Talk:Bill

How old is Bill? it dosn't say... But i REALLY need to know, so any one know an approx age?

sn't that a strange coincidence? Jim French didn't record any new Bill's dialogue lines for Crash Course because of Valve "troubles with contacting him" during creating new campaign. Maybe Valve has decided to put an end to cooperation with Jim French for unknown reasons (financial, time). The results can be seen as canonical death of Bill, and/or lack of new lines/quotes in upcoming DLC to first L4D

RIP BILL

His list of quotes is getting quite long. Perhaps we should make a quotes page? That way the quotes could be a more complete list, and this page wont seem as cluttered. Anyone agree?--Firstcabalist088 05:45, 29 January 2009 (UTC)

Well, of course Bill has a lot of quotes! He's awesome! I just find it funny how he has so many, but poor Louis doesn't have very many at all... Oh, well. If Bill gets more, we'll make him a separate page for his quotes, and then hopefully we can get more quotes from the other Survivors, and make them their own pages. I think Francis has enough material, as well...people just have to go through and find it. - §tigma-231 ¤ ৳ here's a hole in my neighbourhood [ talk  ][ cont ] 05:51, 29 January 2009 (UTC)

Haha, Bill is awesome! But yea, I was thinking either individual quote pages, or just one big page, so that way 'church guy' can be thrown in there, as well as maybe the rescue teams (in the dialogue with the survivors)--Firstcabalist088 05:57, 29 January 2009 (UTC)

I suppose we could all discuss it and maybe call a vote, or something to that effect. That way, everyone will (hopefully) be satisfied with what we do with the quotes. - §tigma-231 ¤ ৳ here's a hole in my neighbourhood [ talk  ][ cont ] 06:07, 29 January 2009 (UTC)

I think only certain quotes should be added... the ones that stand out the most or only appear during special circumstances. Otherwise we'll end up putting the Survivors entire sound files on here, unless that's what is decided as being the ultimate goal. If we do decide to add every quote, a sub-page should be created for each character to keep the main page from looking cluttered. --MadDawg2552 15:18, 22 February 2009 (UTC) Edit: We can do both, now that I think about it. Only put a few quotes on the main page and all the rest on a sub-page. --MadDawg2552 15:19, 22 February 2009 (UTC)

Say, why do we have Bill's last name and no one else's? - Five Dog 21:41, 30 March 2009 (UTC)

I'm not even entirely sure where people got the name from. I wish they'd reference it... In any case, apparently we haven't heard anything about the others' last names. - §tigma-231 ♠ ৳ hаt i ɯill nəvər escaρe [ łalk  ][ ςont ] 22:04, 30 March 2009 (UTC)



From, what I've heard, I think you can see his last name on his green jacket (only visible on high settings) DAWeeE1 18:32, 3 April 2009 (UTC)







Yeah, you guys were right. I found it, this is a picture from Bill's texture file.

There it is, clear as day, "Overbeck". -- Five Dog (talk) 01:24, 9 May 2009 (UTC) Hmm, that's strange. In early development, I remember that the 4 had last names. I don't remember all of them, but there was Zoey Cohen and Bill Calhoun (like Barney in Half-Life). 66.245.156.218 04:05, December 29, 2010 (UTC)







Oh, cool! Nice find. :) - §tigma-231 ♠ o  ƒ  my caliber { τalk }{¢ont } 01:30, 9 May 2009 (UTC)

Staying Behind
"If Bill is being controlled by the AI, he will sometimes stay behind at the end of the Finale to kill as many zombies as possible. This can become very annoying when the Tanks start to show up, as they will be able to enter the vehicle while Bill is being attacked."

Surely this can apply to any AI controlled survivor, can't it? -- Five Dog ( Talk ){ Updates } 22:53, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

It can, and it does. - §tigma-231 ♠ o  ƒ  my caliber { τalk }{¢ont } 23:31, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

And what about:

"It should be noted that when the Francis player dies, and Bill passes by his corpse, he actually starts crying for a few seconds."

I've never heard Bill cry in my entire experience of Left 4 Dead. And Francis has died SO many times with Bill saying something like: "I'm gonna miss that Son-of-a-bitch." Until someone confirms him crying, I'll remove it. It's better to have less information that is completely correct, than more information that is incorrect. -- Five Dog ( Talk ){ Updates } 22:03, 26 May 2009 (UTC)

Five Dog i think whoever put it means if you listen carefully you can here quite alot of depression in his voice and one time i had heard say im gonna miss that man and his gun in quite a crying manner. Riley Heligo 17:38 30/6/09

Now that you mention it It reminds me of those old 'Nam war stories my great-uncle tells me every so often. Could it been that at the finale the staff programmed the AI to cover teammates as old veterans of the war did to get their squad to safety to further make Bill more convincing he has a real good Soldier and misses the old days?--ASEC 10:29, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

Age
It says that his age is at least 52 if the game occured in 2009 but we all know that if he served in 1969 that would make him really underaged to serve in 'Nam and to get a Green Beret at the age of 12 but one of his comments say that the zombie apocalypse is less horrifying than the one in '57 (althoug this was a joke by him), it could be possible he was born somewhere after 1940 but before 1950 so he migth be around his late 60's or maybe even in his early 70's. This is just my opinion but its kind of safe to say he is not 52.--ASEC 08:09, 16 July 2009 (UTC)


 * Not sure how we know Bill served in 1969 (is there a solid source?), but if we assume that's not the case for a minute, he could be as young as 52. We know 1st Special Forces Group (Bill's unit) was deactivated in March 1974. He did two tours prior to that date, which would mean he would have to have been at least in his mid teens in 1973 (and that's only if he volunteered under age - we know some kids volunteered as young as 16 - and shipped off to Nam straight after basic training, and if his tours took place back to back). So he would have had to have been born at the latest in 1957, which would make him at least 52 years old in 2009 - so he "could" be 52.


 * More likely, assuming there's a solid source for the 1969 date, and since the average age of soldiers in Vietnam was 19, he would have been born in around 1950 and he'd be around 59 years old in 2009. But given the possibilities for volunteering under-age, he could still be as young as 56.IanBrettCooper (talk) 03:04, October 23, 2016 (UTC)

very likely. i havent met a 52 year old with completly gray hair, only partially. i'm 45 and my hair only has streaks of gray. Shancad 12 06:51, 28 August 2009 (UTC)


 * I'm 54, and I'm pretty close to as gray as Bill (I can cosplay as Bill using no white beard color). Actor John Slattery (from the show Mad Men) is the same age as me and he's completely gray - he claims to have gone gray in college.IanBrettCooper (talk) 03:13, October 23, 2016 (UTC)

My Grandpa is turing 57 this year but he still has Salt and Pepper hair so I assumed Bill must of been at least 69 or so due to is hair color and calculating his age since he has served in 'Nam so must of been in his 20's since the legal age is 18.(Although there was this one kid who joined the US Navy at 5'7 and at the age of 12 back in January 1942)--ASEC 10:24, 30 August 2009 (UTC) I highly doubt that a seventy-year old man could still kick ass and shoot zombies, but Bill's just so badass...Avataar32 23:53, June 27, 2010 (UTC)
 * That's an individual thing, it depends on how much their age actually effects them. Some people can stay in shape longer than others, 70 is highly unlikely but not impossible. Fadm tyler 16:23, June 29, 2010 (UTC)

Hatred of Francis?
Whoever said Bill hated Francis? To me all their bickering just sounded like friendly teasing. Surely if they hated each other, the insults would be much more brutal. And the fact that Bill seems to mourn Francis's death doesn't really paint the image of hate.

Lol silly people taking things too literally. :D We know Bill doesn't hate Francis. But the two aren't exactly best friends either. It's a love/hate relationship. Jo the Marten ♠  ( Shriek )  ಠ_ಠ  05:53, October 2, 2009 (UTC)

You guys sound like homos.--Kirby888 04:40, November 7, 2009 (UTC)

Homos? Like Homo sapiens? Well we should. :D We are human after all. Jo the Marten ♠  ( Shriek )  ಠ_ಠ  05:13, November 7, 2009 (UTC)

Stop lying, Jo! You're a Hunter, remember?--'Meester SHOGUN 450  RO A  R! 05:15, November 7, 2009 (UTC)

Hunters are still technically human, SMS. ;) They just have a disease. Jo the Marten  ♠  ( Shriek )  ಠ_ಠ  05:20, November 7, 2009 (UTC)





SPY!--'Meester SHOGUN 450  RO A  R! 05:21, November 7, 2009 (UTC)

Well whenever I hear Bill say, "I'm gonna miss that man and his gun", I never think that Bill hate Francis. In fact, I think quite the opposite...The REAL opposite...............Whachamacallit 23:15, April 3, 2010 (UTC)

ROFL. methinks they are all friends. you don't come to hate someone after going though an event(events) like that. DisMEMBAH 18:53, April 20, 2010 (UTC)

Bill doesn't hate Francis he just likes to mess a around with him,but he is somtimes erateded by him.Yeah---No 02:41, October 17, 2010 (UTC)

Military Uniform
That little piece in the trivia saying that it's weird that he's wearing his military uniform is, well, incorrect. Unless I am sorely mistaken, that's not a military uniform. It's certainly military issued, but not really a uniform. It's a coat, my dad has about a million of those... most of which he had before he joined the military. And it is not very weird to have one of those if you served in the military and judging by the fact that he seems to have not done very well after he left the army, that might be one of his only coats. Zombies attacked, he wanted to stay warm. Not weird. Imperialscouts 23:26, December 29, 2009 (UTC)

I think he put on the military coat to help the people go to safety and so they could trust him. Just a thought. Oh well, it's

just a game, BUT A DAMN GOOD ONE! Avataar32 20:20, August 5, 2010 (UTC)

Bill Sucks
He is the WORST bot on my team. He shoots randomly into the air, uses a first-aid kit when he still has over sixty health, and heals others when they have over sixty health. I was about to shoot him in the face, but then he freaking teleports away.

Sorry about that, I had to blow off some steam. Dis Ma B00Mstick 18:51, February 1, 2010 (UTC)

Betcha feel pretty bad now that he's dead huh? DisMEMBAH 16:02, April 23, 2010 (UTC) I kinda disagree,I play as him almost all the time in Left 4 Dead but when I'm not playing as him and he's a bot he's the guy that acutally helps and has the most kills also if it wasen't for him I would'int have got those hard achievements,but It's probably like a glitch or bug in the game where it depends who you play as the most or what your playing it on,I have the Xbox 360 version. Yeah---No 02:49, October 17, 2010 (UTC)

Survivor status
wouldn't it help if in hte info box we put the status ( dead,alive,carrier,infected,and unknown) in the info box i tried to do it and it didnt work

Well they're called SURVIVORS for a reason. ;) So unless that changes, it isn't needed at this time. Jo the Marten  ( Shriek )  ಠ_ಠ  09:00, March 14, 2010 (UTC)

Yeah but one of the reasons I want to do it is the l4d2 survivors are most likely dead. also it would make the articles more detailed --Totemtrouser 19:37, March 14, 2010 (UTC)toemtrouser--Totemtrouser 19:37, March 14, 2010 (UTC)

What? The L4D2 survivors are all alive. Regulust 03:32, March 30, 2010 (UTC)

If you listen to the pilots on the radio at the end of the parish they call the l4d2 survivors carries.the government either kills carries or isolates them til they die. unrelated note but since a survivor is going to die for sure me suggestion seems even better --Totemtrouser 21:28, March 30, 2010 (UTC)totemtrouser--Totemtrouser 21:28, March 30, 2010 (UTC)

The AI director will RANDOMLY choose one of the orgininal survivors to kill, I beleive. DisMEMBAH 18:55, April 20, 2010 (UTC)

So I'm going to kick this horse again. I think a survivor status should be put in. Bill=dead, Louis=injured, Zoey=alive, Francis=alive, and all l4d2 survivors= unknown or presumed dead --totemtrouser 23:51, April 22, 2010 (UTC)totemtrouser--totemtrouser 23:51, April 22, 2010 (UTC)

well hey man, that sounds like a right good idea. but...why are the L4D 2 survivors presumed dead or unknown? Didn't they escape at the end of The Passing? DisMEMBAH 16:12, April 23, 2010 (UTC)

Yes, they did. Which means the military didn't think they were carriers because who would go through the trouble of rescuing people if you're just going to kill them anyway? If they thought they were carriers they would have done what they did in the Park- just mow them down and move on. Besides, asking if they were equipped for carriers was likely just a precaution in case they were carriers. It's not very likely that the military kills them. Log Out 05:02, April 24, 2010 (UTC)

Yeah but back to status we know for a fact bill is dead we should put it in the info box i would except i dont know how --totemtrouser 20:07, April 24, 2010 (UTC)totemtrouser--totemtrouser 20:07, April 24, 2010 (UTC)


 * I'd have to decline on that. Even though he's dead, he is still alive when going back to play Left 4 Dead, rather than permanently dead forever everywhere. Now if it was a biography thing deal, then sure, but the article isn't exactly a biography. Sera404 22:32, April 25, 2010 (UTC)

Bill's reaction to being shot by Francis
Whenever Bill was shot by Francis, he seem to scold Francis almost instantly; sometimes while screaming in pain or falling to the ground incapacitated. This is usually not the case with the other Survivors since they would only start scolding after screaming in pain from being shot and when they are incapacitated, they wouldn't scold at all. I even had an instance where I killed Bill as Francis by accident and he scolded me even though he's alreay dead. Did anyone notice this, or is it just me? LoneWolfHBS5 09:43, March 16, 2010 (UTC)

Err, actually that's a glitch. Instead of Bill talking, it is actually Francis who's saying that in the old man's voice. If you view Francis while someone is playing as him and he goes to shoot Bill, you'll see his mouth will be the one saying the friendly-fire talk. If you view Bill, his mouth will only move from the pain and not the follow-up quote. 2001:E68:540D:9FD1:781D:B8A2:5250:F5D0 15:20, December 2, 2017 (UTC)

Bill Dead (?)
NOT BILL! He was one of my 2 favorites! GeneralOwnage55 The Message Box  12:40, April 22, 2010 (UTC)

I CALLED IT!...Damn I already miss him...72.191.167.12 12:43, April 22, 2010 (UTC)

I already expressed my sorrow on "The Passing" page and i thought I was done crying, but....

WHY BILL?! you were great man! I'm gonna miss you man! :*( DisMEMBAH 12:51, April 22, 2010 (UTC)

I cried when i heard he died and i used his gun to raise hell on the zombies! great sacrifice, he died so louis could live, if louis dies, i'll be pissed... LOVE YOU BILL!!!

well it was either bill or louis that would have died, and they choose bill. anyway its not like louis is going to be around much longer either due to the way he looked at the end of the passing. dynamicgrimking april 22, 2010

It wouldn't surprise me if Francis says something to the degree of "Christ, I'm gonna miss that son of a bitch." when discussing Bill's death. Xeno the Hedgehog 17:41, April 22, 2010 (UTC)

Bill is dead, you find him on the 3rd chapter of The Passing, and you can take his M16.Spatulade 20:25, April 22, 2010 (UTC)

Bill was my favorite L4D1 Character...*sniff*.

I shall remember him by always using his M-16 in the passing...and I shall always use a M-16 when I get the chance. Dragon1300 20:55, April 22, 2010 (UTC)

he was so young and had so much to live for. did anyone feel quite sad and angry his bofy was just left like that?Smish34 22:09, April 22, 2010 (UTC)

Wait, his body's -in- The Passing? I saw no sign of him at all. Anyone able to provide a screenshot? Otherwise, the phrase "Bill was killed during the events of Left 4 Dead 2's The Passing" should probably be corrected to "Bill was killed sometime before Left 4 Dead 2's "The Passing"". Remember, there's going to be DLC for the first Left 4 Dead that will let you play out the events leading up to and including Bill's death. Nevertheless, I'm going to miss him. ChazFox, 23:11, April 2010 (GMT)

Yeah, after leaving the elevator in the finale, there's a door with a trail of blood that leads to the generator. His body is slumped on the generator, and you can use his M-16.Dragon1300 22:31, April 22, 2010 (UTC)

R.I.P Bill, I think we all knew that he was the one who was going to die as he was from the military, and (in theory) they always put civilians first. He was also my favorite character in all L4D, and in L4D2 too.  LaZa 23:11, April 22, 2010 (UTC)

True, True. But that doesn't make it any less depressing that he died. Dragon1300 23:37, April 22, 2010 (UTC)

RIP Bill. Our thoughts and prayers go out to your survivor family. 24.87.4.53 01:04, April 23, 2010 (UTC)

Don't worry guys, he'll be banging on some door somewhere asking to be rescued~ Earisu 19:18, April 23, 2010 (UTC)

I figured Bill loves the M16 so much, I vow to never take it. I figure he'd want to be buried with that gun... I'm also guessing that as soon as it's safe the other 3 (well, maybe not Louis, considering his leg) will go down and give him a proper funeral. He will be missed. Log Out 05:53, April 24, 2010 (UTC)

When I played, I grabbed his M16, not because I like it, just because I wanted to give hell to the Infected with that gun to avenge Bill.  LaZa 19:50, April 24, 2010 (UTC)

My heart hurts. I'm not making that up either :( Personally, I took my anger out on Rochelle. She did it, I could see the giult in her eyes >> I know he gave up his life for the other Survivors, but how excactly? Like did they have to get in a helicopter or something and there was only room for three more people or what? Really though, I hate when game producers kill off your favorite characters, just because they can. It's so stupid >.> ~Elite-Nachos~The Gnome~ 22:20, April 25, 2010 (UTC) R.I.P. Bill, is it a bad thing that i am extremely sad for a person that isn't real?Ilikethemets 00:31, May 9, 2010 (UTC)

R.I.P. Bill...It makes me feel terrible how I never really liked playing as Bill in L4D1, but now, I have new found respect for his sacrifice, and he will always be my first choice...T3h Rid3r 22:05, April 28, 2010 (UTC)

When I read up that Bill was dead, I felt a pang of sorrow. When I played with my brother, he would play as Bill and I would go, "Why are you playing with an old guy?" I now regret saying that. I have begun to play as Bill and honor him as my 3rd favorite character (Nick first, Ellis second). He was the best. I know if Francis died I would've felt guilt aswell, for I played as him. But, I just have one little loophole, if the survivors travel together, HOW THE FUCK CAN BILL DIE!? HE WOULD NEVER BE LEFT BEHIND BECAUSE THEY WERE FEW TO NO OTHER SURVIVORS! DAMN YOU VALVE, YOU KILLED OFF A GOOD PLAYER WITH A MAJOR LOOPHOLE! I WILL REGRET MY FUN TIMES TRAPPING HIM AND BURNING HIM IN A CORNER! I'M SORRY BILL, YOU WERE THE BEST! Pvt. Reddenbawker 03:41, April 29, 2010 (UTC)


 * First off, they didn't let him die. He sacrificed himself so Louis could make it safely because of his leg injury. Second, why the hell would you burn him in a corner? Jackass2009 18:19, May 2, 2010 (UTC)

Dont feel sad guys! He probably respawned in a closet after The Passing Yay :D ! Benjamin Bile Bomb 08/05/2010 8:31

At least a zombie got him, in a few more years old age would have probably taken it's toll on him anyway. I still think they should have put his corpse on top of a giant mound of tank bodies

First of all i just want to say R.I.P. Bill. He died for his friends and I would be honored to know him. After he died I brought hell to a place that already was hell. I was really depressed when I found out he died. Now everytime a tank comes up I keep everyone back and avenge Bill and honor him by lighting the tank on fire. I would die for him but instead he died for me. And so it is I want to say one last time R.I.P. Bill and farewell.

I think...
It seems to me that Louis was originally gonna die because he has a leg injury, and can't care for himself according to his article. And that was scrapped and bill died. I think that because his corpse can be seen and Louis has an injury. Jackass2009 22:17, April 22, 2010 (UTC)

In light of that statement, I hope to the Lord that no one else dies. nuff' said. DisMEMBAH 16:05, April 23, 2010 (UTC)

True dat. Jackass2009 04:27, April 24, 2010 (UTC)

Just a random musing...
So let's put away the realism, backstory, and other possible factors aside in the decision to Kill Bill™... the finale area is littered with first aid kits and defibrillators. Why hasn't Louis healed himself yet and why has nobody revived Bill yet?

*Initiates votekick on Francis*'

%-) --P0lar bear 09:41, April 23, 2010 (UTC)

well, the way I see it, there are two approaches to this:

1. keep in midnt that reviving someone lickety- split is just gameplay mechainics. if you died and couldn't be revived (in game) that would suck. thus, survivor closets and defibs.

2. I guess Valve is starting to recognize( or at least implement a bit more ) their material being CANON. Louis hasn't healed himself because there is probably a reason for that. (PLEASE GOD don't get Louis killed) and Bill is dead in the STROY of left 4 dead. meaning, all the characters, media, whatever will reflect his death and the story will now be altered by that. get what I'm sayin y'all? DisMEMBAH 16:09, April 23, 2010 (UTC)


 * ...did you even read the first part that? My question wasn't meant to be taken seriously, and was a poke at how a problem regularly faced and subsequently solved by player characters (crippling injury and death) is suddenly more permanent, hence the satirical initiation of a votekick and the drunken/dumb emot that follows it. I'm well aware of the fact that Bill is dead permanently as a plot device; lighten up a bit. :) --P0lar bear 17:27, April 23, 2010 (UTC)

It seems to me that the situation was so bad that if Bill realized his sacrifice was needed to save the team, and they were holding out on high ground due to a dangerous new threat, so they werent able to or did not feel safe enough to get first aid just yet. At the end when Louis says "maybe we should have told them" this could be in reference to some new boss or threat that outweighs everything else they had been through. Although I think that statement is in reference to the military's handling of carriers, but who knows. Hellz Lips 04:48, April 24, 2010 (UTC)

The "new threat" you speak of would likely be the new SI, but when he said "we should have told him" he is referring to the military, which will be explained in the DLC/comic Log Out 05:56, April 24, 2010 (UTC)

I think that Bill was just too far gone, as evidenced by the enormous amounts of blood. (Ratmage 04:24, June 4, 2010 (UTC))

RIP BILL
Rest in peace William (Bill) Overbeck

Not odd at All
I noticed that the Trivia has a part where they talk about not being able to defib Bill, and finding it odd. This isn't odd in any way shape or form. A defib can only work if it's used on the victim very shortly after death, because the brain hasn't totally shut down yet. Bill has been laying there for quite a while (probably at least an hour), and by that time the brain would be dead. I the case of the L4D2 Survivors, people tend to revive the dead survivors only after a couple of minutes at most, so the brain isn't totally shut down yet.Whachamacallit 15:27, April 25, 2010 (UTC)
 * I guess it's just the humor of it. How in Left 4 Dead 2 someone could die at the safe room, you could go all through the level till you get to the safe room, go back to the first safe room, and they'd still be fresh to defib. Jo the Marten  [[Image:Mini Hunter.png|I dare you to click Mini Hunter|link=http://l4dwiki.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=viewprofile&user=venatorphile]]( Shriek )  ಠ_ಠ  16:15, April 25, 2010 (UTC)
 * Okay, fine. Gameplay mechanics and such. But I still find that Trivia piece useless. >:|Whachamacallit 21:04, April 25, 2010 (UTC)


 * I understand. You can delete it if you want, but I still find it silly. Jo the Marten  [[Image:Mini Hunter.png|I dare you to click Mini Hunter|link=http://l4dwiki.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=viewprofile&user=venatorphile]]( Shriek )  ಠ_ಠ  21:17, April 25, 2010 (UTC)

Change name
No, I'm not an experienced editor on this wiki or anything of the sort, so many will wave my suggestion away with a lazy flick of their hand, but being an inter-wiki editor, I do at least recognize a fault when I see one. I know it's only been a few days since The Passing, but given the major revelation of Bill's surname, shouldn't the article's name be changed appropriately? Being an encyclopedia, it's our (I know the discrepancy of that statement) job to be as accurate and consistent as possible, so therefore propose a name change. I don't know what the exact name be - "William Overbeck" or "Bill Overbeck", but surely some must agree? - Halo-343 21:40, April 26, 2010 (UTC)

I see your point, but Bill's surname has been known long before the release of The Passing. Plus, I think it would look odd under the Survivors tab to have "William Overbeck" and then everyone else's first names only. I dunno; it's not really up to me as a non-administrator. That's just my two cents. Nightmirage 22:02, April 26, 2010 (UTC)


 * Oh, I didn't realize it was known for so long. All the more reason to have the article name changed, I would think. - Halo-343 22:14, April 26, 2010 (UTC)

I agree, the page name should be changed. I hope that someone with authority views this discussion, soon. Roger Murtaugh 09:08, September 18, 2010 (UTC)

How did Bill die?
I know that because of what Louis sound folder hints that he was killed by a tank. But how do you think the battle between him and the tank was?EverToldYouAboutThatTimeMyBuddyKeith 22:09, April 26, 2010 (UTC)

Epic. Nightmirage 22:11, April 26, 2010 (UTC)

SO epic that Cpt. MacMillian and CHuck norris wet themselves due to its amazing awesoemnessSurvivor RWT 04:38, April 27, 2010 (UTC)


 * Epic fistfight. You see why there's so much blood but no wounds on Bill? The blood is all from the Tank! As soon as Bill sat down, he was so awesome he could only die of old age! Sera404 10:36, April 27, 2010 (UTC)
 * I can see it now, OMG! That would be soooooooooooooo EPIC! But if that's true, that Bill was killed by a Tank, that could be troublesome, what if you play the dlc on easy? you kill the tank, and bill doesn't die? Makes no sense. Unless after he raises the bridge, it goes into a cutscene showing the tank killing him, which would be a sight I probably couldn't bear...*sniff*T3h Rid3r 22:10, April 28, 2010 (UTC)

Bill said: "Tank, die." The Tank died, then he said "Bill, die." And he died. Now talking seriously, it must have been epic, full of adrenaline, shots, roars (from both sides), I always imagine that in the final part, (Bill is badly wounded) Bill puts his M16's barrel in the Tank's mouth and unloads a whole magazine on his mouth.  LaZa 22:36, April 28, 2010 (UTC)

I see Bill death being much more epic, like he beats the tank to death with its own arm, and then kills a giant horde, swipes them all into the lake/ocean/river, and than sits down, takes a nap, and is killed by the Tank's brother, who hasn't been revealed yet since he was so strong only Bill and his awesomeness could beat him

It wasn't as heroic as I see it... My story:

Narrator: The Four survivors are walking over the Bridge.

AI Director: *Spawns Expert Tank*

Chick: OMFG A TANK F*CKKK

Black Guy: Don't worry Guys! I have Peelz!

AI Director: *Deletes Pills*

Black Guy: OMFG F*CK

Old Guy: Don't worry Black Guy! I, Old Guy, Will go get those peelz over there!

Old Guy: *Runs toward peelz*

Old Guy: LOL JK IMA GOIN NAO LOLOLOLOL BYE

Biker Guy: OMFG GET THE F*CK BACK HERE

Old Guy: LOLOLOL NO

AI Director: *types in console "kill Old Guy"*

Old Guy: OMFG HEART ATTACK *dies*

Old Guy: DEFIB MEEE

Chick: LolNo

Black Guy: *Starts Votekick*

[ Kick Old Guy? ]

[ [Y] [Y] [Y] [X] ]

Old Guy: OMFG YOU GUISE SUCK

Old Guy Has left the server

That's the only theory of how Bill died that did'nt make me sad or mad,but acutally made me laugh good job.Yeah---No 02:53, October 17, 2010 (UTC)

I got the Vote Kick idea from the Passing Talk thread... Just to clarify. Dalekdude101 16:55, June 29, 2010 (UTC)Dalekdude101

173.70.60.37 04:00, May 20, 2010 (UTC)Sam(TheIceKiller)


 * The way his body rests against the scenery makes it look like a Smoker finally got him, probably after he'd finished with the Tank. Fadm tyler 13:18, June 18, 2010 (UTC)

Jim French photo
The current photo of "Jim French", is definitly not the Jim French who provided Bills voice, the old picture is the correct one. 24.22.249.96 19:25, June 27, 2010 (UTC)
 * Fix'd Jo the Marten  [[Image:Mini Hunter.png|I dare you to click Mini Hunter|link=http://l4dwiki.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=viewprofile&user=venatorphile]]( Shriek )  ಠ_ಠ  22:20, June 27, 2010 (UTC)

Bill's death
as far as i cant tell, bill died from a tank or blood loss.

its also possible he died of bullets, because tanks dont leave much blood behind, and the army could just be killing everyone, just about then. so script wouldve been like this...

after blood harvest...

louis: whew. thanks guys.

bill: guys?

francis: what oldtimer? were safe now, arent we?

bill: i dunno...

(later the army probably atempts to shoot them, louis gets saved by bill, runs for the elevator which you go down on in the finale of the passing, but gets shot. louis attempts to get his body, but is wounded in the procces. the three shoot the last of the army detachment, and they wait for other survivors.)


 * It definitely wasn't the Army. According to videos for the Sacrifice, the four of them left where the Army took them, and got to Rayford. It was at the Port where Bill died sacrificing himself. Most believe it's a Tank, due to the smear of blood leading to his body, and one of Louis' lines in the finale when he kills a Tank with his HMG: "That... was for Bill!" Demon of the Sand 15:17, August 30, 2010 (UTC) (Running out of time, so I can't do my stylized signature)

Bill must've been killed by a Tank, most people elieve that, plus you can see some scrrens about The Sacrifice campaign. The fact that he couldn't be defibed was most likely because his body was to beaten up to be reviveable. During normal gameplay you can revive, but Realism's mechanics don't allow that because well... it's Real. So he must've been killed by Realism mechanics. IT'S REALISM'S FAULT!!!!! KILL REALISM !!!!!1111!!!1 --CryGame--

so how come theres so much blood if he was killed by a tank? its more likely he died of blood loss, cuz nobody alive could lose that much blood. Dude, its a video game, anythings possible.-onewa2

A tank did kill him (3 actually), read the sacrifice, one of the tank's punches him right against the generator (Doesn't explain blood though) --Berzerkgodzilla--

Bill's actions debate.
Does anyone else think it would be fun to add the backlash and protecting of Bill's actions in the comic? I mean the L4D Forums are still debateing over his choices.JokersFlame 00:18, October 3, 2010 (UTC)

Yeah - a leader's actions and decisions should always be open to review and reasoned criticism. Trowzerkoff 09:10, October 14, 2010 (UTC)

Can someone do me a favor?
Somebody please replace bills front page line "Eyes and ears people, eyes and ears" with "We look after out own". Its more badass in my opinion XD

bill is not dead
bill is not died because his skin is not as pale as the other dead people, he can still is holding his m16 perfectly, no blood/ missing pieces ( except for his leg, which they are broken) head is still up right, doesnt count as a death on campiagn credits, he kill all the tanks ( man vs tank glitch) and he fought in nam. so i think he is sleeping or in a coma
 * Um...where do I begin? Bill only died a few hours ago so the blood hasn't rushed to the lower half of his body yet. Reading an article on microbiology states that muscles and organs can remain "alive" while the brain dies within minutes of deceasing. I'll copy and paste it here:


 * "At this point most of the cells in the body are still not dead. While the brain cells die in the first few minutes after the heart stops, muscle cells can live for several hours and skin and bone cells can stay alive for days! How is this possible? Well, the cells use a different type of respiration than when the heart and lungs were working. While the person was alive the cells used aerobic respiration (with oxygen), but after death the cells continue to survive using what is called anaerobic respiration (without oxygen)." -Article on microbiology


 * As for blood spill, can you not see the trail of blood leading to the generator? Then the situation with his gun is such, when we die, we do not become like ragdolls. I do not care what kind of biology or anatomy you have learned from video games, it's not true. When we die, our muscles lock up and become stiff making it extremely difficult to maneuver a corpse. Believe me, I've dissected animals in school, dead bodies are stiff. So it's no surprise he's still able to hold his gun in his hands. What's surprising to me is that the Left 4 Dead 2 Survivors can take it out of his hands. So no, Bill is not sleeping or in a coma. Please do not bring up such childish ideas without doing research first. I don't want to sound mean, but here, and in life, research is everything. Jo the Marten  [[Image:Mini Hunter.png|I dare you to click Mini Hunter|link=http://l4dwiki.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=viewprofile&user=venatorphile]]( Shriek )  ಠ_ಠ  02:35, November 16, 2010 (UTC)
 * Would it be too late to use a defibrillator? I mean he is for sure dead, but cant the survivors bring him back with one like in Left 4 Dead 2? I guess though it's been a couple of hours and using a defib would have little use now but still they could have tried this way... 06abrahb 03:33, November 16, 2010 (UTC)
 * Too much blood lost. Plus the brain is dead. Defib is used to restore rhythm in the heart. Heart and brain die before other organs. Jo the Marten  [[Image:Mini Hunter.png|I dare you to click Mini Hunter|link=http://l4dwiki.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=viewprofile&user=venatorphile]]( Shriek )  ಠ_ಠ  03:39, November 16, 2010 (UTC)

what if he used a heath kit when he was in the room and took a nap after he some had miner injuries left?
 * He didn't have a medkit with him, nor would the Tanks allow him a chance to use it. Fadm tyler 23:55, November 16, 2010 (UTC)

jim french's fault?
im not sure but i think valve decided to kill bill because they couldn't contact jim french, like crash course.

anybody else have their opinion?


 * The man is a busy busy man. They had contact with him (hence the new lines for The Sacrifice), he's just so busy, this wasn't something he could just walk in and do in a few hours. He's not a voice actor like some people Valve hired. Valve is known for pulling people off the streets to do their characters (Hell, the face model for Eli Vance in Half-Life 2 was a hobo that hung out near their offices.) So don't blame the voice actor. Would you rather have a voice-less character, or see them die heroically? Jo the Marten  [[Image:Mini Hunter.png|I dare you to click Mini Hunter|link=http://l4dwiki.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=viewprofile&user=venatorphile]]( Shriek )  ಠ_ಠ  05:13, December 6, 2010 (UTC)

My theory
Bill died of blood loss after the Tank punched him into the generator. Right when the Tank punched him, he coughed up a lot of blood, and then the rest happened. Darkus Relling (talk) 03:51, July 13, 2012 (UTC)

Can be a plausible theory. However, my theory is more like that he succumbed to blunt force trauma to the skull or suffocation and wounds if he was hit in the ribs. Enough force to the head WILL severely damage your brain, which can cause death if you are unlucky. If you recive enough force to the ribs, they will break, and can cause severe damage to the lungs or the heart. He could have suffocated after a punch that caused the rib to puncture both of the lungs. Or in your case, they could also have punctured the heart, causing innerbleeding, further on, he succumbs to bloodloss. However, he was already badly damaged when a tank punched him into a room, he could have succumbed to his wounds as well as bloodloss, as in the comic, when he was punched by the Tank, he had already bleed alot. Although these are just theories, only valve can confirm wrhat damage that the tank caused to bill that killed him.  Alta1r  Say What?  11:37, August 1, 2012 (UTC)

Payday: The Heist Cameo
Is it worth mentioning his appearance in Payday: The Heist in this article, or is that just completely non-canonical?

Yonobi 08:52, November 10, 2012 (UTC)


 * In The Sacrifice Bill is probably at some kind of hospital, so I would add this to article. Pangia (talk) 09:48, November 10, 2012 (UTC)

Wow i download left4dead2 after that i download left4dead1 and they both stick together :p :p :p :p

I don't think Bill is actually dead. If we follow the Logic of the Video Games, he COULD have been in a closet on the island Zoey, Francis, and Louis went to. I mean, in my opinion, The Sacrifice was kind of the last sugar cube in a cup already full. (Especially the Passing). So, why is Valve just killing Bill like that? He should at least come back SOME how. TheOldManNamedBill (talk) 01:48, June 5, 2014 (UTC)

Bill's Weapon
The wiki incorrectly states, after Bill returns home from the hospital, "Equipping himself with his trusty assault rifle, Bill heads outside to fight the Infected on his own." However, he can't possibly have done that, since he only picks up his assault rifle later in the No Mercy campaign. When he starts the No Mercy campaign he is only carrying an M1911 pistol. Also, in The Sacrifice comic, the flashback to when he begins fighting the zombies never shows him exiting his house with any weapons - we see a panel of him putting his clothes and beret on (part 4, page 146), then the flashback ends and it cuts to him after he has joined the others and is in the middle of a firefight (pages 147-148). Finally, the assault rifle Bill uses later in the game and the comic is an M16A2, which was never issued to any troops in Vietnam - it was only adopted by the US Army in the mid to late 1980s, well after Bill was out of the service. If Bill had kept his weapon, it would have been an M16A1, the foregrip and magazine of which looks very different from that shown in the game and the comic.

I've made other edits on the wiki before, but they were all reverted (not sure why), so I'm a bit reticent to fix this error. Maybe someone more trusted by the wiki staff could fix it? IanBrettCooper (talk) 02:37, October 23, 2016 (UTC)


 * Firstly, I want to say that you're correct: There's no indication that Bill picks up a weapon when he dresses in his combat uniform in the Sacrifice comic (thanks for noting what page it was, by the way), so I'll remove that bit.


 * I do also want to say this though: Bill starts the intro video with the M16A2 and still has it by the end of the video. So we can assume that the only reason it isn't present at the start of No Mercy is purely for gameplay balance reasons, rather than anything canonical. Also, when they say Bill's "trusty assault rifle" it doesn't necessarily mean the one he took to Vietnam, it could be an M16A2 he's had for a while because he's a fan of guns.


 * Still, you're right though. Thanks for pointing it out, I'll remove it from the article. I'm sorry your edits are getting undone. I haven't been here properly in a while so it won't have been me undoing your edits, but if I ever do, I'll be sure to give you a reason in the edit summary.


 * Cheers. -- Five Dog  Talk ''' 03:47, October 23, 2016 (UTC)


 * Thanks. I had forgotten about the intro video. However, it is still definitely canonical that Bill doesn't have his assault rifle at the start of the game: Bill doesn't end the intro clip with the M16 - he loses it when the tank charges him, just before he leaps from the fire escape onto the roof (you can clearly see he doesn't have it when he makes the leap). Also, Zoey loses her second pistol when the tank makes its final lunge towards her. This neatly brings Bill and Zoey in line with their starting weapon set-ups (just one pistol each). Francis and Louis are already equipped with only the starting shotgun and the starting SMG (respectively) which are available on the rooftop. Louis may lose his - he does go through a tight spot climbing to the roof, but the status of his weapon is unclear. Francis definitely has the shotgun slung on his back as he's climbing.


 * My main point, though, is that there's nothing in canon saying that Bill owned any sort of assault rifle in his home before he meets any of the other three. He might, but there's no evidence for it - it's definitely not in his footlocker with his uniform. He might have just picked one up after he left his house - people do seem to leave a lot of them lying around :D .IanBrettCooper (talk) 04:29, October 23, 2016 (UTC)


 * Haha yes, yes they do. -- Five Dog  Talk |undefined 04:49, October 23, 2016 (UTC)

Bill in Dead by Daylight
Hello, is it worth to mention that Bill will make an appearence in the Game Dead By Daylight in the DLC Left Behind?

217.246.15.153 21:25, March 24, 2017 (UTC)

R.I.P Jim French. I loved the characters you voiced in gaming. A moment of silence for this legend.

LeslieWithers1212 (talk) 04:44, January 10, 2018 (UTC)

Bill's blurred dog tag text
I need help uncovering what it says on Bill's dogtag, it quite blurry and I was unable to figure it in paint.net. Perhaps someone who can read the blurred text could help out.

Here.

Lengthtracked (talk) 20:21, April 21, 2018 (UTC)Lengthtracked


 * I can't read the whole thing, but the last word + letter of the first line looks like "Phillip C." and the last word of the second line looks like it starts with "123".  I think it's in the format [rank] Phillip C. [last name] [company/platoon/squad/something like that].


 * Uberzombiemeat (talk) 22:51, April 21, 2018 (UTC)

Bill's Cannon Rank?
Bill's Rank

I know it's been up for debate on what rank bill is, But I believe I have a solid answer upon the matter.

Due to the fact that in order for Dead by daylight to do customization options for a character, they need to be pre-approved by the license holder and original creators of a character, Bill was given a christmas sweater with a Corporal Rank insignia upon him, This usually wouldn't mean any cannon, but since BeHavior had to get permission from Valve and the creators of L4D to add such a cosmedic to his character, it can be presumed that Valve had specifically told them what rank he had if they had asked to give him a rank insignia, otherwise they wouldn't have put any rank insignia upon him.

I know in america the usual way for a cheveron to be is upright, but it also can be upside-down to represent the same rank (this is  how it is for british ranks) Believing that the 1st special forces is running on the same american army rank structure, it can be deducted that bill was probably a corporal by the end of the vietnam war.

Link to Cosmedic

174.233.158.75 22:18, February 8, 2020 (UTC)Wolfkann

Bills lack of patches and identifiers
If we are to believe that Bill was part of the Special Forces, it wouldn't be out of the norm for him to have no identifying patches or medals. SF normally doesn't wear those as SOP because of the missions and places they go. They also do not get standard military issue haircuts and from what i saw in my time in the service, they do not have to abide by the shaving regulations. It helps them keep safe from being identified here in the states and that information being sent to unfriendly sources. Sorry for the long rant. Just thought I'd put my two cents worth in lol