| This article is about a character in the TV Series and a resident of Woodbury. You may be looking for the actress. |
| “ | He shot Richard! We've all suffered! We want answers.
―Karen to Andrea about The Governor shooting Richard Foster.[src]
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” |
Karen is a survivor of the outbreak in AMC's The Walking Dead. She is a resident of Woodbury first takes part in the community of the prison.
Pre-Apocalypse
Rural Georgia
Nothing is known about Karen's life before or as the outbreak began. It is possible that she lived in or near Woodbury before the outbreak began.
Post-Apocalypse
Season 3
"The Suicide King"
The morning after the arena infiltration, Karen is one of the residents demanding Martinez to let her and the other townspeople leave town. When Richard Foster, a resident living in Woodbury, is attacked by zombies, she watches in horror and pleads with Andrea to do something, as he is suffering from his wounds. She asks repeatedly while Andrea just stands there, watching. The Governor then walks out of his apartment, aims his gun, shoots Richard in the head and then he walks back into his home like nothing happened.
Later that day, Karen, along with Paul, Eileen, and other townspeople gather outside The Governor's apartment until Andrea comes out and calms them down.
"Home"
Karen is seen on the front wall, armed with a rifle, on watch duty with the other guards. When Andrea inquires Karen on The Governor's whereabouts, she refuses to give her an answer, claiming that she doesn't know anything.
"I Ain't a Judas"
Karen argues with Martinez about Noah being trained for combat. She watches the Governor evaluate the townspeople with Andrea. She is on guard duty when Andrea returns to Woodbury, but lowers her gun when she realizes it's Andrea.
"Welcome to the Tombs"
Karen joined the raid on the prison but retreated after they were overwhelmed by walkers. While on the road, she joins the other Woodbury survivors in protest against The Governor, but survived the massacre by hiding under a corpse, appearing to be dead. She hides in one of the trucks that The Governor left behind, and is later found by Daryl, Rick, and Michonne. Karen informs them about how The Governor massacred the other survivors and tells them that Andrea jumped the wall and left Woodbury, and the four go back to the town to look for her and meet the remaining citizens.
At the end of the episode she is brought back to the prison with the remaining Woodbury survivors.
Season 4
"30 Days Without An Accident"
Karen is seen on fence-duty killing walkers alongside David, Chloe, Henry, and another prison resident. Eventually, before leaving on the Big Spot supply run, Tyreese pays her a visit and kisses her. They discuss the supply run and he confesses to Karen that he never enjoyed killing the walkers outside of the fence. He only did it to spend time with her.
Later that night, Karen and Tyreese are seen in their cell talking to one another before going to sleep.
"Infected"
Karen is seen with Tyreese until she leaves for Cell Block D. She stops at the showers for some water when she hears a strange noise. She investigates, finds nothing, and returns to her cell. However, a zombified Patrick emerges and follows Karen back to D Block. He feeds upon, and thus turns, a man and the two launch an attack on the prison inhabitants. Karen manages to survive and is led to safety by Tyreese. She is later seen coughing (a symptom of a fatal unknown disease). The Council places her under quarantine in another cell block along with others who may have been exposed. When Tyreese goes to visit her, he finds a blood trail that leads outside. He discovers two seared corpses, one of them being Karen, as it is wearing her bracelet.
"Isolation"
Karen's charred corpse is seen again as Rick and the others discover that she was murdered. Later in the episode, Rick asks Carol if she killed Karen and David. After a long pause, Carol responds "Yes" and walks away.
"Indifference"
Karen is seen as Rick imagines Carol stabbing Karen and dragging her body out to be burned. She is later mentioned in conversations by Rick and Carol.
"Internment"
Rick confides in Maggie that Carol had killed Karen and David.
"Live Bait"
Karen appears in a flashback, hiding under a corpse after the Woodbury Massacre at the hands of The Governor.
"Too Far Gone"
Karen is mentioned a few times by Tyreese, Rick and Daryl before the attack of the Governor.
"The Grove"
Tyreese reveals to Carol that he dreams of Karen every night. He later speculates that Lizzie may have killed Karen and David. Carol refutes this by pointing out that Lizzie would have let them reanimate, not set them on fire. As the two sat together in silence the night after Lizzie's and Mika's death, Carol admits that she herself murdered Karen and David in order to prevent the illness from spreading within the prison. Tyreese asks Carol if she killed her quickly, which she confirms. Carol then offers Tyreese the opportunity to deliver vengeance by handing him a gun and suggesting that he shoot her. Ultimately, Tyreese forgives Carol for murdering Karen.
"A"
Karen appears in a flashback to prison while killing zombies fences along with other companions.
Death
Killed By
- Unknown flu (Indirectly Caused)
- Carol Peletier (Out of Mercy)
After displaying symptoms of the unknown illness, Karen is separated from the healthy people in the prison. She is later found murdered. Apparently, she was stabbed in the head and then dragged out into the courtyard. There, her corpse was set on fire. The circumstances of Karen's death remained a mystery until Carol confessed to Rick that she was the killer. She claims to have killed Karen both out of mercy and to prevent the infection from spreading within the prison. Although, in the end Karen's death was in vain as the flu spread anyway.
Killed Victims
This list shows the victims Karen has killed:
Relationships
Tyreese
| “ | You find out who did this and you bring them to me!
―Tyreese regarding Karen's death.[src]
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” |
After becoming the sole survivor of The Governor's assault on his own militia, Karen is rescued by Rick's group and she in turn takes them to Woodbury. Tyreese is initially hesitant in allowing the group inside until Karen reveals herself to be alive, detailing that The Governor fired on his own people and that Rick's people saved her. In Season 4, it is revealed that Tyreese and Karen have formed an intimate relationship and Tyreese volunteered to kill the walkers on the fence so he could get to know her better. In "Infected", Tyreese is bringing flowers to Karen, but finds her charred corpse in the courtyard. He is devastated when he sees her corpse, and breaks down emotionally. He seeks revenge on whoever killed Karen.
Noah
Karen, as confirmed in an interview, was a schoolteacher who taught Noah near Woodbury. She cares deeply about his well-being. She is very protective of him as shown in "I Ain't a Judas" when Karen would not let him fight and was outraged when The Governor made him.
Hershel Greene
| “ | We'll have Caleb take a look at you. I'll see what we have in the way of medications.
―Hershel to Karen.[src]
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” |
When the Woodbury residents including Karen join the prison, Hershel welcomes her with open arms. In the following months, Karen and Hershel have established a good friendship. When the flu strikes, Hershel offers to look after Karen who is sick, and is shocked and saddened when she is murdered.
Rick Grimes
| “ | I'm sorry about what happened.
―Rick to Tyreese about Karen.[src]
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” |
Rick was initially distrustful of Karen when he found her in the aftermath of The Governor's massacre, but came to trust her when she managed to convince Tyreese and Sasha to stop firing at Rick and the others. Later, Rick lets Karen join the prison group, and cared for her and the Woodbury residents. After Karen was murdered, Rick was saddened and promised Tyreese that he won't let Karen's death go unavenged. Karen's murder was one of the main reasons why Rick banished Karen's murderer, Carol, from the group.
Appearances
TV SeriesSeason 3Season 4
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Trivia
- Karen is the only member of the Woodbury Army confirmed to have survived the massacre by The Governor's hands at the end of Season 3.
- Laurie Holden and Melissa Ponzio have speculated that before the outbreak, Karen was a school teacher, which would also explain as to why she cared so much about Noah being in the Woodbury Army.
- In this interview (with MTV), Ponzio and Holden also confirmed that Noah is not Karen's son (as was previously believed), and that he was killed by The Governor off-screen in "Welcome to the Tombs".[1]
References