Parallels Between the Characters of "The Walking Dead" & "Fear The Walking Dead"!

"Fear The Walking Dead" is nearing the end of their second season, or potentially mid-season finale, and it is definitely living up to "TWD" standards! 

For me, the series premiere was a tad slow, as I was looking for some bad*ss people ganking walkers and slaying the zombie game like Los Angeles would! #westcoast #westside But after taking a step back and watching the rest of Season 1 and the beginning of Season 2, the writers do a wonderful job of contrasting "TWD". In the OG series, we see Rick Grimes a few days (or even weeks) into the infected world, whereas in "FtWD", we see the beginning stages, the mass hysteria, and the confusion behind what is happening.

It’s these small differences between the series’ that grow and expand not only the world of "TWD" but the line of storytelling. Comparisons can also be made within the characters of both shows.

Obviously "TWD" has five seasons on "FtWD", and we are a few years into the apocalypse in "TWD" and only a few months into "FtWD", but we can already see emerging characteristics in the "FtWD" world that could parallel, foil, and compliment our favorite "TWD" characters. Here are my "Fear the Walking Dead"/"The Walking Dead" character pairings, if you will.

*WARNING* May contain spoilers.

Let’s start with Madison. The loving mother who wants nothing else but to keep her family, especially her kids, safe and protected. But that safety has not been easy; she has been faced with some tough decisions and some very bold choices. She’s busted through some zombies herself, and who would have thought that she was just a guidance counselor patrolling the hallways of a high school? Well, it may be fitting that her "TWD" parallel is the sheriff who used to patrol the streets, Rick Grimes! These two main characters are driven by one thing, and that is the safety of their families, and if that means getting a little blood on their hands, then so be it.

Nick Clark, Madison’s son, is a recovering junkie who "TWD" fans were very wary of. Most of the first season was spent wondering how he was going to detox, whether he was going to fall back down the path, and what he was going to do when drugs were no longer available to him. But this apocalypse has brought out the best in him, and his quick adaptation to this new world strongly correlates to Daryl from "TWD". Both characters were a bit shady in the beginning, but as their characters develop, they have actually thrived in the apocalypse, living a life they would have never developed in the world pre-zombiefied. And they are most definitely both fan favorites at this point.

Alicia Clark is Madison’s daughter, who I believe is a good parallel to an old favorite in "TWD", Andrea. While I think there is more development for Alicia, currently, she reminds me of Andrea in that they are both bad*ss girls who can definitely fend for themselves though sometimes fall into the wrong side -- Alicia with the radio people and Andrea with Woodbury. In the end, they both realize where they truly belong.

Daniel Salazar is a hardened war veteran who has retired to civilian life and focused on supporting his family. Further into Season 1, the audience finds out that Daniel has done some despicable things in his days as a soldier, and now that the world has changed, he finds that his old ways may be resurfacing in order to protect and keep his family safe. He may seem cutthroat and heartless, but his drive to protect the people he loves, even early on in the series, will be the first priority just like another character in "TWD" -- Anyone remember Shane? Shane was always driven by protecting Lori and Carl after he kept them safe in the early apocalypse no matter what the cost. Both of these characters came on strong in the beginning and found their demise early on as well. 

Ofelia Salazar is a very complicated and nuanced character who may very well have been through the most out of all the characters so far. In the beginning, she seemed really smart and resourceful, using her charm to get information and privileges from one of the military soldiers and becoming a key player in the group. Later, she loses her parents and starts to digress as a character, potentially closing herself off to people and being quiet. She drew strength from her parents, and although her character doesn’t directly parallel anyone in "TWD", I think she is a complete foil or reverse of Carol’s character, who started out weak and oppressed, losing her daughter, but through her loss, she found a strength and know-how. Ofelia, unfortunately, with the loss of her parents, she lost herself.

Luciana was just introduced in Season 2, but she has only shown that she is one bad B-word. But in a good way! Her introduction to the show is still shrouded in some mystery, but she seems very well-adapted to the new world order and doesn’t have any weaknesses to note. Much like Michonne, Luciana looks like she can fend for herself, do the dirty work, and do what it takes to survive. FUN FACT: Luciana is played by Danay Garcia and Michonne is played by Danai Gurira. Same initials, same first name pronunciation, both H.B.I.C.s... Enough said.  

Victor Strand is a very unique character with so many mysteries and aspects to him that comparing him to another character was nearly impossible. He, unlike many characters in both the "FtWD" and "TWD" universe, is both smart, strong, resourceful, while still vulnerable and sensitive. He also gave the group a place to go -- a mission if you will -- leading them to their next place or hope. With these characteristics, for now, Strand is, to me, both Abraham AND Eugene. His strength parallels Abraham, his intelligence and resourcefulness matches Eugene’s, and all of these characters have shown a sense of vulnerability that was unexpected to the viewers. 

Chris Manawa, Travis’s son, has been the bane of my existence when watching "FtWD". I understand that he’s a rebellious teen and that he lost his mom, but we are in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, buddy! Get with the program! Stop being such a menace to the group! To be perfectly honest, I can really only compare him to Father Gabriel before he decided to become a useful member of society. So far, Chris has only caused problems, and it looks like its only going to get worse. Come on, Chris. I’m trying to root for you, brother, but you’re making it really hard.

Travis Manawa was not the character I expected him to be. Travis still lives with the innocence of the world pre-apocalypse. He is smart and socially aware, but he is adapting very slowly to the new order. He is very concerned with how others perceive him, and most of all he is against killing anyone, echoing the philosophy of "TWD"'s socially-conscious Morgan. Morgan is for the preservation of any and all life through meditation. He and Travis share an innocence and naivety that may or may not lead to their downfall in this zombie-infested Earth.

There are huge parallels in "The Walking Dead" and "Fear the Walking Dead" with their characters as well potential storylines, and hopefully we will start to see more easter eggs or even some kind of crossover… soon? Maybe? Please, Robert Kirkman. The timelines are still pretty off, so a crossover isn’t likely but a girl can dream, right? 

What do you think about a crossover? Who do you think the characters match up with? Let us know what you think!

(Screenshot via YouTube)

- Amanda Baltazar, YH Contributing Writer