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| “ | I'm responsible. I ain't gonna sit here while this fella takes this on alone.
―Otis about Shane getting supplies on his own.[src]
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Otis is a survivor of the outbreak in AMC's The Walking Dead. He is the ranch hand for Hershel Greene and his family, having worked on the farm for several years.
Pre-Apocalypse
Greene Family Farm
Before the outbreak Otis was employed by Hershel years back as a ranch foreman. At some point, he also became an occasional volunteer Emergency Medical Technician who worked with the local fire department. Otis had a wife named Patricia[1] and presumably the two of them lived in the same house as the Greene family. He also knew how to play the guitar and was interested in the sport of hunting.
Post-Apocalypse
Season 2
At some unknown time, Otis located a zombified Sophia and placed her into the barn on Hershel's Farm.[2]
"What Lies Ahead"
During a hunt, Otis sees a deer and shoots it without realizing that behind it was Carl. The bullet passes right through the deer into Carl.
"Bloodletting"
Otis was in the woods hunting for a deer to feed his fellow survivors. He tracked a buck and shot it, but the bullet passed through and hit Carl as well. Otis took Rick, Carl, and Shane to Hershel's Farm where they discovered that Carl was critically injured by the bullet, suffering internal bleeding. Feeling immense guilt for shooting Carl, he took Shane to a nearby former high school, now a FEMA command post, to scavenge for the needed medical supplies. Upon reaching the school, they discovered that the school had been overrun with walkers. Using road flares from a nearby police interceptor, they created a diversion to lure the walkers away from a medical supply trailer. Inside the trailer they were able to find all of the supplies needed, but upon leaving it, they discovered that the walkers had lost interest in the flares and were once again swarming around the trailer. Otis and Shane made a run for safety, hoping to make it back to Otis's truck. They were cut off and forced to break in to the school, shutting themselves inside with the security gate.
"Save the Last One"
The walkers broke through the flimsy security gate and pursued Otis and Shane through the hallways of the abandoned school. Otis and Shane ended up in the gymnasium and were able to take refuge on top of the bleachers and formulate a plan. Otis thinned out the group of walkers, while Shane busted through and jumped out of a nearby window. Otis, who was too overweight to fit through the window, took advantage of the diversion that Shane made, and jumped down and made for the locker room where he was able to find a larger window to break out of. Otis and Shane eventually met up outside of the school, but continued to be pursued by a group of walkers.
The two grew fatigued and Shane faltered, pleading for Otis to take the medical supplies and go on without him. Otis refused, helped Shane to his feet, and pressed on. The pair quickly ran out of ammo and were forced to resort to their pistols. However, they were moving too slowly to effectively outrun the horde pursuing them. Shane, knowing that Otis would likely doom them both and Carl, decided to shoot Otis. Shane and Otis scuffled over the supplies, with Otis ripping out a chunk of Shane's hair. Shane prevails and limps away, while Otis is eaten by the walkers.
"Cherokee Rose"
At the beginning of the episode, the group holds a funeral for Otis. Shane speaks in honour of Otis, telling the concocted story that Otis gave up his own life to bring the supplies for Carl, when, in reality, Shane shot Otis in the leg and left him behind.
"Chupacabra"
Otis is mentioned by Shane while discussing the decisions Rick chooses to make.
"Secrets"
Otis is mentioned by his wife, and she tells the group that he was the only one who could shoot, and with him dead they would like to learn as well.
"Pretty Much Dead Already"
While Dale and Shane are in the woods arguing over the bag of guns, Dale questions Shane if he is going to shoot him like he did Otis and tell another false story. It is unknown how Dale has learned the true circumstances of Otis' death.
Before the barn massacre is about to occur, Shane, trying to prove to Hershel that the Walkers are not humans and mentions how the walkers killed Amy and Otis, and that they are eventually going to kill them all.
"Nebraska"
Following the barn shootout, Shane questions Hershel why the zombified Sophia was in the barn and Hershel reveals that it was Otis who put all the undead in the barn and maybe that Otis found Sophia and placed her in the barn before he was killed. Hershel also mentions Otis later on while talking with Rick.
Later in the episode Dale reveals to Lori that he believes that Shane killed Otis. Lori is shocked at what Dale says, but after Dale tells of his theory of how Otis died (which is accurate), Lori has second thoughts and Dale then mentions that sooner or later, Shane will kill someone else.
"Triggerfinger"
While Lori talks to Rick about Shane, she reveals that she also believes that Shane did indeed kill Otis and that he is a danger to the group.
"18 Miles Out"
Rick questions Shane about what really happened at the high school, and Shane reveals that he killed Otis to survive, and that one of them was going to die and that Otis' death was necessary to save Carl from death.
"Judge, Jury, Executioner"
While Daryl and Dale discuss about Randall's fate, Daryl reveals to Dale that he thinks Shane killed Otis as well. Dale questions him of how he knows this, and Daryl tells that he figured it out by noticing how Shane brought Otis' gun back, while Shane claimed Otis stayed behind to cover his escape.
Death
Killed By
- Shane Walsh (Caused)
Shane apologizes to Otis and shoots him in the leg with his last round. He then tries to strip Otis of his belongings and weapons. However, Otis is enraged by the betrayal and fights with Shane. Otis grabs Shane by the hair to hold him down while Shane repeatedly pistol whips him as the walkers close in. Otis tries to shoot Shane with his last bullet but misses due to the chaos of the struggle. Shane finally strips the supplies away from him and manages to sprint away just as the walkers catch up.
- Zombies (Alive)
- Callaway (Infected/Alive)
After being shot by Shane, Otis is immobilized. The walkers chasing the pair now close in on him and devour him, giving Shane enough time to escape.
Killed Victims
This list shows the victims Otis has killed:
- Numerous counts of zombies and at least one deer.
Relationships
Patricia
Otis and Patricia were married and loved each other deeply. Otis told Patricia he had to go and help get the medicine with Shane for Carl since it was his fault he got shot. While Otis was gone, Patricia worried about him. When Shane came back and told Hershel Otis was dead, Hershel told Shane that he would tell Patricia after she helps Carl because he needed her help. After Carl was patched up Rick and Hershel told Patricia the news, she bursts into tears. The next day at Otis' funeral. Patricia asked Shane to say some words since he was the last person with Otis.
Hershel Greene
| “ | Blessed be God, Father of our lord, Jesus Christ. Praise be to Him, for the gift of our brother Otis, for his span of years, for his abundance of character; Otis, who gave his life to save a child's. Now more than ever, our most precious asset. We thank you, God, for the peace he enjoys in your embrace. He died as he lived, in grace.
―Hershel during Otis' funeral.[src]
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Otis is Hershel's close friend, and they got along with each other well. Hershel is grateful towards Otis for helping him at the farm on numerous occasions, and doesn't mind him staying. Hershel was saddened of Otis' death, and held a funeral for him in appreciation for what he had done for his entire life and what he did right before his death. It is unknown if Herahel was ever told by Rick or Lori of the true circumstances of Otis' death.
Maggie Greene
Maggie knew Otis very well since she was little. Maggie was very close to Otis, After she heard that he died while trying to get supplies to save Carl, she broke down into tears after hearing Otis's death.
Beth Greene
Beth and Otis were never shown interacting onscreen, but it can be assumed since they lived on the farm together they shared a good relationship. Also since Patrica and Beth seemed to be great friends it could also be assumed she got along with Otis as well. Beth can be seen on the verge of tears at Otis' funeral, which implies she was strongly saddened by his death.
Shane Walsh
| “ | I'm sorry.
―Shane to Otis before he shoots him in the leg.
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Otis and Shane only knew each other for a very short time, but it is clear that Shane did not care much for Otis as he showed absolutely no remorse for shooting Otis, and sacrificing him to the walkers in order to secure his own escape. Shane saw Otis as unimportant, feeling that Otis could be sacrificed in order to save Carl. There is a slight possibility that Shane had some respect for Otis, as his last words to Otis were "I'm sorry", hinting that he felt forced to shoot Otis. Regardless, Shane didn't hesitate to leave Otis behind, and overall did not care about him, despite the best attempts of Otis to secure the supplies for Carl.
Rick Grimes
Otis felt terrible about accidentally shooting Carl in a hunting accident in "Bloodletting," However, Rick seemed completely indifferent towards him out of concern for his son. Rick learned to forgive him when Otis offered to go on the supply run to save Carl's life and was clearly remorseful when he learned of Otis' death and apparent sacrifice for his son.
Rick did not learn the full nature of Otis' death until "Triggerfinger," making him realize that Shane was dangerous.
Lori Grimes
Otis and Lori were never shown together, but it was clear that she was mad at him for shooting Carl, and called him "The idiot that shot my son". After Otis' death, Lori seemed to show some remorse and was clearly shocked to learn that it was in fact Shane who sacrificed Otis to the Walkers not just to save Carl's life, but becasue Shane loves her as well.
Carl Grimes
| “ | You won't need a map-- I'll take you there. Ain't but five miles. Honey, we don't have time for guesswork and I am responsible. I ain't gonna sit here while this fella takes this on alone.
―Otis offering to help Carl.[src]
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Carl never had a chance to meet Otis, as he was already unconscious after being shot by him. Otis felt remorseful for shooting Carl, and offered to look for medical supplies that could save Carl's life. Shane states that if it wasn't for Otis, Carl wouldn't have survived, although Shane truly did not mean this as he sacrificed Otis to the walkers in order to secure his own escape and told a false story that Otis willingly sacrificed himself to save Carl.
Dale Horvath
| “ | What are you gonna shoot me like you did Otis? Tell another story?
―Dale mentioning Otis while confronting Shane[src]
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Otis and Dale never met each other, but Dale was clearly very upset by the death of Otis in order to save Carl. Dale was the only member of the group who did not fall for Shane's lie of Otis death and seemed very angry of the atrocity commited by Shane.
Appearances
TV Series
Season 2
- "Bloodletting"
- "Save the Last One"
- "Cherokee Rose" (Flashback)
Trivia
- In the Comic Series, Otis appears to be much younger than his TV Series counterpart, as well as being much thinner, and having a full head of red hair. In the TV Series, however, he is overweight and bald.
- He is also much different in attitude in comparison to his Comic counterpart. He is racist, not truly in love with Patricia, isn't good with guns and didn't have a good relationship with Maggie Greene; whilst in the TV Series he is kind, willing to help, and had a much better relationship with Patricia and Maggie.
- In the Comic Series, Otis continued to live until halfway through the prison story arc, as opposed to dying because of Shane before the prison in Season 3.
- Prior to his death, Otis discovered the zombified Sophia and placed her into the barn at the Greene Family Farm.
- Shane and Rick are the only members of their group to have met Otis, as he was absent when the group arrived on Hershel's farm since he was killed by Shane.
References
- ↑ Shane's actor talks
- ↑ Talking Dead, November 28, 2011 - Robert Kirkman explains that this was filmed as a flashback and may be included on the blu-ray or shown in a later episode.