LogFAQs > #910354697

77. Lee Everett (Telltale's The Walking Dead: Season 1) (15.5 points)
Nominated by: Inviso (4/6 remaining)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvLukjcAysM" data-time="

Importance: 4.5
Fear: 3.5
Snake: 7.5

I think Lee Everett made season 1 of Telltale's The Walking Dead what it was. Lee was that player-avatar element that future seasons lacked; Clementine is too defined as a character to work in a narrative driven by player-choice. Lee's backstory is murky, in a way like Andy Dufresne's in The Shawshank Redemption was, whereas Clementine's is completed and solidly defined from her very first on-screen appearance. As Lee, you can make up lies about your past to whom you choose to, deny your crimes, or even seek redemption for them. This unique opportunity to step into your character's shoes and define their personality in such a personal narrative was almost unrivaled at the time.

There always comes a point in the post-apocalypse where your past stops mattering however, and this is when Lee's relationship with Clementine, Kenny, and many others starts taking center stage. Like it or not, Lee is stuck with this little girl throughout his journey by pure circumstance, and Lee can be as fatherly or as distant as the player wishes. Getting close to Clementine and teaching her the tools of survival in a harsh world makes for the most compelling journey in The Walking Dead, starting with a simple choice on Hershel's farm early on to the heartbreaking conclusion I won't spoil if you haven't played or seen it. That's not to say there's no value in going the opposite path, as maybe you think Clementine shouldn't really form any close bonds with anyone if she truly wants to make on this zombie-plagued Earth. Either way, Lee's character blossom out the way you see fit, developing different facets of his emotions and personality, from the rage-fueled to the calm and understanding.

I won't touch on every character Lee meets and travels with, but Lee's relationship with Kenny deserves discussing too. The opportunity for friendship presents itself early on, but the relationship here is like handling a crate of nitroglycerin. Anyone that comes between Kenny and his family's survival is simply an antagonist for Kenny, and there are many moments where you have to sacrifice your friendship to get closer to Clementine and yes, even vice-versa. In a way, Kenny is pushed to Lee's most aggressive extremes, and Lee can become just like Kenny if the player makes the appropriate choices.

The ability to truly control Lee's character and personality made for a story that still stands up to the test of time in my eyes. Lee is at his heart an archetype given to the player to mold the way they see fit, and as a result, we ourselves become the true survivor in this tragic tale of death and unholy resurrection.
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