The Protagonist
The Player Character. Their name, gender, and occupation are chosen by the player. They wake up during the Virus Zeta outbreak to find that their little sister hasn't returned from a supply run. Having no way to contact her, the Protagonist tries to escape from the apartment building and find her.- A Father to His Men: It's entirely possible (and recommended) to play the PC as the sort of character who will never leave anyone behind even if they aren't the leader of the group. At first.
- And Then John Was a Zombie: One of the endings involves you waking up and realizing that you're a zombie, the events at the Cathedral were just hallucinations, and you're being experimented on by scientists.
- Asskicking Leads to Leadership: Successfully taking the reins and leading the survivors through a bandit attack and a horde of zombies leads the group to dub them the new leader.
- Badass Bookworm: If the Scientist background is chosen.
- Badass Preacher: If the Priest background is chosen.
- Comforting The Widower: If you romance Tom. Despite the short amount of time between his wife's death and him seeking you out for a relationship, it isn't portrayed negatively.
- Cool Big Sis: A female Player Character to Emma can be this, depending on what choices are made throughout the game.
- Disaster Democracy: Elected leader after rallying the survivors through an attack by bandits and zombies.
- Elites Are More Glamorous: The Soldier PC used to be Special Forces before they left the service.
- Hard-Drinking Party Girl: Or Guy. Not as much as Emma, but the reason the PC is still in the apartment when the outbreak happens is because they were hungover.
- The Heart: With a good charisma stat, the PC can be a nice, reassuring figure who supports everyone and listens to their problems.
- The Leader: Eventually promoted to this after the bandit and zombie attack on the Cathedral.
- Mercy Kill: Can possibly kill both Dave and Emma to prevent them form turning into a zombie.
- My Sister Is Off-Limits: The other survivors generally assume the Protagonist will feel this way about Crone being with Emma, so they try to skirt around the subject of their budding romance. The PC can play this straight or subvert it.
- Promotion to Parent: Despite only being two years older than Emma, the Protagonist becomes more of a parent to her than the aunt that took them in.
- Science Hero: If the Scientist background is chosen.
- Slept Through the Apocalypse: By the time the Protagonist wakes up, the military and police departments have initiated a curfew, set sentries to prevent people from leaving their homes, and zombies have nearly overtaken Emma's apartment building.
- Took a Level in Badass: If any background other than Soldier is chosen.
Emma
The Protagonist's younger sister. She worked as a nurse at a children's hospital before the outbreak.- Break the Cutie: The Zombie Apocalypse has been harder on her than most of the other survivors.
- The Medic: She was a nurse at a children's hospital before the outbreak, so she primarily serves as this in the Cathedral.
- Mood-Swinger: In Part IV. She can switch between being bright and pleasant to flat and emotionless at the drop of a hat.
- When the player goes to Temperance to get medicine, Emma gives them a list of the medicine each person in the Cathedral needs. She herself is listed as needing Risperdal, a drug that is used to, among other things, treat Bipolar disorder.
- Sanity Slippage: Due to both the stress of staying alive and being haunted by Cassie.
Heather
Emma's best friend and Tom's little sister. She was a feature writer at a television news station before the outbreak.- Big Brother Worship: For Tom, particularly since he practically raised her. She even admits that the pain of her father passing away didn't really compare to what she felt when Tom moved away from Temperance to live in the city.
- Hates Being Alone: What starts the romance is Heather walking into your room to cuddle, because of this trope.
- Jerkass: Her attitude frequently annoys and angers the other survivors.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: That said, she really does care about them, and is no less affectionate to the PC than any other of the Love Interests should they start a relationship with her.
- Killed Off for Real: It's possible for her to die in the Cathedral attack at the end of Part IV.
- Single Woman Seeks Good Man: Interestingly, she likes PCs who are nice and sweet, rather than ones who are just as snarky as she is.
- What Beautiful Eyes!: Female? Check. Sexy? Check. Temperamental? Check. Has large, bright green eyes remarked upon more than once as one of her more striking features? Check.
Devlin
A mysterious survivor that the Protagonist, Emma, and Heather meet while trying to escape the city.- Afraid of Needles: He hates them and will act like a disruptive, petulant child when the Scientist PC draws a sample of his blood.
- Danger Takes a Backseat: He does this to the Protagonist when they first meet, though it was unintentional — he happened to be sleeping in the backseat of the car that the Protagonist was trying to move.
- Hidden Depths: He looks and talks like a hoodlum and clearly knows how to use a gun. This caused some fans to speculate that he was a criminal before the outbreak. He was actually a lawyer.
- The Immune: He was bitten shortly after Tom denied him entry onto the escape boat, but never turned into a zombie. His status being the immune can help a Scientist PC create a vaccine for the virus.
- Jerkass: He doesn't make the best case for himself while traveling with the group in Part II, earning Heather's ire in particular. Her dislike effectively screws him out of passage on the escape boat.
- Killed Off for Real: When you find that he was bitten you can immediately shoot him.
- Mysterious Past: He's very reluctant to talk about his life before the outbreak, and will only tell the Protagonist if you have a decent relationship score with him.
- We Will Meet Again: He says "You haven't seen the last of me!" when he's abandoned in Part II.
Tom
Heather's older brother and co-owner of the Cathedral. He lost his wife Emily when the outbreak occurred.- The Alcoholic: He descends into this pretty quickly after the group gets to the Cathedral.
- He does show signs of laying off the sauce in Part IV, however, and seems resolved to give it up entirely in Part V.
- The Chains of Commanding: The isolation and pressure of being the leader of the group eventually gets to him, and he just gives up, letting Mindy take over.
- Hidden Agenda Villain: It's heavily implied from the moment the group arrives at the Cathedral that he's up to something shady, but his motives are completely unknown.
- Hypocrite: When the survivors argue about whether to accept Devlin and Eugene into the Cathedral, Tom shames the dissenters into letting them stay. No one mentions that he was the one to deny Devlin entry into the escape boat when the apocalypse first started.
- He derides Mindy for not being a capable leader, but gets angry if you point out that she only took over because he folded under pressure and essentially gave the position up.
- Killed Off for Real: River can possibly kill Tom in Part V, or you can even kill him yourself for cutting the brakes.
- Promotion to Parent: It's not as apparent in-story, but as Heather tells you about her life growing up, she notes that her parents were very uninvolved in their parenting, so Tom took up most of the slack.
- Tantrum Throwing: Keep coffee cups away from him when he's angry.
- Uriah Gambit: Carl tells the Protagonist that Tom sent the Protagonist on the most dangerous missions because he felt threatened and wanted them gone. The Protagonist can confront him on it if they choose, but so far there's no real evidence of this accusation aside from Tom's suspicious behavior. But then we get to Part V.
- What the Hell, Hero?: He shames the dissenting survivors into accepting Devlin and Eugene into the Cathedral.
Javier
A construction worker Carl hired to work on the Cathedral. He's one of the sentries on the escape boat that the Protagonist, Emma, and Heather board.- Gun Nut: Javier and Carl collected weapons before the outbreak, which is why the Cathedral survivors are so well-armed.
- Hidden Depths: If the Protagonist goes snooping in his room, they see he's quite the talented artist, drawing sketches and a portrait of a woman on his wall with charcoal.
- Killed Off for Real: Killed when he was turning into a zombie.
- Self-Surgery: At one point, Jason catches him alone in the infirmary with a scalpel and other medical supplies. It's implied that he was preparing to cut out his infected wound.
- Wild Card: Emma explicitly refers to him as such when discussing the Military Depot mission with the Protagonist, citing his recklessness and unreliability in the field.
- Zombie Infectee: He was bitten during the Military Depot mission.
- And Then John Was a Zombie: If you take him back to the Cathedral instead of leaving him at the Depot.
Uncle Lou
A good friend of Carl's. He owned a lunch truck and worked near the biology hall of a university. One of his customers, a professor that worked there, warned him about the Zeta Virus. When Carl offered him a place at the Cathedral, he called Jason and extended him an invitation to live there as well. He lost his family when the outbreak occurred. He's one of the sentries on the escape boat that the Protagonist, Emma, and Heather board.- Killed Off for Real: Sadly, he is one of the few survivors whose death can't be avoided in Part V.
Mindy
Candace's best friend. She owned and operated a paintball course before the outbreak.- Deadpan Snarker: Not nearly as much as Heather, but it's there.Candace: "I can't believe no one else helped us."Mindy: "Yes, all of the dead people didn't lift a finger."
- Heroic BSoD: During a medicine run mission in Temperance, she suffers one of these after exploring an abandoned animal shelter.
- Hypocrite: If her approval is low, she can take the PC to task for bringing Kelly and Crone to the Cathedral without consulting the other survivors first, Even though she did the exact same thing with Devlin and Eugene. She can be called out on this.
- I Know Mortal Kombat: If asked how she handles guns so well, she'll say that she's played a lot of video games.
- Last-Name Basis: She always calls the Protagonist by their last name. If asked why, she just shrugs and says she hates their first name. She'll eventually call them by first name if romanced though.
- Military Brat: Her father trained marines.
- Rescue Introduction: You can meet Candace and Mindy in the apartment building if you stop to help them fight off the zombie they're running from.
Candace
Carl's girlfriend and Mindy's best friend. She worked as a bartender at a restaurant before she met Carl.- The Bartender: Or she was before the outbreak.
- Horrible Judge of Character: Neither of her prospective love interests are winners, really. She even calls herself out on this after the Love Triangle explodes.
- Killed Off for Real: It's possible for her to die in the Cathedral attack at the end of Part IV. It was unpreventable for a while due to a bug.
- No Accounting for Taste: She has a history of winding up with men who turn out to be jerks.
- Rescue Introduction: You can meet Candace and Mindy in the apartment building if you stop to help them fight off the zombie they're running from.
- Tantrum Throwing: When she hears about the fight between Carl and Jason, she utterly demolishes her room.
Carl
Co-owner of the Cathedral and Candace's boyfriend.- Crazy Jealous Guy: After Candace moved in with him in the Cathedral, he began to smother her. He wanted her to be by his side at all times, or to stay in their room if that wasn't possible. He began resenting any interaction she had with the other Cathedral survivors and even frowns upon her assisting the Scientist PC.Candace: "I would be perfectly happy with Carl if he just let me be. Didn't protect me so much. Didn't keep me locked up with the feeling if I talk to certain people or do something he doesn't like that he will punish me for it."
- Distressed Dude: The PC is sent to rescue him before they even meet him.
- Dogged Nice Guy: He met Candace while he was renovating part of the restaurant where she worked and started visiting her every day on every break he had. Candace admits she normally wouldn't have gone out with a guy like him, but she eventually "broke down" and went on a date with him.
- Gun Nut: Carl and Javier collected weapons before the outbreak, which is why the Cathedral survivors are so well-armed.
- No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Gives one to Jason after he taunts Carl about sleeping with Candace. Carl can kill him if no one intervenes.
- Rescue Introduction: As soon as the group arrives at the Cathedral in Part III, they're told that Carl went out on a supply run and hasn't come back. A rescue mission is immediately organized.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: He decides to split from the group and go off on his own when he's locked up for attacking Jason. If the Protagonist doesn't help him escape, Heather does.
Jason
An IT Tech who lives in the same apartment building as Emma. He's also a hacker who managed to find out about the Zeta Virus a week before the news got out. He's Uncle Lou's friend, so when the outbreak occurred he was offered a place at the Cathedral. He keeps in contact with other survivors outside of the Cathedral over the computer via a system he helped establish called Survivor Net, or SurvNet.- Boisterous Weakling: Yes, Jason; you ''totally'' would've won the fight if Carl hadn't taken you by surprise.
- Doing Research: His primary job in the Cathedral involves gathering information that the survivors will need.
- Killed Off for Real: Possible if no one restrains Carl from beating him.
- Playful Hacker: He's a part of an online group called LEGIT that claims to root out corporate and government secrets in order to publish them for the benefit of the masses. Just don't actually call him a hacker — he considers it derogatory.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: He leaves the cathedral in Part V due to people not taking Zombie Exodus seriously.
- Stalker with a Crush: For a girl he liked named Julianne. He sussed out information about her online to "stack the odds in his favor" and made their director miss his flight so he could be alone with her on a company trip. It actually seemed to work out for him until she was apparently killed or turned during the outbreak. So he keeps her severed finger to remember her by.
- The spin-off Zombie Exodus: Safe Haven reveals that Julianne's not dead at all. She severed her own finger to prevent an infection from spreading and hasn't contacted Jason because she thinks his obsessive behavior with women he likes will get him killed.
- Too Dumb to Live: Taunting the man who whose girlfriend you were cheating with did not end well for you, did it Jason?
- Tragic Keepsake: A very gross, creepy one — His dead girlfriend's finger. He keeps it in his room.
Dave
A construction worker Carl hired to work on the Cathedral before the outbreak. He participates in the mission to rescue Carl from the Thompson farm.- Eaten Alive: If he isn't accidentally shot by the PC, this happens instead.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: You meet him shortly before embarking on the mission he dies in.
River
A survivor traveling with his wife in search of refuge. The two approach the Protagonist and ask to be taken in to the Cathedral.- The Blacksmith: Before the outbreak happened.
- Crusading Widower: After Starr is killed, he becomes alarmingly fixated on getting revenge.
- Killed Off for Real: You can kill him and Starr when you first meet them. If you send them away you find them dead later in the woods.
- Tom can possibly kill him if you warn him about River trying to shoot him in Part V.
Starr
A survivor traveling with her husband in search of refuge. The two approach the Protagonist and ask to be taken into the Cathedral.- Half-Truth: When she and River show up at the Cathedral seeking to join the group, they both say she is a doctor. If taken in, however, she eventually reveals that she's a chiropractor.
- Killed Off for Real: You can kill her and River when you first meet them. If you send them away you find them dead later in the woods.
- There is also her unavoidable death during the Cathedral battle at the end of Part IV.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: Her unavoidable death happens in the same part she is introduced in.
Eugene
The owner of a pharmacy in Temperance who takes Devlin in and trades supplies with the Cathedral survivors.- Cool Old Guy: In his second appearance, he saves you with a confetti canon.
- Killed Off for Real: If you find out that Devlin is bitten and decide to shoot him, you have the option to kill Eugene as well.
- He passes away due to natural causes in the most of the endings.
- Mission from God: Starts believing that the Cathedral survivors are on this in Part V.
Crone
A former member of Colin's camp that tried to leave and was imprisoned for it.- Last-Name Basis: His name is Ted, but everyone calls him Crone.
- Secret Character: You have to find and release him from Colin's camp to have him come to the Cathedral.
Kelly
A former member of Colin's camp that tried to leave and was imprisoned for it.- Motor Mouth: Big time. You have a chance to talk to her about it after hearing complaints from many of the other Cathedral residents.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: If Morale is low enough during the Zombie Attack on the Cathedral in Part V, she'll try to steal a bag of supplies and run.
- Secret Character: You have to find and release her from Colin's camp to have her come to the Cathedral.
Cassie
A mysterious little girl that appears to the Protagonist on occasion. She also seems to share a connection with Emma.- Creepy Child: She doesn't look like one, but she certainly acts like one.
- Creepy Children Singing: She sings or hums Frère Jacques in nearly all of her appearances.
- Cute Ghost Girl: Though some may see her as more of a Stringy-Haired Ghost Girl.
- Guardian Entity: She serves as this for Emma, though she occasionally helps out the Protagonist and the other survivors as well. She doesn't seem capable of outright harming anyone, but she can distract zombies, scout the surrounding area for resources and enemies, and provide advice.
- Not-So-Imaginary Friend: The Protagonist remembers Emma speaking to a "friend" that no one else could see as a child.
Toby
A dog that the Protagonist and Heather find while hunting.- Heroes Love Dogs: If taken in. Everyone in the Cathedral likes him.
- Heroic Dog: He can help protect the survivors and take down zombies.
- Secret Character: You have to go hunting for food with Heather to find him and take him back to the Cathedral.
Badger
A raider who participated in an attack on the Cathedral.- 11th-Hour Ranger: He joins the Cathedral in Part V, the final installment.
- Hated by All: None of the other survivors trust him or want him in the Cathedral and will be very unhappy if you let him stay.
- I Did What I Had to Do: His perspective on raiding and stealing from other survivors.
- I Owe You My Life: To the Protagonist if you let the bandits inside the Cathedral to help against the coming zombie horde. When the fight's over, he cites this as the reason he wants to stay.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: If his approval is too low and you put him in the wrong place during the Zombie Attack on the Cathedral in Part V, he'll abandon the Cathedral survivors and leave on his own.
- Sole Survivor: Of the bandits that attack the Cathedral over supplies.
Colin
The leader of a Bandit Camp situated not far from the Cathedral.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Despite being a bandit leader, he loves his daughter Hadley.
- From Nobody to Nightmare: From a counselor and family man who helped rehabilitate troubled people to a ruthless and manipulative bandit leader.
- Handicapped Badass: The leader of the bandits is actually in a wheelchair.
- The Leader: Of the Summer Friends Camp bandits. He seems to be a mix between Types I and II.
Hadley
Colin's daughter.- Fangirl: She's a fan of basketball, and if the Athlete PC sneaks into her house, she recognizes them and is utterly starstruck.
- Stepford Smiler: Tries not to let the PC worry about her infection by acting as upbeat as possible.
Richard Laurent
The Sole Survivor on the ship the PC meets in the Fuel Mission.- Every Man Has His Price: He took bribes in exchange for falsifying safety reports.
- Secret Test of Character: He puts the Protagonist through one to see if they were worth helping.
- Sole Survivor: He's the last living person on the fuel ship.
