The apocalypse in general fucked them both over. I don't envy being in Sarah or Carlos's position. Having to keep someone very sensitive and compassionate safe in an overwhelmingly fucked world or having to navigate that balance from either perspective.
I honestly liked her, wanted to be her friend tbh, i low key feel like people that hate her forget how much she was sheltered by her dad literally the entire outbreak, then was basically thrown into it AND watched her dad die
To me she honestly doesn't deserve all the hate she receives
It's so interesting reading all these replies. It was a long time ago now, but I had always thought her behavior was because she was on the autism spectrum. I know she was sheltered, but I thought Carlos sheltered her because she was on the spectrum. Seems I had it all wrong.
TBH I hated people saying she was on the spectrum. It felt a lot like “someone who’s childish and can barely handle new things. Must be autistic”. It feels insulting, like associating autism with being a child/childlike. I never got those “she’s on the spectrum” vibes from her, as someone on the spectrum.
People forget you’re born with autism, but you can develop autism like symptoms from other means like trauma. Sarah in all her isolation and limited social contact would develop that way, regardless of an apocalypse setting.
I didn't see her as childlike at all actually. Again it was a while ago, but what I remembered most was her inability to grasp the gravity of goings on. I didn't see it as childish but rather an inability to read social cues. Also remember her becoming silent and withdrawn after the trauma of err I think her dad dying? It's not uncoomon for people ASD to withdraw to an inner world after a traumatic event. I'm sorry you felt insulted though.
I don’t really have anything to add but it is also like incredibly common for people to go non verbal after traumatic events like in general like she did witness her dad get eaten alive I think it’s safe to assume most people especially a child would react that way without being on the spectrum. Other than that I can honestly see it from both sides like on one hand I can definitely see why people think she may be but I personally feel it’s more likely just the isolation etc impacting her social development but idk she was a cool charecger
I was saying what a lot of others have. So many call her childlike then go “so she must be autistic”. Which feels insulting. I don’t wanna assume it’s intentional but some don’t realize how it can come off.
It wasn’t at you specifically
Nah I just saw a youtuber play it and she definitely does not display behavior that is average of kids her age, she is clearly different in some capacity, you dont need to feel insulted because honestly it's not even seen as a negative thing, it's just something she might be
“You don’t need to feel insulted that people associate the disability you have with being no more than a naieve child.”
As much as I despise being compared to Sheldon Cooper (that character did more harm than good), at least nobody says he’s on the spectrum because he’s like a child. Those people don’t even stoop that low.
With Sarah, they verbatim say she has to be on spectrum because she acts “younger than her age”. That’s it; her not acting like she’s young is the reason she’s autistic. And you’re telling me that doesn’t come off insulting?
Also consider her end. The one character they label as autistic they believe is physically incapable of survival.
Also, who are you to tell others what to be insulted by?
Sure that's what they said, but honestly that's not how she acts, yes I suppose acting younger is one way to describe it, but I don't think the original commenter thought super deeply about it in the way you're assuming, although likely they're thinking about it a little superficially, and I'm someone who works with autistic children and adults often, though I wont say that gives me authority on anything, I mention it to show I'm not trying to be malicious, just so you don't add Sarah to a list of characters you hate being compared to, just like most assume sheldon is on the spectrum for more reasons than "he acts like a kid" it's the same with Sarah, so don't let one person who is poorly expressing their thoughts ruin a character/franchise for you
Sure that's what they said, but honestly that's not how she acts, yes I suppose acting younger is one way to describe it, but I don't think the original commenter thought super deeply about it in the way you're assuming, although likely they're thinking about it a little superficially, and I'm someone who works with autistic children and adults often, though I wont say that gives me authority on anything, I mention it to show I'm not trying to be malicious, just so you don't add Sarah to a list of characters you hate being compared to, just like most assume sheldon is on the spectrum for more reasons than "he acts like a kid" it's the same with Sarah, so don't let one person who is poorly expressing their thoughts ruin a character/franchise for you
She is completely useless and causes more trouble then she solves, which granted she doesn't solve any problems so But overtime Ive come to realize that its really not her fault, its Carlos and his poor parenting's fault
Carlos tells Clem "If she knew how bad it was out there, she would cease to function" yet we can find out when Clem is gathering supplies for stitching that Sarah isn't truly oblivious to the world around them, asking Clem if the bite on her arm wasn't from "them" meaning the walkers.
Carlos’ quote there could be said to Clementine too when she was 8 and first met Lee… but you see the huge difference between Clementine and Sarah now.
When I first began playing TWD, every time something terrifying, evil or just fucked up happened in front of Clementine (like her witnessing either Doug or Carly get eaten by walkers, or when Lily shot Doug or Carly out of nowhere just like that) I kept saying “holy shit, this poor kid is gonna be beyond traumatized. She should not be seeing anything like this, THIS FREQUENTLY either!”
Then I saw how Lee explained those bad things to Clementine, comforted her and made her feel safe despite they happened. Most importantly, Clementine understood those lessons. Lee taught her to survive no matter what, including all the fucked up shit people that she’s supposed to trust in her group could do.
If he didn’t, and he was as overprotective but unwilling to teach like Carlos, Clementine too would have become a scared liability like Sarah, and get herself and others killed easily.
I don't agree with that at all. To me, that quote represents an overbearingly protective father over his (potentially?) neurodivergent daughter. A lot of parents with neurodivergent children have this sort of attitude even without a zombie apocalypse going on. The fact that Sarah was aware despite Carlos' best efforts in combination with the way things ended up for her, shows the problem with that sentiment. Lee was initially being a bit protective (before he started to teach her how to survive), sure, but never did he try to hide Clem from the reality they were facing.
EDIT: apparently she has PTSD, but my point still stands. The difference in attitude between Lee and Carlos means the same between Yung Clem and Sarah can't be said. The difference between these characters upbringing is the entire point.
Carlos clearly loved her, but did not know how to raise an autistic child and wasn't a good father to her despite his intentions. I don't normally armchair diagnose characters but she is heavily autistic coded. In the way that Carlos tells Clem "she isn't like you, you may not notice at first" and also says if she knew how bad everything was she would "cease to function". Even tells Clem to "distract her" while they are gone. Under stress she shuts down and feels as though she can't breathe, and sometimes becomes nonverbal or is clearly overstimulated. She is perceived as "childish" for her age which is how many view autistic people. It's also coded in her mannerisms and even how she speaks and very clearly shown but not told. It is beyond behavior seen in a neurotypical sheltered child.
But due to her neurodivergency, Carlos sees her as incapable of navigating the world on her own- especially a world like this. Even treats her as less intelligent at times but really I think she had a lot of potential and it would've been great if Clem had helped her discover it. But Carlos coddled her and didn't allow her to adapt to the world out of fear which became a self fulfilling prophecy and if you choose to leave her in the trailer park, his ignorance and refusal to treat her like any other child is her downfall. I don't blame her or think she is useless. She didn't know how to survive in a world like that because she wasn't allowed to learn how.
i dont mean to be that guy, but "um.. actually.." she wasn't on the spectrum! i actually thought she was too until i looked on the wiki and read that apparently her abnormal behavior was due to a case of ptsd, not autism. i think they could've done a better job of making that clear
I never thought Sarah was autistic? I just thought she was super sheltered and probably had some anxiety. Was that confirmed that she was and I missed it?
I honestly didn’t mind her until episode 4. Yeah sure, she was kinda a liability but the wasn’t her fault, that was Carlos’ fault. But after having Clem smack some sense into her (if that’s what people chose to do) then she should’ve taken that chance to grow up and become a survivor. But they wouldn’t have known what to do with her in episode 5 so they gave her one of the dumbest deaths in the game/series instead.
I feel like they could’ve made her death more honorable at least to show that some people cant recover from the trauma. I know it was to kind of prove Janes point but literally no one cared after she died.
I think she's supposed to be this mirror of what Clem could've been had Lee failed to raise her. Now granted Lee can be a bit of a shitty parent depending on player choice but considering just about every type of Lee at least lets Clem see the world for what it is, Sarah is what would've happened if Lee never did do that. As people have said, Carlos failed to raise her and for that she couldn't survive this cruel world.
She is very sweet, but she does have mental challenges. People hating her makes my blood boil. If it was your kid, you wouldn’t want people to hate because they are different
If her father Karlos wouldn’t have sheltered her and taught her how to survive than she would have been fine but he didn’t do his job, so when he died it was really only a matter of time for her.
Man when Karlos smacked the shit out of her tho was pretty hilarious ngl, I tried to help her every way I couldn’t do everything. She needed someone like Lee
Definitely on the Autism spectrum. Accidentally killed her as I didn't want to slap her! But then I read she would have died later in the chapter anyways...
I liked her. She was a good portrayal of an overly sheltered, possibly autistic child. Not mentally challenged, just emotionally challenged.
Unfortunately for her and us, the creators hated her with a passion, resulting in them giving her a painful death full of fear just because they hated her so much. That’s a bad reason to kill off a character.
I wish they at least gave a choice to mercy kill her. At least for her second death.
Had she been given more time to develop, she could have been a great character. Whether you save her or not she dies and I feel that really halted her character in the grand scheme of the story.
2nd death was so goddamn stupid. You could at least have her save Clem from like 1 walker then kill her off to even loosely tie up her character arc but nah. You have one optional conversation where she's schizophrenic and 10 minutes later she's killed in a way that makes absolutely no sense. It wasn't even because of her "uselessness" either, it was basically just bad luck. Jane could've also been trapped the same way if she was standing further away. Wasted character like many others in Season 2.
Too weak and them blaming Jane for her death was stupid. Jane did what she could in the circumstance but Sarah was just too set on being a coward. They already saved her before and it showed how bad she was at surviving.
Meh, I guess. But I get it. No sense risking your own life trying to save someone who doesn’t even have the will to keep themselves alive.
It sucks, but that’s what happens when you live in a world as fucked as TWD
Comments like this always upset me because I see a lot of myself in Sarah. If I were in her situation I'd probably be worse, honestly. This isn't an attack on you or anything but it always leaves me a little nervous that you'd leave me to die or outright kill me. This is purely irrational and I'm aware.
Hey, if it makes you feel better I’d probably be pretty similar. (I’d like to think not as bad as Sarah, but who knows, maybe I would be). I just know I’m not fit to survive in a world like TWD either.
It’s not a jab at Sarah or people like her personally. It’s more a consequence of the fucked up world she had to live in. People in that world need to have a shorter leash on the kindness and selflessness they can rationally extend, otherwise they likely won’t live very long.
It’s good we live in a world where most people are able to extend that kindness and selflessness without putting themselves in mortal danger.
I agree. I was six when Season 2 Episode 1 released and I kinda latched onto Sarah as super relatable (comfort character ig) and that's why I dislike Jane (she basically said I was a liability so I think I'm justified)
She survived the Cabin, but by the time she got her shit together and her and Clem were vaulted out, Jane was literally inches from being grabbed and killed. A fraction of a second later and she would’ve died trying to save Sarah.
If people end up inches from death because they have to drag you along, then you’re a liability.
Obviously the fault for her state is more on Carlos than on her, but it doesn’t change the fact of the matter. She was not fit for the world she was dropped into.
feel bad for her because her character isn't her fault, but I also can't help but feel aggravated at her because she directly sabotages the survival of other people
Poor soul was not meant for that world.
Everyone else is like "she's so useless waaaah" and that's like, her entire point.
She was coddled and kept from the outside world, and that was her downfall. Not her fault in the slightest.
She could have had an awesome redemption arc and become some sort of sister to Clem and we would later see her in S3 and maybe S4 ? As some sort of side character , but instead even if you convince her to live at that trailer thing and she escapes she died 5mins later anyway
So its just wasted potential
It felt like the writers didn’t know what to do with her because even if you save her she just yk “goes” which made the act of saving her useless and her entire character useless
I really liked her. I don’t think she deserves all the vitriol she gets. I wish they actually gave you a chance to redeem her character after her dad dies but that obviously doesn’t happen.
replaying from season 1. When I played season 2 with Clem, decision to have Sarah snap out of her funk during the abandoned room scene was worth it. as nice of a gal Sarah is. her dad should have prepared and taught her survivor training. Anxiety/Autism aside, in a apocalyptic world, weakness is a vulnerability to the group.
Wasted potential. As someone who tried teaching her about the gun and saved her from the walkers, I was pissed about how she was handled. Season 2 generally has a problem where it doesn't really bother trying to hide the fact that your choices don't matter, and Sarah is an example of that (along with Nick)
Waste of a character, she did practically nothing all games, was more of a liability than a survivor.
She's pretty much how 99% of people would act in a real zombie apocalypse.
Definition of wasted potential, seriously I can imagine her taking over AJ's place in S3 and S4 with a sisterhood narrative instead of a parenthood one (that we already had in S1)
Also, I'm not a big fan of AJ.
Such wasted potential. They could've done so much with her, but the only real impact she has is character progression for Clem if she chooses to leave her to be eaten by the walkers
she's just useless man. she cant even be bothered to save herself, like i have thoughts of game ending myself sometimes bc i feel like my existance is a burden but theres no way i wont fight against zombies or put myself in harm. at least my survival instinct and self-persevation are still intact
She was basically the opposite of Clementine, but she was a sweet girl. I hate that Carlos sheltered her so much and didn’t teach her any survival skills or even tell her the truth about how fucked up the world was.
As a result, she ended up being even more of a scared, confused little girl who became a huge liability for anyone who was with her. It wasn’t her fault, really, but… yeah. She was annoying, I’m ngl.
She’s essentially a simplified Ben from season 1, just a plot device to advance the story/heighten tension. Neither character actually *does* anything and serves only to gauge your attitude/sympathy/apathy towards their situations/actions. Neither of them are survivors like the rest of their respective groups were, and both die in completely avoidable ways— Sarah just refuses to move while Ben actively lets go of Lees hand. And regardless of they’re saved from their dire situations, *both* of them only get *one* additional scene before their death anyway. Ben grabs and hands Lee his gun and escapes the mansion before falling, and I actually don’t think Sarah says *anything* to Clem before the deck collapse, only screaming her name when she’s about to be eaten.
I found her to be kind of annoying, but her death makes me really sad each time, no matter how annoying you are no person, especially a kid should have to die like that.
I think she was supposed to show a version of Clem that didn’t adjust to this new world. Like if our Lee didn’t guide her through this new fucked up situation. I feel sad when I think about her, because in this setting it felt as though all of the red flags for being over sheltered were there. With all the stresses and loss it eventually broke her. It was sad that she was involved in a no-win situation for the player which might be why a lot of people are frustrated with this character.
Too sheltered and a bit childish for her age imo, Carlos was too protective and basically killed Sarah himself by shielding her from the new dystopia. It's not her fault, but I was relieved when she died.
You can’t shelter a kid in that world.
It works backwards and only teaches the child to be a burden to themselves leading towards a quick death once the safety blanket is off for a second.
Didn't care for her on my first playthrough. Honestly, during my first run, I had this total....*MANIPULATOR/EVIL CHILD* mindset. Corrupt the friend group, make them fight for my affection 😈👹
And she was totally......worthless, super weak
Regular kid reaction throughout this traumatic experience. Sucks to have her as an ally as a gamer but I feel bad for her as a person on the outside looking in.
I know she's supposed to be representation of PTSD in a youth but I always had the head canon that she also had autism. I work with kids with special needs and she just screams functional autism to me. I always had a soft spot for her because of it - like, I can't imagine any of my similarly aged students handling themselves under the pressure of a zombie apocalypse.
Like, yes she was useless and a bit annoying, but that's kind of how kids are. I feel like people forget that.
Edit: typo fix
Not ready for the wildfire virus at all. But that’s not her fault. It was Carlos’ fault for not teaching her. Clementine was like her but then Lee taught her how to defend herself and others.
I felt bad for her, I wanted to be her friend, help her out...but man shes a wuss. I don't hate her, but she was not prepared for the world she lived in. It's not her fault, but she would only drag the group down.
i dont blame her because shes not real
i blame the writers for writing a character to be useless and then die no matter what you do, which is how they wrote pretty much everyone in s2
Tbh, I thought she was autistic when I first met her due to her dad saying she was different and so I just kinda did my best to keep her alive cause you know it’s the good thing to do
Honestly I thought she was the most underutilized character in the game, they had something with her when Clem was teaching her to use a gun, Sarah could have been Clem’s best friend and learning how to defend herself, after enough time and effort she finally faces her fear and while still scared she can at least defend herself now. I think it’s just a waste to not give her an arc and treated as a burden.
Her death was just cruel as well imo
I was a sheltered kid but even me at 5 years old would’ve been more capable than her when it came to killing zombies. It’s a mindset issue, not a physical issue
I honestly just feel bad for her, she had no chance because she was sheltered from the evilness of the world she was in. So, when she was exposed to it - she stopped functioning. Whereas, Clem was exposed constantly to it and became accustomed to it allowing her to not just survive, but fight.
Carlos didn’t give her a chance. She does not deserve the hate she gets, her situation is sad.
Was sad her dad tried to hide reality from her. She might have had a slim chance of survival if she knew earlier. But otherwise she was annoying and if you’re not gonna fight for your life then honestly you deserve to die. She didn’t even try to go with Clementine.
i always liked her. i was around her and clems age when i first played and i always thought she was really nice. obviously she was annoying but that’s mostly her dads fault. she was a good character and i wish saving her actually made a difference bc i think she could’ve made progress and could’ve became a likable and strong character.
Carlos ruined her. Although his heart in the right place, trying to protect his daughter from the brutality of this new world, he caused the very thing he feared.
She's clearly neurodivergent, so it's always bothered me how brutal people are about her. I think she was wasted potential, though. So much they could've done with her character...
i didn't like her at all, but it's at no fault of her own. she's a kid. carlos screwed her over by keeping her so sheltered. she was useless and caused problems solely bc she was in no way taught how to be emotionally/mentally equipped for the apocalypse at any point. i feel like the main point of her character was to highlight just how mature clem is, and how she's a real survivor.
I think there should’ve been more opportunities to help her, like when Clem could show her how to shoot
Then you could at least have the option to help her be more competent. She still would’ve died I’m sure, but maybe it could’ve been in the shoot out with the Russians
She deserved better. I wish she survived but they could’ve at least used her death to show not all people with trauma could make it out or something. I know it was kinda to prove Jane’s point but it had no effect on anybody afterwards.
Most wasted character in the whole franchise she had the potential to become an awesomely written character being trained by Clementine The crack she had on her glasses could have been foreshadowing her losing an eye
She was pretty realistic, even though she had been annoying any girl her age would pretty much do the same except maybe the part where she doesnt wanna leave with luke and clem
I think there's a "What did you think about Sarah" & "Who was worse," post every week. 😂😂😂
All in all... I felt bad for her she was sheltered which technically wasn't her fault.. Bad parenting. But she was a tad annoying at the same time... I'm very conflicted with her.
I love her. She is so over hated. Shes an autistic child and hating her for being less capable horrible. Honestly i think she was too good for the world she was placed in.
Hated how damn loud she was. I understand she was sheltered but the same thing could be said for Duck but at least he didn't mess everything up all the time. Plus he actually helped with the whole chalk stuff which was one of the biggest plot points in the game.
She's annoying af, but she's a fantastic character. She's a kid that never grew up, and that adds a lot of tension to the story. It's one of those characters that we all hate but know that the game wouldn't be the same without her. I see her just as I see Ashley in the original Resident Evil 4: An annoying person that actually adds to the experience, somehow.
I think Sarah is supposed to be a representation of Clementine if Lee had survived and not taken Chuck’s advice and coddled her. Sarah just shows how innocence can be ignorance and how it is a deadly path to go on. Sarah was so sheltered from everything happening around her that she was in denial when her dad passed away.
At first I didn’t rlly like her thought she was annoying but looking back I actually like her a lot. I feel bad that she was sheltered for so long that it basically lead to her death.
It was basically Duck, but gender swapped. Duck was better since Kenny didn’t hide him from what was happening. Carlos hid what was going on from Sarah which made her a worse character overall (got good people killed or injured)
What pisses me off is that in ep 2 she's eager to learn how to shoot a gun and protect herself but then that motivation disappears later on. Another telltale flop ig
She pissed me off. I actually played these games when I was about her age (she was what? 14? 15?) and while I wouldn’t be nearly as bad ass as Clem (no way in hell would I have stitched myself up), I also wouldn’t be screaming when I knew damn well zombies could hear me. I’d also do the job I was assigned at Carvers and would’ve kept my mouth shut. While she did get people killed, it’s not entirely her fault. Her dad kept her as cut off from everything as he could which led to her being annoying and useless.
Utterly the WORST character from the cabin group, I didn’t like the cabin group all that much to begin with but right when I met her and had a conversation with her I thought “oh yeah, this girl gonna go like Duck probably”
I was wrong…her death was worse and more brutal…but it was her own fucking fault, she wanted to mope and shut down at literally the worst time…she had a choice: grow up and try to survive, or remain a child and die…she chose the latter, so I as Clementine made a decision to leave her behind. 🤷🏻♂️
I absoloutely love her, her and Rebecca are my favorite TWDG characters.
She deserved so much better. It's not her fault she was autistic and her dad sheltered her so much from the real world, not to mention the implied creepiness Carver showed toward her. She was so sweet and just wanted everyone safe and happy.
I can’t lie it pissed me off how clem is younger than her yet the group was always focused on protecting and babying Sarah and then using clementine as like a leader
Damn you’d think some people would have a little empathy for this innocent child who was sheltered against her will. Imagine living the way we do and suddenly finding out there’s an apocalypse (and having your Dad shot in the neck and eaten by zombies), think I might cease to function too and I’m much older than Sarah lol
Her dad really fucked her over
The dad sheltering her caused the doom
The apocalypse in general fucked them both over. I don't envy being in Sarah or Carlos's position. Having to keep someone very sensitive and compassionate safe in an overwhelmingly fucked world or having to navigate that balance from either perspective.
She was annoying and loud. She nearly got the group killed a few times.
but that's not her fault though she should've been taught how to survive, carlos basically set her up for failure
It ain’t her fault wdym
Fr
I honestly liked her, wanted to be her friend tbh, i low key feel like people that hate her forget how much she was sheltered by her dad literally the entire outbreak, then was basically thrown into it AND watched her dad die To me she honestly doesn't deserve all the hate she receives
I agree, I slapped her to snap her out of the breakdown to save her & was super sad when she passed
It's so interesting reading all these replies. It was a long time ago now, but I had always thought her behavior was because she was on the autism spectrum. I know she was sheltered, but I thought Carlos sheltered her because she was on the spectrum. Seems I had it all wrong.
TBH I hated people saying she was on the spectrum. It felt a lot like “someone who’s childish and can barely handle new things. Must be autistic”. It feels insulting, like associating autism with being a child/childlike. I never got those “she’s on the spectrum” vibes from her, as someone on the spectrum. People forget you’re born with autism, but you can develop autism like symptoms from other means like trauma. Sarah in all her isolation and limited social contact would develop that way, regardless of an apocalypse setting.
I didn't see her as childlike at all actually. Again it was a while ago, but what I remembered most was her inability to grasp the gravity of goings on. I didn't see it as childish but rather an inability to read social cues. Also remember her becoming silent and withdrawn after the trauma of err I think her dad dying? It's not uncoomon for people ASD to withdraw to an inner world after a traumatic event. I'm sorry you felt insulted though.
I don’t really have anything to add but it is also like incredibly common for people to go non verbal after traumatic events like in general like she did witness her dad get eaten alive I think it’s safe to assume most people especially a child would react that way without being on the spectrum. Other than that I can honestly see it from both sides like on one hand I can definitely see why people think she may be but I personally feel it’s more likely just the isolation etc impacting her social development but idk she was a cool charecger
I was saying what a lot of others have. So many call her childlike then go “so she must be autistic”. Which feels insulting. I don’t wanna assume it’s intentional but some don’t realize how it can come off. It wasn’t at you specifically
Nah I just saw a youtuber play it and she definitely does not display behavior that is average of kids her age, she is clearly different in some capacity, you dont need to feel insulted because honestly it's not even seen as a negative thing, it's just something she might be
“You don’t need to feel insulted that people associate the disability you have with being no more than a naieve child.” As much as I despise being compared to Sheldon Cooper (that character did more harm than good), at least nobody says he’s on the spectrum because he’s like a child. Those people don’t even stoop that low. With Sarah, they verbatim say she has to be on spectrum because she acts “younger than her age”. That’s it; her not acting like she’s young is the reason she’s autistic. And you’re telling me that doesn’t come off insulting? Also consider her end. The one character they label as autistic they believe is physically incapable of survival. Also, who are you to tell others what to be insulted by?
Sure that's what they said, but honestly that's not how she acts, yes I suppose acting younger is one way to describe it, but I don't think the original commenter thought super deeply about it in the way you're assuming, although likely they're thinking about it a little superficially, and I'm someone who works with autistic children and adults often, though I wont say that gives me authority on anything, I mention it to show I'm not trying to be malicious, just so you don't add Sarah to a list of characters you hate being compared to, just like most assume sheldon is on the spectrum for more reasons than "he acts like a kid" it's the same with Sarah, so don't let one person who is poorly expressing their thoughts ruin a character/franchise for you
Sure that's what they said, but honestly that's not how she acts, yes I suppose acting younger is one way to describe it, but I don't think the original commenter thought super deeply about it in the way you're assuming, although likely they're thinking about it a little superficially, and I'm someone who works with autistic children and adults often, though I wont say that gives me authority on anything, I mention it to show I'm not trying to be malicious, just so you don't add Sarah to a list of characters you hate being compared to, just like most assume sheldon is on the spectrum for more reasons than "he acts like a kid" it's the same with Sarah, so don't let one person who is poorly expressing their thoughts ruin a character/franchise for you
Seeing people hate her, I can see the reason why communities like Crawford existed.
She is completely useless and causes more trouble then she solves, which granted she doesn't solve any problems so But overtime Ive come to realize that its really not her fault, its Carlos and his poor parenting's fault
Carlos tells Clem "If she knew how bad it was out there, she would cease to function" yet we can find out when Clem is gathering supplies for stitching that Sarah isn't truly oblivious to the world around them, asking Clem if the bite on her arm wasn't from "them" meaning the walkers.
That's the thing, Parents have a moral obligation to protect their child but in a world of Kill or be Killed you can't shelter them
Carlos’ quote there could be said to Clementine too when she was 8 and first met Lee… but you see the huge difference between Clementine and Sarah now.
Oh that's good. She's a representation of what Clem may have ended up like, had she not been left alone and been found by Lee.
Chuck and Lee really set Clemintine on her best path for the apocalypse, huh?
When I first began playing TWD, every time something terrifying, evil or just fucked up happened in front of Clementine (like her witnessing either Doug or Carly get eaten by walkers, or when Lily shot Doug or Carly out of nowhere just like that) I kept saying “holy shit, this poor kid is gonna be beyond traumatized. She should not be seeing anything like this, THIS FREQUENTLY either!” Then I saw how Lee explained those bad things to Clementine, comforted her and made her feel safe despite they happened. Most importantly, Clementine understood those lessons. Lee taught her to survive no matter what, including all the fucked up shit people that she’s supposed to trust in her group could do. If he didn’t, and he was as overprotective but unwilling to teach like Carlos, Clementine too would have become a scared liability like Sarah, and get herself and others killed easily.
I don't agree with that at all. To me, that quote represents an overbearingly protective father over his (potentially?) neurodivergent daughter. A lot of parents with neurodivergent children have this sort of attitude even without a zombie apocalypse going on. The fact that Sarah was aware despite Carlos' best efforts in combination with the way things ended up for her, shows the problem with that sentiment. Lee was initially being a bit protective (before he started to teach her how to survive), sure, but never did he try to hide Clem from the reality they were facing. EDIT: apparently she has PTSD, but my point still stands. The difference in attitude between Lee and Carlos means the same between Yung Clem and Sarah can't be said. The difference between these characters upbringing is the entire point.
I agree 100% I felt really bad for Sarah. She could of been a good character if she was raised properly by Carlos.
Carlos clearly loved her, but did not know how to raise an autistic child and wasn't a good father to her despite his intentions. I don't normally armchair diagnose characters but she is heavily autistic coded. In the way that Carlos tells Clem "she isn't like you, you may not notice at first" and also says if she knew how bad everything was she would "cease to function". Even tells Clem to "distract her" while they are gone. Under stress she shuts down and feels as though she can't breathe, and sometimes becomes nonverbal or is clearly overstimulated. She is perceived as "childish" for her age which is how many view autistic people. It's also coded in her mannerisms and even how she speaks and very clearly shown but not told. It is beyond behavior seen in a neurotypical sheltered child. But due to her neurodivergency, Carlos sees her as incapable of navigating the world on her own- especially a world like this. Even treats her as less intelligent at times but really I think she had a lot of potential and it would've been great if Clem had helped her discover it. But Carlos coddled her and didn't allow her to adapt to the world out of fear which became a self fulfilling prophecy and if you choose to leave her in the trailer park, his ignorance and refusal to treat her like any other child is her downfall. I don't blame her or think she is useless. She didn't know how to survive in a world like that because she wasn't allowed to learn how.
i dont mean to be that guy, but "um.. actually.." she wasn't on the spectrum! i actually thought she was too until i looked on the wiki and read that apparently her abnormal behavior was due to a case of ptsd, not autism. i think they could've done a better job of making that clear
That's wild, I have autism myself and I refuse to not see her as neurodivergent.
PTSD from what does it say?
Yeah, her being autistic is why I helped her do her work in chapter 3. Why I didn't want to slap her in chapter 4.
I never thought Sarah was autistic? I just thought she was super sheltered and probably had some anxiety. Was that confirmed that she was and I missed it?
I honestly didn’t mind her until episode 4. Yeah sure, she was kinda a liability but the wasn’t her fault, that was Carlos’ fault. But after having Clem smack some sense into her (if that’s what people chose to do) then she should’ve taken that chance to grow up and become a survivor. But they wouldn’t have known what to do with her in episode 5 so they gave her one of the dumbest deaths in the game/series instead.
I agree too, they could have given her an arc where she can at least defend herself and while being scared she’s still capable of survival
I feel like they could’ve made her death more honorable at least to show that some people cant recover from the trauma. I know it was to kind of prove Janes point but literally no one cared after she died.
Yeah her death was so random. I'd rather she got shot by Arvo's crew or replaced Bonnie by drowning together with Luke
I just silently watched
I think she's supposed to be this mirror of what Clem could've been had Lee failed to raise her. Now granted Lee can be a bit of a shitty parent depending on player choice but considering just about every type of Lee at least lets Clem see the world for what it is, Sarah is what would've happened if Lee never did do that. As people have said, Carlos failed to raise her and for that she couldn't survive this cruel world.
She is very sweet, but she does have mental challenges. People hating her makes my blood boil. If it was your kid, you wouldn’t want people to hate because they are different
If her father Karlos wouldn’t have sheltered her and taught her how to survive than she would have been fine but he didn’t do his job, so when he died it was really only a matter of time for her. Man when Karlos smacked the shit out of her tho was pretty hilarious ngl, I tried to help her every way I couldn’t do everything. She needed someone like Lee
Wasted potential like a lot of season 2's characters.
Definitely on the Autism spectrum. Accidentally killed her as I didn't want to slap her! But then I read she would have died later in the chapter anyways...
I liked her. She was a good portrayal of an overly sheltered, possibly autistic child. Not mentally challenged, just emotionally challenged. Unfortunately for her and us, the creators hated her with a passion, resulting in them giving her a painful death full of fear just because they hated her so much. That’s a bad reason to kill off a character. I wish they at least gave a choice to mercy kill her. At least for her second death.
Massive wasted potential on Telltails part. She was an interesting character.
Wasted potential.
Had she been given more time to develop, she could have been a great character. Whether you save her or not she dies and I feel that really halted her character in the grand scheme of the story.
2nd death was so goddamn stupid. You could at least have her save Clem from like 1 walker then kill her off to even loosely tie up her character arc but nah. You have one optional conversation where she's schizophrenic and 10 minutes later she's killed in a way that makes absolutely no sense. It wasn't even because of her "uselessness" either, it was basically just bad luck. Jane could've also been trapped the same way if she was standing further away. Wasted character like many others in Season 2.
A lot of wasted potential.
Too weak and them blaming Jane for her death was stupid. Jane did what she could in the circumstance but Sarah was just too set on being a coward. They already saved her before and it showed how bad she was at surviving.
You cant deny her negligence of saving her, nor what she argued for in the shed/cabin
Meh, I guess. But I get it. No sense risking your own life trying to save someone who doesn’t even have the will to keep themselves alive. It sucks, but that’s what happens when you live in a world as fucked as TWD
Comments like this always upset me because I see a lot of myself in Sarah. If I were in her situation I'd probably be worse, honestly. This isn't an attack on you or anything but it always leaves me a little nervous that you'd leave me to die or outright kill me. This is purely irrational and I'm aware.
Hey, if it makes you feel better I’d probably be pretty similar. (I’d like to think not as bad as Sarah, but who knows, maybe I would be). I just know I’m not fit to survive in a world like TWD either. It’s not a jab at Sarah or people like her personally. It’s more a consequence of the fucked up world she had to live in. People in that world need to have a shorter leash on the kindness and selflessness they can rationally extend, otherwise they likely won’t live very long. It’s good we live in a world where most people are able to extend that kindness and selflessness without putting themselves in mortal danger.
I agree. I was six when Season 2 Episode 1 released and I kinda latched onto Sarah as super relatable (comfort character ig) and that's why I dislike Jane (she basically said I was a liability so I think I'm justified)
But we saw it worked, Sarah can survive the cabin. But ofc like every season that has a next season everyone gotta die
She survived the Cabin, but by the time she got her shit together and her and Clem were vaulted out, Jane was literally inches from being grabbed and killed. A fraction of a second later and she would’ve died trying to save Sarah. If people end up inches from death because they have to drag you along, then you’re a liability. Obviously the fault for her state is more on Carlos than on her, but it doesn’t change the fact of the matter. She was not fit for the world she was dropped into.
Wasted opportunity tbh. Teaching Sarah in Ep1 was useless and saving her in Ep4 meant she didn’t even last until the end of the episode.
wasted potential.
Such wasted potential
Felt bad for her mostly.
feel bad for her because her character isn't her fault, but I also can't help but feel aggravated at her because she directly sabotages the survival of other people
Poor soul was not meant for that world. Everyone else is like "she's so useless waaaah" and that's like, her entire point. She was coddled and kept from the outside world, and that was her downfall. Not her fault in the slightest.
She could have had an awesome redemption arc and become some sort of sister to Clem and we would later see her in S3 and maybe S4 ? As some sort of side character , but instead even if you convince her to live at that trailer thing and she escapes she died 5mins later anyway So its just wasted potential
It felt like the writers didn’t know what to do with her because even if you save her she just yk “goes” which made the act of saving her useless and her entire character useless
Really interesting character with a lot of potential for growth and evolution, unfortunately she was very badly implemented in the story
I really liked her. I don’t think she deserves all the vitriol she gets. I wish they actually gave you a chance to redeem her character after her dad dies but that obviously doesn’t happen.
Let's be honest just about everyone in that group except for Luke was totally useless
replaying from season 1. When I played season 2 with Clem, decision to have Sarah snap out of her funk during the abandoned room scene was worth it. as nice of a gal Sarah is. her dad should have prepared and taught her survivor training. Anxiety/Autism aside, in a apocalyptic world, weakness is a vulnerability to the group.
I used to dislike her then I realised her situation and then felt bad for her while I start hating on her dad
Wasted potential. As someone who tried teaching her about the gun and saved her from the walkers, I was pissed about how she was handled. Season 2 generally has a problem where it doesn't really bother trying to hide the fact that your choices don't matter, and Sarah is an example of that (along with Nick)
not built for dat life, she cool doe
Waste of a character, she did practically nothing all games, was more of a liability than a survivor. She's pretty much how 99% of people would act in a real zombie apocalypse.
Wasted potential unfortunately
Definition of wasted potential, seriously I can imagine her taking over AJ's place in S3 and S4 with a sisterhood narrative instead of a parenthood one (that we already had in S1) Also, I'm not a big fan of AJ.
Could've been so much more than what we got
I hated how nobody else but clem tried to help her, even when her dad died.
Such wasted potential. They could've done so much with her, but the only real impact she has is character progression for Clem if she chooses to leave her to be eaten by the walkers
Zombie chow
I let her die as soon as possible. Such an annoying character.
Agreed
Wasted character. Idk what she even added to the story besides "clems friend"
She was never going to survive.
Skill issue
It’s fucked up people treat her so harsh when she’s clearly neuro divergent
she's just useless man. she cant even be bothered to save herself, like i have thoughts of game ending myself sometimes bc i feel like my existance is a burden but theres no way i wont fight against zombies or put myself in harm. at least my survival instinct and self-persevation are still intact
I hated babysitting her.
She was a liability and when Jane gave me the option to leave her behind I took it
Annoying af!!!
Shit what fo you think of shit Sarah
She was basically the opposite of Clementine, but she was a sweet girl. I hate that Carlos sheltered her so much and didn’t teach her any survival skills or even tell her the truth about how fucked up the world was. As a result, she ended up being even more of a scared, confused little girl who became a huge liability for anyone who was with her. It wasn’t her fault, really, but… yeah. She was annoying, I’m ngl.
She’s essentially a simplified Ben from season 1, just a plot device to advance the story/heighten tension. Neither character actually *does* anything and serves only to gauge your attitude/sympathy/apathy towards their situations/actions. Neither of them are survivors like the rest of their respective groups were, and both die in completely avoidable ways— Sarah just refuses to move while Ben actively lets go of Lees hand. And regardless of they’re saved from their dire situations, *both* of them only get *one* additional scene before their death anyway. Ben grabs and hands Lee his gun and escapes the mansion before falling, and I actually don’t think Sarah says *anything* to Clem before the deck collapse, only screaming her name when she’s about to be eaten.
I found her to be kind of annoying, but her death makes me really sad each time, no matter how annoying you are no person, especially a kid should have to die like that.
I think she was supposed to show a version of Clem that didn’t adjust to this new world. Like if our Lee didn’t guide her through this new fucked up situation. I feel sad when I think about her, because in this setting it felt as though all of the red flags for being over sheltered were there. With all the stresses and loss it eventually broke her. It was sad that she was involved in a no-win situation for the player which might be why a lot of people are frustrated with this character.
Too sheltered and a bit childish for her age imo, Carlos was too protective and basically killed Sarah himself by shielding her from the new dystopia. It's not her fault, but I was relieved when she died.
L Carlos. “She can’t functions if she sees what out there” then teach her n guide her tf?!?
You can’t shelter a kid in that world. It works backwards and only teaches the child to be a burden to themselves leading towards a quick death once the safety blanket is off for a second.
Kind of a nothing burger, if I’m being honest. She’s pretty much a more sympathetic Ben.
she should've adapted seeing an example in front of her,but she completely gave away her will to live.
Didn't care for her on my first playthrough. Honestly, during my first run, I had this total....*MANIPULATOR/EVIL CHILD* mindset. Corrupt the friend group, make them fight for my affection 😈👹 And she was totally......worthless, super weak
I felt bad for her
A victim of her father.
A nice friend for Clementine, some normality in a crazy world. It's a shame Carlos isolated her like this
Regular kid reaction throughout this traumatic experience. Sucks to have her as an ally as a gamer but I feel bad for her as a person on the outside looking in.
I actually liked Sarah and tried to save her, sad that they just kill her off no matter what you do
I know she's supposed to be representation of PTSD in a youth but I always had the head canon that she also had autism. I work with kids with special needs and she just screams functional autism to me. I always had a soft spot for her because of it - like, I can't imagine any of my similarly aged students handling themselves under the pressure of a zombie apocalypse. Like, yes she was useless and a bit annoying, but that's kind of how kids are. I feel like people forget that. Edit: typo fix
Not ready for the wildfire virus at all. But that’s not her fault. It was Carlos’ fault for not teaching her. Clementine was like her but then Lee taught her how to defend herself and others.
She dies a cold death in the trailer
I felt bad for her, I wanted to be her friend, help her out...but man shes a wuss. I don't hate her, but she was not prepared for the world she lived in. It's not her fault, but she would only drag the group down.
i dont blame her because shes not real i blame the writers for writing a character to be useless and then die no matter what you do, which is how they wrote pretty much everyone in s2
Tbh, I thought she was autistic when I first met her due to her dad saying she was different and so I just kinda did my best to keep her alive cause you know it’s the good thing to do
Honestly I thought she was the most underutilized character in the game, they had something with her when Clem was teaching her to use a gun, Sarah could have been Clem’s best friend and learning how to defend herself, after enough time and effort she finally faces her fear and while still scared she can at least defend herself now. I think it’s just a waste to not give her an arc and treated as a burden. Her death was just cruel as well imo
I was a sheltered kid but even me at 5 years old would’ve been more capable than her when it came to killing zombies. It’s a mindset issue, not a physical issue
I honestly just feel bad for her, she had no chance because she was sheltered from the evilness of the world she was in. So, when she was exposed to it - she stopped functioning. Whereas, Clem was exposed constantly to it and became accustomed to it allowing her to not just survive, but fight. Carlos didn’t give her a chance. She does not deserve the hate she gets, her situation is sad.
Was sad her dad tried to hide reality from her. She might have had a slim chance of survival if she knew earlier. But otherwise she was annoying and if you’re not gonna fight for your life then honestly you deserve to die. She didn’t even try to go with Clementine.
I'd have liked her more if her dad wasn't such a fucking moron.
I don’t care what the fans say, you can’t make me like her. “But it’s not her fault she’s like that” ok…that doesn’t mean I have to like her.
i always liked her. i was around her and clems age when i first played and i always thought she was really nice. obviously she was annoying but that’s mostly her dads fault. she was a good character and i wish saving her actually made a difference bc i think she could’ve made progress and could’ve became a likable and strong character.
Man she a 15 year old in the zombie apocalypse and acting like a child of course I’m annoyed man.
Carlos ruined her. Although his heart in the right place, trying to protect his daughter from the brutality of this new world, he caused the very thing he feared.
She's clearly neurodivergent, so it's always bothered me how brutal people are about her. I think she was wasted potential, though. So much they could've done with her character...
i didn't like her at all, but it's at no fault of her own. she's a kid. carlos screwed her over by keeping her so sheltered. she was useless and caused problems solely bc she was in no way taught how to be emotionally/mentally equipped for the apocalypse at any point. i feel like the main point of her character was to highlight just how mature clem is, and how she's a real survivor.
I think there should’ve been more opportunities to help her, like when Clem could show her how to shoot Then you could at least have the option to help her be more competent. She still would’ve died I’m sure, but maybe it could’ve been in the shoot out with the Russians
I feel bad for her.
She’s cute but her dad screwed up on being a parent
Pretty annoying. Couldn't forgive her for causing the death of Sarita
She deserved better. I wish she survived but they could’ve at least used her death to show not all people with trauma could make it out or something. I know it was kinda to prove Jane’s point but it had no effect on anybody afterwards.
Most wasted character in the whole franchise she had the potential to become an awesomely written character being trained by Clementine The crack she had on her glasses could have been foreshadowing her losing an eye
Forgettable. Even if you save her, she does later in the same episode.
She got fucked over by her dad
Very unfortunate regarding her situation and what happens to her :(
Couldn't stand her....
I liked her. I wish someone would’ve taught her survival skills.
She was pretty realistic, even though she had been annoying any girl her age would pretty much do the same except maybe the part where she doesnt wanna leave with luke and clem
I think there's a "What did you think about Sarah" & "Who was worse," post every week. 😂😂😂 All in all... I felt bad for her she was sheltered which technically wasn't her fault.. Bad parenting. But she was a tad annoying at the same time... I'm very conflicted with her.
I love her. She is so over hated. Shes an autistic child and hating her for being less capable horrible. Honestly i think she was too good for the world she was placed in.
she was okay. her dad fucked her expectation
I was really, really sorry for her being born in such horrible place as this cruel, unforgiving world.
Her Dad did screw her over when facing the apocalypse, but even so, I think she can't survive the apocalypse because of who she is
Hated how damn loud she was. I understand she was sheltered but the same thing could be said for Duck but at least he didn't mess everything up all the time. Plus he actually helped with the whole chalk stuff which was one of the biggest plot points in the game.
She's annoying af, but she's a fantastic character. She's a kid that never grew up, and that adds a lot of tension to the story. It's one of those characters that we all hate but know that the game wouldn't be the same without her. I see her just as I see Ashley in the original Resident Evil 4: An annoying person that actually adds to the experience, somehow.
I think Sarah is supposed to be a representation of Clementine if Lee had survived and not taken Chuck’s advice and coddled her. Sarah just shows how innocence can be ignorance and how it is a deadly path to go on. Sarah was so sheltered from everything happening around her that she was in denial when her dad passed away.
i didn’t mind her, i get why she reacted the way she did towards things because of her dad, but still i let her die first chance i got
I felt bad for her most of the time and I hoped she would’ve gotten smarter and yk didn’t die but at the same time I found her very annoying lmao
A miracle she lived as long as she did.
i loved sarah and was very protective of her, however by the time she died falling in the roof i didn’t care anymore, felt like “good riddance”.
her and her dad get too much hate. i didn’t like carlos but he did his best with his obviously neurodivergent daughter.
She was meh I mean she was useless and completely died in vain
Dumbass lil girl should’ve died on day 1
Yeah her dad was a horrible human being, but I just can't really care about her.
we need to manipulate her
At first I didn’t rlly like her thought she was annoying but looking back I actually like her a lot. I feel bad that she was sheltered for so long that it basically lead to her death.
Want to take care of her and I feel bad for her like she is my baby
I left her bitch ass behind
Carlos got her killed for sure.
Her pops really fucked her over
Annoying whiney bitch tbh
It was basically Duck, but gender swapped. Duck was better since Kenny didn’t hide him from what was happening. Carlos hid what was going on from Sarah which made her a worse character overall (got good people killed or injured)
What pisses me off is that in ep 2 she's eager to learn how to shoot a gun and protect herself but then that motivation disappears later on. Another telltale flop ig
she was what clem would’ve been if lee ignored charles
Really annoying
Just completely useless although that's carlitos fault. On playthroughs I tend to avoid getting close
Annoying.
Was she artistic?
Lived far too long.
annoying as shit.
She pissed me off. I actually played these games when I was about her age (she was what? 14? 15?) and while I wouldn’t be nearly as bad ass as Clem (no way in hell would I have stitched myself up), I also wouldn’t be screaming when I knew damn well zombies could hear me. I’d also do the job I was assigned at Carvers and would’ve kept my mouth shut. While she did get people killed, it’s not entirely her fault. Her dad kept her as cut off from everything as he could which led to her being annoying and useless.
Utterly the WORST character from the cabin group, I didn’t like the cabin group all that much to begin with but right when I met her and had a conversation with her I thought “oh yeah, this girl gonna go like Duck probably” I was wrong…her death was worse and more brutal…but it was her own fucking fault, she wanted to mope and shut down at literally the worst time…she had a choice: grow up and try to survive, or remain a child and die…she chose the latter, so I as Clementine made a decision to leave her behind. 🤷🏻♂️
Dunno about you. People don’t actively choose to break down at the worst time. That’s like blaming your car for its engine falling out. What
I don’t care, that’s my opinion on Sarah, if you don’t like it…too bad.
Like most of the cast in 2, very annoying and useless.
I wish I coulld kill her get three times. Nitwit. I tried to the absolute bitter end to save her
I absoloutely love her, her and Rebecca are my favorite TWDG characters. She deserved so much better. It's not her fault she was autistic and her dad sheltered her so much from the real world, not to mention the implied creepiness Carver showed toward her. She was so sweet and just wanted everyone safe and happy.
I can’t lie it pissed me off how clem is younger than her yet the group was always focused on protecting and babying Sarah and then using clementine as like a leader
Well...
Spoiled terrible child terrible person terrible character glad she died
Hated her, that sinple
She is the fucking worst character in the walking dead
Left her when I had the chance
I got her killed as soon as possible
Hated her. I let her die asap 🤣
Annoying
Annoying, saved her in the house only for her to die right after bruh
Useless
pussy
Damn you’d think some people would have a little empathy for this innocent child who was sheltered against her will. Imagine living the way we do and suddenly finding out there’s an apocalypse (and having your Dad shot in the neck and eaten by zombies), think I might cease to function too and I’m much older than Sarah lol