Characters / How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse

This page lists the characters of How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse and their associated tropes. I guess you're probably either too bored or with no idea how you ended here in the first place, so read at your own risk.

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Anti-Zombie Squad

A squad formed to end the apocalypse. How they will achieve their goal is still unknown, and half the squad didn't even want to join in the first place.

General Tropes

• Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: When they're not bickering or poking fun at each other's expenses and actually act as a team, instances ensue.
• Badass Normal: The badass part is questionable, but it's almost impossible not to be in such a situation. Then again...
• Butt-Monkey Everyone is this, to an extent, and everyone pokes fun and is poked fun at to and from at least two other members.
• Crazy Survivalist: In a way. It's not every day apocalypse survivors go around setting their own HQ on fire or raid a furniture shop to eat the furniture.
• Family of Choice: Given the apocalyptic scenario, it was a given survivors would lose their families in the process. April is the first to point out this, much to the group's disgust. But they are internally happy.

• Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Aside from April, everyone seems reluctant to interact with one another, at least at first.
• Vague Age: Aside from Duff, the Squad members' ages can only be guessed. Averted with Collin, who is fifteen.

Duff

Your average 16-year old who has spent too much time on 4chan, Duff is the story's protagonist as well as the narrator. A former hikikomori who seems to have no sense of touch and is overall disinterested in what does not benefit her. Despite her extroverted demeanor, she tends to be insecure... when not having delusions of grandeur. Looks dangerously similar to Suou from Darker than Black.

MBTI Type: ISTP

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Tropes associated with Duff:

• Anti-Hero: While not as ruthless as other examples, she is not exactly welcoming to other people's problems and tends to do things solely for her own benefit, is a jerk, and wouldn't hesitate doing many questionable things if required.
• Because You Were Nice to Me: The reason why Duff began warming up to the Zombie Squad. Which renders her to
• Becoming the Mask: While she stays with the Squad merely as a way of survival, she begins getting used to their antics and even states her mother and sister may not be there anymore, but she has a family.
• Berserk Button: Don't mess up with her chest or her hair, her giant pencil or pizza. Also, don't be a cat.
• Blond, Brunette, Redhead: Redhead to Kerberos's blond and April's brown. Yes, brown is her original hair color.

• Cowardly Lion: Despite wanting to avoid conflict as much as possible, if it comes down to it, she fights.

• Expy: Looks surprisingly a lot like Suou from Darker than Black. Personality is an entirely different matter.

• Genre Savvy: When surrounded by a group of zombies the first time, she expected to be rescued by some. "Six-packed guy with a toothpaste commercial the way pretty ladies are in movies,". Sadly for her, it never happens.
• Green-Eyed Redhead.

• Inferiority Superiority Complex: She knows she's not smart or pretty, and yet seems to have an overly inflated ego and think of the rest as lesser beings. This may stem for the lack of actual self-confidence she fakes and tries to pretend exists.

• Karma Houdini: Averted on many occasions and even lampshaded by her once. However, played straight after some Kick the Dog moments from her.

• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Sarcastic, carefree and selfish, she does care in her own way about others and even considers the Squad a family.
• Lack of Empathy: Does not care about anything that doesn't hinder her.
• Made of Iron: Duff manages to survive three zombie hordes, getting trapped inside a building on fire and jumping off a three-story building on the apocalypse's first day. All of this with only a giant pencil as a weapon.
• Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy: Masculine Girl to Collin's Feminine Boy. Could also count as the Masculine Girl to Lucas's Feminine Boy.
• Memento MacGuffin: Her giant pencil was her mother's birthday gift for her. Dramatic Irony ensues when, without knowing that, Duff takes down her mother's undead corpse with it.
• Pet the Dog: As much as the Anti-Zombie Squad irritates her, after fleeing the fire she worries more about them than getting eaten. Other cases of this trope are rare, but not impossible.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: Red to Collin's Blue.
• Single Woman Seeks Good Man: The reason she begins liking Collin.
• Smug Snake: Though generally acts silly, her true plans are far from what one would consider morally correct.
• The Bully
• The Cynic
• The Fool
• Took a Level in Kindness: A fact she is both shocked and disgusted at.
• Trademark Favorite Food: Pizza.
• Tsundere: A blatant case of type A. Her dere moments are borderline nonexistant.
• Ungrateful Bitch: Brushes off Collin saving her with an, "Uh-huh."
• Weak, but Skilled: While having no physical strength or combat prowess, Duff can be ingenious when coming up with plans and strategies. All of this coming from her playing videogames.
• When She Smiles
• Would Hurt a Child: She has no problems smashing her giant pencil against a kid's gut when he tries mugging her. Lampshaded by Collin, who is horrorized.

Lucas

One of the teenaged members is the Squad, he joins upon hearing their goal to end the apocalypse after a... bizarre meeting with Duff. He has the tendency to laugh at everything and make tasteless jokes, as well as sing. Sadly, he sings like a walrus. Nevertheless, he's one to stick close to his principles and The Idealist, as well as one of the nicer and smarter members of the Squad. Not like that is any hard...

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Tropes associated with Lucas:

• Ambiguously Bi:
• Annoying Laugh: His laughter annoys even Kerberos.
• Badass Boast: Or so he tries before every fight.
• Badass Bookworm: He takes out a horde of a dozen zombies with a BB gun and is showed to be fairly smart, or at least the one with the most common sense. Plus he also makes numerous references about different works of literature.
• Beware the Nice Ones: When he gets mad, he gets mad.
• Brainy Brunette
• Butt-Monkey
• Chivalrous Pervert: While a pervert indeed, he proves to be a great shoulder to lean onto for anything.
• Closet Geek: Being a popular wannabe at his school, he purposely got crappy grades despite loving to learn trying to fit in.
• Cooldown Hug: Given to Kerberos after her Heroic BSoD.
• Deadpan Snarker: A less hurtful case than Duff, thankfully.
• Genius Ditz: While usually mantaining a goofy attitude (to Duff and Butch's irritation), he is quite capable of finding out schemes or crafting plans when he sets his mind to it.
• Determinator: After April, he's by far the most effective one of the group, at least publicly and also the one willing to sacrifice the most for his comrades. Also the sort to never give up.
• Genki Guy
• Good Counterpart: To an extent, he's this to Duff's Defrosting Ice Queen and jerkass status.
• Idiot Hair
• Lethal Chef: He makes a pizza so horrible not even Duff can eat it.
• Nice Guy: He's always there to listen to other people's problems.
• Odd Friendship: With Butch.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: Red to Kerberos's Blue.
• The Idealist
• The Polly Anna: A male example. Part of why he also qualifies as The Heart at times.
• The Prankster: To the Squad's utter disgust, particularly Butch.
• Tranquil Fury
• Sad Clown
• Ship Tease: With both Duff and Kerberos.
• Shipper on Deck: To Duff and Collin.
• Spoiled Brat: Seems to be this as first, given how he reacts during a zombie raid. The first thing he worries about is trying to not ruin his Levi's.
• Vitriolic Best Buds: With Butch, of all people.
• Wide-Eyed Idealist: Again, along with April he's the least bitter of the group and a dreamer. He believes there is a good side in everything and everyone, no matter how ruthless, has a soft spot.
• Weak, but Skilled: He proves to be quite capable of resisting an attack with only a BB gun and moves taken out of Street Fighter, as he claims. Also, he acts as The Smart Guy and easily the biggest intellectual contributor to the Squad. Considering what group it is, such a thing is not hard at all.

April

The founder of the Anti-Zombie Squad and resident Genki Girl. Used to study fashion and still wishes to carry out her dream of being a fashionista. Given her normal clothes consist of a reaper costume, such a fact may come off as a suprise. A young woman around her early twenties, though with her energy and small size she usually seems younger.

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Tropes associated with April:

• Ambiguously Brown: The way she is first presented.
• Attention Deficit... Ooh, Shiny!: If she talks too long, she begins losing focus and begins switching topics at complete random.
• Beware the Nice Ones: Mess up with her friends, just do it. She has a flamethrower and isn't afraid to use it.
• Blond, Brunette, Redhead: Brunette to Kerberos's blond and Duff's red. Yes, that's her original hair color.
• Book Dumb: She doesn't know how to cook ramen.
• Cloud Cuckoolander
• Cute Clumsy Girl: Given she sets the Squad's HQ on fire while trying to light up a candle with a flamethrower.
• Drama Queen: At times.
• Friendless Background: Surprisingly enough, she's so happy to be around the squad because she states it's the first time she has, "Been around friends like that." Seems like nobody could stand her before.
• Genki Girl
• Ignorant of Their Own Ignorance: She quickly proceeds to correct others when they are wrong, even if the wrong one is her 99% of the time.
• No Sense of Personal Space: As pointed out by Duff, to her disgust.
• Obfuscating Stupidity: Trying to reason with April is trying to sunbathe on Pluto.
• The Heart: Is the one who brings the Squad together, along with Lucas.
• The Idealist: Easily the most optimistic one of the group, stated once to be, "Watching the world through pink-colored glasses".
• The Pollyanna
• Too Dumb to Live: Part of why Butch stayed with the squad.
• Tranquil Fury: Surprisingly collected when genuinely mad.
• With Friends Like These...: At one point she gets irked at the lack of cooperation in the Squad and points out they seem as though they're there only because they have to. And then she realizes...

Collin

Joined the squad after saving Duff and Kerberos after the latter's Heroic BSoD, which almost got them killed. Even if he did it by accident, Kerberos is grateful, too grateful to let him go and convinces him to stick around the Squad until they leave the mall they're currently visiting. Shy, soft-spoken and generally quiet, Collin is soon to be disliked by Duff—but not for long.

MBTI Type: INFJ

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Tropes associated with Collin:

• Beware the Nice Ones: When mad, he's not so shy, sweet or soft-spoken anymore.
• Blatant Lies: Stemmed from the fact he gets nervous when lying and comes up with the silliest things possible.
• Brutal Honesty: As revealed in this exchange:
  Duff: Collin, do you think I'm pretty?
  Collin: Honest?
  Duff: Just be gentle.
  Collin: Okay.
  Duff: ...so?
  Collin: No.
• Butt-Monkey: The second-biggest to the Squad after Lucas.
• Catchphrase: "Cheesy."
• Character Tics: Tugging at the ends of his sleeves.
• Chew Toy: To the universe.
• Cowardly Lion: He will panic, albeit not visibly, at any hint of danger. However, he goes at great lengths for others.

• Extreme Doormat: Suffers constant verbal abuse from most other Squad members, excluding April and never lashes back. Averted when he is confronted about it and finally replies that he does not every reply out of pity.
• Dan Dere
• Emo Teen
• Face of a Thug: Why Duff is wary of him at first.
• Hates Being Touched: One of the few things he doesn't allow.
• He Cleans Up Nicely: When pushing the Emo Teen hair away from his face, he's shown to be really good-looking. Then again, it could be Duff's thinking...
• Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy: The Femenine Boy to Duff's Masculine Girl.
• Misunderstood Loner with a Heart of Gold
• Nice Guy: Presumably the nicest of the whole group.
• No Social Skills: Stemmed from his social anxiety issues
• Oblivious to Love
• Only Sane Man: A trope he shares with Butch, according to the latter.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: Blue to Duff's Red.
• Slasher Smile: Happens 90% of the times he smiles, mostly when he's faking one.
• Shrinking Violet: A male variety.
• The Stoic
• Unlucky Everydude: Gets into awkward situations more than one would desire and is probably the universe's Butt-Monkey. Well, just getting involved with the Squad may be considered a cruel twist of fate, according to Duff.
• When He Smiles: Which leads to one of Duff's most Tsun Dere moments.

Butch

The group's oldest member, being a middle-aged man who used to live in the mountains as a lumberjack and came to the city to visit his artist-wannabe daughter. Needless to say, such reunion ended in a tragedy with the outbreak. Not much else is known about him except his brute strength is insane and he only seems to eat 'wood'. At least he doesn't need any fiber. Rough, hard-spoken and huge, he seems like a man to steer clear of. And yet he writes My Little Pony Fanfiction.

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Tropes associated with Butch:

• Gut Feeling: What gives him his sense of intuition.
• Horrible Judge of Character: Duff gives this to him at first, given he pretty much expresses his dislike for her openly and doesn't seem to congratulate her like April. Then again, April congratulates everyone and he was right in not trusting her, since her plan in the first place was to stay until she managed to find somewhere decent to be.
• Hidden Heart of Gold: The reason why he stayed with the Squad is because he didn't think its members would survive for long and he couldn't bear to live them to die.
• Mood-Swinger: Though his moods tend to swing solely between being completely stoic and a raging maniac.
• No Social Skills: This is apparently the cause of his... strange personality, given he was pretty much isolated from society all his life, and by his own accord.
• Not So Stoic: When he loses track of the Zombie Squad.
• Odd Friendship: With Lucas and Kerberos.
• One-Man Army
• Only Sane Man: Along with Collin, as usually Lampshaded by him. Duff doesn't agree.
• Perpetual Frowner
• Sir Swears-a-Lot
• The Big Guy: Standing at 6'6", this isn't surprising.
• Trademark Favorite Food: Muffins. This baffles the Squad, and with reason.
• Vitriolic Best Buds: With Lucas, of all people.

Kerberos

Nobody knows her age, her name or even whether what lies beneath her glasses. Her mind, her thoughts are an enigma. She is a mystery. Perhaps because she never says anything and her face is mostly covered by hair and bandannas. Perhaps because she says things completely at random about topics completely at random. She is so ambiguous, in fact, Duff wonders whether she could be a cross-dressing sentient alien.

MBTI Type: ISTJ

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Tropes associated with Kerberos:

• Animal Motifs: Sheep, given their apparently harmless attitude.
• Berserk Button: Her glasses.
• Beware the Quiet Ones: Part of her Comedic Sociopath nature.
• Brutal Honesty: Possibly even more so than Collin.
• Catchphrase: "Dude."

• The Cuckoolander Was Right: Squad members tend to ignore her, but then the once occasion they followed her plan out of desperation was the one time they succeeded. In many instances she is right about her intuition, no more than a Gut Feeling, which lets the Squad out of pinches.
• Comedic Sociopath: She tries boiling a couple muggers alive in oil as a warning to not get near her glasses again.
• Genius Ditz: As observed in this exchange:
  Butch: So, anyone know what the cubic root of 166,375? Duff, April?
  Duff: Who called me what?
  April: Numbers don't have roots. They aren't plants.
  Butch: Dear lord.
  Kerberos: ...fifty five.

  *silence*
  Butch: I'll just take it her brain was replaced with a calculator.
• Hollywood Autism
• Misunderstood Loner with a Heart of Gold: When she's not thinking about psychotic things.
• Nerves of Steel: No matter how shocking, now matter how trauma-inducing a situation is, Kerberos doesn't even seem remotely moved.
• Obfuscating Stupidity: And how.
• Odd Friendship: With Butch and Collin.
• Only Known by Their Nickname: You didn't think Kerberos was her actual name, did you?

• Teen Genius: Apparently she was considered one in her school and shows numerous traits of one, save her... aloofness.