|
"Mature Content Warning!" |
| “ | ...at the end of the day, no matter how much we hate all this ugly business... A man's got to eat. If it makes you feel any better... You taste much better than we thought you would. | „ |
| ~ Gareth taunting Bob while eating his leg in front of him. |
Note: Most of this information is taken from my NPE removal proposal for him, which can be found here.
What's the Work?
The Walking Dead is an AMC original series based on the comic book of the same name by Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore. It's set in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies, referred to as "walkers." The show primarily follows a group of survivors led by former sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes as they navigate threats from both walkers and other groups of survivors.
Who's the Character?
Gareth B, referred to simply as Gareth, is a supporting antagonist in the fourth season and a major antagonist in the fifth season. He leads a group of cannibals called "The Hunters" who inhabit a camp known as "Terminus." They present themselves as a source of salvation to any survivors they encounter. However, in reality, these survivors are either killed and eaten or coerced into adopting the group's way of life.
What Has He Done?/What Makes Him Heinous?
He lured, murdered, and ate dozens of people by pretending to be a benevolent figure, only to reveal his true nature and trap victims in train cars before striking them from behind with bats, slitting their throats, and consuming their corpses. It’s even implied that Gareth and his crew killed and cannibalized children, as teddy bears and other kids’ toys were found among the belongings of their victims.
After his brother Alex died, Gareth’s group prepared his body to be butchered and eaten, showing they were willing to consume their own people if necessary. He locked Rick’s group in train cars and intended to kill and eat them as well. He sadistically ate Bob’s leg in front of him while insisting it wasn’t personal, clearly taking pleasure in the torment, and openly admitting that he enjoyed eating people. He also planned to hunt down and consume the rest of Rick’s group, possibly including Rick’s infant daughter Judith. In his final moments, he desperately tried to persuade Rick’s group to spare him, despite the horrific acts he and his people had committed.
What Makes Him Inconsistent?
For starters, he has a tragic backstory that is played for sympathy, as he genuinely wanted to help people by turning Terminus into a place of salvation. However, a group of bandits attacked the compound, killed several of his friends, and locked Gareth and the rest of his people in train cars, where they were starved for weeks and the women—including Gareth’s mother—were repeatedly raped. At one point, Gareth tried to comfort his abused and traumatized mother, but was punched by the leader of the bandits.
Eventually, Gareth and his people managed to fight back and reclaim the compound, but the trauma of these events led him to prioritize his group’s survival above all else, turning to killing and eating anyone who wasn’t with them.
On top of that, he has some standards; he is disgusted by rape and refuses to allow it within his group. As twisted as it may be, he is also willing to spare newcomers if they agree to embrace their way of life and assist them in killing and eating people. He also has multiple people he truly cares for, having loved and been protective of his mother, even seeking revenge on Carol for her death (despite his indirect role in it). He also cared deeply about his group’s well-being and treated them with respect.
Heinous Standards
Although acts like mass murder (and even child murder) are common in the series, he manages to stand out due to the sheer number of people he's brutally slaughtered and eaten (including children), which is also a unique crime no other antagonist shares.
Verdict
Easy yes for luring in, trapping, and cannibalizing dozens of people, including children, but he is too tragic to qualify as NPE, since he was once a genuinely good person trying to save people, before his community was overtaken by sadistic bandits, resulting in the mass raping of numerous women, including his own mother. As a result, he has standards against rape, and is also an extremist who views Terminus' cannibalistic acts as necessary for survival. Lastly, he is honorable, as he's willing to spare any survivors that agree to join them, and cares for his late mother and community.