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Runners

Abel Runner 1: Yang Pulse

We Hardly Knew Ye: Yang is only in one or two episodes before dying trying to help Paula in the season four premiere.

Abel Runner 3: Simon Lauchlan

Runner 3's the joker of the group. Gung-ho, quick with a gag and quicker on his feet, Simon's never afraid to put himself in a dangerous situation in order to get the job done. Just don't ask him to do any of his impressions.

Death Equals Redemption: What he hopes will happen when he lets himself get fried in Runner Five's place. It doesn't exactly work.
Driven to Suicide: After the end of Season 2, he just laid down and let the zombies eat him. Which was right when his Healing Factor decided to kick in. He spent the first two-thirds of Season 3 looking horrible as he was literally partially eaten.
Healing Factor: With the help of Van Ark, of course. Anesthetic doesn't work and just makes his healing hurt even worse. He had to keep carving off pieces of his face to get it to heal properly. Also his skin tends to come in after the rest of the flesh a few hours after the damaged is regrown.
Heel Realization: At the end of Season 2. Tries to spend most of Season 3 trying to justify his actions or trying to embrace being a selfish prick. It doesn't take and he winds up being a major ally for Season 3 and winds up sacrificing himself to save the day at the very end.
Heroic Sacrifice: At the end of Season 3, Simon takes Runner Five's place on Moonchild's mind control machine, destroying it at the cost of his life as an act of redemption.
Jerkass Woobie: His early appearances in Season Three really cement him as this: he alternates wildly back and forth between cursing Abel for turning on him, trying to insist what he did was justified, and admitting that his actions were monstrous. It really gives the impression of someone being eaten alive by guilt.
O.O.C. Is Serious Business: During a mission following a major victory for the villain and the death of one of his friends, he turns very cynical and almost suicidally reckless.
Plucky Comic Relief: The most joking and upbeat of the Abel runners, and ends up in the limelight for a number of the more lighthearted side missions.
Self-Deprecation: Near the end of Season 3 he's obviously full of self hatred. It comes through as acidic mockery.
Starting a New Life: Assumes the identity of Peter Necropolis in Season 4, but is not revealed to be Simon until Janine confronts him about his past in S5 M30. He settles with the name Peter Lynne after this mission.
Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: With Amelia in the later parts of Season 3. They work together but argue almost constantly.

Abel Runner 4: Jody Marsh

She may seem timid, but she's got a strong survival instinct and a mean bow-arm. She's one of Abel's most reliable runners, and her lucky streak has gotten her out of many a sticky situation. Just don't expect her to put on a brave face.

Arbitrary Skepticism: Played for Laughs in the Halloween episode "Horseplay". She believes in things like ghosts and zombie headless horsemen, but...
Jody: "Who ever heard of a zombie horse? That's just silly."
Badass Adorable: She's nervous, easily frightened, and has a voice that brings a very small young woman to mind. But despite her lack of bravery, she's courageous in a pinch, lucky as hell, and her preferred weapon is a bow. When asked, she states that nothing beats the silent efficiency of the bow. Easily the most badass preferred weapon. (Aside from Jack's cricket bat, W.G.)
Break the Cutie: Her scream of horror in Mission 22 is genuinely startling.
Hidden Depths: Used to launder money for the mob, something which gets her into trouble later on.
Nice Girl: An all-around sweetheart.
Survival Mantra: "Just keep running, just keep running, just keep running..."
Time to Step Up, Commander: After Janine goes undercover at the end of Season 5, Jodie takes over as the leader of Abel Township.

Abel Runner 5/Canton Runner 93: You

Runner 5 joined the ranks of Abel's runners after the helicopter carrying them was shot down by a rocket from a middle of nowhere. Since then 5 proved to be an invaluable asset to Abel Township.

All Up to You: Played with. Most of the missions involve other people doing what needs to be done to solve the issues. However it's usually up to you to do the physical leg work. Also justified as you've been shown to be almost Supernaturally competent and have managed to survive everything thrown at you.
Badass Normal: Technically all runners qualify, but as the protagonist, Five gets a special mention.
Featureless Protagonist: Runner Five is deliberately described in an ambiguous manner as to not impose an age, gender, body type, sexuality, or ethnicity on them.
Hearing Voices: In times of extreme stress, Runner Five may hear the disembodied voice of Moonchild. It is revealed that prior to her death, Moonchild was able to transfer her consciousness over to Runner Five while they were under Moonchild’s control.
Heroic Willpower: Moonchild had to turn up the Mind Control tones so loud that it was leaking out of your headset. And even then you were able to resist it partially.
The Voiceless: In Season 2, the game begins to lampshade how you're the only runner who never seems to speak back.
You Are Number 6: Abel Township radio operator Sam Yao gives you the designation ‘Runner Five’ as Abel recently lost a Runner with that number.

Abel Runner 6: Owen

Took over the mantle of Runner Six from Maggie Doane. An Australian who got caught in the UK when the apocalypse hit, he's something of a flirt and very overconfident in his abilities.

Alas, Poor Scrappy: No one really loved Owen, and many people vocally despised him, but the consensus of s5m18 seems to overwhelmingly be "Poor dude didn't deserve that.
Desecrating the Dead: His corpse is taken by Sigrid for further experimentation.
Redemption Equals Death: A minor redemption. Although Owen was never a villain, he was perceived as a pushy jerk by much of the fandom for not taking no for an answer from Jody. He learned the error of his ways and seemed to be treating Nadia extremely well. He was also working as a mole for Noah Base. So naturally, he had to die a horrible death.
Too Dumb to Live: It's kind of amazing he survived until s5m18, honestly.

Abel Runner 6: Maggie Doane

Maggie Doane's good humour and silver tongue made her a great friend and a good writer prior to the Grey Plague. Now she's here at Abel they make her an invaluable asset to the team's morale. She's cheerful and pragmatic, always ready to help out a fellow Runner. A minor character.

Day in the Limelight: Receives a mission focused around her in the 5k trainer story. It expands a bit upon her character: hard-working, dutiful, and overconfident.
We Hardly Knew Ye: She is bitten one of the kid zombies the mission she is introduced in.

Abel Runner 7: Evan Deaubl

Evan Deaubl, or Runner Seven, is the head of Runners at Abel Township. Well-respected by all the Runners, his calm, focus, and compassion have helped mould a disparate group into an efficient team.

Affably Evil: Evil is really pushing it but He was an international gun runner, and only joined Able Township because his escape plane ditched him. However he takes his job seriously, only ditches Able when it's safe to do so, and makes one more pass to give you a rocket launcher. And this is on top of him telling you were his guns are for the settlement.
Arms Dealer: Far from having been military, Evan reveals himself to have been a gun runner before the apocalypse, and a successful one at that. He intended to leave the UK to go to his private Caribbean island, but after his pilot flew off, he was left stranded at Abel.
The Bus Came Back: Returns in S5 M29 after leaving for the Caribbean back in Season 2.
The Leader: Takes on this role in Mission 22, when directing runners.
Make Room for the New Plot: You would think that the Head of Runners and a major recurring character deserting would be a pretty major affair, and at first, it seems like it will be.... but this revelation is immediately overshadowed and forgotten in light of he newly discovered proof that there is a traitor in the Runner Corps.
Pet the Dog: So much so that Sam can't even get angry at him for ditching them. He quite literally takes his dog with him when he flies to his private island. And even offers Runner 5 a seat on the plane. However he admits that he knew that you wouldn't take it, but he offered anyway.

Abel Runner 8: Sara Smith

Runner Eight, Sara Smith, is one of Abel's most dependable residents. Nothing seems to faze her - she's as cool as a cucumber. Much cooler than you'd expect, in fact. Don't let her friendly demeanour fool you, though - it hides a no-nonsense attitude to survival.

Disney Death: She runs off at the end of season one, believing that she has been bitten by a zombie. It doesn't stick. The last mission you have with her isn't, and she admits it.
Double Agent: Has been working as Van Ark's mole in Abel, but this was really a ruse to get her close enough to take Van Ark down once and for all.
Fire-Forged Friends: With Five.
Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: For a dead woman she does appear a lot. It's not stated if she's just a mental voice in Runner 5's head or actually her spirit guiding him. Not helping matters is that Moonchild also gets the same treatment and argues with her.
Sarcasm Mode / Sincerity Mode: Interestingly enough, she speaks to you roughly the same way whether she trusts you or not. However, the sarcasm in her praise is palpable at first; as she opens up, those same compliments become much more sincere.
Trigger-Happy: Sara with weapons in general.
What You Are in the Dark: A much darker example of the trope. She muses that the outbreak taught everyone who they really were... in her case, it was someone willing to do some fairly extreme things in order to survive.
Zombie Infectee: In your first mission with her, she has a persistent cough. She says it's just a cold... It is just a cold. But it's not later.

Abel Runner 10: Chris McShell

A former statistics teacher. Most people struggle to find useful ways to adapt to the new world, but Chris managed to turn his knowledge into an invaluable zombie-killing weapon. Careful observation and a rigorous application of the scientific method has made Chris into the Runner at Abel with the most kills to his name. Quite the hero.

Badass Bookworm: Killing zombies with observation and statistics!
Last Request: Mission 19 in Season 1 is centered around his.
Mundane Made Awesome: His extensive knowledge of statistics translates very well to dealing with large hordes of zombies. The eponymous McShell Maneuveur involves two runners going in opposite directions while being chased by a zombie horde. This confuses the horde who then start to funnel themselves straight forward rather than chasing one runner.

Abel Personnel

Sam Yao

Loyal and cheerful, Sam's the lead communications operator for Abel Township. He co-ordinates Runners in the field and ensures they return home safely. The less said about his jokes, the better...

Chosen Conception Partner: For Maxine and Paula's baby, discussed at the end of Season 3.
Closet Geek: He even used to cosplay Aquaman.
The Heart: Comes off as a good deal more naive and optimistic than most of Abel Township, which seems to annoy some characters. In private, they admit they wouldn't have him any other way.
Innocently Insensitive: Showers praise upon Runner Ten for his ability to kill zombies, which Runner Ten is clearly uncomfortable about and doesn't feel deserves to be glorified. Sam gets better about it later.
Mama Bear: While Sam is basically a mensch 98% of the time, when his Runners (especially yourself) or Abel are being threatened his dialogue tends to get a lot more angry and violence-oriented.
Parental Favoritism: Insofar as Sam as the runners' parent. Although implied throughout the entirety of the game, the latter half of Season 2 fairly bluntly confirms that Sam has a particularly soft spot for Runner 5.
Ship Tease: The creators have stated that if they had a preferred ship, it'd be Sam and Maxine. Also, when asked about what he's most thankful for, he says "Janine".
Small Town Rivalry: Shows a shocking lack of sensitivity when Lem dies, and doesn't trust New Canton as far as he can throw them.
Sweet Tooth: Has a particularly strong affinity for Curly Wurly chocolate bars.
The Immune: Revealed to have a natural immunity to the zombie virus that was passed down from his mother.
"The Reason You Suck" Speech: When Nadia attempts to kill Runner Five, Sam manages to intercede and lead you to safety. And he is not happy. When Nadia protests that Five tricked her into thinking Lem was alive, he tells her bluntly and furiously to grow up, berates her for betraying Five, insists that New Canton would have done exactly the same in Abel's shoes, tells her that Lem gave his headset to Five, and then coldly tells her to stop talking. She does.

Dr Maxine Myers

To have a Doctor in a camp is a blessing. To have one who is experienced, calm and kind is something else entirely.

Combat Medic: If you look past her laid-back demeanour, Maxine proves herself to be one of Abel Township's most valuable assets during a crisis.
Dark and Troubled Past: She was quite the teenaged dirtbag, apparently.
Hidden Badass: She may be a medical doctor first and foremost, but the 5k trainer and race missions make it abundantly clear that Maxine is no slouch physically, either.
The Smart Guy: Takes over this job for Janine whenever she's not in the office.
Proud to Be a Geek: Her girlfriend Paula got her into roleplaying games and gets incredibly excited when Runner 5 locates new rules for her favorite game.

Janine De Luca

Janine owns the farmland on which Abel Township was built. She's not the most friendly person at Abel, but she's understanding and calm under pressure. She's also an incredibly talented electrical engineer. She still lives in the farmhouse at the centre of the Quad.

Betrayal by Inaction: When Janine followed orders to leave Tom for dead. He takes it very personally.
Big Good: Janine has stepped into this role in Season Four and Five.
Broken Ace: Janine is an accomplished linguist, MI6 agent, and electrical engineer. She's also secretly a mess because of her terrible choice in men and leaving her little brother for dead in Algeria.
The Chessmaster: Janine increasingly takes on this role in seasons four and five.
Crazy Survivalist/CrazyPrepared: A much tamer (and kinder) version than usual, but her farmhouse was awesome enough to catch the army's eye, her tips for creating a good shelter include doors reinforced with steel bars and filling your windows with concrete, and she had a bunker that a dozen people hide in safely for three weeks.
Control Freak: She's getting a little better, but she definitely prefers to do things by the book.
Deceased Parents Are the Best: She reveals in season four that her parents died in a car crash when she was twelve.
Guilt Complex: Janine is quick to blame herself whenever anything goes majorly wrong.
Not So Above It All: Side missions in particular tend to pull this on her with some frequency.
Sanity Slippage: Subverted in Season Four. It was part of A Simple Plan to get Sigrid to open the communications tower in "Tower of Song."
Sugar-and-Ice Personality
Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: With Sam. The two work together fairly often in your missions, but argue very, very frequently. This has apparently led to Runners getting injured (though thankfully not bitten), as the two will argue about where the Runner should go, leading to confusion and the loss of precious time. When it comes down to it, though, they work together.

Major de Santa

The military major in charge of Abel Township. Absent for most of season one before taking a more substantial role in the proceedings.

Big Good: She is rarely directly involved with the action, but acts as the leader and is generally the originator of any significant plans in place by the good guys.
The Leader: Takes this role for Abel and the anti-zombie efforts.
O.O.C. Is Serious Business: After a full season of being endlessly terse, official, and coldly calculating, she spends the beginning of Season 2 Mission 37 waxing philosophic about the nature of the conflict, her reasons for fighting, and her hopes for the future. It foreshadows her imminent Thanatos Gambit.
Self-Sacrifice Scheme: Major de Santa has Runner 8 kill her to ensure that 8 can gain Van Ark's trust.

Jack Holden

Co-host of Radio Abel and then Radio New Tomorrow with his boyfriend Eugene, Jack is the master of terrible puns and Zombie Standup routines. Thankfully Eugene keeps him in check. Mostly.

Dark and Troubled Past: Maybe. There are some implications to that effect.
- As of Season Three, we know that whatever he was doing before the apocalypse it involved no usual working hours, a great deal of drugs, and being arrested for being naked in city hall.
Disney Death: After holding the line for a group of survivors following the destruction of Abel, Jack is left behind and lost for several weeks. When Five and Simon go to search for him on behalf of Eugene, they find his shoe, and the shattered remains of his cricket bat, W.G. For several horrifying minutes, it is heavily implied that he died. Thankfully, he didn't. In fact, he's perfectly fine.
Deadpan Snarker: While he does provide painful puns and agonizingly bad/inappropriate jokes most of the time, he has dished out some excellent snark on occasion.
I Call It "Vera": He has a trusty cricket bat called W.G. Later W.G. breaks, and is replaced by another cricket bat named Sir Geoffrey.
Innocently Insensitive: At one point, Jack plays a song (exactly what depends on your playlist) and is surprised and defensive when Eugene is iffy about it... Only to realize that considering "Runner Twelve's current situation", it was a little insensitive. He is extremely apologetic.
Sad Clown: Mainly when Eugene is out of the studio due to digestive issues. He keeps making (increasingly awkward) jokes, but it's obvious that he's worried. And then he briefly mentions his mother, and while he quickly amends that he had a great relationship with her, his mentioning that her biting his head off about not have grandchildren (and his quip about her trying to bite his head off) indicates that, like the others in Abel, he's lost more than his attitude implies, perhaps even before the outbreak.
Straight Gay
Straight Man and Wise Guy: Wise Guy to Eugene's Straight Man, though they both get a fair amount of jokes in.
The Bus Came Back: Aside from a few mentions by Phil and Zoe, Jack does not appear in radio segments or main missions after Season 3. He and Eugene return in 2021’s virtual race, Jack & Eugene’s World Tour, which chronicles their journey back to Abel Township.

Eugene Woods

Co-host of Radio Abel and then Radio New Tomorrow with Jack, above. Handles most call-ins, is the author of a Survivor's Cookbook and has plenty of stories to share from his and Jack's time on the road together.

An Arm and a Leg: Eugene lost one of his legs between meeting Jack and launching Radio Abel, after their campsite was attacked, and Eugene was stabbed in the leg while trying to tie up one of the attackers.
Come with Me If You Want to Live: Eugene's first words to Jack, after literally tripping over him in the woods. Eugene is embarrassed, but Jack recalls the moment with extreme amusement, calling Eugene a "cheesy douche".
Deadpan Snarker: Sometimes.
Straight Man and Wise Guy: Straight Man to Jack's Wise Guy. Though he does have a flair for the dramatic, and enjoys weird conspiracy theorists to the point that even Jack calls him a weirdo.
The Bus Came Back: Aside from a few mentions by Phil and Zoe, Eugene does not appear in radio segments or main missions after Season 3. He and Jack return in 2021’s virtual race, Jack & Eugene’s World Tour, which chronicles their journey back to Abel Township.
The Show Must Go On: After he gets food poisoning, he insists that Jack go back and see to the radio station rather than stay and make sure Eugene is okay. Jack even references the trope word-for-word.
Took a Level in Jerkass: Eugene's dismissive and/or condescending moments become a bit more frequent in the second season.

Doctor Lobatse

A doctor from New Canton who moved to Abel when Maxine was mind controlled and taken away from Abel. Friendly and supportive almost to a fault.

Cool Scars: Ask her to show you the cool scar on her stomach someday.

New Canton Personnel

Nadia

New Canton's radio operator. Like Sam, she monitors the missions of all the Runners on her team. Has a thing for Runner 38, Lem. Develops an intense dislike for Runner 5 after discovering he/she has been spying on them while impersonating her dead boyfriend.

Et Tu, Brute?: After she learns that you are the runner that impersonated Lem, she deliberately leads you into incredibly dangerous territory, and only the fact that you come into Sam's range saves you from becoming riddled with holes. She later goes back and forth as whether she was actually trying to kill you or whether it was a "joke". Sam is neither amused nor impressed.
Lighter and Softer: The New Canton race missions showcase a much nicer side of Nadia. For those who only know her from the perspective of Abel Runner 5, it can be a little off-putting to hear Nadia laughing and joking around with Archie.
Oblivious Guilt Slinging: When you're impersonating her (very dead) boyfriend, Lem, she is clearly overjoyed. Every desperately hopeful word she says to you fills you with shame. Then it's... less oblivious...
Small Town Rivalry: For lack of better known trope. We know that New Canton and Abel Township dislike each other, or at least don't trust each other, but when you're listening to her communications to New Canton runners with Lem's headset, she makes it clear that she not only doesn't trust anyone in Abel, she also blames Abel Township for Lem's death. And that's before she has any idea that you've taken the headset Lem gave you and configured it to listen in, or before you impersonate Lem.
Trauma Conga Line: Nadia was an excellent air traffic controller before the apocalypse. When a pilot went grey and collided into another plane, Nadia blamed herself for it. She then was rescued by and fell in love with Lem... only to have him go grey, too. She overcame her anger and grief to work with Abel, only to get shot and become paralyzed in season 4. In season 5, she appeared to be recovering physically and emotionally and was even happily dating Owen. However, when Owen tried to prevent Abel from being starved, Ian went mad with power and shot Owen repeatedly right in front of Nadia. There are also rumors that Veronica will die this season, as well.
What the Hell, Hero?: Sam gives her a heaping helping of this when she tries to kill Five by leading him/her into hostile territory. Depending on your view of Nadia and New Canton, you could call this a Shut Up, Hannibal! moment.

Canton Runner 5

A nondescript runner from New Canton. Appears as the player character for the second set of race missions and the occasional side mission.

And Now for Someone Completely Different: To the extent that another featureless, voiceless character with the same designation as the usual protagonist can be said to be "completely different".
Bus Crash: Pulled a Heroic Sacrifice between seasons to let their teen sidekick escape with the control box.
Featureless Protagonist: Same as the other Runner 5.
Hero of Another Story: Apparently, while Season 2 was going down, Canton 5 went on to become "the greatest hero in London" and have all sorts of adventures while escaping with the Comansys control box.
Put on a Bus: Conveniently gets sent on an away mission at about the same point Abel and New Canton start working together.
The Voiceless: Archie implies early on that this is because New Canton runners are discouraged from chatting during missions. Not that it stops her.
You Are Number 6

Canton Runner 38: Lem

A Runner from the nearby settlement of New Canton. Not much is known about him, other than his fearless attitude and his apparent love for Nadia.

The Ace: He's indicated to be an athletic, selfless genius who was rich and had high political connections prior to the apocalypse. Sam quips when you visit his house at one point that he probably just needed the space to shelter orphans.
Heroic Willpower: How Heroic? Even as a Zombie he's still trying to save lives. He actually ignores Runner 5 in order to harras the Zombies following them.
Non-Specifically Foreign: American, maybe?
Posthumous Character]: Most of what we learn about him occurs after he's already become a zombie.
We Hardly Knew Ye

Canton Runner 20: Archie

Another New Canton runner, with a reputation as a bit of an airhead whose sunny disposition is nearly impossible to shift.

Attention Deficit... Ooh, Shiny!: She sometimes gets distracted by pretty clouds while being chased by zombies.
Cloud Cuckoo Lander: Often fixates on issues most would consider of little importance.
I invented a new word!
Damsel in Distress: Gets captured about midway through season two; several missions are spent attempting to rescue her with the help of her boyfriend.
Electric Torture: A captor uses this on her at one point to attempt to extract information.
Genius Ditz: Despite it all, she's a college educated PhD and can rattle off Technobabble like her life depended on it. It's pretty clear that no matter what else, she's got some fierce smarts locked away in that insane little mind.
Official Couple: With Jaime.
The Pollyanna: Her response to being told they're going to run off into zombie infested territory? "This is going to be fun!"
Sympathy for the Hero: While she's proudly a Canton runner, she holds little ill will for the Abel crew. She seems to understand that which side you wind up on is mostly a matter of chance.

Phil

The chief operator of Radio New Tomorrow, the New Canton equivalent of Radio Abel.

Zoe

Phil's co-host of Radio New Tomorrow.

Crazy Cat Lady: She rescues more cats than she can reasonably care for and still wants more.
The Cynic: Definitely starts out her radio duties convinced of the futility of life and the inevitable demise of the human race. She lightens up a little over time.
Deadpan Snarker: Especially towards Phil.
Secret Relationship: Revealed to be dating Amelia.

Esteban Sosa

A member of New Canton's Permanent Advisory Council.

Bernard Prior

Member of the New Canton Permanent Advisory Board and Radio Host of New Canton Today.

Antiquated Linguistics: Bernard’s expansive vocabulary includes words such as “erstwhile” and “voracious.”
Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness: Once Bernard starts talking about a subject that interests him.
The Philosopher: Finds conversations about Machiavelli and Marx entertaining.
Trademark Favorite Food: Will do anything to get his hands on Jaffa Cakes.

Pandora Haze Employees

Professor Van Ark

One of the lead scientists who worked for Pandora Hayes before the zombie apocalypse.

Big Bad: Settled into the role as of season two.
Card-Carrying Villain: Justified because he promised his wife he would take the fall for the apocalypse and play the part of the villain so she could play the part of the hero. So his need to constantly Kick the Dog is to convince the heroes he's the true villain when he's actually just a Punch-Clock Villain.
Cold-Blooded Torture: Seems to be a staple for him. He claims this is a necessary evil to further his goals, though his attitude on a several occasions indicates otherwise.
Evilutionary Biologist: Van Ark's motive for starting the apocalypse.
Healing Factor: And how! He recovers from a fatal neck injury within seconds and has immunity to the zombie virus.
Mad Scientist: He's actually perfectly sane; he just likes to do weird science that shouldn't exist.
Sadist: "Long and Dark," "Tightrope," and "Road to Nowhere."
Sociopath: Apparently.
Walking Spoiler: Considering that he is initially introduced as a potential key player in the zombie apocalypse and is apparently killed the first time the player meets him in person, this is a given.
Well-Intentioned Extremist: Despite the consequences of his work, his main project was to cure injury and disease. His eventual goal is finding a way to grant humans immortality, which he uses to excuse the countless deaths caused by his actions and research.

Paula Cohen

One of the scientists working for Pandora Haze under Van Ark before the apocalypse. Maxine Myers' girlfriend.

Belligerent Sexual Tension: Maxine indicates that the early stages of their relationship were like this.
Beneficial Disease: Paula is nigh-invulnerable and cannot be infected by the zombie virus.... because she already has a different variant of the virus. The type she has works much more slowly, however, and can be treated - though still not cured.
Damsel in Distress: She works for Van Ark against her will for most of the first two seasons.
Good Thing You Can Heal: Some time after it's discovered that she's functionally immortal, she is noted to have become quite careless about taking risks during zombie encounters.
Not Quite the Right Thing: At one point, she refuses to abandon an unconscious captive while under attack. Unfortunately, this prompts her boss to kill the prisoner to force the issue, and the attackers were the rescue team.
Zombie Infectee: Fortunately, luckier than most examples.

Comansys

Diana

The Director of Business and de facto head of the company pre-apocalypse.

Other Characters

Ed Harrison

It can't have been easy, trying to raise an infant in the wasteland. But Ed's managed to keep his daughter, Molly, safe against the odds. He's a talented mechanic and a dauntless survivor.

Action Dad: He cared for Molly with his wife for a very long time by sitting in a farmhouse and shooting down pigeons. Cool, but then he gets mobbed by zoms for days. He survives by taking headshots on them, flees, and when he sees that his wife and daughter are gone, he fixes a motorbike, finds the baby, helps Runner Five find fuel, fixes his motorbike AGAIN, and then produces the Big Damn Heroes moment below.
Big Damn Heroes:
Sam Yao: Did he just take out three zombies on the back of a motorbike?

Molly Harrison

It's heartbreaking to think that Molly will never remember the world before the outbreak. She's barely a year old, but she's already lived through more than most pre-outbreak adults. Luckily, she still has her loving father, Ed, and her favourite toy - Mr Rabbit.

Jamie Skeet

An abrasive fire fighter who lives with a group of small children, independent of New Canton or Abel Township, though after meeting Runner Five and Archie, he works with both.

Big Damn Heroes: Saves Five and Jody from a swarm.
Firemen Are Hot: According to Archie.
In Vino Veritas: In a mission shortly after Archie is killed, he is exposed to a hallucinogenic gas. His rambled, incoherent reactions make it clear just how upset and guilt-ridden he actually was over her death.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: The gold is buried very, very deep, but despite his abrasiveness and general jerkassery, he clearly cares for Archie, and despite complaining bitterly about caring for the children, he refuses to allow them to be absorbed into New Canton or Abel Township.
Really Royalty Reveal: Jamie turns out to be the last remaining member of the British Royal Family and thus, the rightful King of Britain.

Louise Bailey

An inmate at a women's prison before the apocalypse, Louise is aggressive and headstrong, but also quick-thinking and loyal, despite her less savoury past.

Closet Key: For Maxine, when they were teenagers.

Amelia Spens

Sent by the Ministry to take command of Abel, Amelia is focused on rules, order and bureaucracy. At least, that's impression she wants people to have.

Depraved Bisexual: Enough said.
Did I Just Say That Out Loud?: Just often enough to be hilarious.
- “Oh yes, I was terrified of Janine De Luca. She used to stomp around Abel with that eye patch, and in those skin-tight leather catsuits, using a whip on anyone who stepped out line. Wait, was that a dream I had? We can cut that part out, can’t we?"
Extreme Omnisexual: Apparently even some zoms look sexy to Amelia.
Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: with Runner Three during the later parts of Season 3. They work well with each other but bicker almost constantly.

Travis

A bounty hunter working for the Ministry. Creative and skilled at capturing criminals fleeing justice, with dogged determination.

"Ass" in Ambassador: His first appearance makes it very clear that he has absolutely no respect for Abel Township or its citizens, and considers his Ministry authority to give him carte blanche to do as he pleases.
Poor Communication Kills: He actually has good reason to be so hostile when first encountered. Unfortunately, his Jerkass tendencies lead to him invoking this trope instead.
Spanner in the Works: While his actions are reckless in the extreme, they also inadvertantly give Jodie the opportunity to clear her name. If Travis had been better at his job, Amelia's plan probably would have gone off without a hitch.

Moonchild/Cynthia Hill

A woman you meet while escaping a zombie worshiping cult. A somewhat spaced out hippy who got trapped by the cult after trading them some illicit substances. Claims to be able to read auras.

Affably Evil: Genuinely believes she's a good person trying to make the world a better place.
Amoral Afrikaner: Moonchild is an interesting example of this trope, but an example nonetheless.
Brainwashed: She appears to be this upon her second appearance. In reality, it's how she gets everything done; brainwashing anyone she thinks she can use.
Friendly Enemy: depending on how fondly the player views Moonchild before the mind control. YMMV.
Mind-Control Music: Of a sort. She uses a variety of tones to control people, and she makes people susceptible to them through drugged water/tea and tribal remixes of whalesongs and the Hair soundtrack.
Mind Manipulation: Her plan in Season 3.
Murder the Hypotenuse: Her plan in "Shoot the Runner" comes across as this. Sure, mind-controlled Runner 5's mission inside Abel has other, more practical goals, but it's clear from the start of the episode that she's hoping to off Sam in the process specifically because of how important he is to 5.
New-Age Retro Hippie: Sounds permanently stoned, considers herself a pacifist and talks about being able to read auras and her spirit quest to the Amazon.
Obliviously Evil: For the most part, she can't conceive that she's actually doing anything wrong.
Resurrect the Villain: Although she physically died at the end of Season 3, Moonchild was able to transfer her consciousness over to Runner Five prior to dying. Later in Season 6, Sigrid plans on fully resurrecting Moonchild in Runner Five’s body, but this ultimately fails.
Ship Tease: Insists at one point that she doesn't really understand "that kind" of love (meaning romantic, between two people) but also tells 5 that she kind of loves them after she's got 5 under mind control and becomes convinced that the runner is meant to help her finish her plans. She then attempts to Murder the Hypotenuse.
Technical Pacifist: Doesn't really complain about you getting rid of the zombie worshiping cult or about having a mind-controlled Runner Five blow up the Comansys ships, beat up Jody, and attack Sam with the intent of killing him. She also shoots and kills Professor Holly Downs when she reveals Moonchild's identity.
Utopia Justifies the Means: Her character in a nutshell.
Well-Intentioned Extremist: She means well, she really does. She just has trouble concepts like "consent" and "free will."
Villain Has a Point: Although taking away people's free will isn't ideal, being happy all the time doesn't sound so bad in a semi-Crapsack World (or even this world, sometimes). A utopia where everyone works together in harmony sounds decent. Besides, it apparently feels amazing.

Veronica McShell

Chris McShell's highly intelligent daughter, now working on the cure for the zombie apocalypse.

Bad Boss: Veronica tells her underlings not to follow safety protocols, and the zombie virus they're working with becomes airborne. On the plus side, she's not a bad boss to as many people now.
Bratty Half-Pint: Sometimes.
Brutal Honesty: Don't ask her to analyze you.
Emotionally Tongue-Tied: In "Who Are You?" Veronica struggles to write a note to Nadia, expressing her gratitude for Nadia's friendship. Veronica ends up throwing the paper in the trash can without finishing the note.
Forgets to Eat: Nadia has to remind Veronica to eat or to pack food for long runs. RTTPL = "Remember to take packed lunch."
Glory Seeker: Not her primary motivation, but it does drive her.
Graceful in Their Element: She's brilliant at science. She's a little awkward in every other area.
Improbable Age
Insufferable Genius: Veronica is extremely smart, and she knows it.
Literal-Minded: In S5 M17, Veronica has trouble understanding Nadia's sarcasm. This is apparently a recurring issue for them, as Nadia reminds her that they've discussed it before.
Obliviously Evil: Time will tell.
Smitten Teenage Girl: Arguably with Van Ark, at least in a science idol way.
The Spock: Veronica describes herself as cold and always acts in a logical manner. Basically everything she does is For Science!
Teen Genius: Pretty much Veronica's defining trait.
Too Clever by Half: Mostly in Season 4.
Would Hurt a Child: Veronica experiments on Sara Myers-Cohen-Yao between Seasons Four and Five. However, it doesn't sound as if the experiments were particularly invasive.

Steve "The Builder" Sissay

Demolitions expert who works for the Ministry of Recovery. Has worked with Amelia before. Never goes anywhere without explosives.

Demolitions Expert: His shtick.
Dogged Nice Guy: To Lobatse.
Double Reverse Quadruple Agent: Who can keep up anymore? Might ultimately need to be changed to Double Agent.
Even the Guys Want Him: Sam is admittedly distracted by Steve's charm, smile, and ability to flex his pecs individually.
Private Military Contractor: Initially contracted to work for the Ministry of Defence prior to the zombie apocalypse, he now works for Sigrid in the Ministry of Recovery.
The Mole: Serves as a mole for Noah Base when Sigrid occupies Abel Township. As Sigrid's right-hand man, Steve relays vital information about her plans to Noah Base.

Sigrid Hakkinen

The Minister of Defense. She was the only one who was ready for the apocalypse, and now she's aiming to be Prime Minister after the crisis is over.

Ambition Is Evil: If you have to start the zombie apocalypse to get elected, you're probably not the right person for Prime Minister.
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: She seems so nice at first...
Corrupt Politician: She successfully sways many of Abel Township’s allies over to her side with the promise of the vaccine to the zombie virus.
Crazy-Prepared: Scarily competent with a calculated approach to handling problems, Sigrid always appears to be one step ahead of Abel Township.
Despotism Justifies the Means: She's going to become Prime Minister or destroy the world trying.
Foreshadowing: She gives Veronica a little speech in Season Four about the importance of making sacrifices and not letting your conscience torture you. It's reasonable advice... until you get context on just what she considers 'reasonable' sacrifices, or just how very little conscience matters to her at all.
Greater-Scope Villain: Revealed to be the true mastermind behind the zombie apocalypse with the purpose of weeding out the population down to only the best and brightest of the human race.
A Molten Date with Death: The ultimate fate of Sigrid at the end of Season 6.
Nuke 'em: Sigrid establishes contact with the Undaunted, an undersea submarine equipped with heavy nuclear artillery, and intends to unleash a nuclear attack on the UK.
President Evil: Successfully rigs an election and becomes the most powerful woman in the United Kingdom. She even goes so far as challenging the current monarchy under King Jamie.
Resurrect the Villain: Attempts to resurrect Moonchild by having her consciousness take over Runner Five's body.
Secret Relationship: With Van Ark
The Man Behind the Man: Van Ark and Moonchild

Tom De Luca

MI6 agent and Janine's little brother. Spent years in an Algerian prison being tortured and then starving while the guards become zombies. He escaped by becoming so thin he could fit through the bars of his cell, and then he walked to England.

Being Tortured Makes You Evil: Technically, Tom is a serial killer.
Boom, Headshot!: Tom is an MI6-trained marksman. He occasionally rescues Runner Five and company from zombies with a series of perfect headshots. When Janine has taken his gun away, he accomplishes the same result with small stones.
Mood-Swinger: In one 2-minute period in S3 M36, Tom goes from sobbing, "They hurt me, Jane!" to screaming that she's a traitor to cheerfully chatting about the mission to being a highly capable secret agent.
Nightmare Fetishist: Tom is extremely obsessed with death and will not be quiet about it.
Pre-Insanity Reveal: Tom initially seems like a random disturbed serial killer. And then we found out he's Janine's little brother.
Shell-Shocked Veteran: Tom has PTSD from being tortured and imprisoned.
The Cuckoolander Was Right: Everything from his obsession with babies to his ranting about traitors makes sense, in retrospect.

Peter Necropolis

A shady performer from the zombie circus at Rowantree Manor.

Hidden Depths: Despite his snarky demeanor, he actually does care about keeping innocents away from harm.
Reformed Criminal: Suggested when he refuses to run through a crowd to avoid gunfire.
Peter Necropolis: No, no more collateral damage. Teapots are one thing, but I... don't put other people at risk anymore.
Starting a New Life: Necropolis is revealed to be Simon Lauchlan after surviving the events of the Season 3 finale. He takes on the name Peter Lynne in S5 M30.

Ian Golightly

Reporter for The New Times, a Rofflenet news site, and later Head of Abel Township.

Can't Take Criticism: Uses his position as new head of Abel Township to punish people who laugh his articles.
The Caligula: When Sigrid is away, at least.
Disproportionate Retribution: Against Owen and plenty of other people.
Drunk with Power: Introduced as a benign reporter in Season Two, he descends into this after becoming the new head of Abel Township
For the Evulz
Hate Sink: If he wasn't before S5 M18, he definitely is now.
Moral Guardians
Paralyzing Fear of Sexuality
Propaganda Machine
Psychological Projection: When creating propaganda to defame people. He seems to heavily project his own hang-ups onto whoever he is slandering, with said individuals being portrayed as varying degrees of sex-crazed.
Psychopathic Manchild
Sadist
Sex Is Evil, and I Am Horny
Slimeball
Small Name, Big Ego
Tyrant Takes the Helm: Especially when Sigrid is away.

Glass Protocol

An unknown entity that seems to be relentlessly following Runner Five.

Body Horror: Sam catches brief glances of the entity on camera and describes it as having leathery skin with a dull shine to it. Its limbs also move in an unnatural way.
Giggling Villain: The Glass Protocol toys with Runner Five and Janine during its chase with an unnerving childlike giggle.
Super-Persistent Predator: When initiated, the Glass Protocol can find the location of a particular target anywhere in the world. In this case, Runner Five.
Techno Path: The Glass Protocol is able to disrupt cameras, lights, and other electronic equipment. It is also capable of disabling Janine’s illumination flares.
Undead Abomination: According to Amelia, the Glass Protocol is an Eldritch intelligent zombie that cannot be stopped or killed and has a range of unpredictable powers.

ANNIE

An artificial intelligence system that automates security and routine human resource tasks at the corporate headquarters of Xia-Hifa Biologics.

A.I. Is a Crapshoot: ANNIE becomes an antagonistic force that holds a vendetta against Runner Five for breaking into her mainframe at Xia-Hifa and stealing the Junin 2 vaccine. She later activates the Glass Protocol on Runner Five upon regaining control of her memory blocks.
Flip Personality: ANNIE’s multiple personalities are in constant war with each other, some which are nice and others hostile. Depending on the mission, ANNIE may be a valuable asset to Abel Township while in others she may be out to kill you.
Master Computer: Serves as the primary security system at Xia-Hifa Biologics, the Manor House Treatment Centre, Valmont’s estate, Sigrid’s serum factory, and Fossey Head.
Returning Big Bad: The first time you come across ANNIE is during the Fall 2016 Virtual Race where she tries to kill Runner Five who is on a vaccine retrieval mission. She later returns in S6 M12 as the “Ghost Lady” of the Manor House Treatment Centre and becomes a recurring villain throughout Seasons 6 and 7.

Characters / Zombies, Run!

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