#and like... piss on that sksksks i don't care anymore

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

I did a TWDG character tier list because it’s been a while

Back in July 2019, I posted a tier list ranking TWDG characters from all four seasons with explanations for why I placed each character where I did. It’s now 2023, and I’ve mostly stepped away from TWDG and the fandom. I pop in occasionally to answer asks or give updates about the Clementine comics. Sometimes I get the itch to do an analysis post. Or something like this.

Distancing myself and then revisiting the series has changed a lot of my opinions of these characters and my ranking is quite different, so I thought it’d be interesting to discuss.

Just a note about how I’m ranking this: This ranking is solely based on my feelings about the characters. Last time I ranked some characters higher than I wanted to because I acknowledged their good writing and popularity. I’m not doing that this time. Well-written/popular or not, if I don’t like them, they’re ranking low. If I like them, then that’s the only reason I need to rank them high. That’s probably going to cause disagreements and that’s fine. Agree to disagree, y’know?

Each character is limited to a 3-4 sentence explanation. I can’t write a heavy analysis for every character, otherwise we’ll be here forever.

Also, I didn’t include characters from the Michonne mini-series since they weren’t included in my original and the mini-series is separate from the main series. All you really need to know is Michonne and Pete would’ve made A-tier.  

Starting from F-tier and working our way up to S-tier:

F-tier

Troy Surprise, Troy’s my least favorite character in the entire series. He’s an asshole and I find nothing compelling about him other than his death scene. He’s insignificant, I hate him, and he can suck an egg.

Vernon Vernon has some sympathetic qualities to his character but as far as characters in S1 go, I can’t say he’s all that great. Sure, he patched Omid up but that doesn’t mean he gets to fuck us over in the end. Screw him, y’know?

The Stranger I feel like I like the idea around The Stranger more than the Stranger himself. I get it, he’s supposed to be just some dude and it’s a neat reveal that he’s the guy we stole food from, but I liked him better when he was just a voice over a walkie. He’s just kinda here to guilt you over your choices no matter what you did and use it as an excuse for kidnapping Clementine, but I need a little bit more from my antagonists.

Joan Joan has one of the coolest villain moments in TWDG when she asks you who you want to save, then orders who you picked to be executed, and honestly? I respect that. It just sucks that Joan as a character is boring as sin. I can’t forgive boring antagonists, she sucks.

Larry Not going to lie—Larry is the biggest asshole and I kinda live for it. I still absolutely hate him, but I can respect him as a character for being such a piece of shit. He has some depth to him when you bother to try out different choices, and his death is so ingrained in my brain, but he’s in F-tier for a reason. I hate him, but he’s a damn good antagonist within the group.

Abel I think Abel is a great antagonist and he’s well-written, but I also think he’s garbage and I hate him. They really captured how crusty, creepy, and cruel he can be while also giving him a moment of vulnerability when he realizes he’s dying.

D-tier

Kenny Yes, I’m ranking Kenny this low. He’s one of my least favorite characters in all of TWDG, but at least he’s an interesting character study despite just being such a piece of shit. I’m sorry, I know he’s a fan favorite and he’s a broken man with a sad backstory, I understand that he’s a complex and well-written character. But I can’t stand him; he’s manipulative, violent, possessive, you can’t disagree with him without him throwing a tantrum, and I just don’t like him.

Andy, Danny, Brenda I’m clumping these three together because I might as well, my opinion of them individually doesn’t differ much. These guys are cannibals who lead people to their farm to butcher, eat, and trade the meat with bandits. They fed Mark’s leg meat to the group like…. It’s so fucked. They’re great antagonists, the best in S1 for sure, but fuck these guys.

Walter I’m kinda meh on Walter. He’s where he is on this tier list not because I hate him or anything, he’s mostly just here to guilt Nick and then be executed by Carver, and eh.

Arvo I don’t like Arvo. I don’t think that’s an unpopular opinion. I feel bad about everything he went through and Kenny was absolutely in the wrong for abusing him the way he did, but I can’t say Arvo himself is compelling. I think that’s a common theme with me—boring is usually worse than bad, and Arvo isn’t all that interesting. Then he shoots Clementine and we never hear from him again sooo…. Cool.

Omar Oh no, poor Omar ranking so low. But again, for me boring is worse than bad, and Omar is boring. I’m sorry, I know that’s wild coming from me given my past with TFS but it’s true. Omar is a character who exists, he cooks, he gets shot, he survives, and that’s about it.

Mark The only cool thing about Mark is how he died. But as an actual character? Meh.

Sarita Sarita is barely her own character. She exists to serve Kenny’s character development, and I hate that for her. She’s nice, and unfortunately that’s it.

Willy Willy is okay. He definitely has the most depth in this tier, save Kenny. But he’s still a minor character who I can’t justify putting any higher when I don’t love him.

Mari Oh, poor Mari. She’s sweet, but her death is more impactful than her actual character.

C-tier

Carver Carver’s a pretty good antagonist. I like him well enough. He’s a piece of shit, he’s intimidating, and he’s dangerous. Not the best, not the worst antagonist.

Carlos Carlos is hilarious, which I don’t think was the intention behind his character but if not, then they shouldn’t have made him so funny. I’m not saying funny as in “haha,” I’m saying it in a “you are an incompetent man, why are you doing this” way.

Duck I feel kinda bad for putting Duck so low, but he has the same problems as Sarita and Mari, though he does have a bit more personality going for him. His character serves Kenny’s character development, and his death is more impactful than he actually is.

Bonnie Bonnie’s fine. I liked her more in 400 Days. In S2, she’s just kinda meh.

Rebecca I like Rebecca well enough. Her going from being a complete asshole to wanting to be friends with Clementine between episodes kind of gives me whiplash but I can’t help but sympathize with her. She’s a pregnant woman in the zombie apocalypse who lost her husband because Carver’s a piece of shit and then she dies shortly after giving birth... it’s sad.  

Shel and Becca I like Shel and Becca a lot more than I did before. Their situation in 400 Days is rough, and I feel a lot for Shel wanting to give Becca a good life despite the state of the world. Becca’s also just a kid who tries to act tough and like she has a thick skin but c’mon, she’s still just a kid. 

Mike Mike was super chill until he betrayed us at the end. I would’ve ranked him higher but frankly, I’m still a bit bitter about him wanting to run off with Bonnie and Arvo, completely fine with taking all the food and resources so that Clementine and baby AJ starve. We were bros, Mike, then you had to go a do that. 

Brody Once again: Her death is more memorable than her character. But, in this case, I will say Brody stands out given the fact that she’s lying to everyone about the twins and dealing with the guilt gnawing at her in ep1. I find her interesting within the context of “who is telling the truth? what really happened?” because unfortunately, both she and Marlon end up dead so we’ll never know the full story from either perspective. 

Mitch Oh, my boy, there was a time where you ranked waaaay higher, but I can’t do it. Mitch is a good character and serves his purpose, and his death is still pretty bullshit. I still like him, just not nearly as much as I used to. 

Eleanor I’m still pissy about Eleanor snitching on us to Joan which results in either Ava or Tripp being executed, and then having the balls to yell at us about it. But prior to that, Eleanor’s a character with great medical knowledge and skills who wanted to help people. She just ends up being a victim to ANF’s less than stellar writing. 

Kate I still have a lot of issues with Kate, like I still hate the romance between her and Javi and how bitter she becomes after being rejected, but I don’t hate her. She’s a flawed character but I understand her perspective on things when it comes to David and Richmond. She’s also resourceful and charming at times, I like her well enough. 

Violet Yeeeeeah, remember how I said this is 100% my biased opinion on all of these characters? Violet is a mid C-tier character for me, she’s just okay. I don’t hate Violet, I don’t love her. She has some really endearing moments just as she has infuriating ones. I talked a bunch about her in my revisiting TFS post, if you want a full explanation on my feelings about her, then you can read that. 

Chuck I like Chuck, he’s chill. I appreciate the reality check he gave Lee about Clementine and their plan, and I’m sad that he died. Not much else to say. 

Vince I really like Vince. I talked a lot more about his character in my 400 Days post, so to summarize, he’s another interesting protagonist in that dlc and I liked his story a lot. 

Molly Might be an unpopular opinion to put Molly this low, but even though I like her, I can’t justify putting her higher. Molly’s story is heartbreaking though, and incredibly traumatic when you sit with it... like, she traded sex for medicine so her sister wouldn’t be thrown out, and given that we don’t meet her sister and dipshit doctor said he couldn’t keep helping her out... yeah. Molly brings a lot of charm and humor while she’s around but she’s also just so sad, y’know?

Jesus Jesus is cool. I don’t really have much else to say about him other than that. 

Christa I feel like a lot of these C-tier characters can be summed up with, “I like them, they’re cool... yeah.” because that’s how I feel about Christa. She shines more as a character when paired with Omid, and like with Rebecca, I really feel for her as a pregnant woman in the apocalypse who then lost both Omid and their baby and had to remain strong to care for Clementine... even though her resentment and bitterness are clearly present. 

Conrad My boy Conrad... I still really like him, though my love has definitely toned down. I enjoy his story and still stand by keeping him alive to the end, even though he makes it difficult sometimes. He’s hurting and that makes him stupid, and if you keep him alive long enough, he genuinely apologizes then tries to be better and I respect that. 

Ben Ben didn’t quite make it to B-tier, but know that he was close. Ben is such a screw up and he does so much damage, but I can’t bring myself to hate him. Most of us don’t wanna admit that if the apocalypse actually happened, we wouldn’t be a Lee or a Clementine, we’d be a Ben. 

B-tier

Aasim Aasim is definitely one of my favorite side characters in TFS and I’m always going to be bitter that he wasn’t used to his full potential. He’s the perfect middle ground between Louis and Violet, I love that he keeps a journal to record everything that happens, and that he’s the only one willing to push back at Marlon. Aasim’s great. 

Ruby I adore Ruby, she’s great. She’s small and fiery yet she’s the group nurse and takes pride in patching people up. Again, one of my favorite side characters in TFS. 

Alvin I have a lot of feelings about Alvin. Most are sad. This man loves his wife and their baby. I love the exchange between him and Clementine where she tells him he’s nice, she can tell, and Alvin’s just like, “I ain’t nice!” and Clementine goes, “...Yes, you are.” with a smile, it’s great. He didn’t deserve his fate, I’m still hurt by it. 

Nick Speaking of not deserving their fate: Nick. I like Nick a lot and will never be over his off screen death and how no one really cared. 

Eddie and Wyatt Lumping these two together since I couldn’t decide who I liked more. The two are amazing, their story in 400 Days is so damn enjoyable, and the chemistry between them is off the charts. Both interesting characters with great personalities. 

Katjaa I’ll never not be sad about Katjaa. Woman deserved the world and yet that’s what she got. She’s so interesting given her career as a vet which made her the group doctor, the fact that she married Kenny, and how she straight up tells you that she has her limits and she would’ve left Lilly behind if it was her choice. 

Doug Doug’s pretty great, but there just wasn’t enough time devoted to him in S1, especially if you don’t save him in ep1. When you do save him, though, he’s one of the more enjoyable characters to be around and I appreciate the efforts he makes to help the group despite his talents lying else where. 

Luke Luke is great for two episodes, then his character slowly went down the shitter. He had the makings to be great, to be an A-tier character, no questions asked... but honestly, putting him in B due to my personal feelings is being generous. When you’re only great for 2/5 episodes, then maybe you’re not an overall great character, hmm? But I’m biased and I like him. 

Minerva Okay look, I love Minerva as a tragic antagonist. I take back every mean thing I’ve ever said about her. 

Tripp Man, I love Tripp. He’s my bro, y’know?  

Gabe Gabe is a brat and I love him. I understand the criticism, but I also understand a lot of that criticism is rooted in “any child character who isn’t exactly like Clementine is deemed annoying.” He's one of the better parts of ANF in my opinion. 

Tenn I’ve done a lot of thinking about Tenn since I wrote my retrospective on TFS and like... Tenn is a great character. He’s interesting to have within the story of TFS, and I know, it’s so easy to just hate him because he keeps making the same mistakes. It’s when you look at the full picture that you understand why he keeps doing it and it’s just... sad. He always dies in my playthroughs, it’s heartbreaking. 

Sarah Sarah should get a shirt that says “I was wasted potential in S2 and all I got was this lousy shirt.” Because yeah, the set up for Sarah is executed so damn well, then the game fumbled, and then she was killed off. My girl deserved better than that. 

Carley I adore Carley. That’s my girl, I love her. Just.... I love her. Not much else to say. 

Ava Ava is so fucking cool, why is it that ANF killed her off in the most comical way possible when she survives execution? How could you do that to one of the most badass characters in TWDG? She fucking knocked TRIPP on his ass. I love her so much. 

Marlon Marlon is the perfect antagonist for ep1 of TFS. I have an entire character analysis about him, and again, I covered his character again in my retrospective of the game. 

Lilly Yeah, yeah, laugh it up-- I love Lilly, she’s an asshole and she’s great in both S1 and TFS. She’s a woman under so much damn pressure in S1 due to looking after her abusive father as he’s all the family she has left, she’s leading the group which Kenny continually gives her hell for, and she just wants to survive. Then she comes back in TFS as a great antagonist and we see just how far she’s fallen due to everything that’s happened to her. I talked more in-depth about her in my TFS retrospective post so if you want more details, you can go there. 

David Okay listen, this is my tier list and I say David is on the verge of being A tier for being such an interesting bitch. David is such a bitch, a real bastard, I could punch him in his damn nose, but damn it, he’s fascinating and I won’t apologize for being invested in the Garcia brother dynamic. I hate him but also I think he’s great. 

A-tier

Pete I feel like Pete being this high is just purely my bias showing. He has no business being this high and above so many other characters, but I don’t care. I love this man. He’s only in two episodes [assuming you ran to him instead of Nick] and he’s still one of my favorite characters in S2. 

Russell Russell is my favorite protagonist in 400 Days and I will be forever salty that he wasn’t more important in S2. 

James I could talk and talk about James until I’m blue in the face. I adore James, he’s such a compelling and often misunderstood character. 

Omid I mean, c’mon.... who here doesn’t think Omid is an A-tier character? He’s just so charismatic and charming, it’s hard to dislike him even a little. All these years later, and I’m still hurt that he died the way he did. 

Jane Yeah that’s right, Jane ranks this high. Jane is a fucking great character and I’m tired of pretending she’s not. I want to give you an in-depth analysis that elaborates on that, but unfortunately, I’ve limited myself on this post. That’s what asks are for, I suppose. 

Javier Javier Garcia is the best thing about ANF. Listen, ANF is the worst installment in the series, I feel like I can confidently say that, but Javi makes it all worth it. That, and his dynamics with Gabe and David, and Clementine, too. I love this man. 

AJ I debated on if I should put AJ here or S-tier, but ultimately, S-tier is for my absolutely favorites. While I love AJ and his development over TFS, he just barely misses the mark. But I think his spot here is well-deserved, love that little goofball. 

S-tier

Rosie Rosie is best girl. That’s it. She’s best girl. 

Lee It’s been how many years and I’m still not over Lee. He deserved the world. I love him so much. 

Clementine What’s there to even say about Clementine throughout all four seasons? She’s S-tier. She’s incredibly well written throughout the series, her growth is amazing, and her ending in TFS is definitely deserved. I love her so much. 

Louis Coming as a shock to literally no one, Louis is my favorite character in all of TWDG and he deserves the top spot in the top tier. What can I possibly say? I have written countless posts about how much I love him. He’s my favorite and I fucking love him. 

And for a fun comparison, my 2019 tier list:

[letstalkaboutfandomsbaby]

I know your nanami x chubby reader headcanons are kind of old but they are literally my favourites, and I'm sorry if I'm pissing you off with this

I remember Nanami wanted us to sit on her face but we were insecure because of the weight

NOW IMAGINE NANAMI GIVING "" SUBTLE "" SIGNS THAT HE CAN HOLD US ON

Just picking you up randomly or doing push-ups with you on your back, carrying ALL the groceries at once (boy would lift a car☠) and there would come a time when we would just say "ok I get it I'll sit on your face 🙄"

Also, english is not my first language so I'm sorry if you can't understand something

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA YESYESYES NANAMI X CHUBBY READER FOR THE WINNNNN

YOU COULD NEVER PISS ME OFF BY ASKING FOR MORE CHUBBY READER CONTENT, I LOVE THAT SHIT SO MUCH!!!!!

Also don't worry bby, your English is wonderful, I understood everything just fine. You're doing a great job 🥰

CW: chubby fem reader, smut, oral (female receiving), slight insecurities but not much

OKOK SO SKSKSK

We all know Nanami is strong

Mans is like a goddamn beast when he fights curses

He definitely has to workout and train to keep up his physique so he can keep people safe yk??

Basically he's super strong, and you know this

But let's be honest: even the most confident of people can get a little nervous at times

You love your body, really you do!! You wouldn't change yourself for anybody bc you're perfect the way you are!

But the thought of putting your full weight on someone's face is terrifying sksksk

Like you don't care how strong the person is, your pussy is just so extravagant that you're worried your poor boyfriend will suffocate and that's the LAST thing you want

So every time he hints at it or flat-out asks you to sit on his face, you sway the conversation to something else or convince him to just eat you out while you lay down in bed

He's asked you why you won't do it before, and you've always explained that you're worried that you'll hurt him on accident and you're just not comfortable with it

He loves you and just wants to make you happy, so he backs off a bit

BUTTTTTTTTTT that doesn't mean he won't try to sway your thinking

Oh, you think you're too heavy? Don't worry darling, he's one of the strongest jujutsu sorcerers in the world, there's very little that he can't handle

And he shows off this strength whenever he can

Like you said, he'll have you help him with his workouts and insist on carrying the twenty or so bags

BUT IT WOULDN'T STOP THERE NUH-UH NO MA'AM

He begins a habit of picking you up and moving you when you're in the way

Like if he needs something from a cabinet and you're standing in front of it, he won't ask you to move anymore, he'll just pick you up and move you to the side or sit you down on the counter so he can get to the cabinet

It was kinda cute and funny at first but it's been like two weeks and it's super annoying at this point

You know why he's doing this, but you don't want to give in

He's so goddamn stubborn and childish when it comes to these issues, always being so petty and trying to prove his point through his actions when his words don't work

The straw that breaks the camel's back is when you ask him to get you something from a tall shelf and, instead of just grabbing said item like a normal human being, he picks you up and basically holds you up on one shoulder

Alright, that's it, this is getting ridiculous at this point

"Fine. I'll sit on your face 🙄😒"

When I tell you this man is so fucking ecstatic—

No he literally picks you up and carries you off to the bedroom like he can't wait he needs you NOW

And when you get undressed? And crawl over him? And finally sit that pretty pussy on his face? It's heaven, sheer heaven, literally nothing can compare

He's gonna make you cum at least 3 times before he even THINKS about fucking you

Be prepared to sit on his face at least once a week bc he INSISTS on you doing that sksksk

At the end of the day, he's very happy that he got his way :)

[johnnycranes]

Here’s quite a few for you and your babies too!

B, E, R, Y - Harry & Sydney

C, F, N, W - Norman & Kennedy

A, D, H, K - Jacob & Sydney

AMANDA! thank you for these, i gotchu! 💞

and slight warning that it got a little ramble-y 🙃

for the fluff ask

Bargain: how do they get what they want?

Harry really just has to lay on the charm, make Syd smile and she gives in. Meanwhile Sydney flashes puppy dog eyes and Harry can't say no.

Enchanted: what first caught their eye?

For Harry it was Syd's pretty face, seeing this little lady barge into the room where he was already stealing an artifact, he just knew he had to see her again. For Sydney it was his smug grin He winked at her, called her "love" and she was pissed off but couldn't stop thinking about him.

Romantic: what kind of gifts do they give?

Harry likes to treat Sydney to fancy nights out. Occasionally he surprises her with a gown to wear to their date because he wants to see it on her before pulling it off of her. Sydney likes giving him new clothes. He almost always gets his shirts ripped when he goes on long jobs. And this man was 🥺😍 when Syd bought him a bunch of jackets so he wouldn't get cold when going to cooler areas.

Yearn: what do they do when they're apart?

Always texting each other, video calls when they're both free. Sydney will always be worried for him and texts him to take care, watch himself, reminds him to eat. Harry always teases her to "not miss him too much" but he misses her just as much. He's almost always the one to initiate sexting

Communicate: what is their love language

For both of them it's touch. After posing as a fake couple in front of press and other socialites before becoming actually getting together, it's reassuring to know that their gestures, holding each other whether in public or in private, it's all real now and they can both feel that it is.

Flirty: how do they flirt?

LISTEN! Norm knows Kenny loves his voice. He likes teasing her and telling her how sexy she looks. And you know Kenny can be smooth too when she wants to be, but once he's recovered from being flustered, Norman just teases her back more.

Normal: what does a normal day look like for them?

They're just your regular super rich couple with day jobs and 4 kids sksksks. With or without Norman deciding to suit up as the Green Goblin that day, they make sure to at least have some time in the evening together for just the two of them.

Whisper: what pet-names and compliments do they give each other?

Norman calls Kennedy darling and she loves calling him honey. Norman compliments Kenny for how sweet she is and how stunning she looks, no matter what she's wearing. Kenny tells him how handsome he is, how intelligent he is and despite what he says about himself, he's a good man. And that his voice is really sexy.

Adorable: what do they find especially endearing?

Sydney loves how soft and affectionate Jacob can be. He's a hard-ass yes but then he'd throw her a small smile and kiss her just because, and she'd melt. Jake loves how silly Syd is. This woman who caused chaos around the county all on her own yet laughs at her own corny jokes and feels bad every time she doesn't reach the cheese rolls for breakfast.

Devoted: how do they show they're serious?

They don't wanna kill each other. They're both very protective of the other. Jacob's attention isn't solely on just the project anymore. He'll do his duties, but he has someone else he cares about now and it's the same with Syd.

Hot: what is their favorite look on their partner?

Both of them are so distracted when they work out together. All sweaty, faces red, breathing heavily. Jacob knows what he's doing when he takes his shirt off and Syd is having fun in her sports bra and shorts. They at least have to finish exercising before going at it.

Karma: how do they apologize?

They're both very stubborn and it can take some time but they come out and say it when they're ready. Jake can take a bit longer and Syd can see him hesitate wanting to hold her so she holds him first.