Carl Grimes

Carl was born in 1998 and grew up in King County, where he experienced an average childhood raised by his father, Rick Grimes (a sheriff deputy) alongside his mother Lori (a housewife). The three lived together as a typical family in a single-story house in King County, Georgia. He also befriended his father's closest friend, Shane Walsh.[2] When Carl was 3 years old, Rick took him on a walk to Ross' farm, where Carl became grateful for the safety and happiness his father provided him.

When Carl was in the third grade, he had a best friend whom was allergic to dairy products and thus brought in soy-based meals for lunchtime; one day Carl tasted his friend's milk and almost vomited (which became a humorous memory for him).[3] As he grew, he developed a keen interest in playing video games and reading comic books.[4][5]

Over time however, his parents' marriage became increasingly strained due to their marital issues and Carl was often in the presence of his parents quarrels, where one day, Carl witnessed Lori questioning if Rick truly cared about his family, an incident which affected Carl to a degree.

During the first season, Carl is portrayed as a shy and reserved boy, only striking up a conversation with his parents and members of the group with whom he feels comfortable, such as Shane Walsh, Dale Horvath, and Sophia Peletier. Carl, being relatively young, is shown to often be frightened by the horrors of the world, thus looking to his parents for shelter and comfort. Carl is a kind boy who tries his best to comfort those closest to him when he recognizes that they are in need.

In the second season, Carl retains his shyness, but he develops a bolder personality and is seen to be less frightened of the world in response to the many ordeals he has experienced. He attempts to take on a more active role, wanting to help out the group, rather than be known as a liability; he finds the arsenal of knives for the group, and he helps with the search for Sophia. Like most children at his age, he is sometimes disobedient, but he shows shame and guilt when his actions negatively impact the group.

After accidentally being shot by Otis, Carl is stricken with negative thoughts. He develops the desire to fend for himself and also to prove his independence and maturity. This is especially prevalent when he accompanies the adults in gun training. After his friend Sophia is found zombified in the barn, he begins to form a noticeably colder personality, mentioning that he would have put Sophia down himself. In addition, he follows his father into the barn to watch him execute Randall, and he even eggs Rick on to do the act. Carl is occasionally pessimistic and rude. He also insults Carol for speaking of heaven. Despite this, he is not above apologizing and realizes that some of his words and actions are unacceptable.