Why do people like Ben?
I'm not saying you shouldn't like Ben. I just don't get it.
Personally, I think it's because he's so much of a woobie, people feel sorry for him no matter what. Yes, he's young and a teenager, but if Clementine and Carl can be productive, there's really no excuse. He's one of those characters that doesn't do anything right, pouts that he can't do anything right, and thus receives sympathy galore. Even if you support him, he still fucks up and fucks you over, so saying that people are too hard on him is bullshit. The only harsh criticism he got was when he told Kenny he dealt with the bandits and Kenny's response was reasonable.Before, then, he was a member of the team at the motor inn.
My problem? Has nothing to do with Carley, bandits, letting zombies in Crawford's school or his numerous other fuckups.
One main thing.
If anything, Clem should've reminded him of his sister he said he had in Episode 5.
Even Larry showed concern for Clementine. Larry even tries to save Lee if you give him the axe. Hell, the main fucking antagonist, Campman, showed more love for Clem than Ben. A fucking Hobo showed more love for Clem.
Personally, I think it's because he's so much of a woobie, people feel sorry for him no matter what. Yes, he's young and a teenager, but if Clementine and Carl can be productive, there's really no excuse. He's one of those characters that doesn't do anything right, pouts that he can't do anything right, and thus receives sympathy galore. Even if you support him, he still fucks up and fucks you over, so saying that people are too hard on him is bullshit. The only harsh criticism he got was when he told Kenny he dealt with the bandits and Kenny's response was reasonable.Before, then, he was a member of the team at the motor inn.
My problem? Has nothing to do with Carley, bandits, letting zombies in Crawford's school or his numerous other fuckups.
One main thing.
- HE LEFT CLEMENTINE TO DIE. The same girl that would later defend him from being thrown off the boat.
- He doesn't watch her when you tell him to, instead he makes excuses. He should've brought her upstairs with him.
- He didn't even help you look for her when she's missing.
- When Lee gets bit, an option to bring him along is by making him feel guilty with Clementine. He had to be reminded that Clementine stood up for him.
If anything, Clem should've reminded him of his sister he said he had in Episode 5.
Even Larry showed concern for Clementine. Larry even tries to save Lee if you give him the axe. Hell, the main fucking antagonist, Campman, showed more love for Clem than Ben. A fucking Hobo showed more love for Clem.
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Comments
Just a kid isn't really an excuse for anything in this world. If you believe that, Carl would like to have a word with you.
Comic spoilers up to issue 104:
Saying someone is just a kid isn't an excuse. Ben is irresponsible, and unwilling to step up to be a part of the group. I still saved him, but it wasn't because I felt bad for him. I realized that if I let him die, I'd be no better than the people at Crawford. You have to stick together in the apocalypse, even if that means constantly looking out for your weakest link, which is very much Ben. Duck was more useful than him.
That's really not an excuse. Ben is tasked with typical teenager roles most of the time, the main one being WATCH CLEMENTINE. And he can't even do that.
Well ben did have to help with omid at that 1 point and who knows he coulda saw clemmy as sister like
It's all good and well that Carl could step up his game, but again, the actions of another individual do not alter the perceptions of another. Ben had a different set of circumstances behind him in that no one really valued him from day 1, had no one close to him in the group, and never had the opportunity to train himself until death was staring him right in the face.
Ben never meant to harm anyone, not to say he didn't screw up badly, but his intentions were not bad and it made me feel bad for the kid to have so much blame on him till the point that he just wanted to die. Then in episode 5, we finally see him vent about his own concerns that so many others have poured on each other while Ben kept his to himself throughout the season. He was no hero, he was just a kid stuck in a horrible situation who couldn't step up because he was ill equipped for this reality. I was annoyed at him plenty of time, but when looking into the situations, I can understand why he was so weak and cowardly; he wasn't trained, was always seen as another mouth to feed, and had nothing to live for in the end.
Well ben didn't have a badass dad like rick and ben admits he's scared out of the 2 ben wouldd be more realistic
Someone who gets it. I saved Ben too because I caught the Crawford theme and felt it was pointless to be be like them. I mean, if you give up your humanity, what's the difference between you and the walking dead?
That said, yes. Ben is young, but like the example you set, Carl, Clem, and Duck have proven to be more useful than Ben. Imagine if Lilly did the same things Ben has done. People would hate her even more than they hate her now.
I love Lilly, though.
Ben had badasses all around him, you think that would rub off. It rubbed off on Clementine and she's a nine year old girl.
Dude, you'd probably be a badass in TWD.
well a nine year old should run from zombies like ben did
Badassery don't just "Rub off" Training is required.
I'll wait until HiggsBoson2142 gets on he'll be the best at explaining
As Chuck said about Clementine, "She'll die a little girl if you treat her like one. You gotta consider her a living person. That's it. You're either living or you're not. You ain't little, you ain't a girl, you ain't a boy, you ain't strong or smart. You're alive."
Age has nothing to do with it.
Exactly and Ben was treated like a simple kid; that's why he was always seen as one. No one trusted him, put faith in him, nor trained him because everyone saw him as a burden to begin with. Clem was taught by Lee, developed relationships with him and the group, and was treated to be much more than just a girl.
Age has nothing do with it unless that's how they were treated and that's the case with Ben; Chuck saw it the moment he met him. Had he received the proper training, was given missions to actually aid the group, and was encouraged, he would've been more than just a kid. Ben always tried to go on more dangerous missions, but he was always met with "No, you'll only slow us down."
This
Also does clem even like ben she seemed to hate when i left ben with her
P.S
Did not take her to crawford
DUCK?! USEFUL?! At running over people with tractors and being goofy, yes, but at anything else, how does he classify as useful?!
Despite appearances, he had his shit together - case in point when he helps Lee in episode 3.
That also covers Ben . Ben is (was, boohoo)alive, nothing else matterss
Ben is alive while 5 other people died because of him and 2 more are soon to follow.
He's not even trying to make anything right. All he's doing is whining about how his life sucks, how he lost his loved ones and that nobody likes him. As if nobody else lost his family, especially not because of fudgin' Ben and his infinite idiocy. I'd break Ben's face and feed him to the very next walker that happens to bump into the group. Without any hesitation or remorse. Yo Ben. Go, tell him how your life sucks and cry him a river. He's a good listener.
He was a burden to the group, and a traitor-which while I'm willing to forgive that, the fact that he couldn't be bothered to watch Clem on more than one occasion (on one occasion because he was DRINKING with Kenny and basically didn't give a shit about her), makes me really not trust him at all. The ZA happens, you watch each other's backs, period. He couldn't do that.
And like the OP, not protecting Clem was the final nail in the coffin. He didn't even try to grab her. He got surrounded, looked at her, thought about it and then ran for his life.
Him being a teenager is definitely not an excuse. Clementine is a 9 year old girl and look how much composure she had when things got serious/dangerous. Duck, too, to a lesser extent.
With the exception of some useful tidbits (infection is airborne, aim at the head, etc.) he was overall detrimental to the group, more so than any other character. Larry was sort of a prick, but at least he did stuff. What did Ben do other than "keep watch" and fail to open the armory door at the school?
So if everyone can screw up as he pleases over and over again and get away with it because the oh-so-poor-guy lost his family, totally unlike everyobody else and...is still considered a poor child...even though he's got a beard...the group isn't going to survive one day.
Can't remember the last time I've seen a kid with a beard. Can you?
But he also totally caused Kenny's death too... No denying that. And damned if his kill-streak isn't absolutely incredible. Not sure if anyone in the comics can measure up to that list-of-fail(win?):
1. Travis
2. Mr. Parker
3. Carley
4. Duck
5. Katjaa
6. Chuck
7. Brie
8. Kenny
9. Ben
True, but Ben is the reason Kenny felt it necessary to stay. :cool:
BAD LUCK BEN
Ben wasn't treated like a kid. He was given pretty mature tasks, but because he botched them and was demoted to babysitting duty and he fucked that up. He was never treated like a kid, otherwise, Kenny, Lilly, and Lee wouldn't have wanted to kill him.
And something I don't really get is people comparing Ben to the kids. Ben isn't a kid, he's a teenager, and that's probably the worse thing to be on a zombie apocalypse. Kids seem to adapt very quickly to the situation and adults have enough life experience to try and deal with it. Teenagers don't have either of those. Generalizing, when you're a teenager, you've already gone through the part of your life where you don't really have any worries (being a kid) and you're at the point of your life where you're trying to find out who you are, what kind of person you are. And at that point, you don't really have enough experience to deal with extreme situations like an apocalypse, and you don't have the ability to adapt as easily as a kid, since you're already probably used to a lifestyle at that point... Meh, am I making sense here?
So if that's true, how can you identify with Lee, who's pure win?
Carley/Doug (Indirectly Caused)
As a result of Lilly's paranoia of the supply theft that Ben was responsible for, Carley/Doug was shot dead alongside the road during a heated argument.
Duck (Indirectly Caused)
Ben's supply theft ultimately resulted in the raid that caused Duck to get bitten by a walker.
Katjaa (Indirectly Caused)
Ben's supply theft ultimately resulted in the raid that caused Duck to get bitten by a walker. Unable to cope with losing her son, Katjaa committed suicide right in front of Kenny and Duck.
Charles (Indirectly Caused)
As of a result of Ben's cowardice, Ben abandons Clementine, forcing Lee and Charles/Chuck to come to her rescue. Charles/Chuck is then separated from the group by walkers and his remains are later found by Lee in the sewers of Savannah.
Molly (Possibly/Determinant/Indirectly Caused)
After he removes the hatchet from the door handles and walkers overrun the building, Molly can get left behind if the walker she's fighting isn't shot by Lee or Clementine. While it's possible she can be devoured by walkers, her true fate is unknown.
Kenny (Determinant/Indirectly Caused)
After breaking through the wall in the attic of the mansion, the group proceed to jump across a small balcony over an alley, it breaks as Ben tries to jump across, and falls. When Kenny and Lee go see what happened, Ben says he's okay, but when removing objects on top of him, it is revealed the balcony arm impaled Ben in the stomach. When walkers see the three of them, Kenny pushes Lee away into a gate to protect him, telling Lee to find Clementine. As walkers start to attack, Kenny uses his last bullet to put Ben out of his misery, and then get himself eaten alive as Lee watches.
At least two zombies (Determinant).
Not me, the wikia.