| This article is about the Telltale Series character. You may be looking for her Road to Survival counterpart. |
| “ | We can’t allow him to become one of those things. (…) Kenny, I love you very much. I love our son more than life itself. I need you to hear me. What you are saying, that he may not turn, is foolish. (…) No. (…) If you think of one, you let me know. (…) Stop it. (…) I KNOW. But we know it’s... here. Or nothing.
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” |
Katjaa, also known as Kat, is a main character and a survivor of the outbreak in Telltale's The Walking Dead. She is originally from Belgium, but she lives in Fort Lauderdale. She is the wife of Kenny and mother of Kenny Jr. Katjaa is a kind and nurturing woman who isn't afraid to say what is on her mind.
Overview[]
Headstrong and resilient, Katjaa is a pillar of strength and voice of reason for Kenny when matters arise. Katjaa would put her child, Duck and her husband, Kenny in front of her before anything or anyone. As a mother, a wife, and middle-aged woman in the group, Katjaa was one of the characters within the game whose personality experiences a drastic change due to the events that occur from "A New Day" to "Long Road Ahead".
As the game starts out, Katjaa is portrayed as a kind and caring lady who, due to her experience as a mother, allows Clementine to bond well with her the moment they meet. This is supported by the fact that throughout all episodes, she is often only seen with her family, Clementine, and Lee. When Lee has important matters to attend to, Katjaa adopts the role of a temporary caretaker for Clementine.
In sharp contrast to her husband, Katjaa is a pacifist who rarely, if at all, displays aggression or violence throughout the story. Even when Larry threatens to throw her son out onto the streets to the walkers, Katjaa does not seem to respond to the man with harsh words. As of result of being peaceful, she bears no grudge towards anyone and is assumed to be on good terms with the rest of the members in the group, although her name has not been mentioned by anyone aside from Lee, Lilly and Kenny during any ensuing conversations. In fact, Katjaa is the only adult member in the group who has not uttered a single profane word (except under duress such as when Lilly shoots one of the bandits).
Unlike Kenny who is often worried and paranoid about the safety of his family, Katjaa seems to be more calm, collected, hopeful, and optimistic about the situation. She believes that the zombie apocalypse is only a temporary matter, and expresses hope that things will be taken care of sooner or later. It is this trait of hers that eventually keeps her family together and prevents Kenny from acting out impulsively. Due to her background in biology, Katjaa displays a certain amount of knowledge regarding the human anatomy and is thus often sought for help or treatment if anyone in the group suffers from injury, making her the de-facto "doctor" of the group.
In "Starved For Help", however, Katjaa becomes a blunt person, who, while she retains some of her optimism in the good will of other people, has become accustomed to the events happening around her and finally acknowledges that the situations may not be as hopeful as she once thought. Her bluntness was displayed when she straightforwardly remarked to Lee that Travis/David Parker would have never survived their wounds, even though she had still tried to treat them.
Katjaa's character is not heavily explored until "Long Road Ahead", where Kenny and his family becomes one of the highlights of events in the episode. She is seen arguing with Kenny about how everyone carries around guns and other weapons, showing she is still trying to keep some of her, and the group's, humanity. When Duck was bitten by a walker during the raid by a group of bandits at the motel, Katjaa seemingly lost all hope and optimism that she previously had held back in the first two episodes. Despite that, Katjaa retains her calmness and is determined on finding a cure for Duck, as she had mentioned "from a medical perspective". Gradually though, she comes to accept the fact that there is truly no cure for a bitten survivor and finally insists on putting Duck down, along with a persuaded Kenny who was previously in denial of the truth.
Unfortunately, Ben's act of betrayal toward the group that lead to the occurrence of several chain events eventually takes a toll on Katjaa's emotional well-being. Overwhelmed with immense grief, sadness, and depression, Katjaa commits suicide when she finds herself unable to handle the death of her son. Whether her suicide was planned or an impulsive moment of madness and excitement is left in the dark. The death of herself and her son goes on to affect Kenny's character as well, who sinks in to a deep depression and apathy following the drama as well as starting to become more violent and lashing out more as well as seeking revenge on whoever was making the deal with the bandits.
Among all deaths, the departure of Katjaa seemed to be the most shocking to fellow players, as the resilience that she displayed throughout all episodes seemed to suggest that she was unlikely to succumb to any of the emotionally taxing events due to her strong personality. In "Long Road Ahead", however, perhaps the death of Katjaa showed that she was not a woman of resilience and strength, but a woman who struggles to battle with the emotional toll and bottled up her entire feelings out of fear that her emotional weakness will become a burden to the group. Ultimately, the emotional toll eventually gets the better of her and Katjaa succumbs to it.
Pre-Apocalypse[]
Fort Lauderdale, Florida[]
Before the outbreak, Katjaa worked as a veterinarian and lived with her husband, Kenny, and her son, Duck, in Fort Lauderdale. Katjaa emigrated with her family from Belgium to America when she was young. After graduating, she started working in a vet's office, and received her license a few years later. During the beginning of her training, she regularly practiced on domesticated animals. When she started her veterinarian office, she met Kenny when he brought in a sick octopus that needed medical help. She then merrily told an anecdote once of how the Wildlife Rescue Center would regularly bring in injured alligators to be treated before their release back into the wild. She was traveling with her husband and son from Memphis, Tennessee after visiting her sister when the outbreak started. She was at a gas station when she first encountered a zombie.
Post-Apocalypse[]
Season One[]
"A New Day"[]
Katjaa is first seen on Hershel's Farm with the rest of her family. She spends time talking with Clementine and gets to know her. Like her husband, she believes the outbreak will be dealt with soon, but is scarred by the horrific things she witnessed driving through Atlanta. When her son, Duck, and Shawn Greene are attacked by walkers she is seen running towards them. Later, along with her family and the rest of the survivors, she ends up in Lee's family's store, the Everett Pharmacy Drugstore.
When the drugstore is attacked by walkers, Katjaa and Duck hide in the office. While in there, a walker almost reaches them but Glenn and Carleysave them. The seven flee into drugstore but Lilly opposes their presence out of mistrust and her father Larry wrongly believes Duck's bitten and tries to have him thrown out. As Lee and Kenny get between between them Katjaa frantically cleans up Duck to prove he's not bitten but becomes highly distressed with Larry's intentions but ultimately Larry collapses from heart problems defusing the situation. Eventually, the group escapes and sets up a base at an abandoned motel, where Katjaa is safe with her family.
"Starved For Help"[]
Katjaa tries to save David Parker/Travis after one of them is brought back to the motel badly wounded. However, she fails and David/Travis dies. He comes back as a walker and attacks her, but she is saved by Lee. Later, Katjaa is seen at the St. John's Dairy Farm helping and watching their pregnant cow. Around this time, Katjaa will either thank or scorn Lee for his actions on Hershel's farm. She is later seen at the dinner table eating Mark's legs without realizing. Later, she is held hostage by Brenda St. John. Lee tries to convince Brenda to let her go but she refuses while backing up the stairs. A zombified Mark reaches out, grabs, and kills Brenda, which in turn helps Katjaa escape. She managed to grab the video recorder that was taken from Lee, and hands it on to him later on.
"Long Road Ahead"[]
This is the last episode Katjaa appears in, since she commits suicide halfway through the episode via gunshot after heading into the forest with Duck and Kenny (Determinant) after the incident with a walker while fleeing the motel that resulted in Duck getting bitten. Before her death, Katjaa spends most of the episode tending to Duck in the RV, at the train crash site, and finally when they stop the train to say farewell to Duck. Throughout this time, while Kenny remains in denial for the most part, Katjaa slowly seems to accept her son's fate, although this may have been the trigger that ultimately led to her taking her own life. No matter what choice the player makes, Katjaa will still take her own life. After Ben confesses to dealing with the bandits, Lee warns him not to say anything to Kenny.
"400 Days"[]
Both Katjaa, Kenny, and Duck make a cameo appearance at Gil's Pitstop in the intro sequence. Katjaa is sitting in the truck.
Season Two[]
"All That Remains"[]
Clementine looks at a drawing of Katjaa along with Kenny and Duck that she drew in "Long Road Ahead" when she was looking for a lighter in her pack. She may choose to burn the picture in order to start the fire successfully, and will be saddened at having been forced to do so.
"No Going Back"[]
When Clementine talks to Kenny in the power station, he will reveal to her how much he misses Katjaa, and that would do anything to have one more second with her and Duck. Clementine can tell him that Katjaa was one of the nicest people she's met during the apocalypse.
Later, Katjaa appears in Clementine's dream after she is shot, holding a napping Duck in the RV while she herself is fast asleep.
Death[]
- Killed By
- Lilly (Indirectly Caused)
- Ben Paul (Indirectly Caused)
- Save-Lots Bandits (Indirectly Caused)
- Walkers (Indirectly Caused)
- Herself (Suicide, Off-Screen)
Bereaved with the impending death of her son, which was caused by a zombie bite during a raid performed by the Save-Lots Bandits in response to what they believed was Ben backing out on a deal, Katjaa commits suicide by shooting herself in the head.
Killed Victims[]
This list shows the victims Katjaa has killed:
- Tess (Indirectly Caused, Alive)
- Elizabeth (Indirectly Caused)
- Herself (Suicide)
- Possibly a few zombies
Non-Canon Deaths[]
If Lee fails to complete certain tasks, it is possible for Katjaa 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 Katjaa can die.[1]
"Long Road Ahead"
Relationships[]
For a more in-depth look at Katjaa's relationships, read here; Katjaa (Telltale)/Relationships
Allies[]
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Enemies[]
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Quotes[]
The following is a list of some of Katjaa's most memorable quotes.
Season One[]
"You have such pretty hair! (…) Did your daddy give you that hat? (…) Do you have any pets? (…) Oh, well, we have a lab named Franklin back in Fort Lauderdale. (…) What's your favorite color? (…) Ooh, I like your shoes!" "Anyway, it's almost like we didn't see people eating each other for the past three days. It's peaceful here, no?" "I am a veterinarian back in Fort Lauderdale-- like Hershel here, except more with dogs and cats and not horses. What is it that you do, Lee? (…) We need to HOPE that we can go back to our jobs soon, Lee. Back to normal. It can't stay like this. We'll all be home soon." "That's too bad. Well, I hear people always clamor back to college after a big disaster. People don't want to die ignorant, I guess."  "I want to go home tomorrow, but even then I can't take away the things we-- the things Duck-- went through." "Kenny just... drove. We passed so many people that needed help. And... we just... passed people, over some. Just...just... (…) I want to go home tomorrow, but even then I can't take away the things we-- the things Duck-- went through. Don't you want to go back to the moment before you knew about all of this? My last thought I had before seeing any of what happened was of those wrinkly Shar Peis I see at the clinic. I want to go right back to thinking about that silly dog." "Your optimism is... refreshing. New. These past couple days, at least." "People are eating each other!" "No! I'm cleaning him up! There's no bite! He's fine! (…) Kenny, stop him! (…) He's not bitten! Lee, stop this! It's upsetting him! (…) No, he's not bitten! Look! Look, he's clean! Not a scratch!" "Stop that, Kenny. We were all frightened. Even I thought that maybe... maybe we were going to lose our boy."  "You know, I thought I was starting to get used to this... sewing up people's injuries... But, I mean, cuts and bruises are one thing, but, Lee, this man has no leg!" "You know, I thought I was starting to get used to this... sewing up people's injuries... But, I mean, cuts and bruises are one thing, but, Lee, this man has no leg!/What were you thinking bringing him here? Even if he lives, we aren't going to be able to take care of him..." "Yeah, I know you did. The right thing is just scary sometimes, I guess." "Figures. I love that man to death, but I swear sometimes he's dumber than a bag of hammers." "Why don't you give it to Duck? I'm a little busy with your mess right now." "He lost too much blood. (Kenny storms off) Ken, come back, there's nothing... (sighs) I wish he wouldn't do that. (…) That man you brought... I tried, but he was never going to survive." "Don't be like that, Lee. I know we've all seen death, but that doesn't make it any easier." "You don't think I am? I don't know... Maybe it's for the best. We're already struggling to feed our own kids." "No, please, don't take my boy!" "This food could save all of us! (…) It's abandoned, Ducky. Don't worry. (…) I'm sorry, sweetheart, but it's not about right and wrong anymore. It's about survival." "We all carry guns now, and, well, I don't like it. (…) I know, but I'm not getting used to it." "I saw some broken glass over by the ice machine. I meant to clean it up before the kids hurt themselves on it; I forgot, though." "You mean you were a murderer? (…) Well, what are the details? (…) Would he have killed you?" "My goodness, for what? How much trouble can a teacher get into?" "Tell me what happened when you were locked in the fridge. At the dairy. (…) Did you kill him? (…) Nobody tells me anything. How long has everybody else known about you? (…) Well, thanks. I'm not happy to hear it, but thanks."   "Everything keeps changing." "What did he do? (…) Everything keeps changing." "I'm going to keep an eye on him and see what I can do, from a medical perspective. (…) What else is there to do? We thought you should know. (…) Anyway, if you could tell Clementine, we would appreciate it." "We don't know that. What do we really know? None of us have been bitten. We don't know what the timeframe is for a child. We know nothing. I'm going to monitor him and focus on the wound and see if his condition changes." "Thank you, that's very thoughtful. He isn't fussy, you know? (…) Most kids, they're really fussy about what they eat. Hate vegetables, that kind of thing. (…) No. The most trouble I ever have is making him use a fork. Thank you, Lee." "He's allergic to bees. (…) It's all I can keep thinking about. Like somehow that matters. (…) I know. Well, I don't. But you're probably right. "I don't know. Tired. Which could mean a lot of things, right?"   "Poor Carley/Doug. God. Where did yesterday go? "Poor Carley. God. Where did yesterday go? Are you okay? I know you were fond of her." "Poor Doug. God. You were standing right there... are you doing okay? (…) I'm sorry you and, oh, my god, Clementine had to see that. I liked him very much. He'd spent some time in Belgium." "Yes Lee. We have to have lines. Yes. I would've left her." "Not a peep. (…) She's probably in shock. She did a monstrous thing."   "He's out of time. We need to stop this train. Please." "It's so nice to meet someone normal for a change. (…) I appreciate your concern. (…) Thank you. We'd like to do the same. (…) Stay with us, we'd like the company." "He's out of time. We need to stop this train. Please."   ""Ken, it's... I think it's time." "Ken, it's... I think it's time. It's time to... this is not possible. (…) We can't allow him to become one of those things. (…) Kenny, I love you very much. I love our son more than life itself. I need you to hear me. What you are saying, that he may not turn, is foolish. (…) No. (…) If you think of one, you let me know. (…) Stop it. (…) I KNOW. But we know it’s... here. Or nothing." "And I'm his mother. (…) Shush. He's still a baby boy. It would be different if he were older. Let me do this. (…) No, hon. Stay with Lee. Your son loves you and you should remember him as the silly boy we used to have. Not this." "No. It should be a parent. (…) I don't know... Lee, you'd be doing this family a great service. Why don't we take him into the forest? So Clementine doesn't have to see. (…) Give us a moment to say goodbye?" "Lee, be with him?" |
Appearances[]
The Telltale Series[]
Season One[]
- "A New Day"
- "Starved For Help"
- "Long Road Ahead"
- "400 Days" (Flashback, No Lines)
Season Two[]
- "All That Remains" (Drawing)
- "No Going Back" (Dream, No Lines)
| Episodes | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season One | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Season Two | ✔ | |||||
| Michonne | ||||||
| A New Frontier | ||||||
| The Final Season |
| ✔ | Appears | ✔ | Voice is heard |
| 👁 | Appears with no lines | ✔ | Appears in a flashback |
| ✔ | Appears as a walker | 🖼 | Appears in a photograph/video |
| ✔ | Appears as a corpse | ✔ | Appears in a hallucination/dream |
Trivia[]
- Katjaa and Duck are the only members from the Motor Inn not shown to kill any zombies in the game.
- If Lee chooses to tell her about his past, and does not tell Kenny, he acts as if Lee told them both, hinting that he had discussed it with Katjaa at some point to decide what they should think of Lee.
- Her Belgian ancestry can be confirmed during one of her determinant conversations with Lee in "Long Road Ahead". If the player saved Doug instead of Carley (Determinant), Katjaa will say that she liked Doug due to that he had spent some time in Belgium. Lee speculated that it was where she and her family originated from when she mentions the country, and Katjaa confirmed it.
- However, this seems to not always have been the case, as unused dialogue for "Starving For Help" confirms that at one point she was meant to be Latvian instead.
- "Katja" is a pet form of the name "Katherine", and is used in languages such as German and Dutch. Seeing as Katjaa's supposed to Belgian, it makes sense the she would have a Dutch name, implying that she's from the Flemish part of the country, rather than the French-speaking Wallonia.
- It should also be noted that while "Katja" isn't an uncommon name, it never gets spelled with two a's like Katjaa's name.
- In "A New Day", if you are around Clementine and Katjaa for a while, Katjaa will mention that they owned a Labrador named Franklin back in Fort Lauderdale.
- Franklin was likely the "family dog" Kenny mentions to Lee in the meat locker in "Starved for Help".
- Katjaa is the first of eight characters Cissy Jones has voiced. The others are Jolene, Linda, Brie, Dee, Shel, Norma, Vanessa.
- Katjaa is one of seven named characters to commit suicide. The others being Irene, Jenny Pitcher, Chuck, Jane (Determinant), Sophia Fairbanks, and Gabriel García (Determinant).
- Katjaa is the only member of Kenny's family to have one death scene, as well as the only one to not be determinant.
References[]