Ben Appleby

> *"Sometimes...I just sit right there, drink for a bit...and I think. [...] I think about...**everything**. Everything I've done. Everything I'm gonna do. Sure, there are some things I'm proud I've done - you, Gracie, that bitch back in the hospital - but most of it is just...it all comes back at once. And I'll be honest...**it terrifies me**,"*
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> -- Ben to Jimmy, regretting many of his actions
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**Ben Appleby** is a main character and a survivor of the outbreak in *The Walking Dead by EDStudios*. A manic-depressive engineering student, Ben came to the US on the trip only because his crush, Sarah, was also going. Stuck in the US forever when the apocalypse began, Ben became essential to the Clarkson Survivors, with his engineering skills coming in handy to restart the power and running water. After suffering a mental breakdown on the way to Port Collier, he ran away from his friends and ended up joining the Storytellers.

After reuniting with Edwards and his new group, Ben became an integral member of the Greencole Group, filling the role as the head mechanic to combat his depression. He formed a turbulent yet passionate relationship with Jimmy and took on a baby named Gracie as his adopted daughter. Tough and hardy, Ben fought through depression and suicidal thoughts every day, refusing to give up even to the end and developing greater confidence and courage throughout his life.

## Overview

### Personality

The archetype depressive personality, Ben struggled to motivate himself in times of stress and difficulty, preferring instead to give up. Although he possessed a vast intelligence and an obvious talent for engineering, he could not find a way to fuel his motivation and thus struggled in exams.

However, after the outbreak, Ben realizes the value of both his own life and those around him and becomes a far more motivated person, desperate to keep those around him safe. Nonetheless, he repeatedly shows evidence of emotional instability, causing his moral compass to slip during times of violence and despair.

## Death

### Killed by:

* Leyton Jones *(caused)*
* Zombies *(caused)*
* Harry Edwards *(out of mercy)*

Trapped in Rope Town by Leyton Jones' explosives, Ben is bitten on the rib by a walker. Unable to do anything, he orders Edwards and the others to chase after Leyton whilst he distracts the walkers. Edwards, however, is unwilling to let his friend be eaten alive and shoots him in the head before the walkers get to him.

The next day, having defeated Leyton, Edwards returns to Ben's corpse. He takes his knife and sets the building on fire.

## Killed Victims

* Janet
* Bart Rhodes *(caused)*
* Numerous counts of zombies

## Relationships

### Gracie

> *"Take care of our little girl...and don't ever be a hero unless you need to be,"*
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> -- Ben's final words to his boyfriend Jimmy
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Gracie is Ben's adopted daughter; he and Jimmy recovered her from the Lake Bandit headquarters after killing her hostile father. They vowed to look after the baby, Ben having already entered a relationship with the former String Ganger.

## Trivia

* Ben is one of three characters with bipolar disorder, the others being Samantha and Woodpecker.
* He is the first LGBTQ+ character to come out during the events of the apocalypse.
* Ben's knife is currently wielded by Kyle Granger. However, the knife hasn't been seen since '*Land of Light: Part 2*', suggesting it broke during the following six-year time skip.
* Ben has a long, deep scar on the side of his head from his fight with John.
* Ben is one of four members of the Clarkson Survivors to be killed by Edwards, the others being Daniel, Aaron, and James.
	+ Ashleigh and Holly were also killed by Edwards, albeit zombified and before reanimation respectively.
	+ Ben's death in "*All For One*" is the first death of a member of the Clarkson Survivors since the *Season 1* finale.