Carol Peletier

Carol Peletier is one of the main protagonists and survivor of the outbreak in AMC's The Walking Dead. During the initial outbreak, Carol evacuated with her abusive husband, Ed Peletier, and her daughter, Sophia Peletier, to Atlanta. They eventually joined a camp of survivors. Following the deaths of her husband and daughter, Carol formed a close bond with fellow survivor Daryl Dixon. She is later banished by Rick Grimes for claiming to have killed Karen and David.

Overview
At the outset of the series, Carol is a kind-hearted and soft-spoken woman, though often meek and defenseless (especially when it comes to facing her husband Ed Peletier). She has always remained extremely protective over her daughter Sophia, attempting to shield her from the various dangers of their surroundings. After Ed is beaten half to death, and becoming even stronger following his actual death, she begins to develop thicker skin and draws a new found boldness inside of her. Carol continues this development throughout the second season, standing up for herself much more and deepening her connections within the group.

She is shown to be a devout Christian, having constantly prayed for the well-being of herself and Sophia. She fervently holds onto her beliefs even after Sophia's death, insisting that her daughter is in heaven.

As opposed to her Comic Series counterpart, Carol in the TV series becomes stronger and more independent as the first season moves along. The inclusion of Ed as her husband, according to Robert Kirkman in The Walking Dead Chronicles, was to give her a solid foil to produce the strength needed to survive that the comic counterpart didn't have.