Bill

William "Bill" Overbeck is one of the four playable Survivors in Left 4 Dead, a Vietnam veteran who served in the US Army 1st Special Forces Group. His combat skills have helped to keep him alive, he is also the oldest of the group. In official media, he is usually seen wielding the assault rifle, probably to complement his backstory. He and Francis have a strenuous relationship. He is voiced by Jim French (German version: Klaus-Dieter Klebsch). He always or often has a cigarette in his mouth which smoke can be seen coming from.

Official description
It took two eventful tours in Vietnam, a handful of medals, a knee full of shrapnel, and an honorable discharge before the unthinkable happened: Bill ran out of wars. But now an army of infected undead has declared war on humanity. After decades of aimless drifting and dead-end jobs, Bill's finally gotten back the only thing he ever wanted: an enemy to fight.

Quotes

 * "We can take the subway tunnels to the hospital. There's a Red Line station not far from here."
 * "Francis, was that you or the sewer?"
 * "I ain't walkin' to the roof!"
 * [ Hospital elevator, responding to Zoey questioning if things will return to normal ]"I'll see peace back on Earth if I gotta murder every one of these bastards with my bare goddamn hands!"
 * "You call this a 'zombie apocalypse'? This is nothing compared to the Great Zombie Attack of '57!" "...Nah, I'm just horse shittin' ya!"
 * "Even being in a war doesn't prepare you for this - they never stop, they come at ya and come at ya and they never goddamn stop."
 * "Damn straight."
 * "We've been immune so far but, well, if I start to turn... promise you'll shoot me."
 * "We're fighting a war with a horde of brainless killing machines - I ain't exactly optimistic about our chances."
 * [ Upon seeing Francis dead body ] "Christ, I'm gonna miss that son of a bitch."


 * [ Speaking to the Church Guy ] "Son, we're immune, we're tired, and there's infected in the damn woods, now cut out the shit and let us in!"
 * "We're as human as they come, son, I promise ya!"
 * [ When Church Guy starts ringing the bell ] "This guy is nuttier than candy bar shit."
 * "I don't believe this shit, we're arguing for our lives here with a damn mental moron!"


 * [ When the plane crashes on the Runway ]"Bah - Jeezus..."
 * "Jesus H. Christ!"


 * "These woods look thicker than Boomer shit. Nobody wander off."


 * "Francis, is there anything you don't hate?"
 * "Don't be an ass, Francis."
 * "Close your mouth and open your eyes, Francis. You'll aim better."
 * "A few years in the service mighta slimmed you down and shut you up, Francis."
 * "You know who's gonna survive this mess, Francis? It ain't the fellow makin' jokes."
 * "Speak up, Francis! Your voice got all muffled from your head being so far up your ass."
 * [ When Francis calls the Infected vampires ]"They're zombies, Francis."
 * [ When reviving a survivor ]"Hey no shame kid, I would have pissed my pants too, but we need to get out of here"
 * "Come on, get up! These jackasses aren't going to kill themselves."
 * [ When reviving a survivor on their last life ] "Holy shit, kid. Those bastards took a chunk outta ya"
 * [ In critical need of healing ] "I'm about... To buy... The farm..."
 * "If I go down, don't let those bastards eat me."
 * [ When healed or revived ] "That was unnecessary... but, thanks."
 * "Hell, mosta this blood ain't mine!"
 * "Who are you...?"
 * "Aaah... I'm getting too old for this horse shit."
 * [ When shot ] "Gah! Watch your fire, damn it!"
 * "Check your fire!"
 * "Watch your fire!"
 * "Watch where you're shooting!"
 * "Secure that weapon!"
 * [ When shot by Francis ] "What the hell are you doing, Francis?!"
 * [ When shot by Zoey '''] "ZOEY!!"
 * { When shot by Louis ] "Knock it off, Louis!"
 * "I was too old for this fifteen years ago."
 * "Francis, buddy, are you gonna use that First-Aid kit?"
 * "Zoey, can you spare me a health-kit?"
 * "Louis, you mind giving an old man your health-kit?"
 * [ Picking up a pipe bomb ] "I'd rather have a grenade, but this'll do."
 * "An assault rifle; This shit's gettin' more like 'Nam every second."
 * "An assault rifle? Aw man, this brings me back..."
 * "Assault rifle, come to papa..."
 * "Reeloooaaaadiiiing!"
 * [ When slimed by a Boomer ] "Goddamn it, son of a bitch!"
 * [ Upon seeing an Ammo stash ] "Ammooo, here."
 * [ Upon seeing a Molotov ] "Molotov, here."
 * [ When picking up a First aid kit ] "First to aid, last to die."
 * "Don't get your panties in a bunch! I'm coming!"
 * "Eyes and ears, people. Eyes and ears."

Trivia

 * On the poster for Dead Air, his beret has a blue, star bordered U.S. Army General Service Beret flash on it, not the Yellow U.S. army 1st Special Forces Group beret flash as appears in the game, and on the rest of the posters.
 * Jim French, who voices Bill in Left 4 Dead, also voiced Father Grigori from Half-Life 2.
 * Bill appears to have a rivalry, a past, or just plain hatred of Francis.
 * Bill is always seen smoking his trademark cigarette. Even when he is dead it manages to stay in his mouth. However, when he dies, it is no longer lit.
 * Bill fought in the Vietnam war. If the game occurs in 2009, that would make him at least 52 years old.
 * Bill is currently the only survivor with a confirmed last name. "Overbeck" can be found on his military jacket.