The Survivors

"That's right, we should call ourselves the Unstoppables!"

- Louis "We're the four riders of the goddamn apocalypse!"

- Nick

The Survivors are people in the world who have not contracted the Infection (or are carriers of the disease). The term, however, is commonly used to refer to the eight playable characters from the Left 4 Dead game series. Although the playable characters are immune, a comment by Bill suggests that they could become an Infected at any point. In Left 4 Dead, it is never explained how they met up with each other, or how long they have been together (although judging by the timing given by the intro cutscene and The Sacrifice comic, it is less than twelve days by the start of the first campaign). At the start of the first campaign in Left 4 Dead 2, the playable characters have just met each other and do not even know each other's names. There are also non-playable Survivors that players will meet throughout the campaigns. In the Comic, the Survivors are referred to as "Tango-Mike" (T-M in the NATO Alphabet) by the APC Driver, probably in reference to Typhoid Mary, the most notorious real life carrier known in America.

Each playable Survivor has his or her own unique appearance, personality, and back-story, making them easier to identify at a distance. Players can choose which Survivor they control in the lobby, or be automatically assigned to a Survivor that is not being controlled by a player when they join a game that is already in progress. Every Survivor plays the same; their differences are purely cosmetic and do not alter gameplay. When controlled as AI Bots, Survivors will have preference over specific weaponry, and will attempt to choose that type if possible.

Left 4 Dead Survivors
NOTE: Left 4 Dead Survivors appear in The Passing for Left 4 Dead 2, but are unplayable characters. As the DLC The Sacrifice takes part in Left 4 Dead ' s story arc, it is possible to play as the Left 4 Dead Survivors in Left 4 Dead 2 due to the DLC being ported to Left 4 Dead 2 as well. They are also playable in the Left 4 Dead 2 port of No Mercy since it is simply a retelling of the same events for Left 4 Dead. It is revealed in The Sacrifice comic that the Survivors are Carriers, and that they have been inadvertently transmitting the disease throughout Philadelphia.

Bill


Bill was a Vietnam veteran who fought in the US Army 1st Special Forces Group. His combat skills have helped to keep him alive, and he is also the oldest of the group. He wears an olive green military beret, a matching jacket with a stained white shirt underneath, dark gray-brown pants, and jungle boots. In official media, he is usually seen wielding the Assault Rifle, and in-game, he prefers that weapon, probably to complement his back-story. He and Francis have a strenuous relationship, often spewing insults or jokes at one another, but these may or may not be friendlier than what they let on. He always has a lit cigarette in his mouth.

It is revealed in The Passing that Bill was killed prior to the bridge being raised during The Sacrifice, enabling the safety of the other Left 4 Dead Survivors. His body can be seen next to the generator in the final level of The Passing at The Port, alongside his signature Assault Rifle, which can be taken and used by the player. The events of his death are told in The Sacrifice comic.

Bill is voiced by Jim French.

Francis


Francis is a tough biker with tattoos covering his arms and neck. His tattoos identify him as a member of "Hell's Legion", a name possibly inspired by the real-world Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club. Since his character model has changed, it has been speculated that Francis' new face was modeled after the head developer of the game, Mike Booth, and that he has the Lambda symbol from the Half-Life series cut into his hair. He wears a black leather vest over a white tank top, fingerless gloves, black jeans and boots. In official media, he is usually seen wielding either the Pump Shotgun or the Auto Shotgun, and in-game, prefers those types of weapons.

Francis is voiced by Vince Valenzuela.

Louis


Louis' original concept was an assistant manager at a local retail electronics chain store. His design was later changed, and he was made a Junior Systems Analyst in his company's IT department. His clothing resembles the typical business man, but seems to emulate Shaun from Shaun of the Dead, who wore a red tie and white shirt, and was an assistant manager at a local retail electronics chain store. He keeps the sleeves rolled up and the tie loose, and also wears a black watch on his left wrist. In official media, he is usually seen wielding a Submachine Gun or dual Pistols. In-game, Louis prefers the Submachine Gun and Assault Rifle. At some point prior to The Passing in The Sacrifice comic, Louis was injured, rendering him unable to stand on his own. Because of this, he uses a Heavy Machine Gun at the Port.

Louis is voiced by Earl Alexander.

Zoey


Zoey is in her first year of college, which makes her at least 18 (she could be older depending on what age she was when she entered college). She wears a reddish-pink track jacket, blue jeans, converse shoes and keeps her hair tied up in a ponytail. Her original design was based on Alesia Glidewell, who also worked with Valve on Portal as a model for the character Chell. However, when the character designs were updated later in development, Zoey was made to resemble actress/model Sonja Kinski instead. In official media, she is usually seen wielding dual Pistols. In-game, Zoey shows preference for the Hunting Rifle.

Zoey is voiced by Jen Taylor.

Coach


Coach is a Physical Education teacher at the local high school in the town of Savannah, where he originates from. Having sustained a knee injury in college which ended his prospective career as a defensive linesman, Coach took up teaching as a possible path for a pro coaching career. He wears a polo shirt in the yellow and purple colors of the high school he works at, fingerless gloves, beige slacks and gray sneakers. He is the oldest of the group and serves in an unofficial capacity as leader. In-game, he shows preference for Tier 1 and Tier 2 shotguns.

Coach is voiced by Chad L. Coleman.

Ellis


Ellis is a mechanic hailing from Savannah, similar to Coach. He wears a yellow t-shirt with a logo, a white and blue baseball cap, half-removed overalls and black work boots. Ellis appears to have a lack of comprehension of the seriousness of his current situation and retains a somewhat goofy personality in comparison to the other Survivors. Ellis also has a love interest in Zoey when he first meets her in The Passing. In-game, Ellis has preference for the Sniper and Hunting Rifle.

Ellis is voiced by Eric Ladin.

Nick


Nick is a shady con man and gambler drifting from city to city, having got caught up in the current crisis throughout Savannah. He wears an expensive white suit with a blue button-down shirt underneath, several gold rings and brown leather shoes. Nick holds a negative and pessimistic view of the situation along with the three strangers he's forced to work with, but learns to trust them over the course of the game. In-game, Nick shows preference over Submachine Gun and Assault Rifle variant weaponry.

Nick is voiced by Hugh Dillon.

Rochelle


Rochelle is a minor associate producer for a news station with a high reputation, though her job had more to do with moving cables and coffee duties. She was in Savannah producing a segment about the evacuation center when the area became overrun with the Infected. She wears a pink t-shirt with a Depeche Mode logo, silver hoop earrings, blue jeans, a thin studded belt around her waist, two silver bracelets on her left arm and knee-high brown boots. Rochelle has the most realistic grasp of the situation and is very caring towards her fellow survivors. In-game, Rochelle has preferences similar to Nick; she prefers Submachine Gun and Assault Rifle variants.

Rochelle is voiced by Rochelle Aytes.

Non-Playable Survivors

 * See main article: NPCs