Rick Grimes (Comic Series)

Rick is the story's primary protagonist; 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. At the beginning of the series, Rick is wounded in a shoot-out, and put into a coma. Upon awakening, Rick literally woke up to a nightmare; he found the hospital, his neighborhood, and the entire world has been overrun by the walking dead. Upon meeting up with the survivor group outside of Atlanta, which includes his family, Rick was initially highly idealistic. As months pass, however, the zombie apocalypse, as well as the growing number of deaths amongst the survivors (recently his wife and new born daughter), takes a clear psychological toll on him. While he suffers a continual psychological breakdown, Rick remains a prominent leader in the group (but mostly against his will), and continues to survive against all odds.