Rick Grimes (Comic Series)

Rick is the story's primary protagonist; author Robert Kirkman has stated that the series is intended to focus on him and cover his life, and presumably if Rick dies the series will wrap up shortly thereafter. He is a small-town police officer living with his wife Lori and son Carl.

Biography
At the beginning of the series, Rick is wounded in a shoot-out, and is put into a coma. Upon awakening, Rick finds the hospital and the rest of the town desolated and overrun by zombies.

Upon meeting up with the survivor group outside of Atlanta, which includes his family, Rick was initially highly idealistic. As months pass, the zombie apocalypse, as well as the growing number of deaths amongst the survivors (Including his wife and daughter), takes a clear psychological toll on him. While he suffers a continual psychological breakdown, Rick remains a prominent leader in the group (albeit mostly against his will), and continues to survive against all odds.

Death
Writer Robert Kirkman stated:
 * "If I keep doing horrible things to [Rick Grimes], I'm going to eventually have to kill him or this book will become completely unrealistic. So yeah...he'll die, sooner or later—and I can pretty much promise that he will die before the end of the series. Unless I change my mind."

In answer to the question:
 * "In the first "Walking Dead" TP intro, you hinted that you're going to chronicle Rick Grimes adventures for the whole of his life. How can you possibly do that?"

Robert Kirkman responded:
 * "...Rick could die at at time--so that would chronicle his adventures for the whole of his life right there. I seriously doubt Rick is going to live to be 80, and at the pace this comic usually runs at that would take about 300 years to reach. We're at issue 37 right now and not even nine months have passed. Rick could only have two years to live and that could take another 100 issues to show."
 * "Also, I don't think I ever said the book would end if Rick died. It could easily continue after his death."

Quotes
While consoling Sgt. Abraham Ford, Rick confesses to the killing of Dexter and Caesar Martinez, when Ford asks him why he is telling him this, Rick tells him that:
 * "...some people...it was like a switch went off...one minute they were good people...then this whole things started and poof...they're monsters. Thing is, I don't think that's an entirely bad thing."
 * "You and me--our switches flipped, we're doing whatever it takes to survive and to help those around us to survive. The people without the switch--those who weren't able to go from law-abiding citizens to stone-cold killers...those are the ones shambling around out there--trying to eat us."
 * "We do what we have to do, it doesn't matter if we can live with ourselves...as long as we live."

Later, near Dale's grave Rick says:
 * "[Dale] resisted things that I deemed necessary. He wouldn't allow himself to be completely changed by his surroundings.
 * I though that made him weak, but maybe I was wrong.
 * Maybe he was strong to resist those urges, maybe he was stronger than any of us to hold on to his humanity and refuse to let it go."

Trivia
Harrison Memorial Hospital was the name of the hospital that Rick Grimes stayed at during his coma, this is an actual hospital in Cynthiana, Kentucky.