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.

1. HE LEFT CLEMENTINE TO DIE. The same girl that would later defend him from being thrown off the boat.
2. He doesn't watch her when you tell him to, instead he makes excuses. He should've brought her upstairs with him.
3. He didn't even help you look for her when she's missing.
4. 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.

Cause believe it or not he's still just a kid what did you want him to do

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:
Carl's eight years old. Same age as Clem at the start of the game. He's killed numerous counts of walkers, Shane Walsh, Ben who was his friend but Carl wanted to protect the group after Ben killed his brother. Hell in the last damn issue, Carl charged alone into Negan's camp to avenge Glenn!

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.

ben is the "me" of TWD universe or at least the most like me of all of them, i would be glad to be in Lee's group and i would feel so sorry and guilty if i had messed up and that had contributed to the death of a child

Well ben did have to help with omid at that 1 point and who knows he coulda saw clemmy as sister like

Ben went with me because he says that I've been good to him and he wants to help me out again; I didn't have to guilt trip him. I don't hate him because he is honestly just a kid still and sometimes people cannot handle this type of reality; whose to say any of us wouldn't just freeze up like that without receiving proper gun training like Lee and Kenny did for three months. It's easy to envision that we would be heroes in a disaster, but we don't know until we are a part of that reality.

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.

wow thanks, i think would generally just hide and be a tactical coward in the face of danger and live on another day

well a nine year old should run from zombies like ben did :p its the smart thing for a weak person to do, ben should have grabbed her hand though

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

I don't like Ben, personally - I pity him.

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.

if duck is called duck because nothing affects him like water off a duck's back, maybe ben should be called sponge because he just absorbs every bad thing that happens and it all comes pouring out if you give him a squeeze :D