Themes: Fear

Fear is a recurring theme in The Walking Dead. It is expressed by most characters when scared due to facing uncertainty or insurmountable odds. It is a strong emotion that can act as a powerful motivator or, conversely, hinder a person's ability to act.

Occurrences

Comic Series

• Negan becomes scared of his wife, Lucille when she reanimates as a zombie. _{(Here's Negan)}
• Rick Grimes is startled when the elevator door opens and a corpse falls into it. _{(Issue 1)}
• Rick runs into several zombies in the hospital after he wakes up, looking on in fear and confusion as to what has happened. _{(Issue 1)}
• Rick states that he didn't have time to be scared when looking for his wife and son Lori and Carl, and expresses it in realization on what the world has come to. _{(Issue 3)}
• Glenn expresses his concern and shows unease to Rick as they make their way to the gun shop, covered in guts. _{(Issue 4)}
• Amy yells in fear as zombies surprise her and as one bites her. _{(Issue 5)}
• Carol holds Sophia close, crying, as zombies swarm the campgrounds. _{(Issue 5)}
• After surviving the zombie attack, the group looks at Jim with fear after noticing a vicious bite on his forearm. _{(Issue 5)}
• Both Dale and Glenn get spooked by a frozen zombie. _{(Issue 8)}
• Donna screams in horror as a zombie surprises her and bites her in the face. _{(Issue 9)}
• Allen looks on in horror as his wife gets devoured and is unable to do anything. _{(Issue 9)}
• Rick and Tyreese look on in horror as Carl is shot. _{(Issue 10)}
• Otis looks up at Rick in fear as he holds a gun in his face after shooting Carl, mistaking them as walkers. _{(Issue 10)}
• Arnold and Lacey Greene scream out in fear as they are over come and eaten by walkers. _{(Issue 11)}
• Tyreese screams as his daughter comes back to life unexpectedly. _{(Issue 14)}
• Chris looks up at Tyreese in fear as Tyreese strangles him for killing his daughter. _{(Issue 15)}
• Andrea screams for Tyreese and tries to get to him as he is separated from her, Billy, and Glenn. _{(Comic Series)}
• As Hershel and Maggie Greene mourn the death of his daughters and her sisters Rachel and Susie, their undead heads moan and frighten them. _{(Issue 15)}
• Andrea screams for help as she is being chased by Thomas Richards. _{(Issue 17)}
• Patricia screams for help as Thomas attempts to strangle her. _{(Issue 17)}
• Hershel looks on in horror and disbelief after Rick cuts off Allen's leg. _{(Issue 20)}
• Everyone looks on in horror as they see Carol with her wrists cut. _{(Issue 22)}
• Rick, Glenn, and Michonne try to fight back against The Governor, Bruce and Gabe after finding out they feed strangers to zombies. _{(Comic Series)}
• Glenn is shown to be scared as he is put in a cell by himself by The Governor's men. _{(Comic Series)}
• Rick yells as he is startled by an undead Otis. _{(Issue 35)}
• Alexandria Safe-Zone residents fear for their lives as their fortified town is breached by walkers. _{(No Way Out)}
• When Paul Monroe greets Rick at the Hilltop Colony, he sees the look of horror on his face and fears the worst. _{(Issue 101)}
• The group can only look on in horror as Negan beats Glenn to death with Lucille. _{(Issue 100)}
• Kal quickly goes to warn Negan of the planned attack against the Saviors in fear of his wrath. _{(Issue 110)}
• Gregory lives in absolute fear of Negan and the Saviors. _{(Comic Series)}
• Negan looks on in disbelief and fear as Shiva pounces one of his men and begins mauling the Savior. _{(Issue 114)}
• Negan looks out in intimidation as a massive herd approaches the Sanctuary. He tells Dwight that he hopes he's wearing his "shitting pants". _{(Issue 116)}
• David attempts to rape Holly, horrifying her. _{(Issue 117)}
• The communities fear the threat of the Whisperers after they kill twelve members of the communities. _{(Issue 146, Issue 147, Issue 148, Issue 149)}.
• Gabriel is terrified after he spies a huge group of Whisperers approaching. _{(Issue 158)}
• Rick becomes horrified when he fears that the Militia hadn't vanquished the Whisperers and their herd, worried that it will come for them. _{(Issue 162)}
• Many Alexandrians barricade themselves in their homes when the Whisperer's herd breaches the town. _{(Issue 163)}
• Rick becomes horrified when he sees Andrea has been bitten. _{(Issue 166)}
• Beta is horrified when he realizes his mask has been removed. _{(Issue 173)}
• Rick is horrified when he sees Eugene carrying Michonne's sword. _{(Issue 180)}
• Stephanie becomes petrified when a herd surrounds her and Eugene. _{(Issue 189)}

TV Series

• Rick Grimes expresses fear and confusion as he awakes to an apocalyptic world. _{(Days Gone Bye)}
• Duane Jones is afraid of his zombified mother, Jenny Jones. _{(Days Gone Bye)}
• Andrea Harrison fears that they may die because of Rick shooting many zombies outside of the department store. _(Guts)
• Merle Dixon pleads with T-Dog to not leave him on the roof of the department store, in fear of death. _(Guts)
• Andrea Harrison, Jacqui, Amy Harrison, and Carol Peletier look on in horror as Shane Walsh ferociously beats Ed for hitting his wife Carol. _{(Tell It to the Frogs)}
• Daryl Dixon yells in anger and frustration as they find Merle's hand and on the roof of the department store. _{(Tell It to the Frogs)}
• Glenn Rhee screams for help as he is kidnapped by the "Vatos". _(Vatos)
• Miguel screams as Daryl interrogates him and shows him Merle's hand. _(Vatos)
• Ed screams in agony and in fear as walkers swarm his tent and devour him. _(Vatos)
• Amy screams as a walker bites her in the neck and arm. _(Vatos)
• Many other survivors are shown trying to fight or run away from the zombie horde but ultimately fail. _(Vatos)
• Everyone looks on in horror as they notice Jim's bite. _(Wildfire)
• The group try desperately to escape the CDC after finding out Jenner's intentions. _(TS-19)
• The group looks on in horror as a massive zombie horde pass by them while they hide under cars. _{(What Lies Ahead)}
• Sophia Peletier screams as several zombies spot her and pursue her. _{(What Lies Ahead)}
• Carol says her biggest fear is for Sophia to become a walker. _{(Bloodletting)}
• Randall fears his death. _{(Better Angels)}
• Lori Grimes tells Hershel Greene that she is afraid that her baby will be stillborn and might be born a walker. _(Seed)
• Andrew is afraid of the walkers he is trapped with. _(Sick)
• Axel fears for his life when Rick aims his gun at him. _(Sick)
• Gargulio begins to panic after seeing Michonne's message, made with walker body parts. _(Hounded)
• Glenn screams in terror as Merle releases a walker in the room as he is tied to a chair. _{(When the Dead Come Knocking}
• Maggie Greene gives up the location of the prison in fear of Glenn's death. _{(When the Dead Come Knocking)}
• Michonne Hawthorne jumps back as she removes the hood off of an undead Penny, startling her. _{(Made to Suffer)}
• Michonne is seen to be visibly scared as she comes face-to-face with several of The Governor's victims as they fight. _{(Made to Suffer)}
• Daryl panics when The Governor escorts him into the Woodbury arena. _{(Made to Suffer)}
• The group fear Rick as he begins screaming due to seeing a hallucination of Lori. _{(The Suicide King)}
• The Woodbury army begins to run in fear as The Governor finally snaps and begins to massacre them. _{(Welcome to the Tombs)}
• Andrea hastily tries to break free from the chair she is strapped to as Milton slowly becomes a zombie. She screams in fear as an undead Milton slowly approaches her. _{(Welcome to the Tombs)}
• Caesar Martinez, Allen, and Shumpert watch in horror as The Governor loses his sanity and begins slaughtering his own men. _{(Welcome to the Tombs)}
• Glenn fears for Maggie in becoming pregnant after what happened to Lori in delivering Judith _{(30 Days Without An Accident).}
• Many survivors run in fear of the undead as they begin attacking in Cell Block D. _(Infected)
• Bob Stookey looks on in fear and helplessness as he sees Tyreese become surrounded by a large group of walkers. _{(Indifference)}
• Philip and the Chambler family run away in fear of a herd of walkers. _{(Live Bait)}
• Gabriel Stokes fears a fellow reanimated member of his church when she tries to attack him. _(Strangers)
• Gabriel clutches his cross in fear, as the Hunters break into the church. _{(Four Walls and a Roof)}
• Steven Edwards fears what would happen if another doctor replaced him at the hospital. _(Slabtown)
• Bob panics in fear after realizing Gareth and the fellow Terminus survivors have amputated his left leg from the knee down and are consuming it. _(Strangers)
• Nicholas panics and begs Glenn not to shoot him. _(Conquer)
• Nicholas has PTSD when trying to get to Alexandria, when he sees Sturgess' dead body, and when he and Glenn are on top of the dumpster. _{(Thank You)}
• Sam Anderson shows severe fear when passing through the herd, ultimately leading to his death. _{(No Way Out)}
• Carol begins to hyperventilate when she and Maggie are captured. _{(The Same Boat)}
• Rick shows immense fear after he and his group become trapped by The Saviors. _{(Last Day on Earth)}
• Eugene Porter lives in absolute fear of the Saviors after Negan Smith kills Glenn Rhee and Abraham Ford. _{(TV Series)}
• Oceanside residents constantly living in fear of the Saviors after they murdered all the men and fled their former community. _(Swear)
• Rick is horrified when Negan and the Saviors attempt to wreak havoc in Alexandria alongside the Scavengers. _{(The First Day of the Rest of Your Life)}
• Rick feared thinking Michonne fell from her balcony post to her death when the Saviors invaded Alexandria. _{(The First Day of the Rest of Your Life)}
• Gregory panics and abandons Gabriel Stokes at the Sanctuary after the latter attempts to rescue him. _(Mercy)
• Ezekiel is horrified when the Saviors slaughter a large number of his people and when Shiva risks her life to protect him from walkers. _{(Monsters, Some Guy)}
• Rick is paralyzed with fear when he discovers the Saviors were able to dispose of the herd surrounding the Sanctuary. _{(How It's Gotta Be)}
• Rick and Michonne are horrified when they learn of Carl's bite from a walker. _{(How It's Gotta Be)}
• Jadis shows immense fear for her people after Simon and his group of Saviors begin killing them arbitrarily until it eventually turns into a massacre. _{(The Lost and the Plunderers)}
• Negan becomes afraid of the possibility that he caused Carl's death. _{(The Lost and the Plunderers)}
• Negan fearfully flees a pursuing Rick hellbent on killing him in a surprise ambush until Rick runs out of munitions. He also becomes horrified when Rick vandalizes Lucille. _{(The Key)}
• Both Jadis and Negan are afraid of loosing something they love when they come to a stalemate with Negan threatening to destroy Jadis' treasured pictures and Jadis threatening to destroy Lucille. _{(Still Gotta Mean Something)}
• Many Saviors become afraid after their members start disappearing. _{(The Bridge, Warning Signs, The Obliged)}
• Rosita and Eugene become terrified when they hear some "walkers" in a herd whispering. _{(Who Are You Now?)}
• Eugene is in absolute terror by the time the survivors find him in a barn, since he thinks the walkers have evolved. _(Evolution)
• Alpha telling the survivors they should fear her and her group. _{(The Whisperers (TV Series))}

Webisodes

• Judy screams in agony and fear as a walker bites her tongue and lips as she attempts to revive her. _{(Domestic Violence)}
• Billy and Jamie scream in terror as an undead Judy stumbles towards them. _{(Step-Mother)}
• Chase looks on in horror as Harris is devoured alive. _{(Hide and Seek)}
• Kelly screams as Chase walks into the room where she is tied up, thinking he is B.J. _{(Parting Shots)}
• Mandy looks and screams as her sister Alyssa got devoured by walkers. _{(Red Machete)}

Daryl Dixon

• Stéphane Codron tells Laurent that his brother wasn't a bad person, just one that was afraid. Laurent suggests that Michel's fear drove him to do bad things. _{(Vouloir, C'est Pouvoir)}

Telltale Series

• Lee Everett shouts in fear when the corpse of the undead police officer jumps at him. _{(A New Day)}
• Lee is startled and hurries as fast as he can to get to safety as he is being chased by walkers. _{(A New Day)}
• Clementine screams as an undead Sandra jumps on Lee. _{(A New Day)}
• Shawn Greene, Andre Mitchell, Lee, and Clementine are startled as an undead Chet appears around the corner. (Determinant) _{(A New Day)}
• Shawn and Duck scream as walkers grab and attempt to bite them. _{(A New Day)}
• Lee, Carley, and Glenn look on in horror as Irene kills herself in front of them. _{(A New Day)}
• Doug/Carley scream in fear as walkers begin to devour them. (Determinant) _{(A New Day)}
• Lee, Kenny, and Mark look on in horror as they see the situation Ben Paul, Travis, and David Parker are in. _{(Starved For Help)}
• David pleads with Lee to not cut off his leg and to try the chain again. _{(Starved For Help)}
• Lee and the rest of the group look on in horror and disbelief as Jake kills his fellow bandit over food. _{(Starved For Help)}
• The group look on in horror as Lee and Mark arrive after patrolling the fence, with Mark having an arrow sticking out of his shoulder. _{(Starved For Help)}
• The group is shocked when Lee runs down the stairs and yells at them to not eat the food due to it being Mark's legs. _{(Starved For Help)}
• Clementine goes in a corner and cries after Larry's head is crushed by Kenny. _{(Starved For Help)}
• Brenda St. John screams in terror as a legless, undead Mark grabs and bites her. _{(Starved For Help)}
• Lee looks on in horror as he finds Katjaa dead at her own hand, being unable to cope with the loss of her son. _{(Long Road Ahead)}
• The group looks on in horror as Lee shows them he is bitten. _{(Around Every Corner)}
• After falling down when the steel balcony gave out, Lee and Kenny rush to Ben and look in horror as they remove the trash sacks on top of Ben to reveal he is impaled on the balcony step. _{(No Time Left)}
• Ben pleads that Lee and Kenny not allow him to be eaten alive. _{(No Time Left)}
• Clementine says that she is afraid to kill Lee after he tells her to, in order to prevent his reanimation. (Determinant) _{(No Time Left)}
• Becca is shocked when Roman kills Roberto in front of her and when Shel kills Stephanie. (Determinant) _{(Shel's Story)}
• Eddie and Wyatt show multiple signs of fear when they are chased by Nate's truck. _{(400 Days)}
• Winston is very frightened when he is grabbed by a walker. _{(All That Remains)}
• Clementine is very afraid when she is by herself after getting separated from Christa. _{(All That Remains)}
• Luke is shocked when he discovers the dog's bite on Clementine's arm, thinking it was a lurker's bite. _{(All That Remains)}
• Clementine was visibly scared as she attempted to suture her bite wound. _{(All That Remains)}
• Carver's group is run heavily by means of intimidation and fear; the guards are often posted to make sure people are doing the forced labor they are assigned rather than to protect the hardware store. This causes the cabin group to fear them. _{(In Harm's Way)}
• Sarita is heavily scared while she is being bitten by a walker. _{(In Harm's Way)}
• Sarita is really scared and shocked at the same time since her arm was cut off by Clementine, and starts to scream or she can be scared and shocked due to the bite the walker leave on her and will be paralyzed and states she is sentenced. _{(Amid The Ruins)}
• Rebecca is heavily fearful of escaping through the walker herd. _{(Amid The Ruins)}
• Sarah is fearful of acting independently, and is unable to flee from walkers by herself. _{(Amid The Ruins)}
• Arvo fears Kenny for what he had done to him. _{(No Going Back)}
• Clementine's group begin to fear Kenny, resulting in some of them deciding to leave. _{(No Going Back)}
• Kenny fears dying if Clementine decided to shoot him. (Determinant) _{(No Going Back)}
• Marlon is afraid of Delta, causing him to give in to their demands and give up Sophie and Minerva. This encounter causes him to become paranoid and refuse to let his group venture outside of the perimeter. _{(Done Running)}
• Brody is afraid of the raiders coming back and finding the school. _{(Done Running)}
• Clementine frequently has nightmares about something that happened at McCarroll Ranch. _{(Suffer The Children)}
• Abel is afraid of reanimating. _{(Broken Toys)}
• Louis is terrified by Lilly after that the latter and her group tortured and ripped his tongue during his captivity. _{(Broken Toys)}

Dead Reckoning

• Shane Walsh looks in horror at Paul's corpse and wonders what exactly happened. _{(The Walking Dead: Dead Reckoning)}
• Don screams in fear and agony after an undead Robb Spanner fatally bites him in the neck. _{(The Walking Dead: Dead Reckoning)}
• Gary Taylor yells for help as a undead Robb attempts to bite him. _{(The Walking Dead: Dead Reckoning)}

Social Game

• Several members of the camp worry about turning and being bitten and ask the main character what would he/she do if they were bitten. _{(Social Game)}
• Nathan was terrified he was going to turn when bits of "walker brains" got in his mouth. _{(Social Game)}
• Megan runs out of the camp and into the forest in fear after running into a walker in the kitchen that supposedly groaned her name. _{(Social Game)}

Novel Series

• Brian Blake is afraid that there is one more walker in the house nobody found. _{(The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor)}
• Philip Blake, his brother Brian, and Nick Parsons look on in horror and disbelief after Penny is shot and killed. _{(Rise of the Governor)}
• Nick and Brian look in horror and in disbelief at what Phillip has done to Cher and Sonny. _{(Rise of the Governor)}
• Brian becomes terrified of Major Gene Gavin after he puts a gun in his mouth. _{(Rise of the Governor)}
• Brian looks on in horror after Nick shoots his brother. _{(Rise of the Governor)}
• The residents of Woodbury become scared and try to run away when Gavin kills Detroit. _{(Rise of the Governor)}
• Lilly Caul gets scared and runs from walkers, leaving Joshua Hamilton to defend himself. _{(The Road to Woodbury)}
• Bob Stookey tells Lilly that people are beginning to worry about rumors of other groups raiding camps and killing people. _{(The Road to Woodbury)}
• Josh reveals to Lilly that he too is afraid of walkers. _{(The Road to Woodbury)}
• Sarah Bingham abandons Lilly's plan and flees from walkers, only to be devoured by a large group as she runs. _{(The Road to Woodbury)}
• Lilly Caul starts to become afraid of Woodbury in the hands of The Governor. _{(The Road to Woodbury)}
• Stinson is scared about what The Governor is going to do to him and the other remaining guardsmen. _{(The Road to Woodbury)}
• Megan Lafferty becomes terrified and distraught after finding out Scott Moon's head is in The Governor's fish tanks. _{(The Road to Woodbury)}
• Stevie and Broyles panic after spotting a mega herd. _{(The Road to Woodbury)}
• Austin Ballard freaks out after almost getting bitten by a biter. _{(The Fall of the Governor)}
• Lilly and Tommy freak out whilst being force fed 'poisoned' wafers by Jeremiah. _(Descent)
• The residents of Woodbury get scared when the Pentecostal People of God blow open the gates and bring in a herd. _(Descent)