Charles (Video Game)

"Ask not for whom the bell tolls...it tolls for thee..."

- Charles quoting while listening to Savannah's church bells as walkers arrive.

Charles, more frequently referred to as "Chuck", is an original character who appeared in The Walking Dead Video Game. He is a homeless man, residing inside of a boxcar of a train before Lee's group stumbled upon him.

Clayton, Georgia
Almost nothing is known about Chuck's life before the apocalypse or as the apocalypse began. All that is known is that he had lived in Georgia for his entire life. He was a homeless drifter, and had a family, but hadn't seen them for around 14 years.

"Episode 3: Long Road Ahead"
After the death of Doug/Carley, the remaining survivors discovered a train, in which they met Chuck, who decided to join them. He gave Lee some advice: to cut Clementine's hair, teach her how to use a gun, and to create a plan for what happened once they reached Savannah. Chuck explained that he had witnessed another girl about her age being killed by walkers because she wasn't prepared for the hazards they represented. He explained that he wanted to avoid going through that kind of horror again.

"Episode 4: Around Every Corner"
Chuck, along with the other survivors, made their way down the streets of Savannah, Georgia. Walkers proceeded to attack the group, due to somebody ringing some Church bells, causing Clementine and Ben to be cornered by zombies. Ben left Clementine for dead and Chuck came to the rescue, impaling an approaching zombie with a shovel, allowing Clementine to escape. Chuck pleaded with Lee and Clementine to move to a safe place. The group noticed Chuck fighting off the zombies with his shovel, and they contemplated on whether or not they should've save him, but they noticed zombies approaching from both ways and that they were cut off from him, making it impossible to offer him any help. Chuck pleaded with them to leave, and then he fled, finding his way into the sewers. He was set upon by walkers and pinned down, but shot himself with the last bullet from his gun before he was devoured.

Killed by

 * Molly (Indirectly Caused)
 * Zombies
 * Himself (Suicide)

Lee moved to investigate the sewers, where he discovered Charles, disemboweled and with a gunshot wound to the head. It is presumed that Chuck took refuge in the sewer and, knowing that he wasn't going to survive, shot himself in the head, so that he wouldn't have to suffer a more gruesome fate, and prevented himself from reanimating. Lee discovered walkers feasting on his corpse and, after distracting them, Lee uncovered an empty gun next to Chuck. Lee told himself and the unmoving corpse that he had deserved better, before moving on.

Killed Victims
This list shows the victims Chuck has killed:
 * Himself (Suicide)
 * Numerous counts of zombies.

Non-Canon Deaths
If Lee fails to complete certain tasks, it is possible for Chuck to be killed. These deaths are considered non-canon and result in a game over. Lee will then re-spawn and be allowed to try again. Below is a pictorial list of when Chuck can die.

"Episode 3: Long Road Ahead"

Lee Everett
"You deserved better, old man."

- Lee, after finding Chuck's dead body in the sewers.

Initially, Lee didn't trust Chuck, but quickly grew to respect him after he gave Lee advice on how to keep Clementine safe and protected. This respect grew when Chuck saved Clementine from a group of zombies. When Chuck was overrun, Lee seemed worried about him, but reluctantly pressed on. After later finding found Chuck dead, Lee seemed mournful, saying that he deserved better.

Clementine
"She'll die a little girl if you treat her like one. You gotta consider her a living person. That's it. You're either living or you're not. You ain't little, you ain't a girl, you ain't a boy, you ain't strong or smart. You're alive."

- Chuck, giving Lee advice on taking care of Clementine.

While not seen interacting with her much, Chuck seemed to care about Clementine. He gave her candy when they first met, and advised Lee on how to properly care for her. After Duck was killed, he told Clementine that she would meet a similar fate, trying to prepare her for the harsh world she would have to live in. After the group arrived in Savannah, he risked, and ultimately gave, his life to save her after she was surrounded by walkers.

Kenny
"YOU gotta get a hold of yourself. This a crew, here."

- Chuck to Kenny after his family dies.

When they first met, Chuck admired Kenny, saying that he shared his love of the road. However, after the death of his family, Chuck began to doubt Kenny's ability to operate rationally. He thought his plan to find a boat was flawed, as they had no idea where to find one or even if there would be any left, and saw his overreaction to the wrecked truck as a sign that he was losing it. Regardless, Chuck elected to stay with the group under Kenny's de facto leadership until his death.

Trivia

 * Charles is an alcoholic.
 * Charles knows how to play guitar, making him one of five characters known who also play the guitar. The other three are Otis and Glenn from the TV Series, and Becca and Stephanie from the 400 Days DLC.
 * Charles is one of the three characters who die off-screen - the others being Kenny and Ben, if Lee saves him at the bell tower.
 * Charles is generous, as he gave candy to Clementine, Ben, and Duck in Episode 3.
 * After Lee convinces Christa and Omid to come meet the group in Episode 3, Chuck will also offer Christa and Omid some candy if the player decides to let the timer run out in one of the conversations (the player is also able to speak at the last second), but Christa and Omid will not respond to his offer.
 * Charles is one of the many characters with an ongoing nickname, in his case, "Chuck".
 * Charles is revealed to be a cultured person, due to in Episode 4 quoting a line from the 17th century poem by John Donne, "Meditation 17". Furthermore, there is even a trophy/achievement that is dubbed, "For Whom The Bell Tolls", in Episode 4. There is also a book by Ernest Hemingway which has a similar name.
 * Charles shares a strong resemblance to Left 4 Dead character William 'Bill' Overbeck, both being old and surviving on their own until grouping up with strangers, holding an ongoing nickname, giving out advice and protecting their own group, and dying saving their group from certain death.
 * It is presumed that only Lee knew of Charles' fate, as there is no option to clarify what happened to the man with the group. It also seems that the group cared little for Charles, as none of them mention him.
 * It is unknown where Charles obtains the revolver he shot himself with, as he never used it. It's possible he already had it, but it was never seen or mentioned (the same with Ben's pistol), but given the group had traveled a great distance into Savannah, it's highly possible he found it along the way.
 * He is not mentioned in the character statistics at the end of, "No Time Left", along with Glenn and Mark, even though he was a member of the group.
 * This could be because there are no decisions that change the character's view on Lee unlike Clementine.
 * Also out of those three, Charles is the only character who appeared in more than one episode.
 * Judging from the fact he managed to hold off and kill multiple walkers long enough in the streets of Savannah to reach the sewers with just a shovel, it would seem he has some skill in melee combat.