Bill

"...Portraying Bill as a once heroic army veteran, who though older and wiser, can still excel at physical combat."

- Ariel Diaz, Valve.

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 back story. He and Francis have a strenuous relationship. He is voiced by Jim French. He often has a lit cigarette in his mouth.

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

 * "Hold up!"
 * "Ain't seen anything like this before..."
 * "They're changing."
 * "Over there."
 * "Lights off!"
 * "Oh, this is gonna get bad..."
 * [ Responding to Louis regarding the Tank during the intro scene ] "Both!"
 * "Son, we just crossed the street. Let's not throw a party 'til we're out of the city."


 * "We can take the subway tunnels to the hospital, there's a Red Line station not far from here."
 * "Station's just up the street."
 * "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'? Don't hold a candle 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."
 * [ Response to Francis' "I hate stairs" remark ] "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 of attrition 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..."
 * [ When exiting out onto the runway ] "Keep it together, people! We're almost home free!"
 * "Jesus H. Christ!"


 * "These woods look thicker than Boomer shit. Nobody wander off."
 * [ After approaching a derelict trailer in Blood Harvest ] "Francis, does this look like home to you?"


 * "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."
 * [ Upon seeing Francis' body ] "I'm gonna miss that man, and his gun."
 * [ When a Survivor dies ] "I didn't sign up for this shit!"
 * [ When reviving a Survivor on their last life ] "No shame kid, I would have pissed my pants too, but if we don't find you some first aid, you aren't gonna survive another hit like that.
 * "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. If we don't find you some first aid, you're not gonna survive another hit."
 * [ 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."
 * "Thanks a lot."
 * "Hell, mosta this blood ain't mine!"
 * "Who are you...?"
 * "M...Mother?"
 * [ Nearing a Safe Room ] "This way people!"
 * "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 a Witch is close to being startled ] "Hold on, that Witch is getting ready to pounce!"
 * [ When shot by Francis ] "What the hell are you doing, Francis?!"
 * [ When shot by Zoey ] "ZOEY!!"
 * [ When shot by Louis ] "Knock it off, Louis!"
 * "Watch were you point that thing!"
 * "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?"
 * "Godammit, I am seriously FUBAR!"
 * [ 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? Heh, man this takes me back!"
 * "An 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."
 * [ When healing self ] "Wait up, I'm healing!"
 * "Don't get your panties in a bunch! I'm coming!"
 * "Eyes and ears, people. Eyes and ears."
 * [ When Louis helps him up and is, actually, behind him ] "Who are you?"
 * "Bull frickin' horse shit!"
 * "Those bastards are in for a big surprise!"
 * [ When a Hunter lands on Francis ] "Hunter pounced Francis!"
 * [ On low health ] "I don't feel so good..."
 * "Ahh shit, I ain't feelin' right."
 * "Mother of mercy."
 * [ After a teammate has killed a Special Infected. ] "Damn, now that was a shot!"

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 it appears in the game, and on the rest of the posters. It is also the only poster in which he isn't smoking his trademark cigarette.
 * Jim French, who voices Bill in Left 4 Dead, also voiced Father Grigori from Half-Life 2 and The Fisherman from Half-Life 2 Lost Coast.
 * Bill appears to have a rivalry, or just plain hatred of Francis, though the reason for this is unknown. It's possible that Bill and Francis knew each other prior to the outbreak giving them a friendly rivalry. Another cause could be Francis' hatred of the military (since Bill was once a soldier), or simply Francis' gruff personality rubs Bill the wrong way.
 * 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, the only exception is during the opening scene where he doesn't light the cigarette until the end.
 * Bill fought in the Vietnam war. If the game occurs in 2009, that would make him at least 68 years old.
 * Bill is currently the only Survivor with a confirmed last name. "Overbeck" can be found on his military jacket.
 * If the player looks at Bill's back, there are scratches ripped in his jacket, exposing his shirt underneath. These are also visible in the trailer. It has been suggested that those scratch marks were made by a Witch. It is implied that Bill has experience in dealing with a Witch prior to meeting up with the other three Survivors. This theory is further reinforced when Bill tells Zoey, "Lights, off!" when the flash of lightening reveals the Witch's outline in the game's opening cinematic.
 * It is possible that Bill has Arthritis, considering his hatred of stairs, and his age. However, it is more likely that the knee injury mentioned in his official description hurts him when he walks or runs, so stairs would be even more painful. Either way, it has no significant impact on Bill's movements in-game.