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| “ | That's not my little girl. It's some other...thing. My Sophia was alone in the woods. All this time, I thought. She didn't cry herself to sleep. She didn't go hungry. She didn't try to find her way back. Sophia died a long time ago.
―Carol talking to Daryl about Sophia as a walker.[src]
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Sophia Peletier is a survivor of the outbreak in AMC's The Walking Dead. She is the daughter of Ed and Carol. During the initial outbreak, Carol, Ed and Sophia evacuated to Atlanta for safety, but end up joining a camp of survivors. While at the camp, Sophia sparked up a friendship with Carl Grimes and Eliza Morales.
Personality
Sophia Peletier was a shy, quiet young girl. She was not known enough by people to know her true personality, it is assumed she was really nice, as stated by Carol in "The Grove", who said that " she [Sophia] didn't have a mean bone in her body". It can also be said that she was good at making friends as she was close to Eliza Morales and Carl Grimes, who seemed to care about her deeply.
Pre-Apocalypse
Southern United States
Before the outbreak, when she was a baby, Sophia used to wake up at 3:00 a.m causing her father to get annoyed by it, and stay with a friend until she calmed down, indicating that he did not care much for her. It is possible that she was a victim of abuse from her father, since he was abusive towards her mother. Carol has also hinted at potential abuse while she is praying in the church, stating that Ed "looked at her with whatever sickness was inside of him". During the outbreak, she meets Shane, Lori, and Carl as evacuations are being made for survivors to head towards Atlanta. With the city being destroyed by the military, she, along with her family, decide to stay with Shane, Lori, and Carl.
Post-Apocalypse
Season 1
"Tell It to the Frogs"
Sophia is seen around the survivors' camp living with her father, Ed and mother, Carol. One day at the camp, she is playing with Carl when the pair finds a zombie eating a deer and the pair screams, running back into camp, prompting the men to investigate and kill the zombie.
"Vatos"
Sophia follows her mother and the others to the clearing where Jim is acting strange, digging grave-like holes. Lori tells Jim he is scaring Carl and Sophia. While Jim is tied to a tree (in an attempt to calm him down), Sophia and Carl are being tutored by their mothers. She leaves with Carol and Carl to clean fish with Shane. Later, Carol and Sophia give Ed some water in the family tent, and Carol refuses to leave her alone with Ed, despite his insisting manner. Her father was killed in the attack on the camp, leaving Sophia as one of the few survivors.
Wildfire
Just after the zombie attack, Sophia is seen resting with the other survivors. She attends the funeral for the fallen campers and, upon leaving the camp, says goodbye to Eliza who then gives Sophia her doll. While the rest are saying their goodbyes.
"TS-19"
Sophia makes it to the CDC along with the others. She is seen playing checkers in the recreation room along with Carl before going to bed. Towards the end of the episode, Sophia is seen crying with her mother. Carol says she does not want her daughter to die like this, and Jenner decides to let the group free. She flees with the others to Dale's RV and watches as the CDC burns. The group then heads in the direction of Fort Benning.
Season 2
"What Lies Ahead"
Sophia is first seen gathering supplies from abandoned vehicles on the Vehicle Jammed Highway, along with her mother Carol. Rick notices a herd of zombies coming their way, and warns the group to hide under the parked cars. Sophia is given the unwanted attention by two walkers, who chase her from the highway and into the nearby forest. Rick chases after her, telling her to stay by a creek while he distracts and kills the zombies. She nods, but when Rick and the rest of the group returns, she is no where to be found.
"Bloodletting"
Sophia is not seen at all in this episode, but the group continues to search for her. Carol hopes Sophia doesn't wind up like Amy. Sophia is mentioned many times in the episode, but is still not found.
"Save the Last One"
Sophia is not seen in this episode, though the group continues their search for her. Carol cries for her during the night in the RV, leading Daryl and Andrea to go off in search of Sophia again in the forest. When they still can't find her, they leave food and a sign on the highway for her.
"Cherokee Rose"
She is still not found in this episode. Daryl goes off in search of Sophia again, but only finds a Cherokee Rose, which he gives to Carol for good luck. Daryl also notices freshly opened food, and a blanket in an abandoned house, which suggests that Sophia could still be alive and around in the nearby area.
"Chupacabra"
Shane, Rick, and Daryl go search for Sophia again in the woods. While they are searching, Shane suggests they call off the search because by this point it is likely Sophia is dead but Rick denies this fact, and unfortunately they find nothing. However, Daryl finds the doll Sophia admires; the one that was given to her by Eliza Morales, washed up in a creek, which Daryl then takes back to the farm, giving fresh hope that Sophia may still be alive. During this, Daryl has hallucinations of Merle. Later, after dinner, Carol thanks Daryl and gives him a kiss on the head, stating that he has done more for Sophia than her father ever did in his whole life.
"Secrets"
Sophia is once again not found in this episode, causing Shane and Andrea go search for Sophia in Wiltshire Estates, the housing development, trying to clear each of the houses, but when walkers suddenly appear in the town they are forced to leave the area, showing no sign that Sophia was ever there.
"Pretty Much Dead Already"
Shane breaks open the door on Hershel's barn. Shane and the group take out the dozens of walkers that were inside. As the last walker emerges, stumbling out of the barn, they are stunned and shocked to see it's Sophia. Carol is beyond devastated. She tries to run to Sophia, but Daryl stops her. The group looks on in shock and sadness, as Sophia, slowly, approaches them. Rick takes lead from Shane, walks up, and shoots Sophia in the head.
"Nebraska"
Sophia's body is wrapped in a blanket by Andrea. Along with Annette and Shawn, Sophia is buried under some trees by the barn. Sophia's mother, Carol, does not show up for the ceremony held for her and Hershel's family.
"Triggerfinger"
During an argument between Daryl and Carol when Daryl yells at Carol and starts to blame her for Sophia's death, as well as saying that "Sophia wasn't mine". Sophia is mentioned later when Carl finds out Lori is pregnant. He's asking if the baby is gonna be a girl and if they could name the baby Sophia.
"Judge, Jury, Executioner"
Carl goes to Sophia's grave and is greeted by Carol, telling him that Sophia is in Heaven. Carl, realizing the world isn't the same anymore and believing it to be cruel, says there is no Heaven and that Carol is an idiot for believing that.
"Better Angels"
Lori talks to Shane about what happened between them. She tells him that after Sophia's death, she thought things would go better between them.
"Beside the Dying Fire"
While Glenn and Maggie are in the car on the road, Glenn tells her to go on the interstate where they left supplies for Sophia.
Season 3
"Walk With Me"
Sophia is mentioned by Andrea when she was listing all of the people from the Atlanta Group that had died to Merle.
"Killer Within"
Sophia is mentioned again by Andrea to Merle when she shows him a map of the Greene Family Farm. Andrea pointed out where Rick and the group searched for Sophia.
"Say the Word"
When Daryl and Maggie search a daycare for baby formula and other supplies, Daryl notices a handprint with the name 'Sofie' on it which causes Daryl to think of her. Sophia is the first name mentioned by Carl while listing the names of deceased female members in the group as possible names for the newborn baby.
"The Suicide King"
When Carol is talking to Beth, she mentions that Sophia used to wake the neighbours as a baby, and also mentions that her father, Ed, didn't care much for Sophia as he would stay at a friends, whenever she would cry at night as a baby.
Season 4
"Indifference"
Rick asks Carol why she does not say Sophia's name when talking about her.
"Still"
Sophia is mentioned by Beth during a conversation she is having with Daryl, saying how she remembers seeing the fear on Daryl's face when he saw Sophia coming out of the barn as a walker back at the farm.
"The Grove"
Sophia is mentioned by Lizzie Samuels as she talks to Carol, asking her if she had any children and asks what Sophia was like. Carol says that she did not have a mean bone in her body, to which Lizzie believes was the reason she died. Carol also mentions to Mika Samuels that running is not enough, because Sophia ran, and she died.
"Season 5"
"Consumed"
Sophia is mentioned by Carol when she talks to Daryl about Ed being abusive towards her.
Death
Killed By
- Zombies (Alive)
After Sophia leaves the group behind on the highway, she finds places to hide and to sleep. She is, however, soon attacked and bitten on the neck by a walker. She eventually dies and reanimates. She is later found by Otis and taken back to Hershel's farm where she is put into the barn.
- Rick Grimes (Zombified)
After Shane forces open the barn, the walkers exit and are gunned down by the group. Once all of the walkers have been put down, Sophia slowly walks out and is shot in the head by Rick.
Relationships
Ed Peletier
| “ | Why don't you stay here? Keep your daddy company.
―Ed to Sophia.[src]
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Sophia and Ed had a fairly distant relationship, at best. Ed had a history of abuse, beating his wife, both physically and possibly sexually. The same possibly occurred with Sophia, as she seemed to be in fear of him, maintaining her distance from his side. Shortly before the walker attack on the camp, he was required to remain in his tent due to his shame of the injuries on his face due to an assault from Shane Walsh. He attempted persuading Sophia to remain at his side, but Carol berated him. They departed, and Ed dismissed them angrily. Their relationship wasn't explored more before his death.
Carol Peletier
| “ | That's not my little girl. It's some other... thing. My Sophia was lost in the woods. All this time, I thought. But she didn't go hungry. She didn't cry herself to sleep. She didn't try to find her way back. Sophia died a long time ago.
―Carol talking about Sophia after her death.[src]
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Carol is the mother of Sophia. Carol is very protective of her daughter and is willing to risk her own life in order to keep her safe. At the Atlanta camp Carol only ever left Sophia alone when she was doing camp tasks or when Sophia went off to play with the other kids, such as Carl or the Morales children, Eliza and Louis. In Season 2 when Sophia goes missing, Carol becomes extremely distraught and prays for Sophia's safety. During this time, she begs the group to go looking for her after dark and constantly cries during the night. When her worst fear of Sophia becoming a walker turns into a reality, she is left broken. She goes into a state of disbelief and says that it was not her daughter that they shot. She then refuses to attend Sophia's funeral, claiming that what Rick shot wasn't her daughter and that Sophia had died a long time ago. Eventually she recovers and states her belief that Sophia is in a better place, Heaven.
Carl Grimes
| “ | ...No, I mean...me...that I'd be the one. Like, maybe she was hiding somewhere, in a cave or a tree. She'd be safe and I'd find her and bring her back.
―Carl to Lori, hoping he would find Sophia.[src]
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Carl was Sophia's closest friend. They met when Shane and Lori came across the Peletier family outside of Atlanta the night the military bombed the city. As both groups joined the other survivors at the Atlanta Survivor Camp, they spent more time together. They played, studied, and lived alongside each other and so became good friends. When Sophia went missing, Carl repeatedly voiced his concern for her and hoped that he'd be the one to find her safe. Her death deeply affected him and he became cynical as he grieved. When Lori becomes pregnant with Judith, Carl at first proposes that the baby be named "Sophia" in order to honour her memory.
Eliza Morales
| “ | You can have this.
―Eliza giving Sophia her doll.[src]
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Eliza was one of the children living in the Atlanta Camp. Sophia often played with Eliza, her brother Louis, and Carl in the camp and it can be inferred that they became close. When Morales and his family leave the camp to search for their relatives in Alabama, Eliza and Sophia share a brief yet tearful goodbye. Eliza hugs Sophia goodbye, and even gives Sophia her doll as a parting gift between friends.
Daryl Dixon
| “ | You did more for my little girl today than her daddy did his whole life.
―Carol to Daryl about him helping find Sophia.[src]
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In the season two premier, "What Lies Ahead", a quick glance is shown to be exchanged between Daryl and Sophia. It is assumed that perhaps Sophia had something against Daryl, showing she looked a little angry when she looked at him. However, in the very same episode, when Sophia runs into the woods, trying to escape walkers, Daryl is the one who looks for her the most, from that point, till the episode of her demise in "Pretty Much Dead Already".
In season three, after thinking he lost Carol, Daryl goes on a run for baby formula with Maggie Greene. They find a nursery, and while searching for formula, Daryl comes across a wall covered with cut-out paper hearts, with children's names on each one of them. One of which, reads "Sofie".
Daryl is shown to be saddened when he sees this. Perhaps it is because it reminds him of not only Sophia, the little lost girl, who he failed to find, but also, her mother, Carol, who, at that point he thought was dead, along with her daughter.
Rick Grimes
| “ | We never go without you and your mom. That's a promise.
―Rick to Sophia.[src]
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Rick and Sophia did not interact much in Season 1. At the beginning of Season 2, Sophia went missing as she was being chased by two walkers in the woods. Rick told Sophia to hide by the creek in order to draw the two walkers away from her, giving her a chance to make it back to the group on the highway. When Rick returned to the creek, Sophia was gone. Rick and the group then conducted a long, painful search for her. In "Pretty Much Dead Already", after discovering a walker-filled barn on Hershel's farm, and Shane opening the doors, the group proceed to massacre the undead family and friends of the Greene family. Then to everyone's horror, the last walker to emerge was Sophia. As Sophia got closer and closer to the group Rick is forced to step forward and shoot Sophia in the head, killing her for good. This has a lasting effect on Rick and causes him to begin his descent into a more hardened leader.
Dale Horvath
| “ | Bring Sophia back.
―Dale to Rick.[src]
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Dale seems to care a lot about children's camp in Atlanta Halfway along Sophia, is very attentive to them and control them all from his camper. After arriving at the CDC, Dale protects Sophia even when Shane comes out of the head and then encourages everyone to get out quickly from the building. After the disappearance of Sophia, Dale remains on the highway with the others along with his mother to be able to find. Finally, when everyone found Sophia in the barn he is very sorry.
Andrea
Although Sophia and Andrea spend very little time together on screen, it is implied that Andrea cared about Sophia. Andrea can be seen with Rick, at moments, scouting out routes to search for Sophia on a map. She also physically searches for Sophia on certain occasions. After the discovery and death of Sophia, Andrea gently covers her corpse with a blanket, delicately placing her lifeless hand under the concealing blanket.
Shane Walsh
| “ | Enough! Risking our lives for a little girl whose GONE!
―Shane screaming at the group that Sophia is dead.[src]
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When Sophia first met Shane, she seemed to like him, telling Carl "Your dad's nice", believing Shane was his dad. He appeared to have lost his care for her, because when she went missing Shane only looked for her a few times and eventually wanted to stop looking for her. However, when he found out she died he had a sad look on his face, later telling Carol that he was very sorry for her daughter's death.
Appearances
TV SeriesSeason 1
Season 2
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Trivia
- Sophia's actress, Madison Lintz, is one of three characters whose actor is promoted from Co-Star to Also Starring the others being Melissa McBride(Carol) and IronE Singleton (T-Dog), which all were promoted in Season 2 .
- She and Carl seemed to be close friends, similarly to the Comic Series. When she goes missing, Carl wants to join Rick and Shane to assist in searching for her. He also questions her whereabouts after he awakens from his coma.
- Sophia's Comic Series counterpart is still alive and has survived much longer than her TV Series counterpart, having survived the prison & farm storylines.
- Sophia is the third child in TV Series to be shot, the first being Summer seen in "Days Gone Bye", the second being Carl Grimes.
- Sophia is the second zombie-child killed in the series.
- On Talking Dead, Robert Kirkman reveals that it was Otis who had put Sophia in the barn and that she was already a zombie when he found her. Since Rick nor Shane ever mentioned that they were in the woods looking for a girl, and saving Carl became the main focus, Otis leaves for the high school and never returns before this discussion has a chance to take place.
- Also during Talking Dead, show creators reveal that they had shot the barn scene twice - once with Sophia looking normal, the way the survivors wanted to see her, and the zombified version, which is the version that was aired in, "Pretty Much Dead Already".
- Sophia was bitten on the neck, which is what made her turn. Just before leaving her to kill the walkers chasing them, Rick makes a comment about keeping the sun over her "left shoulder" if she runs back to the group. When she is found as a walker, it can be seen that the walker that attacked her had bitten her on the left shoulder. It is unknown if this was done on purpose by the writers or was just an oversight. This would mean that if Sophia understood Rick's instructions, she was bitten when she was on her way back to the highway.
- Sophia has been mentioned in more episodes than she actually appeared in. As she was mentioned in sixteen yet only appeared (alive) in six.
- In The Walking Dead Social Game, there is a mission in Chapter 3 where the hero player and Kara check out the highway for Sophia after hearing Rick's group calling her name while in the woods.
- In "The Grove", the puzzle on the table during Carol, and Tyreese's conversation was a picture of Sophia with her rainbow T-Shirt, as revealed by Melissa McBride on the following Talking Dead episode.