Badger (Video Game)

"Ever since the junkyard, you've been nothing but a fly in my ointment. (...) If I'd known you were David's brother... I'd have shoved that gas can down your throat and lit you up like a candle. But this will do."

- Badger to Javier García before attempting to kill him.

"Badger" (real name unknown) is a main character and an antagonist who first appears in Telltale Games' The Walking Dead: Season Three. A high-ranking member of the New Frontier who serves as a lieutenant, Badger is a man set on carrying out orders, as well as finding his own resolution in avenging those who have fallen on his side during the apocalypse. He is one of several members of the New Frontier who enacts violent raids on other settlements, raids that are orchestrated by their leader, Joan. He serves as the secondary antagonist of the first half of Season 3.

Location Unknown
Nothing is known about Badger's life prior to the outbreak, except that he may have taken hunting as a hobby. He may have lived in or near Richmond at the time. Telltale Staff, Alyssa Finlay, suspects he was a privileged bully.

Post-Apocalypse
At some point after the outbreak, Badger came in contact with a group called the New Frontier and decided to join them. Over time, he attained enough authority to be considered a lieutenant by others in the group.

"Ties That Bind - Part 1"
Badger first appears alongside Max and Lonnie, whereupon they discover Javier García retrieving his gasoline can from an ambulance. Badger holds him at gunpoint with the others before Max orders him and one other man with them to spread out and search for any others with Javier. He regroups with Max quickly when he hears shouts for help, arriving to once again hold Javier at gunpoint as Max attends to an unconscious Lonnie. Max ominously informs him that he must pay for what he has done before knocking him out. Badger and Max carry Javier to their truck to be driven back to Richmond.

Badger briefly returns at the end of the episode, initiating a gunfight and killing Mariana García. Badger and four of his men approach the junkyard gates, barely being fended off by Clementine and Javier's efforts. Kate Garcia is shot in the abdomen as she goes to her dead step-daughter's side. One of his men is fatally shot by Javier, (Determinant) causing Badger to halt his position and continue firing from afar. Clementine advises Javier to stay with her and fight off the attackers, though Gabriel García and Eleanor/Tripp both claim that they need his help in getting back to Prescott. (Determinant) Javier can choose to stay behind with Clementine and give his family time to escape, killing two more of Badger's men before being incapacitated by a flashbang. Badger runs away and leave all of his men for dead. (Determinant)

Alternatively, Javier can tell Clementine that he has to go back with Kate, which leads to Clementine staying behind alone to fight off Badger and his men. The García family flees the scene and Badger is forced to run from a group of walkers that encroach his position. (Determinant) Badger survives either way and makes it back to his people with a story about him and his men being attacked by the people of Prescott.

"Ties That Bind - Part 2"
Badger is among the strike force that drives to the town of town of Prescott to find and apprehend Javier, confronting Tripp, Javier, Clementine and Conrad. He had revealed to his group about what Clementine and Javier did to him and his squad and captured Francine to use as a bargaining chip to force Javier to surrender himself to them.

During the debate, he resists Max's orders and takes things in to his own hands, ordering one member to chop Francine's fingers off to persuade Javier further. If Javier agrees to come down, (Determinant) Badger orders one man to restrain him while another points a gun at his head, preparing to execute him, wanting Javier to pay for what he's done, despite Max's protests Badger insists on killing Javier straight away, claiming it will "take too long" upon taking him back to headquarters and punish him there. Clementine then exits the gate and shoots at them, (Determinant) enabling Javier to escape.

Regardless of what Javier decides to do, Badger disobeys Max's orders by convincing the others to attack the town, having a truck full of walkers be rammed through the damaged gates. He also proceeds to shoot Francine dead, either as she runs away or while she is still restrained if Javier refused to come down. (Determinant)

"Above The Law"
Badger is introduced when Lonnie and Max are stocking up on supplies. Max makes remarks that they wouldn't be in the situation they were in now if Badger hadn't shot Mariana, and Badger referred her as "little bitch", said that he had no remorse at all and would do it again if he had the chance, Max calls Badger stupid for this. Max discusses with the two that Joan is going too far with taking supplies from other settlements and that it is going to lead to a war and so they should hide all of the supplies they've taken before any of the New Frontier members who don't know about the situation find them.

Whilst discussing the items they got, David, Javier, Tripp, Jesus, Clementine and Conrad (Determinant) appear behind them armed, ambushing them and David knocks Badger to the ground and Max is shocked to see him, David tells Max that he thought better of him, Max tries to reassure David but then pulls out his gun and starts shooting. Everybody splits up. David goes after Max, while Clementine and Jesus go after Lonnie.

Javier goes after Badger. He is encountered loading a shotgun and Badger and Javier engage in a brawl, both men trying to kill each other for the killings of their friends. When Badger seems to have gained the upper hand, he remarks how he's always hated David and regretted not killing Javier sooner now knowing he is David's brother. Javier ends up mortally wounding Badger by shooting him in the abdomen with a shotgun. Tripp appears and stands aside Javier and lets Javier decide Badger's fate. If Conrad is still alive, he will recognize Badger as the one who killed Francine, he walks over to Badger and kicks him in the face, reminding him of Francine, Badger replies saying that Francine was "nothing." Javier can let him turn or bash his brains in an uncontrollable rage. If Conrad is the one to decide Badger's fate, Badger insults Javier, but Conrad tells Badger he's nothing, let alone a man, and shoots him in the head, killing him.

"Thicker Than Water"
After the events of the previous episode, Badger's corpse is later discovered and taken back to Richmond. At the town meeting, Joan uses Badger's death in an attempt to turn the residents of Richmond against Javier and David. When David is about to be executed, Joan reveals the corpse of Badger to the crowd, claiming David to be responsible for his death. The state of Badger's corpse is determined by how he was killed. If he was killed by Javier, Badger appears with a bag covering his head, regardless if Javier actually killed him or mutilated his head. If he was killed by Tripp or Conrad, he will appear with a perforation wound on the side of his head. If left to turn, his skin will be noticeably pale and discolored, with a perforation wound in the side of his head, implying he was found and put down by the New Frontier.

"From The Gallows"
A photo of Badger before the outbreak can be seen on the memorial wall, the image depicting Badger kneeling next to a dead deer in a snowy location.

Death

 * Killed By
 * Javier García (Direct or Caused, Alive; Determinant)
 * Conrad (Determinant)
 * Tripp (Determinant)
 * An unnamed member of the New Frontier (Zombified, Off-Screen, Determinant)

After a fight with Javier shooting Badger in the stomach, his fate is left to decide by Javier:

Javier kills him: Javier uses the baseball bat to bash in Badger's head. After the first hit, Badger smiles, satisfied that Javier is losing his sanity. If Javier hits Badger once or twice, Badger is still conscious, but later dies from the head trauma. On the third hit, Badger's skull splits open and he dies from his injuries, although Javier can continue beating Badger's head until it is completely brutalized.

Conrad kills him: Javier can choose to allow Conrad to kill Badger instead, as vengeance for Francine's murder and having his home overrun with zombies. Badger taunts Javier for not having the guts to kill another man, and is called out by Conrad, who calls Badger "nothing," before pulling out his gun and stoically shooting him in the head.

Tripp kills him: If Javier remains silent, Tripp takes it upon himself to end Badger by stabbing him in the head.

Leave him to turn: Javier can choose to spare Badger, knowing that he will bleed out from his wounds and reanimate, as a way of refusing to kill anyone and not giving Badger the satisfaction, or possibly just out of wanting to leave him to suffer as punishment for killing Mariana. His reanimated corpse is later found and put down by an unknown member of the New Frontier.

Killed Victims
This list shows the victims that Badger has killed:
 * Mariana García
 * Francine
 * Numerous counts of Prescott residents (Caused and Direct)
 * Numerous counts of zombies and unnamed people

Relationships
{{Scroll-1|1 = ===David García=== {{Quote|"If I'd known you were David's brother... I'd have shoved that gas can down your throat and lit you up like a candle!"|Badger remarking his hatred of David. (Determinant)|Above The Law}}

It is implied from David that Badger has done many things behind his back and that the two are not on good terms. During the fight between Javier and Badger, Badger expresses his hatred of David saying that had he known Javier and David were related, he would have given Javier a worse fate at the junkyard.

David completely resents and detests him for what he did to Mariana, wanting him dead. David is quick to support Javier's actions if he bashed in Badger's skull, saying "that son-of-a-bitch killed Mariana," and (along with Clementine) will defend his actions against Jesus, who expresses an opposed opinion on the matter.

Javier García
"You're the worst kind of filth, Badger. This is how it had to end."

- Javier insults Badger before killing him (Determinant)

Javier and Badger have a very hostile and violent relationship, both harboring hatred for one another. Javier deeply despises Badger for murdering Mariana and the destruction of Prescott, killing many of the inhabitants. Badger on the other side seeks vengeance and retribution after Javier killed a number of The New Frontier members, most of which were his friends.

In "Above The Law", both Javier and Badger engage in a bloody brawl to the death where Javier finally gains the upper hand and shoots him in the gut. Angered that he lost to Javier, he express regret not killing Javier when he had the chance and insults him deeply, showing he does not care whether he dies or not. Javier has the choice to beat him to death with an aluminum baseball bat, leave him to reanimate or allow Conrad/Tripp to finish him. If Javier chooses to beat him to death, he has the choice to beat him continuously to the point where there is nothing left of Badger's head remains, showing how much hatred he has for the man. Later, if he chose to beat Badger to the point where his skull and head are completely destroyed, when Jesus asks him if 'that' made him feel better, he can say that it did, further showing his lack of remorse for violently murdering Badger.

Max
"No! Fuck you and fuck the go ahead! Ram the fucking gate!"

- Badger to Max. Max seems to trust Badger, both being part of the New Frontier. However, he is wary of the man's hostile nature, trying to anchor him in their conflict at Prescott, understanding his tendency to go too far. Despite such, he is unable to stop Badger from launching a full scale attack, going against orders.

After Badger is killed, when Clementine questions as to what happened to him, Max does not show any concern and simply just looks at Javier with a cold stare knowing that he was responsible for his death, implying that Max was not concerned about Badger's fate knowing that the man was a psychopath.

Francine
"I think they need a little... incentive."

- Badger to the New Frontier after getting Francine out as a hostage.

Badger mistreated Francine, having no concern about her using her as a hostage, harming and killing her to get what he wanted. He seemed to enjoy torturing her as well, particularly due to the distress it caused Conrad. After failing to kill Javier, he would later shoot Francine dead, with no mercy and hesitation. In "Above The Law", after Badger is taken down by Javier, If Conrad is alive, he will kick Badger in the head, reminding him of what he did to Francine. Badger shows no remorse for killing her, saying she was "nothing", enraging Conrad. Javier can let Conrad shoot Badger in the head, avenging Francine.

Conrad
"She was... Nothing."

- Badger taunting Conrad about Francine. (Determinant)

Although they rarely interact, Conrad has a very strong hatred for Badger due to him killing Francine. After Javier takes down Badger, Conrad kicks Badger in the head reminding him he killed Francine with Badger replying that she was nothing, showing no remorse for what he did. If Javier lets Conrad kill Badger, Conrad will say that Badger is "nothing", before shooting him. (Determinant)

Mariana García
"Not anymore. (...) Fuck her...and fuck you, too."

- Badger to Javier about Mariana and him (Determinant)

Badger and Mariana never knew each other, but Badger demonstrated extreme indifference to her when he fired upon her and her group, killing her with a shot to the head before she ever knew that they were under attack. In spite of his murder of a child, Badger continued his assault on Javier and the others in the junkyard. He never expressed any remorse over her death, even going as far as to mock Javier over her.}}

Season 3

 * "Ties That Bind - Part 1"
 * "Ties That Bind - Part 2"
 * "Above The Law"
 * "Thicker Than Water" (Corpse)
 * "From The Gallows" (Photograph)

Trivia

 * Badger is the only character to be only called by his nickname, not his real name.
 * According to unused audio files, Tripp knew Badger before he came to Prescott to get Javier.
 * Badger has the most possible determinant killers with a total of four.
 * Badger is one of nine characters who can appear in every episode, whether it's a photograph, as a corpse or as a walker.
 * Unused files show that Badger was originally going to take Rufus' role of being the truck driver.
 * According to the memorial wall, Badger most likely was a hunter of animals.