how Zeke's abuse was ignored by other adults, it makes sense Zeke grew up not trusting them. This becomes subverted as he starts to spend more time with the Deserters.
* AmbiguousDisorder: Zeke clearly suffers from undiagnosed PTSD as he shows signs of agitation, irritability, flashbacks of past trauma (Decker's death and his father's abuse), anxiety, guilt and nightmares. Even after some time, Zeke still hasn't properly healed.

** Doing anything to hurtful or harmful to Sarah is an easy second. [[KickTheSonOfABitch Just ask Troy...]]

* NotSoStoic: Zeke tries his best to keep his emotions concealed, not wanting to look weak for the sake of other's, but completely breaks down in Chapter 19 when reminiscing about Decker.

* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: After watching his brother get killed by a scavenger, Zeke managed to track the man down and stole all his supplies before killing him.

* SelfMadeOrphan: Definitely more sympathetic and justified than most. Zeke [[{{Patricide}} killed his father]] in his brother's defense. [[AssholeVictim Can't say he didn't deserve it]]. It's also left some deep scars in Zeke's psyche.

* AdaptationalHeroism: Jane is shown to be much more selfless than her game counterpart. She saves Zeke’s life three times, nurses him back to health, and chooses to stick with him. In the game, Jane hides her fear of losing those close to her by acting like a pragmatic, hard ass survivalist.

* HiddenHeartOfGold:

* TakingYouWithMe: [[spoiler:Kenny manages to keep Carver restrained long enough for Clementine to shoot him through the chest. Only problem was Kenny ended up getting shot as well, and dies moments later.]]

%%* ReplacementGoldfish: To Kenny, replacing his late wife, Katja.

* SacrificialLamb: His death is used to show just how broken the world has left Zeke.
* TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth: He meets an unpleasant demise at the hands of a crazy scavenger.

* ReplacementGoldfish [=/=] ReplacementLoveInterest: To Kenny, replacing his late wife, Katja.

* DrivenToSuicide: Thankfully subverted. After having to live with the pain of her father's death and her boyfriend's disappearance, Sarah becomes determined to kill herself, [[ThePowerOfLove but is eventually stopped by her memories of Zeke.]]

* DespairEvenHorizon: A pretty big one. [[spoiler:After watching her father die and her boyfriend going missing,]] Sarah is left emotionally shattered.
* DontYouDarePityMe: Sarah comes to hate being coddled by others out of the sense of them implying that she isn't capable of anything. ** This is surprisingly realistic case, as many people with disabilities feel like others spend more time pitying them than actually caring.

* TookALevelInJerkass: Sarah becomes noticeably more frosty towards everyone else. Justified seeing how she is transitioning through the five stages of grief after the loss of her father and getting separated from Zeke.

* DespairEvenHorizon: A pretty big one. [[spoiler:After watching her father die and her boyfriend going missing,]] Sarah is left emotionally shattered and in a state of constant denial. Whether she gets better or not is yet to be seen.

* AmbiguousDisorder: Zeke clearly suffers from undiagnosed PTSD as he shows signs of agitation, irritability, flashbacks of past trauma (Decker's death and his father's abuse), anxiety, guilt and nightmares.

* MyGreatestFailure: Not being able to protect his little brother. It still haunts him to this day.

* ParentalIssues: Zeke had some '''''serious''''' issues with his parents.
** AbusiveParents [=/=] AlcoholicParent: His father was a real piece of shit. When he wasn't drinking, he was beating his sons on a regular basis. It’s no surprise that he's the reason for most of Zeke's problems.
** ParentalAbandonment: Zeke’s mother left to provide for the family. Whatever became of her, he never knew.