Characters from WalkingDeadRox's Old Scars fanfic. While most of the characters remain the same, several liberties have been taken to make them stand out more and fit the story's needs.
Due to wiki policy, trope names will not be spoiler tagged. Please read at your own risk.
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Main Characters
The story swaps P.O.Vs between Clementine and Zeke, making them main characters. Ezekiel "Zeke" Bowman
An Original Character created by 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 with 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.
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 with 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.- Abusive Dad: When he wasn't drinking, Zeke's dad was beating his two sons on a regular basis, which eventually drove Zeke to killing him in self-defense.
- Ambiguously Christian: While Zeke has said his parents held no Christian values, his name is biblical for "God Strengthens" and he has celebrated Christmas with Decker.
- Anti-Hero: Zeke has some serious issues regarding his family, a messed up past, and a berserk button you do not want to push.
- Beware the Nice Ones: 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.
- Big Brother Instinct: Zeke practically raised his little brother, Decker.
- He views Genevieve as his second chance at being a big brother and promises to keep her safe.
- He also has his moments with Clementine, seeing how much she reminds him of Decker and would be just about his age is he was still alive.
- Birds of a Feather: With Sarah. Alongside their disorders, both of them have friendless backgrounds and fathers who contributed to their personal issues.
- Broken Ace: He isn't the most mentally-stable compared to some of the other survivors.
- Broken Tears: 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.
- Brooding Boy, Gentle Girl: 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.
- Byronic Hero: Zeke is perceptive, tough and adaptable, but suffers from PTSD and is haunted by his past.
- Chick Magnet: Debatable. He's claimed to have known girls back in school, but most of them were usually pulling his strings. Cut to after the outbreak, he's currently in a relationship with Sarah and Becca has openly flirted with him.
- Choice of Two Weapons: Zeke is almost never seen without his compact bow or knife.
- Cigarette of Anxiety: Inverted. Ironically, just looking at cigarettes can send Zeke into a panic attack, seeing how his father had a habit of smoking after beating him.
- The Cynic: Played With. When we're first introduced to him, Zeke's life is a catastrophic mess. He feels indifferent towards the world he lives in, and is extremely bitter. However, his time spent with Christa and Omid seems to help him become a better person and more light-hearted, but still has his occasional snarky, sarcastic moments.
- Cynicism Catalyst: If killing his abusive father didn't push him over the edge, watching his little brother get killed most definitely tipped the scale.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Life has never been kind to this boy. See Trauma Conga Line for more details.
- Darkest Hour: Watching his brother die was the final straw. Decker was his only friend before the outbreak and his loss still haunts him to this day. Thankfully, after meeting Christa and Omid, Zeke starts to get better.
- Deadpan Snarker: Zeke has a habit of being sarcastic towards just about anyone. Especially when he's in a bad mood.
- Declaration of Protection: He makes this to Genevieve, seeing her as his second chance at being a big brother. He later makes one to Clementine by Pete's instruction.
- Doesn't Like Guns: Justified. Zeke prefers using his bow or knife, seeing how guns create too much noise and attract more walkers.
- 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 a constant 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.
- Friendless Background: Zeke didn't have any friends in school and was never very lucky with girls before the outbreak.
- Good Is Not Soft: Zeke is pleasant and easy to get along with. However, he's irritable, has a violent edge and is haunted by his inner demons.
- I Just Want to Be Normal: Zig-Zagged. Zeke most definitely wishes his life had been a normal one before the outbreak. But when Sarah asks if he ever wishes everything could go back to the way it was before, his answer is a mixed reply. While he wishes he could have his little brother back, his school and home life had very little to miss.
- Innocence Lost: He and his brother were abused by their father for years, to the point Zeke killed their father in an act of revenge. Any innocence he had after that was lost.
- Living Emotional Crutch: To Sarah. Without him, she's much more prone to panic and self-doubt.
- Love at First Sight: 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.
- Manly Tears: Two big examples are after he saves Sarah from a rapist that reminds him of his father. The other when he remembers the last Christmas he spent with Decker.
- Meaningful Name: His full name, Ezekiel, is a biblical name meaning, "God Strengthens". This is ironic, however, as Zeke stated his family didn't seem to have any Christian values.
- His last name is Bowman. His weapon of choice…? A BOW.
- Missing Mom: His mother left when he was young to provide for the family. Whether she's alive or dead is a mystery.
- Morality Pet: He seems to be this for Jane. She goes out of her way to save his life three times, and actually wants him to stick with her despite thinking she's better off on her own.
- My Greatest Failure: Not being able to protect his little brother.
- Nephewism: Everything he learned (hunting, fishing, surviving, etc.), he learned from his paternal uncle.
- Official Couple: With Sarah as of Chapter 15.
- Pay Evil unto Evil: 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.
- Promoted to Parent: Zeke practically raised his little brother, seeing how his mother left and his father was useless.
- Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil: He saves Sarah from a Scavenger who was planning on raping her. And he doesn't let him off easy.
- Scarily Competent Tracker: Shown when he teams up with Christa and Omid to find Clementine.
- Self-Made Orphan: Definitely more sympathetic and justified than most. Zeke is responsible for killing his father, but given how abusive he was towards him and his little brother, it's hard to say that he didn't deserve it. It's also left some deep scars in Zeke's psyche.
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: He may only be 15, but he has SERIOUS psychological trauma from past events. Results vary from the Thousand-Yard Stare, to mercilessly killing anyone who pushes his Trauma Button.
- Shoot the Dog: In order to stop Nick from shooting at Matthew, Zeke shoots him in the shoulder with an arrow.
- Stepford Smiler/Stepford Snarker: Whenever Zeke is depressed or trying to forget about his past, he has a tendency to act sarcastic and positive. So, pretty much all the time.
- Survivor Guilt: Double Subverted. When he first appeared, Zeke was plagued with guilt for surviving while Decker died. Over time he had some to accept his brother's death and move on, but he is still traumatized by the incident and is saddened by his brother's memory.
- Took a Level in Cheerfulness: When he first meets Christa and Omid, Zeke was cold and insincere, feeling indifferent towards the fact he murdered his father and was willing to kill without a second thought. He has gotten much better by the time Season 2 starts and is more approachable, friendly and positive.
- Thou Shalt Not Kill: Played With. Zeke, himself, is not above killing people when the situation demands it. However, he admits that he's never been the same after killing his estranged father and keeps Sarah from killing Bonnie.
- Trauma Conga Line: 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 in self-defense. 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. Needless to say, Zeke has a lot to deal with.
- Wise Beyond Their Years: He's been on the move and surviving in a Zombie infested wasteland since he was thirteen at most.
Clementine
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.While she is learning the rope on how to take better care of herself, she is still very young and hasn't fully matured.
- 10-Minute Retirement: After Clementine was accepted into the Howe's Hardware community, she got the chance to escape her old life. For a while, at least...
- Adaptational Nice Guy: In Season 2, much of Clementine's personality was up to the player. Here, however, Clementine is more kind-hearted; wanting to appeal to the better nature of people and still holding some faith in humanity.
- Badass Adorable: Come on… it's Clementine.
- Big Brother Instinct: The other survivors are very protective of her. Luke, himself, says he thinks of her as a little sister.
- Big Sister Instinct: She develops this for Genevieve even before her parents' decide to adopt her.
- Break the Cutie: After losing her biological parents to the outbreak, Clementine was then forced to perform a Mercy Kill on Lee Everett, her guardian and surrogate father.
- Broken Bird: The death of her parents, Lee, and everyone else she knew, pushes Clementine to become stronger for their sake.
- Character Development: Clementine starts off as a fairly normal eight year old girl, into a Little Miss Badass who can kill any walker as easily as any adult, all while retaining her idealistic morals and innocence.
- Character Rerailment: Her time spent at Howe's Hardware gave Clementine the opportunity to be a child again.
- Choice of Two Weapons: She is pretty good with a gun and a knife.
- Cold-Blooded Torture: At the hands of Carver. After her return to Howe's, she is repeatedly beaten and tortured in horrible ways all to make a her a stronger leader.
- Cooldown Hug: In Chapter 14, Zeke has a nervous breakdown after being reminded of his father. Clementine helps him by giving him a comforting hug. "D'AWW!"
- Cuddle Bug: She has plenty of moments where she hugs her companions.
- Darkest Hour: Her very first scene shows Clementine at her absolute lowest: heartbroken and all alone.
- Foil: To Zeke. She had a happy life before everything began, while his life was full of abuse and neglect. Both of them had their own ways of moving on from the lives they lost; Clementine living at Howe's Hardware, Zeke traveling with Christa and Omid.
- Girly Girl with a Tomboy Streak: Clementine enjoys wearing dresses, but also enjoys playing with legos and can play rough, even though it's not always her preference.
- Happily Adopted: By Rebecca and Alvin.
- Hero Looking for Group: The first chapters of the story focus on Clementine's acceptance into the Howe's hardware community and building new friendships.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Sarah.
- I Just Want to Be Badass: Wanting to ensure that her friends' deaths weren't in vain, Clementine tries to become stronger so she can take care of herself.
- Intergenerational Friendship: Played Straight with Luke, who is old enough to be her big brother.
- Downplayed with Sarah, seeing how Clementine is about four years younger than her.
- Junior Counterpart: 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.
- Long Hair Is Feminine: Instead of having her hair cut short, she keeps it the way it was during the first two episodes of Season 1, signifying her innocence.
- Mercy Kill: She performed this on Lee, her surrogate father.
- Morality Pet: To Nick and Kenny. Her words of encouragment are enough to help them see the error in their ways and become better people as a result. note
- My Greatest Failure: Desperate to find her actual parents, Clementine was tricked by a mysterious stranger who ended up kidnapping her and holding her hostage. Her group managed to save her, but most of them died in the process. To make matters worse, her surrogate father, Lee, had been bitten, forcing Clementine to perform a mercy kill on him to keep him from turning.
- Nice Girl: Like in Season 1, Clementine remains sweet and morally idealistic.
- Passing the Torch: Carver admires Clementine's will to become stronger and views her as the future leader for Howe's Hardware, whether she likes it or not.
- Pragmatic Hero: She threatens to kill herself (with an unloaded gun) as a means of getting Carver to leave the cabin.
- Protectorate: Before making a heroic sacrifice, Pete instructs Zeke to protect Clementine, seeing how there aren't many people like her left in the world.
- Shipper on Deck: She's aware of Sarah and Zeke's attraction to one another and seems to approve.Clementine "Are you and Sarah dating? I won't tell if you are."Zeke: *embarrassingly* "I, um, don't think you need to know about that."Clementine: "Come on... Please? I'll try not to tease you."Zeke: "I doubt that."Clementine: "Okay... maybe just a little bit."
- Signature Headgear: Her trademark baseball cap.
- Sleep Cute: Of the more platonic variety with Zeke.
- Survivor's Guilt: Subverted. Early on in the story, Clementine is still torn up by the deaths of her previous group and blames herself for getting them killed. Thankfully, her time spent at Howe's Hardware helps her move past it.
- After Reggie is caught and left behind after the group's first escape from Howe's, she blames herself for leaving him behind.
- Tomboyish Baseball Cap: Her baseball cap was a gift from her father and she's almost never seen without it.
- Two Girls and a Guy: With Sarah and Zeke.
- You Remind Me of X: Zeke tells Clementine that she would have gotten along well with his little brother, Decker.
Howe's Hardware Deserters
A group of survivors who accept Clementine into their community before deserting and meeting Zeke. Sarah
The Deuteragonist of Old Scars. A teenage girl living in Carver's Settlement, Clementine's closest friend and Zeke's Love Interest. Initially an anxious and sheltered girl, Sarah starts to show more signs of maturity and independence after meeting Zeke.
- Adaptation Deviation: A pretty big one at that.
- Abled in the Adaptation: In the game, it was implied that Sarah suffered from developmental issues and acted somewhat less mature than Clementine. Here, Sarah only seems to suffer from anxiety, often becoming extremely worried or socially awkward on occasion. Even that is a little more downplayed.
- Adaptational Badass: She spends more time learning the skills necessary for surviving in the outside world and is much more emotionally stable than her video game counterpart. She even has the stones to call out her father and tell him to stop controlling her. That alone is an impressive feat for her.
- Adaptational Personality Change: She is significantly more mature and independent compared to her video game counterpart. Here, Sarah shows more desire to learn how to defend herself and is constantly trying to get stronger, much like Clementine. Her more mature side comes to light when she helps Zeke cope with his grief over Decker's death, while also learning how to pull her own weight.
- Ascended Extra: While being an important character in the game, here, Sarah is given an even bigger role as a Deuteragonist, serving as Zeke's Love Interest and Clementine's closest friend.
- Attempted Rape: She's rendered unconscious and almost raped by a scavenger. Thankfully, she is saved by Zeke.
- Best Friend: To Clementine, despite their age gap.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Becomes more noticeable over the course of the story, as Zeke's influence helps Sarah gain more confidence, grit and capability.
- Big Sister Instinct: Sarah gains the incentive to act more mature so she can look after Clementine, not the other way around like in the game. She also seems to feel this way towards Genevieve as well.
- Birds of a Feather: With Zeke. Both of them suffer from Psychological issues; Sarah with her anxieties, Zeke with his PTSD. They also had no friends before the outbreak and fathers who made life difficult for them.
- Break the Cutie: Oh, big time. Just like in the game, Sarah doesn't handle her father's death very well. But here, it actually gets worse. Not only does she lose her father, but she's also led to believe that she left her boyfriend for dead during the escape from Howe's. Now, Zeke did actually survive and is currently looking for her, but Sarah is completely unaware and is left emotionally crippled as a result.
- Brooding Boy, Gentle Girl: The sweet, Gentle Girl to Zeke's troubled, Brooding Boy. He is still saddened by his brother's passing and misses him dearly, while Sarah sticks close to him to offer comfort and support.
- Calling the Old Man Out: She starts to show her independence by telling Carlos to stop controlling her and give Zeke a chance to prove himself to the group.
- Character Development: Sarah starts out as an anxious and sheltered girl, into a more independent and capable survivor.
- Children Are Innocent: Invoked and later Defied. Carlos goes to great lengths to ensure Sarah remains innocent and unaware. However, she knows how serious the situation is and wants to learn how to fend for herself.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."
- Combat Medic: Downplayed. Sarah is learning how to take care of herself from Zeke and basic medical training from her father, but is still inexperienced in both areas.
- Cooldown Hug: After watching Zeke undergo a Heroic BSoD, Sarah calms him down with a comforting hug and a kiss on the cheek.
- Cute Bookworm: In Zeke's eyes, at least. Sarah really enjoys reading and is discussed between her and Zeke.
- Despair Event Horizon: A pretty big one. After watching her father die and her boyfriend going missing, Sarah is left emotionally shattered.
- Don't You Dare Pity Me!: 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.
- Friendless Background: She had no friends growing up and was a subject of bullying at her old school.
- Happily Failed Suicide: When trying to overcome the loss of her father and Zeke's disappearance becomes to much for her, Sarah is ready to commit suicide by slitting her wrists. However, she ultimately can't bring herself to do it and is given a Helpful Hallucination of Zeke. This ultimately helps her finally heal from the experience.
- Hidden Depths: While she may seem timid and sheltered at first glance, Sarah is surprisingly mature and independent, helping Zeke overcome his inner demons while looking out for Clementine and Genevieve.
- I Just Want to Have Friends: How she feels towards Clementine. Seeing how Carlos sheltered her from the world, it could be inferred that he is partially responsible for her being lonely.
- The Load: Defied. Initially ill-prepared to take care of herself thanks to Carlos isolating her from the ugly realities of the world, Sarah starts to become more capable of looking after herself thanks in large-part to Zeke.
- Love at First Sight: Sarah starts to take an immediate liking to Zeke after seeing him for the first time.
- Nerd Glasses: Sarah wears a pair of “Cat-eye” glasses until Troy crushes them under his boot. After that, she receives her mother's glasses.
- Nice Girl: Aside from Clementine, Sarah is one of the sweetest girls in the story.
- Official Couple: With Zeke as of Chapter 15.
- Parental Issues: Has them with her dad, although they're not nearly as bad as Zeke's.
- Knight Templar Parent: Her father is fiercely protective over her. He even threatens to kill Zeke if he gets too close to her.
- Single Woman Seeks Good Man: At first, it seemed as if Sarah liked Zeke because of his tough attitude. In Chapter 20, however, Sarah reveals that she started dating Zeke because he had a good heart and had suffered like she and her father had.
- Shrinking Violet: Justified, Downplayed and later Subverted. Before the outbreak, Sarah was bullied in school and suffers from anxiety. However, she has shown to be more comfortable when people she can trust are nearby and becomes more confident as the story progresses.
- Took a Level in Badass: Thanks to Zeke, her entire character arc revolves around her going from a scared, sheltered girl into a more confident, capable survivor. Her attitude adjustment towards Becca definitely proves how much stronger she's gotten.Becca: Well, well, well... Sarah the crybaby has returned.Becca: Oh? So you think you're tough now? I bet I could still beat your ass easily.Sarah: I'm not scared of you anymore.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: 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. She eventually manages to realize what she's doing and soon reverts to her more vulnerable self.
- True Companions: With Clementine.
- Two Girls and a Guy: With her close friend, Clementine, and her boyfriend, Zeke.
Carlos
Sarah's father and the medic of the group.While his overprotective nature over Sarah can come off as harsh, even abusive at times, he is deeply wounded by the loss of his wife and only wants to protect her.
- Adaptational Jerkass: He's more aggressive and confrontational than he is in the video game.
- Character Development: He starts off being very controlling and overprotective. However, after realizing what he's done, he agrees to give Zeke a break and let Sarah learn how to protect herself.
- Control Freak: Justified and later Subverted. His daughter suffers from anxiety and his greatest fear is her being unable to handle the situation they live in. He goes to great lengths to make sure Sarah remains innocent and relies on him. However, he eventually realizes that she needs to be more self-reliant in order to survive, and decides to give her more freedom.
- Cynicism Catalyst: After losing his wife, his daughter is all he really has left, which explains why he tries to protect her so much.
- Freudian Excuse: Sarah has made it very clear that the death of his wife has not be easy for him.
- Horrible Judge of Character: He sees Zeke as a threat to the group, even though he hardly even knows him and is more confrontational and aggressive towards everyone. Even his own daughter calls him out on it. Thankfully, he decides to get to know Zeke better and cuts him some slack.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.”
- Hypocrite: He claims Zeke is dangerous to the group, yet he punches Luke when he confronts him after threatening to kill Zeke.
- Jerkass: He dislikes the idea of Sarah being close to Clementine and Zeke. Especially Zeke.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He may be confrontational and a control freak, but he does genuinely love his daughter and cares about the groups well-being.
- Kick the Dog: When he finds out that Sarah had snuck out of the cabin and ended up sleeping next to Zeke, Carlos flips out and almost chokes Zeke to death.
- Knight Templar Parent: If you so much as look at his daughter wrong, Carlos will be on your case. It later gets Subverted after he and Sarah have a much needed talk.
- The Medic: He is usually the one to patch up any injuries his fellow survivors undergo.
- Pet the Dog: After getting mad and yelling at Clementine in Chapter 3, Carlos soon apologizes and tries to make amends.
- After a much needed talk with Sarah, Carlos finally decides to cut Zeke some slack and actually tries to get to know him.
- Suspiciously Similar Substitute: His overprotective nature towards Sarah and bad attitude make him appear to be a less extreme version of Larry from Season 1.
- Underestimating Badassery: Badly underestimates Sarah's capability and willingness to look out for herself.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: He tries to keep Sarah innocent and unaware of the world around her, fearing that her anxiety would cause her to shut down.
- Took a Level in Kindness: He starts to ease up much more after Chapter 16, letting Sarah be more independent and tries to get to know Zeke better.
Pete
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.
- Cool Old Guy: Is one of the nicest members and the most reasonable.
- Declaration of Protection: 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.
- Driven to Suicide: Possibly. Before making his heroic sacrifice, Zeke gave him a gun to protect himself with and to keep himself from turning into a walker.
- Heroic Sacrifice: After being bitten by a walker, Pete creates a distraction to help Zeke and Clementine escape.
- The Leader: He served as one after Deserting Howe's Hardware.
- Let Her Grow Up, Dear: He defends Sarah and Zeke's relationship from Carlos, telling him it was only a matter of time before she took interest in boys.
- Parental Substitute: He served as a father figure for Luke, Nick and Zeke.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: He sticks up for Zeke against Nick and Carlos, with pretty much everyone else having his back.
- Sacrificial Lion: He starts off as the defacto leader of the Deserters and his death causes friction in the group.
- Team Dad: Of the group. Especially towards Luke and Nick.
- Universally Beloved Leader: Barring Nick and Carlos, everyone in the group seems to approve of Pete's leadership.
Luke
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.
- Big Brother Instinct: Luke tends to treat the younger members of the group, especially Clementine and Zeke, like they're his younger siblings.
- Big Brother Mentor: To Clementine and Zeke.
- Big Damn Heroes: Both Zeke and Clementine might have died had it not been for him.
- Cool Big Bro: He tries his best to be this with Zeke and Clementine, often with mixed results.
- Childhood Friends: With Nick. The two have known each other for twenty years.
- Establishing Character Moment: When approaching a distraught Clementine, Luke calmly approaches the girl and gives her some much needed comfort.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Nick.
- Ideal Hero: He tries his damnedest to be this.
- The Leader: He becomes this after Pete's death.
- Machete Mayhem: His weapon of choice.
- Nerves of Steel: Even when hanging for dear life under a bridge, Luke manages to stay calm and think something out.
- Nice Guy: Is probably one of the nicest people among the deserters and wants what's best for everyone.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: He's quick to defend Zeke from Nick and Carlos and sticks up for him.
- The Talk: Played for Laughs between him and Zeke.
- What the Hell, Hero?: He is understandably pissed at Bonnie when she helps Carver take his group back to Howe's. Even more so when Nick dies saving Zeke.
Nick
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.
- Abusive Parents: Nick's father wasn't around much when he was a kid. And when he was, he wasn't good company.
- Butt-Monkey: Clementine and Sarah have made a habit of pulling pranks on him.
- Child Hater: Subverted. Nick doesn't hate children. He's just not very good with them.
- Childhood Friends: With Luke.
- Death by Adaptation: When Carver holds Zeke at gunpoint, ready to execute him, Nick throws himself in front of Carver's gun, taking the bullet instead of letting Zeke die.
- Drowning My Sorrows: How he copes with his issues.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: Deconstructed. Nick is known for his short temper and it constantly gets him into trouble. It gets even worse after Connie dies.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Luke.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He has a very rocky relationship with Clementine and Zeke, and his temper makes it hard for the others to tolerate him. However, underneath it all, Nick is a good man who just wants to do right by everyone.
- Manchild: He has been told by Pete that he needs to grow up and accept the “simple truth”.
- Nephewism: Pete served as more of a father figure for Nick than his actual father.
- Used to Be a Sweet Kid: When he was younger.
Rebecca
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.
- Abled in the Adaptation: Rebecca is neither pregnant or a victim of rape in this fanfiction.
- Adaptational Nice Guy: While her video-game counterpart was willing to shoot Clementine after she arrives at the Cabin, here she is much more tender and nurturing towards Clementine and the others. Probably justified, seeing how she wasn't raped by Carver or pregnant.
- Doting Parent: To Clementine.“She's just so wonderful. Luke, I'm glad you found her. Someone like her shouldn't be out there in this world."
- Education Mama: Downplayed. She tutors Clementine, Sarah and Becca (even though she's more reluctant).
- Good Parents: To Clementine, who couldn't be happier.
- Happily Adopted: Both she and Alvin decide to adopt Clementine and help fill in the gap that was left after Lee and her parents died.
- They later decide to adopt Genevieve after looking after her for some time.
- Mama Bear: She is not happy when somebody gives Clementine a hard time.
- Promoted to Parent: While she served as a maternal figure for Clementine in the game, here she actually adopts Clementine as her own.
- Shipper on Deck: She's fully aware of Sarah's liking to Zeke and doesn't seem to mind.
- Team Mom: Rebecca serves as a maternal figure for Sarah and Genevieve. She eventually adopts the latter.
Alvin
Rebecca's husband and Clementine's adoptive father. While he's more levelheaded than his wife, he is a bit of a pushover.
- The Big Guy: Clementine convinces Carver to spare him, seeing how he's the strongest of the group and could do a lot of work with hard labor.
- Beware the Nice Ones: He kills Carver's friend, George, while the group fled the compound.
- Gentle Giant: He's big and kind of intimidating, but he's friendly, soft-spoken and tries to be a voice of reason.
- Happily Adopted: He and Rebecca decide to adopt Clementine after looking after her for a few weeks and adopt Genevieve in Chapter 20.
- Henpecked Husband: He's a bit of a pushover compared to Rebecca.
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: With Clementine.
- Nice Guy: He's a pretty friendly man and a great father to Clementine.
- Papa Wolf: 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.
- Parental Substitute: For Clementine and Genevieve before finally adopting them.
Connie
Nick's mother and Pete's sister.
- Action Mom: She seemed to be good with a gun and didn't want any coddling from her brother, Pete.
- Forgotten Fallen Friend: Inverted. While she isn't mentioned too often, it's made clear that her passing has not been easy for Nick.
- Named by the Adaptation: Nick's mother was never given a name, so the creator decided to name her as such.
- Parental Substitute: She takes a liking to Clementine and was against the idea of her learning how to shoot a gun.
- Sacrificial Lamb: Her death served to break Nick and remind Clementine that anyone can die.
- Spared by the Adaptation: Her video game counterpart is already dead before the events of Season 2 begin, although it doesn't stay that was for long.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: She is one of the first characters to die in the story.
Howe's Hardware Community
A small settlement run under the ruthless dictatorship of William Carver. William "Bill" Carver
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.
- Above Good and Evil: Right and Wrong mean nothing to him. All that matters is survival.
- Adaptational Villainy: Somehow, Carver is given a serious villain upgrade and even more unhinged than he was in-game. He makes two threats upon a baby's life, relentlessly kills anyone who crosses him or questions his authority, subjects Clementine to Cold-Blooded Torture, and makes an example of Vince by cutting his head off with a knife.
- Ax-Crazy: It's obvious that underneath his guise as a leader, Carver is unhinged and extremely dangerous. He beheads Vince for speaking up to him.
- Bad Boss: Carer is not screwing around and does not take subordination kindly. When Vince stands up to him and tells him to stop torturing Clementine, Carver responds by stabbing Vince in the neck and decapitating him.
- Can't Kill You, Still Need You: He sees Clementine as the next leader for his community and can't afford to let her get harmed.
- Corrupt the Cutie: What he wants to do to Clementine so she can become the leader he thinks his settlement needs.
- Decapitation Presentation: After killing Vince, Carver cuts off his head and presents it to the community as a warning to anyone who crosses him.
- Determinator: He will stop at nothing to get Clementine back in his clutches.
- The Dreaded: By the Howe Deserters. Especially Clementine.
- Evil Former Friend: The Deserters used to be a part of his settlement before he took a turn for the worse.
- Evil Mentor: To Clementine, and everyone knows it.
- Faux Affably Evil: His polite and charming demeanor is a mask to hide how brutal and ruthless he truly is. Subverted when he decides to drop the act all together.
- Feel No Pain: Zeke stabs him in the arm with his knife, and Carver only groans in pain.
- Humans Are Bastards: He considers other humans a greater threat than the walkers.
- I Am Not Left-Handed: It's later revealed that Carver was really holding himself back at how ruthless he truly was, and proves it when Vince tries to reason with him. [[spoiler:After beheading Vince, Carter makes a clear statement that insubordination will not be tolerated
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Subverted. At first, he seemed fairly decent and respectable. By chapter 6, Bill has completely changed, throwing away any moral boundaries he once held.
- Kick the Dog: He has many of these. Threatening to kill Genevieve and physically abusing Clementine are only a few.
- Misery Builds Character: 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.
- Never My Fault: He never seems to take account of his actions, always shifting the blame to those who push him to such extremes.
- Passing the Torch: 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.
- Sanity Slippage: Throughout the story, he becomes more apathetic and unhinged, believing that only the strong can survive by dropping their morals.
- The Villain Wins: In a very twisted sort of way. Carver vows to strip Clementine of any innocence until she's him. After killing Kenny, Clementine takes revenge by massacring him with an axe. Given the amount of trauma it's left her, it's safe to assume he's won.
- Virtue Is Weakness: When he hears Clem's unwillingness to kill a human, he becomes disappointed in her and calls her weak.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: 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.
- Would Hurt a Child / Would Hita Girl: He's been physically abusive towards Clementine and has made two threats upon Genevieve's life.
Bonnie
Another member of Howe's Hardware who helps Carver bring back the Deserters.
- Apologetic Attacker: She apologizes to Zeke and Sarah when she takes them hostage.
- Apologizes a Lot: 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.
- The Friend Nobody Likes: 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.
- Heel–Face Turn: Following the death of Vince, Bonnie realizes how wrong she was about Carver's settlement before finally agreeing to help Clementine, Zeke and the gang escape from Howe's one last time.
- Hero with an F in Good: 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.
- Token Good Teammate: She's appalled by the idea of Carver killing Sarah or Zeke and is saddened by Nick's death.
Troy
One of Carver's enforcers who's temper is as foul as his mouth.
- Child Hater: He's mean to pretty much everyone, even Clementine and Sarah.
- The Friend Nobody Likes: Nobody at Howe's seems to like him. Not even Carver.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: 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.
- Kick the Dog: Alongside his multiple death threats towards Zeke, he responds to Zeke's rebellious attitude by breaking Sarah's glasses.
- Sir Swears-a-Lot: You'd having an easier time counting his sentences that don't have swears in them.
- Would Hurt a Child: He's more than willing to hurt Clementine or Sarah, and even comes close to shooting Zeke with his rifle, that is until Jane steps in.
Shel
A young woman living at Howe's Hardware with her younger sister, Becca.
- Big Sister Instinct: She seems to have this for Sarah, seeing how she had to take a lot of responsibility with Becca.
- Break the Cutie: Vince's decapitation does not go well for her.
- Nice Girl: 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.
- Ship Tease: With Vince. She takes his death especially hard compared to the rest of her friends.
Becca
Shel's rambunctious, slightly bratty, younger sister.
- Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: As different as she and Shel are, it's clear that Becca loves her older sister dearly. When Shel is devastated by Vince's death, Becca is quick to comfort her.
- Bratty Teenage Daughter: She's rude, self-centered and badly behaved. She also hates the idea of going back to school.
- The Cynic: Her overall attitude is very bitter and sarcastic, much like Zeke's when he first met Christa and Omid.
- Jerkass: She certainly acts this way towards Sarah, belittling and chastising her. She also has the nerve to flirt with Zeke in Sarah's presence.
Vince
A leader of a small group of survivors who joined Howe's Hardware for protection. He is killed by Carver when he stands up for Clementine and asks Carver to stop.
- The Leader: Of his own group consisting of Bonnie, Shel, Becca, Wyatt and Russel.
- Nice Guy: He was appalled at the sight of Carver torturing Clementine and forcing her into torturing a boy.
- Off with His Head!: When he asks Carver to stop hurting Clementine, Carver stabs Vince in the neck before cutting off his head completely.
- Sacrificial Lion: His death at the hands of Carver was used to help his group gain the incentive to leave Howe's.
- Ship Tease: With Shel. She takes his death especially hard compared to the rest of his friends.
Jane
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.
- Adaptational Heroism: 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.
- Big Damn Heroes: To Zeke three times. First she stops Troy from shooting him in cold blood, second she saves him from getting overwhelmed by walkers, and third time she helps him escape their hideout when a group of armed scavengers come looking for them.
- Big Sister Instinct: She seems to be developing this towards Zeke, seeing how she's saved his life three times now and wants to keep him close to her.
- Birds of a Feather: Jane lampshades that she's this with Zeke. See Foil below.
- Hidden Heart of Gold: As much as Jane tries to hide it, she is a very caring person, especially around Zeke.
- 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.
- Foil: To Zeke. Both of them were once older siblings who lost the ones they cared about the most, and it was that loss that left them both emotionally broken. However, while Jane later adopted the mentality that she was better off on her own instead of letting others weigh her down, Zeke mellowed out and filled the gap in his life by forming bonds with other survivors.
- Junior Counterpart: Inverted. Zeke actually sees much of himself in Jane, before meeting Christa and Omid, and wonders if she needs help like he did.
Ski Lodge Survivors
A group of survivors held up at a Ski Lodge who host the Deserters when they're on the run from Carver. Kenny
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.
- Adaptational Heroism: While Kenny saw Clementine as a replacement Duck in the game, here, he finally realizes that what he's doing isn't fair to Clementine and decides to stop treating her like a replacement and let her make her own choices.
- Adaptational Jerkass: 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.
- Asskicking Leads to Leadership: 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.
- Dark and Troubled Past: He lost his entire family prior to the events of the story and is clearly still suffering from the after-effects.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: Kenny's temper has significantly worsened over time, making him more hostile and aggressive than he was before.
- The Leader: He serves as the leader of the ski-lodge survivors.
- Morality Chain: Sarita and Clementine serve as this for him, being the only characters who can keep him under control and listen to reason.
- Papa Wolf: 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.
- Replacement Goldfish: Subverted. He wants to adopt Clementine because of how much she reminds him of Duck. However, after a much needed talk, he starts to realize that it wouldn't be fair for Clementine to have to live up to Duck's standards and agrees to let her stay with Rebecca and Alvin. The news of Sarita being pregnant with his child also helps his case.
- Taking You with Me: 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.
- Too Stupid To Live: A lot of his actions are only going to cause more harm than good to the group.
- What the Hell, Hero?: When Carver has Zeke and Sarah at gunpoint, threatening to kill them in Kenny doesn't cooperate, Kenny responds by attacking Carver, which almost leads to Zeke's execution. Needless to say, Keith isn't particularly happy with him afterwards.
Matthew
One of the members of the Ski Lodge survivors who is the first to greet the Deserters.
- Break the Cutie: Walter's death at Carver's hand is definitely not doing him any favors.
- Dark Is Not Evil: He looks dangerous thanks to his black hoodie, goatee and hunting rifle, but is actually a pretty decent guy.
- Friend to All Children: Seeing Clementine and Genevieve is enough to convince him the Deserters are decent-enough people.
- Nice Guy: Offers food to Zeke and Luke and decides to help the rest of the group Deserters when he discovers they have Clementine and Genevieve.
- Spared by the Adaptation: Instead of being shot by a trigger-happy Nick, he is saved by Zeke, who ruins Nick's aim.
Sarita
An Indian woman who resides in the Ski Lodge. She's Kenny's new partner who is also pregnant with his child.
- Crusading Widow: Seeing how Kenny is dead and she's pregnant with his child, she qualifies as this.
- Morality Pet: To Kenny.
- Nice Girl: 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.
- Pregnant Badass: She's revealed to be pregnant in Chapter 21 and would have to be badass to have survived this long.
- What the Hell, Hero?: She is understandably shocked at the notion of Kenny separating Clementine from the group she has come to call her family.
Walter
A former teacher who lives at the ski lodge. He's also Matthew's partner.
- Nice Guy: Much like Matthew, Walter is polite and genial towards the Deserters.
- Only Sane Man: He constantly tries to be a voice of reason, often proposing the plan ahead instead of improvising.
- Schrödinger's Cast: Instead of being shot in the head by Carver, he and the rest of his group are taken back to Howe's Hardware as hostages. After their arrival, he calmly asks Carver to ease up and not hurt anyone, only to be greeted with a bullet to the brain.
Zeke's Group
The survivors Zeke spent time with before meeting Clementine and the rest of the Howe's Deserters. Omid
A survivor who lets Zeke join his group after losing Clementine.
- Big Brother Instinct: He seems to have developed this with Zeke over time.
- Cynicism Catalyst: While it isn't seen much, he appears to be more serious and less goofy after Christa's death.
- Deadpan Snarker: He engages in Snark-to-Snark Combat with Zeke after meeting him.
- Spared by the Adaptation: He is not killed by Michelle at the rest stop. But...
- Schrödinger's Cast: ...ends up meeting Christa's fate in the video game by being ambushed by Scavengers and going missing. And probably killed.
Christa
Omid's pregnant girlfriend who gives Zeke the closure and sympathy he'd been needing to help straighten out his problems.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: While she is initially suspicious of Zeke, she quickly warms up to him and accepts him into the group.
- Morality Pet: Christa provides the words of encouragement that helps set Zeke on the right path."Look, I know the world is bad, but there is some good left in it. You could have very well killed us the night you came in house that we were in, but you didn't."
- Schrödinger's Cast: Instead of being ambushed by Scavengers, Christa dies giving birth to her daughter, Genevieve.
- Was It Really Worth It?: She asks this to Zeke when she hears how he avenged his brother's death by killing the man responsible.
Genevieve
Christa and Omid's daughter whom Zeke looks after when he is separated from them.
- Achilles' Heel: To Zeke. He'll do anything to keep her safe.
- Baby Talk: Most of what she says is just baby babble.
- Brainy Baby: Downplayed seeing how she's far from a genius. However, despite being a year-and-a-half old, Genevieve can string together coherent words, manages to walk on two legs, and seems to be able to understand what she hears. She's even smart enough to know that crying tends to attract more trouble.
- Happily Adopted: By Alvin and Rebecca in Chapter 20.
- Improbable Infant Survival: 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.
- Living Emotional Crutch: To Zeke. She helps him keep his anxieties in check and motivates him to stay strong.
- Morality Chain: The better person Zeke has become is thanks in large part to her.
- Protectorate: While everyone in the cabin wants to look out for her, Zeke feels the most responsible for her.
- Sole Survivor: She's the only surviving member of Zeke's original party.
Decker Bowman
Zeke's deceased little brother.
- Abusive Parents: Shared in his father's abuse with Zeke.
- Big Brother Worship: It's clear that Decker thought very highly of his older brother.
- Companion Cube: One of his most prized possessions was a stuffed dog Zeke got him for Christmas and even buried him with.
- Kid Sidekick: To Zeke, even though they were siblings.
- Morality Pet: He was the one good thing in Zeke's messed up life before the outbreak.
- Posthumous Character: Decker is already dead before the story takes place, but is mentioned in almost every chapter that features Zeke and shares the spotlight in many of his stories regarding his past.
