Carol Peletier

Lore & Background

In the television series, Carol evacuates her home with her abusive husband Ed and her daughter Sophia in hopes of a safe haven in Atlanta, where they join a camp of survivors. Following the deaths of her husband and daughter, Carol forms a close bond with camp survivor Daryl Dixon. After the prison falls, she becomes the adoptive mother to Lizzie and Mika Samuels. The trio meet up with Tyreese and find safety together, when the mentally unwell child Lizzie murders her sister in a psychotic delusion, forcing Carol to make another challenging decision.

Carol saves the rest of Rick's group from the cannibals at Terminus. After arriving at the Alexandria Safe-Zone, Carol becomes one of its key defenders and attempts a relationship with a resident named Tobin, but quickly realizes Tobin is only a bandaid on her pain. She begins to feel the guilt of those she has killed and becomes suicidal, until saved by Morgan and brought to the Kingdom led by King Ezekiel. She eventually marries Ezekiel and adopts a young Kingdom resident named Henry.

Carol is one of the last original survivors, along with Rick and Daryl. She is also the series' longest-living female character, and the only female character to have appeared in every season. Carol and Daryl are the only characters that have been in the series since the first season.

Reader's Guide

Carol Peletier's journey in the television series is defined by loss and transformation. She begins as a meek housewife and mother, enduring abuse from her husband Ed. After Ed's death, she destroys his corpse with a pickaxe, venting her rage. The loss of her daughter Sophia deepens her resolve, and she forms a close bond with Daryl Dixon.

She becomes the adoptive mother to Lizzie and Mika Samuels, but is forced to kill Lizzie after the child murders her sister in a psychotic delusion. Carol saves Rick's group from the cannibals at Terminus. At Alexandria, she becomes a key defender but struggles with guilt over those she has killed, becoming suicidal until saved by Morgan and brought to the Kingdom. She marries King Ezekiel and adopts Henry.

Carol is one of the last original survivors, the longest-living female character, and the only female character to appear in every season. In the comic series, Carol is a 25-year-old housewife who exhibits a neurotic, self-centered, and naive demeanor. She grows increasingly unstable, to the extent of self-destruction, and ultimately commits suicide. The abuse she suffered from her husband was hinted at in the comics.

Carol and Tyreese have a brief romantic relationship in the comics before they break up and Carol commits suicide. In the comics, Carol is described as a housewife who occasionally helps pay the family's bills by selling Tupperware out of catalogues. Her husband commits suicide after losing his parents to walkers. She and Lori become best friends.

She has a romantic relationship with Tyreese, but it ends when she witnesses Michonne performing oral sex on Tyreese. After the breakup, her mental health declines, leading to a suicide attempt. She later allows a zombie to tear at her jugular and is killed by a merciful Andrea during her reanimation process. Her death leaves a significant mark on the group.