History Characters / DeadIsland

* SexDrugsAndRockAndRoll His in-game bio is essentially a by-the-numbers play on this trope: he generated ''one'' song that became extremely popular, spent more than he earned through partying and self-indulgence, realized he needed another hit, and failed to make another hit despite making several new songs.

* LinearWarriorsQuadraticWizards: Purna has a reputation as being an under-powered character because firearms and ammunition in both games are very scarce until you get through the opening levels. Once she has the chance to get a blue-quality shotgun or automatic rifle and slap on a shock, fire, or poison mod, an appropriately specialized Purna can stack her auras, damage multipliers, and rage mode together to become a one-woman apocalypse. The other characters have substantial advantages of their own, but as firearms take more precedence in the late game, no one else can match Purna's sheer damage output.

* PrecisionFStrike: The game does not shy away from swearing, but Xian only does this twice: once after recovering when the kuru virus had made her into a BloodKnight that would have [[VideoGames/SaintsRow Johnny Gat]] propose, and to Serpo upon his admission of all the atrocities he is behind.

* Bodyguard Babes: Her current job, much to her chagrin.

[[folder:NPCs introduced in Dead Island]]

[[folder:NPCs introduced in Dead Island: Riptide]]

[[folder: The Playable Characters]]

* GoodIsNotSoft: Xian and John, in contrast to the others, are essentially the Chinese embodyment of death and Franchise/{{Wolverine}}, but very kind, caring, and helpful. Especially Xian, who can be heard expressing sympathy to special infected. Before killing them.

Xian Mei was born and raised in China by her father, a Hong Kong police force chief inspector who taught Xian martial arts from a young age, and was murdered by a Triad enforcer. She decided to follow in her father's footsteps and joined the Hong Kong police force, where she was selected to join the first all-female anti-organised crime unit. However, the team and its members were commissioned by the police force for the PR boost rather than their skill. Xian was soon planted undercover at Royal Palms Resort as a receptionist, [[ReassignedToAntarctica mostly because they had nothing better to do with her]], and feels shame and disappointment that her potential is being wasted.

[[folder: Characters Introduced in ''Escape Dead Island'']]

[[folder: Zombies]]

* AngryBlackMan: Or woman, in this case. Although a somewhat nuanced and not extremely egregious example. She shows an ''extremely'' poor attitude towards authority figures, but is reasonably tolerant of her three companions and is quite tender towards Jin.

* BlackBestFriend: Well, east Indian maybe.

* EarWorm: InUniverse example with "Who Do You Voodoo, Bitch?"

* ShoutOut: [[Franchise/FridayThe13th He is an insane killer named Jason, wearing a hockey mask and wielding a machete]]. He also keeps [[Franchise/TheTexasChainsawMassacre a chainsaw]] in his shack.

* TheBerserker: ''Riptide'' clarifies that the "Rage Mode" power-up is a side-effect of the zombie virus within them, which becomes more severe in that game. Exactly how this ability gives Logan and Purna infinite throwing knives and bullets respectively [[FridgeLogic is not explained]].

* EmergencyTransformation:[[spoiler: The player takes an additional dosage of mutagen to take on the drugged-up, insane, mutated Harlow in ''Riptide'', giving them infinite Rage-Mode for a while. Thankfully, the heroes are able to handle the mutation better and the symptoms actually wear off.]]
* GoodIsNotSoft: Xian and John, in contrast to the others, are essentially the Chinese embodyment of death and {{Wolverine}}, but very kind, caring, and helpful. Especially Xian, who can be heard expressing sympathy to special infected. Before killing them.

* {{Jerkass}}[=/=]JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Everyone except Xian Mei and John Morgan. Sam B and Purna in particular are very rude and aggressive, and Logan is very gruff and coarse. All of them seem to care about other survivors and willingly help out, but those three will blow up at anyone who questions them or slows them down.

** AmbiguousSituation: [[spoiler: The fact that ''Riptide'' was specifically denied to be "Dead Island 2" has left some believing that the 5 heroes will be back. The fact that Xian Mei appears alive and unmutated in ''Escape Dead Island'', which takes place several months after ''Riptide'', suggests at least some of the team survived the cliffhanger.]]
** AndThenJohnWasAZombie: [[spoiler: This is what the ending seems to imply, possibly due to the extra dose of mutagen they took for the final boss (which they ''hoped'' wore off), but the whole thing is so quick and sudden that it's impossible to be sure if it isn't some trick being pulled on the player.]]
** ShootTheShaggyDog: [[spoiler: If the above is correct.]]

* TrueCompanions: Definitely so, by the end of the first game. In addition to this n the second game, there's also the group of survivors who you actually manage to shepherd through the entire game.

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dead-island-artwork-concept-002-XianMei-wallpaper_7640.jpg

* ActionGirl: [[http://deadisland.deepsilver.com/characters.php Her bio]] describes her as "a passionate sportswoman" who is "quick on her feet."
** And then there's her ''in-game'' biography, which is totally different. The website and manual make her sound like an idealistic young girl who wants to travel the world. If you pick her off the character selection screen, you get the real story, told to you by Xian Mei herself.
** It's been noted that, being an undercover cop, the website is most likely telling the lie from her end, and playing as her reveals the truth about what she does.

* {{Expy}}: Whether it's deliberate or not, her background is a ''lot'' like [[VideoGame/StreetFighter Chun Li's]].

* [[NoRespectGuy No Respect Gal]]: Her back-story.
* [[OnlySaneMan Only Sane Woman]][=/=]TokenGoodTeammate: In the cutscenes, Xian Mei comes across as the sanest and most idealistic of the four heroes. She disagrees with the other three's suggestions to abandon the other survivors and save themselves, agrees with Jin's desire to help everybody, and is the only person to sensibly point out that they have no reason ''not'' to trust The Voice, who's been completely helpful and non-threatening, while the others start screaming at the guy because he's an authority figure (Purna) or because they want to make their own way out (Logan). In the beginning of Act III she even gives a RousingSpeech to the other 3 characters to convince them to search for the vaccine and save the world instead of heading straight for the extraction point and just saving themselves.
* OvertOperative: Xian's cover is basically transparent. The rest of the survivors figure out something's up when they revisit the hotel in Act 2, although it's never followed up on.

* TheHero: Moreso than Purna below, she was featured prominently in the first game and works to uncover the truth in the upcoming ''Escape Dead Island.''

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Dead_island_logan_full_4962.png

** UnfazedEveryman[=/=]CowardlyLion: In the cutscenes Logan is by far the least confident, least experienced, and most "everyman" of the 4 survivors.

* ImprobableAimingSkills[=/=]PrecisionGuidedBoomerang: With the Economical Throw and Boomerang talents, Logan has a high chance to injure multiple enemies with a single thrown weapon, doing splash damage on impact to anything nearby, and with the weapon returning to his hand afterward. This includes weapons like sticky-bomb knives that theoretically ''exploded on impact''. Even at very low levels, his Fury attack also ricochets, letting him kill large crowds of Walkers or Infected with one or two thrown knives.

* JackOfAllStats[=/=]MasterOfNone: Logan's Combat skill tree provides slight passive bonuses to using blunt weapons, sharp weapons, ''and'' firearms, without the additional levels of specialization that the other characters are offered. This makes him very well-rounded, but he doesn't have access to any of the higher-tier skills. His only unique area of specialization are his boomerang ability and other skills related to thrown weapons.

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/deadisland-artwork-SamB_7084.jpg

* EarWorm / MemeticMutation: InUniverse example with "Who Do You Voodoo, Bitch?"

* {{Horrorcore}}: Though it's never outright stated, it's pretty clear that his OneHitWonder falls squarely under this genre.

-->''PVP'', '''MOTHERFUCKERS'''! This is how we churn ''BUTTER'', '''[[TheBigEasy N'AWLINS STYLE]]'''!

* [[SexDrugsAndRockAndRoll Sex, Drugs, and Rap]]: His in-game bio is essentially a by-the-numbers play on this trope: he generates ''one'' song that became extremely popular, spent more than he earned through partying and self-indulgence, realized he needed another hit, and fails to make another hit despite making several new songs.

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dead-island-purna_93821-1024x768_6331.jpg

* [[AngryBlackMan Angry Black Woman]]: Although a somewhat nuanced and not extremely egregious example. She shows an ''extremely'' poor attitude towards authority figures, but is reasonably tolerant of her three companions and is quite tender towards Jin.
* {{Bodyguard Babe|s}}: Her current job, much to her chagrin.

* [[CowboyCop Cowgirl Cop]]: She wound up taking the law into her own hands... [[RealityEnsues Naturally, this is the reason she was fired from the Sydney PD.]]

* GroinAttack: She didn't kill the child molester she shot. She gelded him.
** Purna's in-game bio has her say specifically that she "just" blew the guy's balls off. In the novel, however, she killed him, and tells Logan and Sam without any hesitation that she enjoyed doing it.
** Also, she treats a drunk to this when he [[TooDumbToLive gropes her breasts]] in the intro sequence.

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/deadisland-riptide-all-all-artwork-concept-john-morgan-640_9068.jpg

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ryder_white_1849.png

The first person you "meet" in the game, The Voice contacts you through the hotel's intercom system and guides you to safety through the prologue level. Throughout the game, it's mentioned that he has been contacting the various groups of island survivors (most prominently John Sinamoi's group) in an attempt to coordinate a response to the zombie outbreak. When the players eventually succeed in making radio contact with him, he reveals his identity as Colonel Ryder White of the Banoi Island Defense Force, the leader of the military contingent sent to contain the outbreak on the island. He requests that they help him by retrieving a vaccine for the zombie infection before meeting him in person to escape the island. His primary motivation is to save his wife Emily, who has been infected by the zombie virus and is slowly turning into one of them.

* MissionControl
** This is done interestingly in Ryder White's campaign. MissionControl gives Ryder objectives over the radio, but Ryder is clearly the one in charge and issuing orders. It's an unusual dynamic that doesn't seem to have been done before in another game.

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/336px-dead_island_jin_in_prison_6223.jpg

* TheChick: She's the quietest, meekest, most delicate, idealistic and generally non-combative of the main crew.

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sinamoi_8707.png

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Despite being by far the most prominent quest giver in the first half of the game, after Act III he completely disappears from the plot (you can go back to the starting map and revisit him, but he has nothing to say).
** ''Dead Island: Epidemic'' shows that he survived Banoi and managed to escape, only to end up on ''another'' zombie-infested tropical island.

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https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/di_kevin_3916.jpg

An insane hostile survivor leaving in a shack next to Overpass Camp.

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/240px-di_roger_howard_2468.jpg

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-->Hardy: "I'm a soldier. I follow orders."
-->Logan: "Here's an order: Go fuck yourself."

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/250px-dead_island_riptide_frank_serpo_bust_7785.png

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/250px-dead_island_riptide_harlow_jordan_bust_9346.png

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Dead_Island_-_Vessels_4784.jpg

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Infected_4562.jpg

* [[ScreamingWarrior Screaming Zombie]]: Holy crap... the moment you hear this, run.

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/225px-Thug1_1456.jpg

* {{Determinator}}: Short of dying or ramming them with a vehicle, they can't be reliably knocked down like the other zombies.
** One reliable to deal with them alone is by breaking/cutting off their arms. They'll keep coming at you though, attacking with head butts while their arms flail around limply.

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Suicider_Zombie_3740.jpg

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https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Floater_3638.jpg

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* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: One early scene (see TearJerker) or hearing an [[HellIsThatNoise infected]] for the first time will have her exclaim, "oh my god." Most players would be saying the same thing. [[NightmareFuel Even if they are a hardcore atheist.]]

* WhoWearsShortShorts: In her Survivor skin in the definitive edition of ''Riptide'' she's changes her receptionist heels and skirt for a pair of sensible boots and shorts. She keeps her skirt as a sort of battle decoration or troply by tucking it into her shorts.

* TheLeader: Most likely, considering how she narrates the intro for Riptide.

* GoingCommando: Not entirely sure how someone found the time to discover it in-game, but apparently Xian [[http://kotaku.com/5843556/evidently-dead-islands-xian-does-not-wear-panties-%5Bnsfw%5D isn't a fan of underwear]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zy-TPe_Iut4 going from her model]]. Granted, this might be an oversight or conflicts in development (note how her model has darker skin than her art) otherwise unreliable due to contradicting official art since all of the model's lower half behind the skirt looks to be textured similar to the visible stocking covered bits (which don't reach past Xian's thighs as shown in her art). Needless to say, the links are {{NSFW}}.

* GoingCommando: Not entirely sure how someone found the time to discover it in-game, but apparently Xian [[http://kotaku.com/5843556/evidently-dead-islands-xian-does-not-wear-panties-%5Bnsfw%5D isn't a fan of underwear]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GZq0m9iUkI&t=2s going from her model]]. Granted, this might be an oversight or otherwise unreliable due to contradicting official art since all of the model's lower half behind the skirt looks to be textured similar to the visible stocking covered bits (which don't reach past Xian's thighs as shown in her art). Needless to say, the links are {{NSFW}}.

* GoingCommando: Not entirely sure how someone found the time to discover it in-game, but apparently Xian [[http://kotaku.com/5843556/evidently-dead-islands-xian-does-not-wear-panties-%5Bnsfw%5D isn't a fan of underwear]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GZq0m9iUkI&t=2s going from her model]]. Granted, this might be an oversight or otherwise unreliable from it contradicting official art since all of the model's lower half under the skirt look rather similar to the bits covered by stockings (which don't reach past Xian's thighs as shown in her art). Needless to say, the links are {{NSFW}}.

* GoingCommando: Not entirely sure how someone found the time to discover it in-game, but apparently Xian [[http://kotaku.com/5843556/evidently-dead-islands-xian-does-not-wear-panties-%5Bnsfw%5D isn't a fan of underwear]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GZq0m9iUkI&t=2s going from her model]]. Granted, this might be an oversight or otherwise unreliable from it contradicting official art since all of the model's lower half under the skirt is textured like the parts covered by stockings (which don't reach past Xian's legs as shown in her art). Needless to say, the links are {{NSFW}}.

* GoingCommando: Not entirely sure how someone found the time to discover it in-game, but apparently Xian [[http://kotaku.com/5843556/evidently-dead-islands-xian-does-not-wear-panties-%5Bnsfw%5D isn't a fan of underwear]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GZq0m9iUkI&t=2s going from her model]]. Granted, this might be an oversight or otherwise unreliable from it contradicting official art since the model's lower half under the skirt is textured like the parts covered by stockings (which don't reach past Xian's legs as shown in her art). Needless to say, the links are {{NSFW}}.

* GoingCommando: Not entirely sure how someone found the time to discover it in-game, but apparently Xian [[http://kotaku.com/5843556/evidently-dead-islands-xian-does-not-wear-panties-%5Bnsfw%5D isn't a fan of underwear under her pantyhose]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GZq0m9iUkI&t=2s going from her model]]. Granted, this might be an oversight or otherwise unreliable from it contradicting official art since the model's lower half under the skirt is textured like the parts covered by hose while it's clear to see from Xian's art that her hose doesn't reach past her legs. Needless to say, the links are {{NSFW}}.

* GoingCommando: Not entirely sure how someone found the time to discover it in-game, but apparently Xian [[http://kotaku.com/5843556/evidently-dead-islands-xian-does-not-wear-panties-%5Bnsfw%5D isn't a fan of underwear under her pantyhose]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GZq0m9iUkI&t=2s going from her model]]. Granted, this might be an oversight or otherwise unreliable from contradicting official art since the model's lower half under the skirt is textured like the parts covered by hose. Needless to say, the links are {{NSFW}}.

* GoingCommando: Not entirely sure how someone found the time to discover it in-game, but apparently Xian [[http://kotaku.com/5843556/evidently-dead-islands-xian-does-not-wear-panties-%5Bnsfw%5D isn't a fan of underwear under her pantyhose]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GZq0m9iUkI&t=2s going from her model]] (granted, this might be an oversight or otherwise unreliable since it contradicts official art with how the model's hose covers her bikini zone). Needless to say, the links are {{NSFW}}.

* GoingCommando: Not entirely sure how someone found the time to discover it in-game, but apparently Xian [[http://kotaku.com/5843556/evidently-dead-islands-xian-does-not-wear-panties-%5Bnsfw%5D isn't a fan of underwear under her pantyhose]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GZq0m9iUkI&t=2s going from her model]]. Needless to say, the links are {{NSFW}}.

* GoingCommando: Not entirely sure how someone found the time to discover it in-game, but apparently Xian [[http://kotaku.com/5843556/evidently-dead-islands-xian-does-not-wear-panties-%5Bnsfw%5D isn't a fan of underwear]]. Needless to say, the link is {{NSFW}}.

* HollywoodVoodoo: His artist persona seems to be based on this. His name sounds suspiciously like both "Samedi" and "Zombie", in the opening cutscene of the first game he is performing his hit "Who Do You Voodoo, Bitch?" wearing a top hat, while ''Riptide'' promotional material includes a (live-action) music video named "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsPAYAmmqnQ No Room in Hell]]", in which he wears skull make-up. The voodoo elements of both songs are limited to references to zombies and name-dropping Baron Samedi.

* LowLevelAdvantage: Due to her low HP growth, her durability actually ''goes down'' as you level up and the zombies level scale to match.

* ZombieGait: Walkers are the stereotypical lumbering, slow-moving zombie that only pose a threat when found in large numbers.