What's with everyone hating on Kenny?

[Advanced]

I don't get it.

In my playthrough of the game, he was the closest person to me besides Clem.

I don't understand why people hate him for the things he did. Lets put you guys in his situations.

1. If Clem or Shawn is in trouble, wouldn't you make sure Clem is safe before Shawn is? Especially if there's another person around to help the other.

2. If Larry would be screaming that Clem is bitten and want's to throw her out, wouldn't you get defensive and wanna punch him in the face?

3. If you looted the entire area around you and ran out of resources wouldn't you want to move on if you had your own RV? Nothing left.

4. (The most debatable one, but I will always side with Kenny here) Killing Larry. I am stunned by how many people decided to try and save him. Are you guys serious? This guy was a complete arse to you the entire time. He tried to KILL YOU in EP 1 and threatened you/blackmailed you in episode 2. He was not afraid to kill you if he had the chance. In fact by trying to kill you he put Clem's life in danger more or less the same as Ben did leaving her.

And now you're in a locked room with someone who's known to have heart issues who just dropped and stopped breathing. You and your family is in danger of getting eaten by a really strong zombie with no way out.

Are you REALLY going to try and revive someone like that? Understanding very well that if you don't get it in time you just doomed everyone in that room, you, Clem, Kenny everyone. Dead. And people seem to blame Kenny for doing what he did?

Everyone can have their own opinions on this topic, but I would never put everyone at risk to try and save some that is a complete POS and is about to turn and kill you all. Kenny was absolutely in the right state of thinking here.

5. If Clem was bitten... wouldn't YOU want to hold out on killing her? Wouldn't you want to grasp on to hope and have every last second with her? It's not like he didn't come to his sense's... He did what he had to do at the very end, if you say you forced him, that's what the group is there for. Supporting each other.

Hell if Clem was bitten I would just turn off the game because I wouldn't be able to kill her. In fact in real life I don't know how I would react to something like this. Kenny was extremely strong by the end of all this.

I'll skip a lot of the minor parts here and go to EP 4

6. Finally, if you found out that Ben took away everything you had in your life... Let's say Ben got Clem killed, caused numerous other deaths and was lying to you this entire time, wouldn't YOU want him dead in the spur of the moment? At the end of the day you all have emotions.

I can keep going on and on... but every time I hear people talk about how much Kenny was an asshole I just do not get it. What would you do so different in his position? What makes him such an asshole? Because he always faced reality and told things like they were? He was just a man trying to take care of his family. What's with all the hate on him?

In fact, by the end of the game Kenny was the only one I trusted with Clem. Not only would Clem become part of Kenny's family this way (Thus giving Kenny a reason to keep going now) but I damn well know he would do everything in his power to protect her. Whatever it is, he would do whats best for her safety.

[Robert Morgan]

Dude, I posted a thread advocating for Kenny to be the PC in season 2. I don't think it's completely fair to say everyone hates him.

[double_u]

I don't think everyone hates Kenny. In fact, I'd say the opposite given all the Kenny ain't dead posts. Personally, I disagree with him a lot, but that doesn't make me hate him. I understand where he's coming from, believe he's a good man at heart, and consider him a friend. But that doesn't mean I'll back him up when I think he's making the wrong calls.

[gimmeseason2]

I don't think a lot of people hate Kenny. If anything, they would hate Ben for all the stupid shit he did

[Vainamoinen]

Another valuable collection to our "why does everyone" thread collection.

I'll add the tag.

[Advanced]

I'm not speaking even directly of this forum. And obviously I don't mean everyone... just most people.

I've listened to maybe 10-12 gaming podcast by now talking about TWD and a good portion of these podcast all hate Kenny and think he's an asshole. I just don't get it =/

[Kaserkin]

I never hated Kenny. He's a good man in impossible situation. But if you don't side with him everytime, he's ungrateful prick. Everyone went with me to save Clem without having to tell them what I did for them, except Kenny.

[VirtR]

I dont hate him but hes kind of a dick.

1.After he saved duck why did he run away instead of help me with shawn?

2. Larry wasn't even dead, he didn't even want to try to CPR with us or at least check his pulse before smashing his head in. Larry was a scumbag but keep in mind, if Larry wouldn't have died then Lilly wouldn't have freaked out and shot Carly.

3. When I shot the girl in the street out of mercy, we went and looted the store, zombies broke in and I was trapped under the door with 2 zombies on top of it. That dick face just stood there and watched me struggle for my life. I mean thats practically killing me, but I got out and when confronted he just said something like "well, you got out didn't you? Everything worked out".

What the hell Kenny.

[Bobs]

Originally Posted by Advanced

6. Finally, if you found out that Ben took away everything you had in your life... [...] caused numerous other deaths and was lying to you this entire time [...]

Seriously?

@ topic:

I don't hate Kenny, I supported him throughout my first playthrough. I even let him beat me when we were on the train. But in the end he didn't want to help find Clem (I had to beg him for his help) and he wanted to have "an adult conversation" about how to end my life. So, well, I guess he wasn't the best friend either.

[The Fallen]

Originally Posted by Advanced

I'm not speaking even directly of this forum. And obviously I don't mean everyone... just most people.

I've listened to maybe 10-12 gaming podcast by now talking about TWD and a good portion of these podcast all hate Kenny and think he's an asshole. I just don't get it =/

He was fundamentally a good guy, but way too fickle. After everything we'd been through together for him to turn around and go " i am a christian man, but you haven't had my back" was massively prickish when I was bitted and needed his help to save clem. I managed to convince him, but it was still a big "WTF Ken" moment.

My decisions with Kenny were

1. Tried to save Shawn
2. Defended Kenny from Hershel's accusations/ told him shawns death wasn't his fault
3. "we reason with him"
4. Fed him and Duck (along with Clem and Carley)
5. Was on the fence with him and Lilly's arguing, leaning towards Kenny
6. Helped him deal with Larry
7. Told him i was a killer
8. Thought he should be the one to shoot Duck.
9. Comforted him and showed compassion over Duck & Kat
10. Killed to boy in the attic myself
11. Dropped Ben with his consent.

So its not like i was an arsehole towards him, the majority of those are pro Kenny and most of those that aren't were in episode 1, at the end of which i got the "especially a good friend" line.

The only one i'm not sure about was killing Duck, does he like you more or less if you do it? I just thought it should be Ducks family to do it. Maybe thats where i damaged our relationship.

[Yertos]

Originally Posted by VirtR

I dont hate him but hes kind of a dick.

1.After he saved duck why did he run away instead of help me with shawn?

2. Larry wasn't even dead, he didn't even want to try to CPR with us or at least check his pulse before smashing his head in. Larry was a scumbag but keep in mind, if Larry wouldn't have died then Lilly wouldn't have freaked out and shot Carly.

3. When I shot the girl in the street out of mercy, we went and looted the store, zombies broke in and I was trapped under the door with 2 zombies on top of it. That dick face just stood there and watched me struggle for my life. I mean thats practically killing me, but I got out and when confronted he just said something like "well, you got out didn't you? Everything worked out".

What the hell Kenny.

Kenny is a prime example of the "Either you're with me, or you're against me" kind of guy.

[Robert Morgan]

Originally Posted by VirtR

I dont hate him but hes kind of a dick.

1.After he saved duck why did he run away instead of help me with shawn?

2. Larry wasn't even dead, he didn't even want to try to CPR with us or at least check his pulse before smashing his head in. Larry was a scumbag but keep in mind, if Larry wouldn't have died then Lilly wouldn't have freaked out and shot Carly.

3. When I shot the girl in the street out of mercy, we went and looted the store, zombies broke in and I was trapped under the door with 2 zombies on top of it. That dick face just stood there and watched me struggle for my life. I mean thats practically killing me, but I got out and when confronted he just said something like "well, you got out didn't you? Everything worked out".

What the hell Kenny.

The meat locker scene is basically the "make or break" moment in regards to your relationship with Kenny/Lilly. I suppose that was the only real time when I got irritated with Kenny; if I decide to save Larry, he doesn't even try to understand where I'm coming from, or the fact that I had to make an unpleasant choice under extreme duress.

Kenny is often a meathead, but at least he's a likeable meathead. The locker sequence (and its aftermath) was the one exception for me.

[Advanced]

Originally Posted by The Fallen

He was fundamentally a good guy, but way too fickle. After everything we'd been through together for him to turn around and go " i am a christian man, but you haven't had my back" was massively prickish when I was bitted and needed his help to save clem. I managed to convince him, but it was still a big "WTF Ken" moment.

My decisions with Kenny were

1. Tried to save Shawn
2. Defended Kenny from Hershel's accusations/ told him shawns death wasn't his fault
3. "we reason with him"
4. Fed him and Duck (along with Clem and Carley)
5. Was on the fence with him and Lilly's arguing, leaning towards Kenny
6. Helped him deal with Larry
7. Told him i was a killer
8. Thought he should be the one to shoot Duck.
9. Comforted him and showed compassion over Duck & Kat
10. Killed to boy in the attic myself
11. Dropped Ben with his consent.

So its not like i was an arsehole towards him, the majority of those are pro Kenny and most of those that aren't were in episode 1, at the end of which i got the "especially a good friend" line.

The only one i'm not sure about was killing Duck, does he like you more or less if you do it? I just thought it should be Ducks family to do it. Maybe thats where i damaged our relationship.

Weird.... because I did the exact same choices as you (As far as I remember) with the exception I left Ben alive, and he didn't have a problem going with me. I mean he didn't volunteer at the 1st chance but he never said I didn't have his back, All I did was say that Clem is my family and he agreed saying "Hell, at the end of the day, Family is all we have left right? I'm in."

Did you fight him on the train? And I guess the manner you talk to him most likely comes into play.

But it seems like my playthrough was one of the few where we had each others back till the end. At least it felt that way to me.

[Shrewsbury Survivor]

Hes an inconsiderate barstewart. He leaves you to die because you dont help him Murder Larry which would justify it to him. He never listens to anyone elses opinion and expects everyone else to save his kid and wife and wont lookout for anyone else unless it profits him. Hes a self centred asshole.

[The Fallen]

Originally Posted by Advanced

Weird.... because I did the exact same choices as you (As far as I remember) with the exception I left Ben alive, and he didn't have a problem going with me. I mean he didn't volunteer at the 1st chance but he never said I didn't have his back, All I did was say that Clem is my family and he agreed saying "Hell, at the end of the day, Family is all we have left right? I'm in."

Did you fight him on the train? And I guess the manner you talk to him most likely comes into play.

But it seems like my playthrough was one of the few where we had each others back till the end. At least it felt that way to me.

No i did manage to convince him to come the same way as you did, but he came ultimately i thought because of Clementine/ playing the family car and not because he felt any loyalty to me.

I mean i know he did come in the end, but i thought that after everything we'd been through i wouldn't have to twist his arm, it hurt when you look over for what he has to say and he said no, especially when Omid and Christa who were still near strangers lept at the chance.

[Violet Virago]

I really liked Kenny, but his behavior in the Larry choice and the girl in the street choices are just downright wrong. I get that larry had to be killed, but couldn't he have given it a bit more warning? Or even time? You don't turn into a walker THAT fast. And then him basically turning on you after I've had his back all the time before that moment, I was really just like "Screw you then." I still had his back when Duck and Kaatja died, but we weren't really friends again until the very end. The girl in the street? That was just messed up, it's not about survival all the time, you have to save some humanity in yourself too or what do you become?

[Desmodus87]

I really liked Kenny a lot. I was actually with him entirely about the girl in the street and Larry. The thing I disagreed with him the most on was how he handled the Duck situation. We have a daughter, I understand how heartbreaking it would be to have to end her life. But if she was bitten by a walker, and I knew there was no cure or she was too far gone for a cure, I would have to face the fact that she was dying. I'd spend all the time we had left together, and as soon as she stopped breathing, I would have to put her down. It would be more painful to know she was out there, somewhere, rotting away, eating what few live people were left, and, worst of all to me, being killed by someone who didn't love her. Whose to say she couldn't have ended up in a Governor-esque arena, being teased, tortured, and killed slowly? I would much rather put her down with love and kindness in that situation.
Which is why I had such little patience for Kenny when he was saying Duck would be fine. But when it came time for Duck to be put down, both myself and my husband chose to shoot Duck for him. I think it was the right choice (obviously lol, or I would've made a different one), but I do wish that Kenny had manned up in that situation. It was the one I was not too sympathetic to him in.

[CarScar]

No, I understand how people hate him. You don't help him kill Larry and he leaves you to die, twice. Despite me saving his family multiple times, if I don't help him kill someone suddenly I deserve to die. I mean, goodness.

"Do you think I liked doing what I did? I'm the kind of guy who couldn't stand letting our dog be put down."
"What if it were Katjaa or Duck? Could you do the hard thing then?"
"Never gonna happen."

Then it happens, and he fails to act upon it. He puts everyone's life in danger, similar to the meat locker situation. It's actually canon that everyone would die if Lee didn't act. I understand that it's his kid, but it is hypocritical of him. It just shows how insensitive he was too Lilly, he didn't even give her the chance to revive Larry.

But the absolutely worse thing about Kenny is this line he gave me:

"Lee, man... You know I care about Clementine, and I am a Christian man. But if it were me, asking you for help, would you be there for me? Because there's been plenty of times you haven't been."

Well, excuuuseee me but I helped save your family so many times in the past and when I ask you to return my good deeds, you tell me that? What is his fucking problem man, he'd let a little girl die because I didn't help him kill people (only times I disagreed with Kenny was killing Larry and Beatrice).

[Rock114]

There's plenty of reasons to hate him if you disagreed on some key things with him. But the only time I hated him was when he and Lilly had the argument in Episode 3. I helped him kill Larry because it had to be done, and have no regrets about putting the needs of the group above any one man, but he acted like a total asshole to her. He smashed her dad's head in in front of her face, and all he say is "sorry". I tried to be compasionate to her and make her see why I chose what I did, but he really didn;t seem to care. He gets demonized more than he should, and he was my bro in my game and I could never hate him, but there are some legitimate reasons why others don't like him.

[Riadon]

Other than Lee and Clementine, Kenny was my favorite character of the first season. I liked his character development, his nuances, his tendency to "jump the gun" a bit, and of course... his mustache.