The Walking Dead (2010): Atlanta / Characters

Due to the Anyone Can Die nature of the show and quickly moving plots, only spoilers from the current/most recent season will be spoiled out to prevent entire pages of whited out text. These spoiler tags will be removed upon the debut of the following season, and the character bios will be updated then as well. Additionally, character portraits will be updated each half-season with the release of an official, complete set from AMC. If you have not seen the first ten seasons read at your own risk!

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Center for Disease Control (CDC)

Edwin

Dr. Edwin Jenner

"This is what takes us down. This is our extinction event."

Portrayed By: Noah Emmerich

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Season 1) | The Walking Dead: World Beyond (Season 2 finale, post-credits scene only)

Rick: I'm grateful.
Jenner: The day will come when you won't be.

Jenner is the last surviving scientist at the CDC in Atlanta. He allowed the survivors inside, neglecting to tell them the building was set to explode. He tried to convince them to stay and end their suffering, but only one survivor took him up on his offer, and they died together in the explosion.

Anti-Villain: Of the Well-Intentioned Extremist type.
Apocalyptic Log: Dr. Jenner's recordings of everything he has done by way of research and study, while locked up in the CDC facility.
The Cameo: A survivor in France finds an old video recording of him in The Stinger of the Grand Finale of World Beyond.
Canon Foreigner: Never appeared in the comics.
Crusading Widower: The death of his wife to the infection is what drives him on to continue researching, after everyone in the CDC has either fled or committed suicide.
Despair Event Horizon: Due to his wife's death, the destruction of the last samples he had, and the discovery that everyone who dies becomes a walker.
Driven to Suicide: Due to his Despair Event Horizon.
Drowning My Sorrows: After his last walker samples got destroyed he turned to drinking while waiting for the CDC to explode.
The Extremist Was Right:
- He suggests giving Rick's group a Mercy Kill, believing it to be a preferable alternative to heading out into the world and inevitably meeting a gruesome death trying to survive. With the exceptions of Jacqui and Andrea (at first), no one in the group takes him up on the offer. Come Season 8, and everyone he made that offer to barring Rick, Carol, and Daryl has died horribly just as Jenner predicted they would.
- Jenner predicts that there will come a day when Rick will not be grateful for Jenner allowing the group to escape the exploding CDC and give up a chance to end it all. Six seasons and two years later, Jenner's words finally come to pass the day that Negan arrives, kills Abraham and Glenn, and psychologically tortures Rick into submission.
Face Death with Dignity: Having already accepted his demise, he goes out peacefully and kindly holding hands with Jacqui, the one survivor who agreed to stay and end her life.
Half-Truth: "I told you: once that front door closed, it wouldn't open again."
Kill the Ones You Love: Forced to put down his wife.
Last-Name Basis: Exclusively addressed as Jenner by every single character.
Meaningful Name: Edwin Jenner was named after Edward Jenner, the "father of immunology".
Mercy Kill: Does this for his wife after he finished studying her. It is also what he "offers" to the rest of the survivors by locking them in the CDC as it prepares to explode.
Not So Stoic: It's obvious despite his deadpan demeanor that Patient TS-19 was someone important to him when he can describe how long from death to reanimation down to the second... and he only loses it in private with her photo and when the survivors realize he intends to lock them in for the end of the countdown.
Not Using the "Z" Word: He calls zombies "the infected."
Posthumous Character: A French doctor finds a recording he left for his French counterparts in the Grand Finale of World Beyond, presumably many years after his demise in the Season 1 finale in the mothership show.
Sanity Slippage: Due to his wife getting infected and being forced to put her down, the rest of the staff abandoning the CDC, and his discovery that everyone is infected and will become a walker even if they die without getting bitten.
Sole Surviving Scientist: He's a depressed and ultimately suicidal scientist found alone in his compound by the other survivors.
Together in Death: Non-romantic example with Jacqui, as she was the only one who decided to stay behind with him in the end. They hold hands and smile gracefully at each other to give each other some comfort as they face the end of their lives.
Took a Level in Cynic: The Jenner who cameos in World Beyond is significantly more idealistic about finding a cure than the man who almost dooms Rick's group to die in the CDC because he has no more hope that the world can be saved. Justified, as his wife, "the other Dr. Jenner" was still alive at the point when he made the recording, and Edwin hadn't yet gone through the trauma of having to put her down.

Candace

Dr. Candace Jenner

Portrayed By: Claire Bronson

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Season 1 ^noteIn a photograph and on a CDC monitor)

"She was a loss to the world. Hell, she ran this place. I just worked here. In our field she was an Einstein. [...] She could’ve done something about this. Not me."

— Edwin Jenner

Edwin Jenner's wife and the head scientist at the CDC. She died before Rick's group arrived looking for shelter, leaving her husband broken and suicidal.

And Then John Was a Zombie: Par the course for people bitten by a walker. Notably, she's one of the few characters whose time it took to turn is known, as shown in the playback footage of her death: 2 hours, 1 minute, 7 seconds.
Boom, Headshot!: Edwin put her out of her misery.
Face Death with Dignity: She didn't mind that she was dying and urged her husband to work as hard as he could towards finding a cure.
For Science!: She asked her husband to use her dead body for research in understanding the walker virus.
Happily Married: She and Edwin seemed to have a happy marriage, according to him, and he clearly thought the world of her, as shown by the above quote.
Living Emotional Crutch: For Edwin. Without his wife around he passes the Despair Event Horizon.
The Lost Lenore: For Edwin Jenner. Her death broke him, and the only reason he goes on living after that is because he made a promise to Candace to find a cure.
Posthumous Character: She's long dead by the time Rick's group arrives looking for shelter at the CDC. In an old video of Edwin taken in the early days of the outbreak in World Beyond, she is still alive, with her husband referring to her as "the other Dr. Jenner."
The Smart Girl: As the head scientist at the CDC, it goes without saying. Edwin outright says she was smarter than him, and would have been able to make more sense behind the walker virus than he ever could.

The Vatos

Guillermo

"These people all look to me now. I don't even know why."

Portrayed By: Neil Brown Jr.

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Season 1)

Guillermo is the leader of a group of survivors at a nursing home who protect the elderly residents from the walkers.

Almighty Janitor: He was the literal head custodian of the nursing home.
Canon Foreigner: Never appeared in the comics.
Gangbangers: Subverted. He and his crew were faking it to appear tough.
- Although, seeing how many Vatos there are, and how many gang tattoos they have, it's safe to assume that the Vatos were a legitimate gang before the outbreak. But The Apocalypse Brings Out the Best in People.
Hero of Another Story: And likely a pretty interesting story at that, considering the fact that Atlanta is almost completely overrun, and his group of survivors is among the largest organized force encountered prior to Woodbury.
Hidden Heart of Gold: He doesn't want to hurt anybody, but he is cautious with everyone who comes by due to previous encounters with looters and other violent survivors. He and his group use the facade to try to scare off other survivors so they can continue protecting the elderly.
The Leader: Of the nursing home survivors.
One-Shot Character: Only appears in "Vatos".
What Happened to the Mouse?: Deleted material from the second season premiere shows the nursing home overrun and everyone dead, but this was cut when the premiere was heavily changed following Frank Darabont being fired. As such, the question as to what happened to Guillermo and his people is unlikely to ever be answered.

Felipe

Portrayed By: Noel Gugliemi

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Season 1)

Felipe is a social worker at the nursing home who joined Guillermo in defending its residents.

Amusing Injuries: His getting shot in the butt by Daryl with an arrow.
The Lancer: To Guillermo, leading the scouting runs and directing the care of the elderly patients.
One-Shot Character: Only appears in "Vatos".

Miguel

Portrayed By: Anthony Guajardo

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Season 1)

Miguel is Felipe's cousin. He is captured by Rick, Daryl, and T-Dog when Glenn is taken by the Vatos.

Canon Foreigner: Never appeared in the comics.
Deadpan Snarker: Snarks about Merle's name after he gets captured, which almost causes Daryl to attack him.
Hostage Situation: Rick and the others try to use him to get Glenn returned safely, although it turns out Glenn is fine and they manage to resolve the situation peacefully.
One-Shot Character: Only appears in "Vatos".
Too Dumb to Live: He starts yelling loudly during a Zombie Apocalypse while a guy with a crossbow is telling him to shut up. He's lucky that Daryl didn't shoot him in the head.

Chase's Group

Chase

Portrayed By: Josh Stewart

Appearances: The Walking Dead Webisodes: Cold Storage

The protagonist of the Cold Storage webisodes, Chase is a survivor attempting to reach Cynthiana, Kentucky, where his sister is part of a group that is planning on leaving for Washington D.C.

Action Survivor: He's clearly not used to fighting to survive, but he manages to dispatch a few walkers and save Kelly while taking down B.J.'s personel storage kingdom.
Canon Foreigner: Never appeared in the comics.
Hero of Another Story: The webisodes show the beginning of his escape from Atlanta and journey to Cynthiana.
Mythology Gag: His sister lives in Cynthiana, Kentucky, which is where the Grimes family lives prior to the outbreak in the comics.

Perma-Stubble: Like many in the Zombie Apocalypse, he seems to be having a trouble finding time to shave.
What Happened to the Mouse?: There has yet to be any indication of his fate after leaving with Kelly.

Harris

Portrayed By: Christopher Allen Nelson

Appearances: The Walking Dead Webisodes: Cold Storage

A friend of Chase, and is heading with him to Cynthiana. Gets bitten at the end of part one, and Chase dispatches his walker form in part four.

And Then Harris Was A Zombie: Chase is kind enough to kill him again though.
Canon Foreigner: He never appeared in the comics.
Deadpan Snarker: Almost all of his lines are him snarking about something.
Eaten Alive: Gets distracted playing with a jar of ashes he found, allowing several walkers to sneak up on him. He manages to take out the first one, but the others overwhelm him and begin devouring his body.
Irony: Plays the lottery his whole life, and then after the Zombie Apocalypse has started he scratches off a ticket worth five grand.
It Gets Easier: He tells Chase this about killing walkers.

Self Storage Facility

B.J.

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/BJTWDwebisodes_8508.png

Portrayed By: Daniel Roebuck

Appearances: The Walking Dead Webisodes: Cold Storage

The last living employee of a storage facility, he offers Chase a truck in exchange for his help in restarting a generator. He killed most of his fellow employees, keeping Kelly alive to rape.

Beard of Evil: Chase should have realized he was bad news when he saw the classical villain goatee.
Canon Foreigner: Never appeared in the comics.
Crazy Survivalist: He's clearly come slightly unhinged by the Zombie Apocalypse, and the revelation that he killed all of his coworkers save the one he is raping proves it.

False Friend: He acts cheerful and friendly towards Chase after their initial hostile introduction, promising to give him a truck if he helps restore power. Once he has no more use for Chase he shoots him in the head and leaves him for dead.
Fate Worse than Death: Ends up as a reanimated zombie head after Kelly decapitates him.
Jerkass: He laughs at security footage of people being Eaten Alive while trying to get into the storage facility and get their stuff. And then there is what he did to Kelly...
Off with His Head!: How Kelly kills him with a machete.
Only Known by Initials: He introduces himself as B.J. to Chase and never mentions what they stand for.
Too Dumb to Live: Turns out turning your back on the woman you repeatedly raped while she is holding a machete is a bad idea.

Kelly

Portrayed By: Cerina Vincent

Appearances: The Walking Dead Webisodes: Cold Storage

A coworker of B.J.'s, she called in sick the day the Zombie Apocalypse started. She is really being kept by B.J. in a storage room, where he rapes her repeatedly. Chase rescues her and after killing B.J., they escape.

Canon Foreigner: Never appeared in the comics.
Damsel in Distress: She was held captive by B.J. in a locked storage room until Chase found and freed her.
The Dog Bites Back: Decapitates B.J.
Machete Mayhem: Chase gives her one upon meeting her. She uses it to take revenge upon B.J.
One-Steve Limit: Averted. She shares her name with a member of Magna's group introduced in Season 9.
Rape as Drama: B.J. rapes her repeatedly after killing the rest of their coworkers and locking her in a storage room with a bed in it.
What Happened to the Mouse?: There has yet to be any indication of her fate after leaving with Chase.

Michonne Hawthorne's Family

Andre

Andre Anthony Hawthorne

Portrayed By: N/A

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Season 4 ^noteDream)

Debut: "After"

Michonne's first child.

Affectionate Nickname: Michonne calls him "Peanut".
Cynicism Catalyst: His death sent Michonne down a dark path that she was only able to recover from thanks to meeting Andrea and later Rick's group.
Death of a Child: It's unknown exactly how he died, only that Mike and Terry were unable to prevent it due to being high when their camp was overrun. Though given he was a child unable to fight back it's likely he was devoured by walkers.
Posthumous Character: The only time we see him alive is in Michonne's dream in "After".
Small Role, Big Impact: His death shaped Michonne into the person she is today. In Season 9, Michonne mentions to Negan how she still thinks of her son and tries to honor his memory.

Mike

Portrayed By: Aldis Hodge

Voiced By: Héctor Garay (Spanish dub), Rody Benghezala (French dub)

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Seasons 4 ^noteDream)

Debut: "After"

Michonne's first boyfriend and the father of her son, Andre.

And Then John Was a Zombie: Michonne let him turn as punishment for being careless and not being able to protect their son.
Asshole Victim: Michonne initially seems to think so, claiming that he and Terry "weren't human to begin with." She later breaks down and admits that she misses him.
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: He was stoned when their camp was attacked, leading to the deaths of his son, his best friend, and himself.
Posthumous Character: The only time we see him alive is in Michonne's dream in "After".

Terry

Portrayed By: Brandon Fobbs

Voiced By: Gabriel Jiménez (Spanish dub), Jean-Baptiste Anoumon (French dub)

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Season 4 ^noteDream)

Debut: "After"

Mike's best friend.

And Then John Was a Zombie: Michonne let him turn as punishment for being careless and not being able to protect her son.
Asshole Victim: Michonne initially seems to think so, claiming that he and Mike "weren't human to begin with."
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Being high when their camp was overrun, he was unable to help keep Mike and Andre safe, leading to their deaths.
Posthumous Character: We only see him alive in Michonne's dream in "After".

Grady Memorial Hospital

In General

Grady Memorial Hospital has been occupied by a group of Atlanta Police officers that keep the hospital running, with a single doctor, and rescue injured survivors, only to then keep them performing menial labor to keep the place running.

The Bad Guys Are Cops: The remaining officers of the Atlanta Police Department run the survivor community at Grady Memorial Hospital. Several of them engage in rape and brutality while Lt. Dawn Lerner looks the other way. However, the rest of the officers seem to be decent.
Black-and-Gray Morality: The cops are either Well Intentioned Extremists or downright pricks.
Bus Crash: According to executive producer/director Greg Nicotero, they all died at some point during one of the time jumps.
Canon Foreigner: Never appeared in the comic.
Defeat Means Respect: After Rick's group bests them, they let them live and even offer to allow them to join their community.
Decomposite Character: In Broad Strokes, the Grady Memorial arc incorporated a number of elements from the Woodbury storyline in the comic that weren't used in the show's adaptation of it. A visual comparison can be found here. Furthermore, Beth and Noah are Alice, Dr. Steven Edwards is Dr. Stevens, Lamson is Martinez, Shepherd is Lilly Caul, and Licari is Gabe. The repeated rapes suffered by Joan are closer to what happened to Michonne in the comics, and she loses her hand after trying to escape like Rick. Finally, the entire community is Put on a Bus after the Big Bad is killed and the Mook turned Token Good Teammate takes over.
Early-Bird Cameo: The hospital building itself appears in the background during the opening of “What Lies Ahead,” a full three seasons before its proper introduction
Equal-Opportunity Evil: Their group includes three females, two black people, two Hispanic men, and one Asian.
Fantastic Caste System: The officers are the elites while the wards are slaves.
Filler Villain: Their story arc is inserted between storylines actually adapted from the comics and, compared to other villains, their impact on the series as a whole is comparatively minimal.
Indentured Servitude: This is summed up in their motto of "you consumed resources, now you have to give back something in return."
Might Makes Right: It is heavily implied that they run through this. This seems to be the case when Dawn starts warming up to Beth when she realizes that the latter is not weak like she initially thought. Their Defeat Means Respect attitude towards Rick and Co. after Dawn's death supports this.
Not Using the "Z" Word: They call zombies "rotters."
Police Brutality: They beat wards as punishment, kill survivors they wouldn't be able to control, and some of them even commit rape.
Put on a Bus: After the conclusion of their arc and the show moving almost 600 miles away, it's unlikely we'll ever see any surviving characters on this page ever again.
Sex Slave: Some of the female patients are forced to serve male officers as part of the "give back" program.
The Starscream: Many of the characters fall under this trope because they aren't as united as Rick's Badass Crew. It seems that no one is strong enough to play Megatron.

Police

Dawn

Lieutenant Dawn Lerner

"Every sacrifice we make needs to be for the greater good."

Portrayed By: Christine Woods

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Season 5)

"Beth, in this job you don't need their love. But you have to have their respect. Otherwise, the day's gonna come when you need backup and you don't have it. And what comes next? Everybody goes down."

An Atlanta Police Department lieutenant leading a group of police officers that rescues/kidnaps injured survivors, heals them and keep them performing supporting jobs at the hospital until they are no longer needed.

0% Approval Rating: Her officers consider her a terrible leader and want her out of power. This is driven home when Dawn is killed and no one mourns for her or tries to avenge her death.
Accidental Murder: Her horrified reaction immediately after killing Beth implies that she didn't actually mean to pull the trigger and it was purely a reflex action due to being stabbed. Not that it gains her any sympathy from Rick's group. However, two weeks later, Rick acknowledges that this was the case to Glenn and Michonne.
Ain't Too Proud to Beg: Immediately after accidentally shooting and killing Beth, she begs for her life. Daryl isn't having any of it.
Aloof Dark-Haired Girl: Her heart is as black as her hair and uniform.
Anti-Villain: She forces patients to perform menial tasks at the hospital and does nothing to stop some of her officers from raping or beating wards in order to keep the community going using fear, but deeply regrets it and wishes things were different.
Arc Villainess: She serves as the main antagonist from "Slabtown" (the fourth episode of Season 5) until her death in the mid-season finale.
Asshole Victim: A corrupt cop who turned a blind eye to rape, beat up on Noah, and shot Beth in the head? She had it coming.
Bad Cop/Incompetent Cop: No angel herself, but she's at least not as corrupt as Gorman, being seemingly disturbed by Gorman and some of the other cops raping female wards but being unwilling to do anything about it.
Big Bad Wannabe: While hardly a major threat like The Governor or Negan, she is the main antagonist from the fourth episode of Season 5 until her death in the midseason finale.
Boom, Headshot!: How Daryl kills her, after she does the same to Beth.
The Chains of Command: Like her predecessor, the leadership takes a toll on her and the residents of the hospital notice this.
Dark Action Girl: She can definitely handle herself in a fight.
Deal with the Devil: That's how Joan refers to Dawn's "compromises" to keep the hospital community running.
Defrosting Ice Queen: Her treatment of Beth gets a little better after Beth stands up for herself, earning some respect and the keys to a medicine cabinet.
Disc-One Final Boss: She meets her end in the mid-Season 5 finale, courtesy of Daryl.
Distaff Counterpart: To Shane in many ways. She killed her friend and police partner for being a good man who got people killed (succeed where Shane failed) and adjusted her worldview to do whatever it takes to survive in the Zombie Apocalypse while still holding out hope that they will be rescued at some point.
Dirty Coward: Joan calls her this for allowing cops like Gorman to abuse them. Dawn purposefully neglects to reprimand her subordinates, falsely believing that doing so earns their respect, but will lash out at weaker individuals like Beth.
Fair Cop: Downplayed because of the uniform and neatly tied up hair, which gives her shades of The Baroness.
First-Name Basis: Unlike the other cops, she's addressed by her given name.
Foil: Yet another to Rick, as a cop who became a leader of survivors. To further contrast herself from Rick, she's (judging from her uniform), an urban city cop as opposed to Rick, who is a small town cop. Since she's the Arc Villainess for several episodes in Season 5, she also counts as something of an Evil Counterpart to Rick.
The Friend Nobody Likes: The rest of the Grady Memorial cops neither like nor respect her. After Daryl shoots her, none of them tries to avenge her.
Hero Killer: She accidentally kills Beth.
Hypocrite: She berates O'Donnell for having become corrupted by power and abusing the wards, while Dawn herself has beaten them and turned a blind eye to the others' abuse until it threatened her position.
Iron Lady: She rules with an iron fist.
I Will Punish Your Friend for Your Failure: She allows Noah to be beaten as her way of punishing Beth.
Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: She hits Beth for no reason when frustrated, and later thrashes Noah alongside Gorman. She also turns a blind eye to Gorman raping the wards. Additionally, she pretends to be Beth's friend and explain that they're alike, but that doesn't stop her from using her "friend" to weed out traitors and manipulate others into giving what she wants.
Kick the Dog: She repeatedly hits Beth when she's angry, for no reason. At least when she helped beat Noah she could use the flimsy excuse of discouraging further mistakes.
Kick The Son Of A Bitch: When she and Beth kill O'Donnell, who is pretty much The Starscream of the team.
Kingpin in His Gym: She's seen working out in a stationary bicycle.
The Leader: Of the Grady Memorial Hospital group.
Lesser of Two Evils: What many in the hospital consider her leadership when compared with living outside with the walkers.
A Lighter Shade of Black: As of the end of Season 10, the main protagonists of the Walking Dead have encountered nine Big Bads and Big Bad Wannabes, including Dawn. If ranked by full-on maliciousness and evilness, Dawn ranks in as one of the most pleasant of these people, which says a lot given how she allowed rape to occur under her watch, and had a deadly fixation on the need for control. For comparison:
- Shane Walsh. A man who became obsessed with a married woman to such a degree that he was willing to backstab and murder his own best friend in cold blood to get her for himself, and was willing to murder innocent people if it meant he would live along with the ones he loved. Dawn's not so different from him, with the only difference being that she succeeded in killing her more moral counterpart.
- Philip Blake, the Governor. A sociopath absolutely obsessed to the nines with keeping his own power, and was willing to murder dozens of his own people in cold blood when they didn't comply with his orders. Dawn was a Bad Boss in her own right, but never was shown doing or even contemplating something so horrendous.
- Joe of the Claimers. This man actively hunted other humans with intent to aimlessly rape and murder them for nothing but the pleasures of himself and his group. Dawn allowed rape because she convinced herself it earned the respect of her subordinates, which would maintain stability that would keep Grady Memorial running.
- Gareth. A fully nihilistic cannibal who would trick weak and desperate survivors to coming to a supposed sanctuary, only to either throw them in a train car to be eaten, or force them to choose whether to join them or feed them. Dawn didn't run her place under such horribly false pretenses. Yet, it was a dangerous place that looked like a sanctuary, but she really did work the place to save lives, not end them.
- Pete Anderson. An unstable man who regularly abused his wife and sons for no apparent reason other than he could, and actually tried to kill people. Dawn was worse in some ways, but she genuinely believed that help was going to come and was taking the "do whatever it takes" approach, and her murder of Beth was a complete accident.
- The leader of the Wolves, Owen. This was a guy who ran a group that did nothing but indiscriminately kill and pillage everything in their path. Dawn's entire character motivation was in saving lives and preserving life until the apocalypse would end.
- Negan Smith. A ruthless extortionist leading a group of them, typically making his introduction by murdering one of a group's people, followed by an extensive Mind Rape campaign. Dawn had a streak for being abusive towards her people, but even she didn't murder people to make a statement, and certainly didn't spend extensive amounts of time psychologically torturing them.
- Alpha of the Whisperers. She was a psychotic mass-murderer who was willing to murder her own daughter, and a complete hypocrite who lived under false pretenses of "living like animals" who slaughtered ten innocent people to make a statement to AHK, and was willing to murder her own daughter. She even violated her own border rules to take down the communities. Dawn was nowhere near as murderous. She was a hypocrite herself, but in the deal with Rick's group, even after Moving the Goalposts, she still didn't actually try to pull any fast ones and was willing to let it end right after until Beth made a move that ended with both of them dead.
Meaningful Name: Her name is usually used as a metaphor for new beginnings. While she does seem to believe she's giving it to the ones she "rescued", it's not the new beginning they are hoping for.
Mood-Swinger: She can jump from calm to violent with minimal provocation and she hits Beth for no real reason other than spite. Dr. Edwards even states that she has good and bad days, with the latter being emphasized.
Moving the Goalposts: She adds a condition to the trade that Noah gets returned to her immediately after the deal.
My God, What Have I Done?: Her reaction to killing Beth is one of immediate remorse. Daryl doesn't have it and shoots her dead anyways.
The Napoleon: Despite her short stature, she has absolutely no qualms about who she picks a fight with, and is downright abusive towards Noah.
Necessarily Evil: She justifies her acts as keeping Grady Hospital together until aid arrives. However, since no help is coming, all her cruelty is really for nothing.
The Neidermeyer: She neglects to discipline her subordinates, thus enabling abuse in the mistaken assumption this will gain their admiration and respect. In reality, she has neither.
Pet the Dog: She begins to take a protective stance towards Beth, gives her the key to the medicine cabinet so she can treat Carol, and is mortified when she accidentally killed her.
Pint-Sized Powerhouse: Due to her small stature, she's a lot stronger than she looks.
Pride: She just had to ask for Noah back, even though everything was in the clear.
Punny Name: Her first name is an obvious Stealth Pun to Dawn of the Dead (1978).
Sherlock Scan: She immediately figures out that Beth knows Carol without the latter saying it.
"The Reason You Suck" Speech: Gives one to Beth... and ends up getting one from her.
The Starscream: Another man named Captain Hanson had been in charge of the hospital survivors; according to Dawn and Dr. Edwards, he was a "good man" who made some mistakes and got people killed. Edwards mentions that Dawn "dealt with" Hanson and took over. This precedent comes back to bite her when numerous other cops, including O'Donnell and Lamson, are willing to repay her in kind.
We Just Need to Wait for Rescue: She is convinced that help will one day arrive, and that the hospital survivors just have to keep going on with their "society" so they can help rebuild once rescue comes. When Beth tells her that rescue is not coming for them, it breaks her.
Well-Intentioned Extremist: She believes her actions are for the greater good while the government regains control of the city.
Work Off the Debt: The society she has set up is basically Indentured Servitude. They rescue/abduct people from the wilderness, use their supplies to treat them, then force the abductees to work off the value of the medicine used. However these workers then still need to eat while working, so the cost of food keeps the debt high. According to Noah, who has been at the hospital for about a year, he has never seen someone successfully work off their debt.

Dr. Edwards

Dr. Steven Edwards

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

"When they arrested Christ, Peter denied being one of his disciples. He didn't have a choice. They would have crucified him too."

Portrayed By: Erik Jensen

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Season 5)

"Art isn't about survival. It's about transcendence. Being more than animals. Rising above."

The pragmatic sole doctor of the hospital community. He keeps several valuable possessions in his office, including The Denial of St. Peter by the Italian Baroque artist Caravaggio, which he found outside Atlanta's High Museum.

Affably Evil: Despite his gentle manners, he's willing to take extreme measures to keep himself useful to Dawn.
Beware the Nice Ones: He's a pleasant enough fellow, but also threatens Gorman and manipulates Beth into killing Trevitt.
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: He tricks Beth into poisoning Trevitt, a fellow doctor he's treating so that he remains valuable to Dawn as the group's only remaining doctor. This leads to Noah being beaten when it could have easily been Beth.
Dirty Coward: At heart, he's this. And worst of all, he's aware of it.
Dressed to Heal: Justified, as he's a doctor living in a hospital with plenty of spare clothing.
Everyone Has Standards: He may be willing to resort to dirty tactics to keep himself safe, but he is disgusted by the sexual abuses that Gorman and some of the other cops carry out.
I Did What I Had to Do: He resorts to this to justify tricking Beth into killing the newly arrived Dr. Gavin Trevitt, whom Edwards considers a threat since some of the officers might kick him out or kill him if they got a more compliant doctor.
Karma Houdini: He survives "Coda" without any kind of punishment for using Beth to commit murder.
Manipulative Bastard: He manipulates Beth into poisoning a potential rival so he can secure his position within Grady.
The Medic: As the sole doctor in the hospital.
Mirror Character: To Eugene Porter. Both are intelligent, self-admitted cowards who are willing to resort to dirty tricks to keep themselves alive and useful. Unlike Porter, Edwards has no problem arranging the deaths of other people for this to happen, while Eugene eventually confessed he wasn't a scientist in order to prevent his friends from being killed.
Mythology Gag: His first name is a reference to Dr. Stevens, whom he shares a similar role to.
Nice Guy: Subverted. He is one of the few people at Grady Memorial to treat Beth kindly, but he still endangers her and kills an innocent to protect himself.
Non-Action Guy: He considers himself one and invokes it to justify turning a blind eye to the corruption in the hospital and deceiving Beth into killing potential rival Gavin Trevitt.
Put on a Bus: Edwards chooses to stay behind at the hospital after Dawn's death, along with most of his companions.
The Smart Guy: Aside from being the sole doctor in the hospital, he's also a Manipulative Bastard.

Gorman

Officer Gorman

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/80bccb5ef5ca29a887eb2489e75d9c6f.png

"The girl should have been mine."

Portrayed By: Cullen Moss

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Season 5)

"When someone does you a favor, it’s a courtesy to show some appreciation."

A sleazy and abusive police officer who was Dawn's partner before the Zombie Apocalypse.

Asshole Victim: After sexually harassing Beth, he ends up getting beaten on the head by her and then eaten by Joan after attempting to rape Beth.
Corrupt Cop: A reprehensible human being, even for The Walking Dead, and even after coming off of the grisly "Fear the Hunters" arc. He harasses and rapes the women under his care freely.
Eaten Alive: By the reanimated Joan.
Faux Affably Evil: When Beth first meets him for the first time, he compliments her and cordially boasts that he was the one who "rescued" her before going on to say that she owes him.
Hate Sink: He has no redeeming qualities and is just shown to be how horrible the Grady Memorial staff can be.
Jerkass: Beneath his cocky jerkass exterior lies a rapist. Most of the time he's on-screen he's harassing Beth or threatening Edwards.
Karmic Death: He is Eaten Alive by the zombified version of the woman he was raping regularly.
Last-Name Basis: Only referred to by his last name.
Slimeball: He's not a sadistic cannibal... he's worse.
The Starscream: Hinted at, when he comments that Dawn won't always be in charge.
Tempting Fate: When Beth pretends to give in to his advances, he smugly tells her that he knew she wasn't a fighter. Cue Beth smashing a jar on his head.
We Hardly Knew Ye: Killed in his debut appearance.

Lamson

Sergeant Bob Lamson

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/9dbb9c1f8ceb7773fc90f5d517087717.png

"I know this woman. And my only interest is peaceful resolution, not dying, and sleeping in my bed tonight. So, please, let me help you."

Portrayed By: Maximiliano Hernández

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Season 5)

A police sergeant assigned to Grady Memorial Hospital during the evacuation of Atlanta. He is said to be among the "good" cops at the hospital.

Ain't Too Proud to Beg: He begs Rick to take him back to the hospital so he can get healed and promises that he can still help him. Rick disagrees.
Rick: Can't go back, Bob.
Ambiguously Evil: It's not known if Lamson tried to escape out of fear or if he was actually a bad guy who deserved to get put down.
Asshole Victim: Rick runs him over and puts him down for betraying Sasha. However, it depends on whether you truly think he was Evil All Along or not.
Boom, Headshot!: By Rick.
Car Fu: How Rick gets him to "stop."
Composite Character: In addition to being a Canon Foreigner, he actually receives some aspects of Martinez's storyline (in the comics) that the Martinez in the TV show didn't. Specifically, he pretends to be an ally to the group, only to betray them and try to escape. Similar to what happened with Martinez in the comics, Rick ends up hitting him with a car and murdering him after letting him beg for a minute. It is also ambiguous as to whether or not he was actually going to betray Rick or simply work to save the good people in his group.
Oh, Crap!: He literally says, "oh shit" when he hears Rick speeding up to run him over after Lamson ignores his warnings to stop running.
One-Steve Limit: Averted with Bob Stookey. This becomes a problem when Sasha lets her guard down around him because she is still mourning the former's death. The Alexandria Bit Character Bob Miller appears later in the season.
Sherlock Scan: He immediately figures out that Rick is a former cop after a few seconds of interaction with him by noting his body language and the way he talks.
Survivor Guilt: He tells Sasha about a fellow police officer who he traded jobs with at the start of the outbreak, causing Lamson to live at Grady while the other died in a napalm blast.
Token Good Teammate: One of the good cops at Grady, at least according to Noah. Subverted at the very end of "Crossed", when he knocks Sasha unconscious to escape Rick's group.
Too Dumb to Live: Rick even tells him his death could've been avoided if he'd just stopped running.
Would Hit a Girl: He kicks Sasha into a window so that he can escape.

Shepherd

Officer Amanda Shepherd

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/7cd7e31bb078ed2a4d307e232ff7d2c5.png

Portrayed By: Teri Wyble

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Season 5)

Another police officer under Dawn's command. She is partnered with Lamson.

Aloof Dark-Haired Girl: Though she's not as rigid as Dawn.
Ascended Extra: In "Coda".
Dragon Ascendant: She immediately steps up and takes control of the situation after Dawn is killed. That the other officers follow her indicate their respect for her.
Last-Name Basis: Only referred to by her last name.
Meaningful Name: A shepherd keeps the flock in order, much like what her group is doing to the ones they "rescue". Played more straight after she takes command of Grady following Dawn's death.
Nice Girl: Of all the cops, she's by far the friendliest, and even makes sure nothing happens to anyone in Rick's crew after Daryl kills Dawn. She also appears to be respected enough among her fellow officers to take command following Dawn's death.
Put on a Bus: Shepherd chooses to stay behind at the hospital, most likely as the new leader.
The Starscream: She's one of the officers that want to remove Dawn from command and even offers Rick the chance to take her down in exchange for freedom.
You Are in Command Now: It is implied that she becomes the new leader of Grady after Dawn's death.

O'Donnell

Sergeant O'Donnell

Portrayed By: Ricky Wayne

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Season 5)

Another police officer under Dawn's command.

Ascended Extra: In "Coda".
Asshole Victim: He definitely had it coming.
The Bully: Towards Percy. Dawn also calls him out on him laughing with his "buddies" about Joan getting raped.
A Death in the Limelight: In "Coda" he gets more lines and focus. It also happens to be his final episode.
Disney Villain Death: After Dawn incapacitates him by breaking his larynx, Beth pushes him down an elevator shaft.
Jerkass: He advocates putting Carol out of life support because of the waste of resources, but Beth points out he does exactly that by constantly recharging his portable DVD player.
Kick the Dog: Shoves Percy (an elderly man) to the ground for doing his laundry incorrectly.
Last-Name Basis: Only referred to by his last name.
The Starscream: After he overhears Dawn talking to Beth.
We Used to Be Friends: He and Dawn started as rookies together and were good friends, with Dawn celebrating at the hospital with O'Donnell when his child was born. Post-Zombie Apocalypse, the two now despise each other, with O'Donnell critical of what he considers Dawn's weaknesses and Dawn disgusted that he has become corrupt and abusive.
Dawn: We're supposed to protect people, to help them, but look at you. You're beating the old man. You're laughing with your buddies about that poor girl getting raped. That's who you are now.
Would Hit a Girl: He attacks Dawn after she pulls her gun on him, and then slaps Beth when she tries to intervene.

Licari

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/f1692abbfe36aeacebea9d2213c4a226.png

"Dawn's afraid she'll look weak in front of us. Thinks it will tip things against her... it will."

Portrayed By: Christopher Matthew Cook

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Season 5)

Another police officer under Dawn's command.

Bald of Evil: He was trying to push Daryl so a walker would bite him in the face.
The Brute: The most physically imposing of Grady's officers.
Drives Like Crazy: Does this in his attempt to rescue Lamson and Sheppard from Rick's group, coming out of nowhere in a hearse.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He nearly kills Daryl in a fight, but in all fairness is defending himself from what he believes to be a threat. In the following episode, he agrees to help Rick's crew get Beth and Carol back, and doesn't retaliate when Dawn dies.
Last-Name Basis: Only referred to by his last name.
Put on a Bus: Chooses to stay behind at the hospital, along with most of his companions.

Wards

Noah

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/5x06_0015_5845.jpg

"They think I'm weak. But they don't know shit about me. About what I am."

Portrayed By: Tyler James Williams

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Season 5)

A young man from Shirewilt Estates who was "rescued" by the officers of Grady Memorial. He had come to Atlanta with his father to see if they could locate his uncle, but were injured. The officers made them chose who to rescue, leaving his father behind to die. Noah befriends Beth and though only he succeeds in escaping, he ends up joining Rick's group and leading them back to the hospital to barter with Dawn. When she demands he be returned to her, he complies to save the group, but Beth makes it moot when she sacrifices herself to kill Dawn. Wishing to honor Beth's last wishes, Rick leads the group to Virginia in order to take Noah back to his home, only to find it sacked and his family killed by the Wolves. After Tyreese dies, Noah becomes a permanent member of the group, but it doesn't last long as he's killed during a supply run after reaching Alexandria thanks to the cowardice of Nicholas.

Action Survivor: Although far from being a Non-Action Guy, he is not competent enough to qualify as a bonafide Action Hero.
Ain't Too Proud to Beg: He understandably starts begging for his life when Daryl considers leaving him under a bookcase to be eaten. Thankfully, Daryl decides to save him.
Butt-Monkey: Noah really does have horrible luck. He is injured and/or traumatized many times throughout his run on the show, culminating in him dying a horrific and totally undeserved death because of another character's cowardice.
Combat Pragmatist: He robs Daryl and Carol of their weapons, then sics some walkers on them to delay them while he gets away.
Cruel and Unusual Death: Noah ends up being Eaten Alive while pressed up against the glass of a revolving door, so that Glenn can witness every slow, gruesome detail. One of the walkers even tears out his right cheek as he screams in pain.
A Death in the Limelight: In "Spend", he gets more lines than normal and even forms a friendship with Reg, who gives him a journal to chronicle the events in Alexandria. He also expresses interest in becoming an architect. Noah ends up dying midway through the episode, leaving only one line written in the journal.
Devoured by the Horde: He is completely devoured by walkers while Glenn watches helplessly.
Fake Guest Star: Appears in 10 of the season's 16 episodes until his death in the fourteenth episode.
Game-Breaking Injury: His badly injured legs make it difficult for him to fight or run. However, this changes, as Aaron tells him on the way to the Safe-Zone that they have a skilled doctor named Pete who can help him. His legs seem to have improved by "Spend".
Heroic BSoD: When he realizes that everyone he knew before Grady is dead. Tyreese has to snap him out of it.
Heroic Sacrifice:
- He tries to make one, choosing to stay behind at the hospital so Beth can leave. However, it becomes a moot point when Beth is killed moments later.
- Tyler James Williams stated that Noah intentionally let go of Glenn's hand in the revolving door to keep the latter from getting taken down with him. His last words ("don't let go") were actually his way of reminding Glenn to not lose his humanity.
Hope Spot: Noah dies in the same episode Reg gives him a journal to chronicle the building of the Alexandria community.
Improbable Aiming Skills: An aversion, which is worth mentioning on this show. He fails to headshot a walker with Daryl's crossbow, instead impaling it through the throat. However, he does get better with a gun by the second half of Season 5.
Irony: The first and only entry in his journal reads, "This is only the beginning."
The Load: At first, he's a terrible shot with badly injured legs whom Rick's group have to save from walkers several times within only a few episodes of meeting him. By "Spend", however, he's definitely gotten better with a gun. It doesn't save him.
Made of Iron: Drops down an elevator shaft onto a pile of bodies, and manages to escape from a crowd of walkers on what appears to be a broken leg. He later stalks Daryl and Carol through Atlanta. By the time he's running from Grady's cops he's limping badly, but it's impressive he's still going.
Mauve Shirt: He is introduced fairly early on in Season 5 and ends up joining the group, but dies two episodes before the finale.
Nice Guy: The most decent person within Grady. He even wants to help Daryl get Beth and Carol out of the hospital, after implying that he wouldn't have robbed them if he didn't think they stood a chance of survival. When Dawn changes the deal last minute, he agrees to stay at Grady if it means Beth gets to leave.
The Quiet One: Once he becomes more acclimated to the group Noah starts speaking less, likely guilty over causing Beth and Tyreese's deaths. He does still get lines though, and talks a lot in "Spend" (his last episode).
Real Life Writes the Plot: The likely reason why Noah is killed off before the end of Season 5 is due to Tyler James Williams being cast in Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders.
Ship Tease: With Beth. It comes to an end with Beth's death in the mid-Season 5 finale. In Alexandria, Tara teases him about being interested in local resident Holly, but Noah himself is killed shortly after the discussion.
Shoot the Shaggy Dog: Every single one of his storylines ends in tragedy. His attempt to get Beth back from the hospital ends with her getting killed in front of him. His ultimate goal of reuniting with his family/old group is stopped when he returns only to find that everyone he knew was slaughtered (and to top it off, Tyreese is killed as well). And his aspiration to become an architect for Alexandria is put to a stop when he dies one of the most violent and painful deaths in the series.
Sixth Ranger: He assists Rick's group in the Carol/Beth rescue mission and ultimately joins them for good at the end of "Coda", lasting six more episodes until his death in "Spend."
Sole Survivor: He's the lone survivor of Shirewilt Estates until the fourteenth episode of Season 5.
Took a Level in Badass: In "Spend", it's shown that his skill with a gun has improved drastically. Too bad he dies in the same episode thanks to Nicholas' cowardice.
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: While he means well, his actions cause the deaths of both Beth and Tyreese.
You Can't Go Home Again: Noah intended to leave the group after they reached his old home, but when he finds it sacked and his family dead, he becomes a permanent member of the group until his death.

Joan

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bd64b46b5e971a97f51667aab8de0fa7.png

"It's easy to make a deal with the devil when you're not the one paying the price."

Portrayed By: Keisha Castle-Hughes

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Season 5)

A ward at Grady Memorial Hospital who is being sexually abused by Gorman.

And Then John Was a Zombie: She reanimates after committing suicide.
An Arm and a Leg: Edwards amputates her arm after she gets bitten trying to escape.
Composite Character: Several of the horrors of the Woodbury arc (which the Grady Memorial arc revisits in Broad Strokes) that were left out of Season 3 are inflicted on Joan. Like Michonne, she is kept as a Sex Slave and repeatedly raped. She also attempts to escape and, like Rick, has her hand amputated (along with the rest of her lower arm). Her final (written) words are "Fuck you," the same as Alice's last words.
Despair Event Horizon: Being repeatedly raped by Gorman leads to her escape attempt and eventual suicide.
The Dog Bites Back: She deliberately kills herself in Dawn's office (after scratching "Fuck You" onto the floor) so that she can turn and attack her for allowing Gorman to rape her. By a happy coincidence, she instead kills Gorman.
Driven to Suicide: After her arm is amputated, she opens up the stitches as a form of suicide.
Sex Slave: One for Gorman and perhaps other officers, though it's strongly implied to have just been him.
Spear Carrier: A rather small but well-characterized role for a somewhat well-known actress like Keisha Castle-Hughes.
We Hardly Knew Ye: Dies in her debut appearance.
Zombie Infectee: She gets bitten on her right arm by a walker while trying to escape, but Edwards amputates her arm just below her elbow to save her.

Percy

Portrayed By: Marc Gowan

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Season 5)

An elderly patient at the hospital.

Cool Old Guy: He helps Beth by distracting several guards while she sneaks into Edwards' office.
Kick the Dog: Ends up on the receiving end of this when O'Donnell shoves him to the ground for pretty much no reason other than that he's a jerk.
Nice Guy: He is completely willing to help out Beth despite not even knowing her.
Older Sidekick: He helps out Beth in "Crossed".
Put on a Bus: Stays at the hospital along with most of his companions.

Characters / The Walking Dead (2010): Atlanta aka: The Walking Dead TV Show Atlanta

Edit Locked

Center for Disease Control (CDC)

Dr. Edwin Jenner

Portrayed By: Noah Emmerich

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Season 1) | The Walking Dead: World Beyond (Season 2 finale, post-credits scene only)

Dr. Candace Jenner

Portrayed By: Claire Bronson

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Season 1 note In a photograph and on a CDC monitor)

The Vatos

Guillermo

Portrayed By: Neil Brown Jr.

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Season 1)

Felipe

Portrayed By: Noel Gugliemi

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Season 1)

Miguel

Portrayed By: Anthony Guajardo

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Season 1)

Chase's Group

Chase

Portrayed By: Josh Stewart

Appearances: The Walking Dead Webisodes: Cold Storage

Harris

Portrayed By: Christopher Allen Nelson

Appearances: The Walking Dead Webisodes: Cold Storage

Self Storage Facility

B.J.

Portrayed By: Daniel Roebuck

Appearances: The Walking Dead Webisodes: Cold Storage

Kelly

Portrayed By: Cerina Vincent

Appearances: The Walking Dead Webisodes: Cold Storage

Michonne Hawthorne's Family

Andre Anthony Hawthorne

Portrayed By: N/A

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Season 4 note Dream)

Debut: "After"

Mike

Portrayed By: Aldis Hodge

Voiced By: Héctor Garay (Spanish dub), Rody Benghezala (French dub)

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Seasons 4 note Dream)

Debut: "After"

Terry

Portrayed By: Brandon Fobbs

Voiced By: Gabriel Jiménez (Spanish dub), Jean-Baptiste Anoumon (French dub)

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Season 4 note Dream)

Debut: "After"

Grady Memorial Hospital

Police

Lieutenant Dawn Lerner

Portrayed By: Christine Woods

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Season 5)

Dr. Steven Edwards

Portrayed By: Erik Jensen

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Season 5)

Officer Gorman

Portrayed By: Cullen Moss

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Season 5)

Sergeant Bob Lamson

Portrayed By: Maximiliano Hernández

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Season 5)

Officer Amanda Shepherd

Portrayed By: Teri Wyble

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Season 5)

Sergeant O'Donnell

Portrayed By: Ricky Wayne

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Season 5)

Licari

Portrayed By: Christopher Matthew Cook

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Season 5)

Wards

Noah

Portrayed By: Tyler James Williams

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Season 5)

Joan

Portrayed By: Keisha Castle-Hughes

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Season 5)

Percy

Portrayed By: Marc Gowan

Characters / The Walking Dead (2010): Atlanta
aka: The Walking Dead TV Show Atlanta

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Season 1 ^noteIn a photograph and on a CDC monitor)

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Season 4 ^noteDream)

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Seasons 4 ^noteDream)

Appearances: The Walking Dead (Season 4 ^noteDream)