User:Hunter Kahn/Characters of the Dead Rising series

This list describes the characters of Dead Rising series of video games, including Dead Rising, Dead Rising 2, Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop, Dead Rising 2: Case Zero and Dead Rising 2: Case West. This list describes major protagonists, antagonists, supporting characters and other minor characters. In some cases, the outcomes of individual characters differ depending on the outcome of the game, although there are widely accepted canon endings for each one. This list does not include minor characters like the human survivors rescued by the protagonists of the games.

Frank West
Frank West is the protagonist of Dead Rising, who is also set to appear in Dead Rising 2: Case West. A freelance photojournalist, West hires helicopter pilot Ed DeLuca to fly him into the Willamette Parkview Mall in Willamette, Colorado, which has been sealed off by the National Guard due to an undisclosed emergency incident there. After landing on the mall roof, West asks DeLuca to return in exactly 72 hours. Upon entering the mall, West discovered the giant mall has been infested with zombies. West retreats to a safehouse in the mall security room, along with Homeland Security agents Brad Garrison and Jessica McCarney. While West and the others wait for DeLuca to return and rescue them, West return to the mall via air ducts, where he rescues human survivors with the help of Otis Washington, a mall janitor who communicates with him via radio transceiver.

Carlito Keyes
Carlito Keyes is the primary antagonist of Dead Rising, in which he causes the zombie outbreak of Willamette, Colorado. He and his sister, Isabela, were originally from the fictional Central American village of Santa Cabeza, a beautiful and peaceful place until it was overrun with the first noted outbreak of zombies due to a failed experiment funded by the United States government. As the village becomes overrun, a Special Forces unit led by Brock Mason was dispatched to quarantine Santa Cabeza and kill all residents to cover up the epidemic. Carlito and Isabela were among the only residents to escape, and Carlito came to despise the United States as a result of the incident.

As a means of revenge, and to show the world what really happened on Santa Cabeza, Carlito planned to release the zombie infestation into the United States. First, he infected more than 50 orphan children with a suppressed zombie parasite. The children were adopted by families all over the United States, releasing what are essentially zombie time bombs all over the country. Next, Carlito released zombie parasites onto Willamette, resulting in an outbreak of thousands of zombies and many civilian deaths. After the National Guard quarantined the town, Carlito and Isabela stayed behind at the Willamette Parkview Mall, where he briefly encountered freelance photojournalist Frank West on the mall roof. Carlito proved to be an enigmatic presence at the mall, and on several occasions he attacked West and Homeland Security Agent Brad Garrison.

Carlito eventually captured and interrogated Russell Barnaby, who headed the scientific experiment that led to the outbreak at Santa Cabeza. West and Garrison rescued Barnaby, from whom they learned more about Carlito's past. During a later confrontation, Garrison shot Carlito in the stomach just before Carlito fatally stabbed Garrison. A seriously injured Carlito escaped from West, only to be captured by Larry Chiang, a psychopathic butcher who planned to grind Carlito into meat. West rescued Carlito after fighting and killing Chiang, and a dying Carlito explained to West his motivations for causing the Willamette outbreak. After giving West a locket to pass on to Isabela, Carlito died from his gunshot injury.

Carlito Keyes was voiced by actor Alex Fernandez.

Brock Mason
Brock Mason is the final major antagonist Frank West fights in Dead Rising, although the player must get to a special bonus "Overtime Mode" to encounter him. Prior to the events of Dead Rising, Mason was the commander of the Special Forces team dispatched by the United States government for the clean-up operations against the zombie outbreak at Santa Cabeza, which included killing both zombies and humans alike to cover up the epidemic. Mason showed no emotion or sympathy for the people he kills, and cared only about accomplishing his mission no matter what it takes. He killed almost all the civilian residents at Santa Cabeza except Isabela and Carlito Keyes, but failed to completely eradicate the zombie parasite.

As a result, a furious Carlito unleashed a zombie outbreak at Willamette, Colorado, as a means of revenge against the United States for the destruction of him home town. In response, Mason and his Special Forces team were once again assigned to conduct a clean-up operation there. The team eventually make their way to the Willamette Parkview Mall, where Mason encounters photojournalist Frank West. West and Isabela attempted to leave the mall and escape Willamette in a Humvee, but Mason destroyed their vehicle with a tank. After an intense skirmish with West atop the tank, Mason falls into a crowd of zombies, which eat him alive.

Frank Mason was voiced by Gregg Berger.

Russell Barnaby
Dr. Russell Barnaby is an elderly man who was present in Wiliamette, Colorado, during the zombie outbreak and appeared to know more about the infection than anybody else. It is eventually learned that Barnaby was the scientist in charge of a United States research facility in Santa Cabeza, where he was experimenting on the local livestock to try to develop a way to reproduce cattle at an accelerated rate to reduce the cost of breeding for American meat supplies. After discovering a previously unknown type of wasp-like, parasitic insect species with unusual properties. Barnaby and his team start using the insects on their experiments but, when one of the queen insects escape, it attacked the humans of Santa Cabeza and started a zombie outbreak. The United States government dispatches a Special Forces unit to quarantine Santa Cabeza and destroy all zombies and humans alike, with the hopes of covering up the pandemic.

Due to his high rank and valuable knowledge, Barnaby was one of the few humans allowed to leave Santa Cabeza alive before the town is effectively wiped out. The United States government created a cover story that Santa Cabeza was destroyed by a Central American drug trade, and Barnaby believed he had escaped justice. It was some time later that he was summoned to the Willamette by an unidentified contact. After he arrived, the Wilamette was suddenly overrun by zombies and, trapped in the town by the National Guard quarantine, Barnaby fled to the Willamette Parkview Mall. Homeland Security agents Brad Garrison and Jessica McCarney were also at the mall seeking Barnaby, but he locked himself in a bookstore and refused to come with them. He was later found by Carlito Keyes, a Santa Cabeza survivor responsible for the Willamette outbreak. He tied Barnaby up and dangled him over a crowd of zombies, but Barnaby was saved by Garrison and photojournalist Frank West, who brought him back to a security room safehouse.

Terrified by his near-death experience, Barnaby initially refused to cooperate with West and the others or provide them with any information. Unbeknownst to Barnaby, however, he had been bitten during his imprisonment by Carlito and was slowly turning into a zombie. As he started to turn, Barnaby attacked McCarney, infecting her with the zombie illness with a scratch wound. Just before he turned, Barnaby admitted to West and the Homeland Security agents his role in the Santa Cabeza experiments, but refused to accept any responsibility for the subsequent zombie outbreaks. Barnaby turned into a zombie before their eyes, and Garrison fatally shot him in the forehead just as he was about to attack West.

Russell Barnaby was voiced by Philip Proctor.

Isabela Keyes
Isabela Keys is the sister of Carlito Keyes, the man responsible for the zombie outbreak of Willamette, Colorado. Although she initially helped her brother, Isabela eventually changed her mind and became an ally and romantic interest for Frank West. Isabela and Carlito were originally from the fictional Central American village of Santa Cabeza, a beautiful and peaceful place until it was overrun with the first noted outbreak of zombies due to a failed experiment funded by the United States government. As the village became overrun, a Special Forces unit led by Brock Mason was dispatched to quarantine Santa Cabeza and kill all residents to cover up the epidemic. Carlito and Isabela were among the only residents to escape, and Carlito came to despise the United States as a result of the incident. Carlito planned to release a zombie outbreak onto the United States as a means of revenge, and Isabela initially wanted to help him. Carlito freed zombie parasites and caused the outbreak at Willamette, then he and Isabela stayed behind at the Willamette Parkview Mall after the National Guard quarantined the town.

Isabela encounterd photojournalist Frank West several times at the mall, but was initially distant and cold toward him, even after she was captured by the psychopathic supermarket manager Steven Chapman and West rescued her. Later, Isabela attacks West on a motorcycle, but he overpowers her and she finally admits to West that her brother caused the outbreak. Isabela agreed to arrange a meeting between West and Carlito, but when she later approached her increasingly paranoid brother about it, he became furious and shot her in the shoulder. West found and brought the injured Isabela to the security room safehouse as Carlito desperately tried to apologize to her over the mall intercom. Isabela warned West that Carlito planned to blow up the mall using bombs with parasitic larvae, which would eventually spread throughout the entire United States. Thanks to her warning, West was able to stop Carlito, who was subsequently killed, much to Isabela's sadness.

Later, when the Special Forces unit arrives to wipe out the zombies and humans at Willamette, a hopeless and depressed Isabela refuses to leave the mall with West. In the traditional ending to Dead Rising, Isabela's is abandoned to her unknown fate. If the player reaches a special bonus "Overtime Mode", however, West's rescue helicopter crashes and Isabela rescues him from the helipad, but not before he is bitten by a zombie and infected. After West gathers the necessary items, Isabela creates a serum to temporarily delay his zombification, then the two try to flee the mall through underground tunnels exposed by the helicopter crash. After a brief fight with Special Forces commander Brock Mason, West and Isabela escape the mall, and the two help spread the true stories of the zombie outbreaks at Santa Cabeza and Willamette.

Isabela Keyes was voiced by Kim Mai Guest.

Brad Garrison
Bard Garrison was an agent with the Department of Homeland Security who, along with fellow agent Jessica McCarney, was assigned to find Russell Barnaby in Willamette, Colorado. However, while Garrison and McCarney were at the Willamette Parkview Mall, a zombie outbreak was unleashed, forcing them to retreat into a security room and establish a safehouse. Garrison shouted for other survivors to follow him into the room, but photojournalist Frank West was the only one to make it before they were forced to seal the door shut behind them. Garrison exited the room via air ducts and continued searching for Barnaby. Upon reaching the mall's food court, Garrison was attacked by a gun-wielding Carlito Keyes, but Garrison fended him off with help from West. Although initially uneasy and distrustful of West due to his status as a reporter, Garrison accepted assistance from West, who helped him find Barnaby.

Having locked himself in a bookstore, Barnaby refused to cooperate with Garrsion or go with him back to the safehouse. Upon learning a rescue helicopter is coming for West in a few days, however, Garrison decided to leave Barnaby alone and come back for him later. However, Garrison later learned Carlito has kidnapped Barnaby and suspended him with a rope above a group of zombies. Garrison rushed to save Barnaby and shot Carlito in the arm, but Carlito shot Garrison in the leg before escaping again. West helps bring both Garrison and Barnaby back to saferoom, where McCarney tended to Garrison's injuries. Later, an now-infected Barnaby told Garrison and his allies the truth about the Santa Cabeza outbreak, then turned into a zombie and was fatally shot in the head by Garrison. His original mission complete, Garrison resolved to save as many human survivors as possible before the rescue arrived.

Later, Garrison learned Carlito rigged the mall with explosives containing enough with parasitic larvae to spread the zombie infection throughout the United States. West and Garrison entered the mall's zombie-infested maintenance tunnels and successfully defused the bombs. After finding Carlito, Garrison shot him in the stomach and mortally wounded him, but not before Carlito stabbed Garrison with a switchblade knife, then locked him in a storage room filled with zombies. West later found Garrison outside the storage room, seriously injured and nearing zombification. West offered to help bring him to safety, but Garrison insists nothing could be done to save him. He succumbed to his wounds and became a zombie. The Dead Rising player then has the option of making West kill the zombified Garrison or leaving him alone.

Brad Garrison was voiced by T. J. Storm.

Jessica McCarney
Jessica McCarney, more commonly called simply Jessie, was an agent with the Department of Homeland Security who, along with fellow agent Brad Garrison, was assigned to find Russell Barnaby in Willamette, Colorado. However, shortly after arriving at the Willamette Parkview Mall, a zombie outbreak was unleashed, forcing McCarney and Garrison to retreat into a security room and establish a safehouse. After noticing on the security camera system that Garrison was under attack by Carlito Keyes, McCarney left to find and help him. However, in a warehouse just outside the security room, she is nearly attacked by photojournalist Frank West, who falsely believed she was a zombie. Although West stopped before hitting her, McCarney fell and sprained her ankle, leaving her no choice but to give her handgun to West so he could help Garrison. McCarney returned to the security room, where she monitored the cameras until West and Garrison returned.

Throughout the next 72 hours, McCarney continues to monitor the cameras and provide reconnaissance information to West and Garrison. She spotted Barnaby getting captured by Carlito on the cameras, which prompted West and Garrison to rescue him. McCarney later interrogates both Barnaby and Isabela Keyes, the sister of Carlito, who reveals Carlito caused the outbreak in response to a similar out break on their home town of Santa Cabesa. Barnaby, who did not previously realize he was infected with the zombie virus, suddenly attacks McCarney. West pulls him off of her and Barnaby, before he dies, confesses his role in the scientific experiments that led to the Santa Cabesa outbreak. Unbeknownst to McCarney and the others, however, Barnaby scratched McCarney during his attack and infected her.

Upon learning Carlito has planted bombs throughout the mall, West and Garrison rush off to defuse them as McCarney watches the security cameras and provides them with information. She spots that the psychopathic butcher Larry Chiang had captured Carlito and notifies West, who promptly kills Chiang and rescues a now-dying Carlito. After West and Isabela shut down a communication disruption, McCarney calls the Department of Homeland Security for help, but is horrified to learn they have denied any involvement or knowledge of the outbreak, and that Special Forces units are coming to kill all the zombies and humans in Willamette. After the Special Forces arrive, two soldiers confront McCarney and tell her she will not be arrested if she remains silent about the outbreak. McCarney, however, turns into a zombie and kills both soldiers. West later finds the zombified McCarney her feasting on the soldiers, and the Dead Rising player then has the option of making West kill her or leave her alone.

Jessica McCarney was voiced by Laura Napoli.

Otis Washington
Otis Washington is the elderly janitor of the Willamette Parkview Mall, where he becomes trapped after the zombie outbreak at Willamette, Colorado. The first encounter with Washington in Dead Rising depends on the outcome of the player's control of the game's protagonist, photojournalist Frank West. If West escapes the first zombie attack at the mall, he meets Washington in the security room safehouse. If West is incapacitated by the zombies during this attack, Washington saves West and brings him back to the security room himself, although this action takes place off-screen. Either way, Washington becomes a trusted ally to West, as well as to Brad Garrison and Jessie McCarney, two Homeland Security agents also trapped in the mall.

Washington gives West with a transceiver, which allows West to communicate with Washington as the journalist travels throughout the mall. Washington remains in the security room throughout the entirety of the game, but monitors West's movements on the security cameras and frequently calls him with advice, warnings and the locations of survivors that West can rescue throughout the mall. After 72 hours in the mall, a Special Forces unit to kill all the zombies and humans in the mall and cover up the epidemic. Amid the chaos of their attack, Washington, who had a small aircraft pilot's license, stole a military helicopter from the roof. After leaving a note behind to notify West of his actions, Washington escapes along with any of the survivors West rescued back from the mall.

Otis Washington is not portrayed by a voice actor, as all of his dialogue throughout the game is conveyed in text.

Ed DeLuca
Ed DeLuca was the charter helicopter pilot photojournalist Frank West hired to bring him into Willamette, Colorado, to investigate a mysterious incident there. Although the National Guard had quarantined the town, DeLuca flew West over Willamette, where they witnessed what they mistook as rioters running rampant across the town and attacking people. Unbeknownst to DeLuca and West at the time, a zombie infestation had broken out in Willamette. As per their agreement, DeLuca dropped West off atop the Willamette Parkview Mall, where the pilot was to return and pick up West in 72 hours. When West later learned about the zombie outbreak, he planned to hold out until the helicopter arrived, then escape along with any other survivors he could rescue.

DeLuca's fate differs depending on which Dead Rising ending the player reaches. Under the true canon ending, which is accomplished by completing all the main cases in the game's storyline, a stray zombie enters DeLuca's helicopter just before he takes off to rescue Frank. Upon flying over the mall, DeLuca is pleased to see West alive and waiting for him, but is attacked from behind by the zombie, causing DeLuca to crash into a nearby clock tower and die. If the player fails to complete the main storyline but is on the helipad after the 72 hours elapse, DeLuca saves West and all his rescued survivors; if West is not at the helipad in this scenario, DeLuca rescues the survivors but leaves West behind. In a different ending, if West fails to talk to Isabela Keyes at a key moment in the game, DeLuca lands on a nearby building to check whether West is on the helipad. After verifying West is not there, DeLuca is attacked from behind by a zombie and killed.

Ed DeLuca was voiced by Dave Wittenberg.

Cletus Samson
Cletus Samson was the redneck owner of the Huntin' Shack, a gun shop locked in the Willamette Parkview Mall. After the zombie outbreak, Samson isolated himself inside the store, using his massive arsenal to fend off zombies and humans alike. Human survivor James Ramsey entered the Huntin' Shack and tried to persuade Samson to let the other survivors use his guns to fight the zombies, but Samson refused, insisting he trusted humans even less than the zombies. Photojournalist Frank West arrived just as Samson shot and killed Ramsey with a shotgun. A fight then ensues, during which Samson fires his shotgun at West from behind the store counter, occasionally drinking bottles of wine to restore his health. West eventually defeated Samson, who fled hysterically from the Huntin' Shack only to run into a zombified Ramsey, who ate him alive.

Cletus Samson was voiced by Bill Farmer, who also provided voices for the human survivors Ryan LaRosa, Jeff Meyer and Floyd Sanders. Samson's appearances is virtually the same in Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop, except that West has the option of rescuing Samson after the fight by pulling him back into the store. In that case, Samson becomes an ally to West, agreeing to sell him guns and repair his broken weapons.

Cliff Hudson
Cliff Hudson was a veteran of the Vietnam War who harbored traumatic memories from that conflict. Hudson brought his granddaughter to the Willamette Grandview Mall the day of the zombie outbreak there. She was killed by zombies before his eyes, and her screams caused Hudson's mind to snap, making him believe he was back in the war. Hudson established a hideout for himself in Crislip's Home Saloon, a hardware store where Hudson hung the decapitated bodies of zombies he killed. He also kidnapped the three human survivors Josh Manning, Barbara Patterson and Rich Atkins. Declaring them prisoners of war, locked them in a store next to Crislip's. When Frank West entered the hardware store, Hudson believed him to be a Viet Cong and demanded to know where the other guerrilla soldiers were hiding.

When West could not answer, Hudson attacked, slashing at West with a giant blood-stained machete. He also used various trapdoors to constantly escape, then reappear and attack West from another angle, and occasionally threw road flares that blinded West and forced him into a coughing fit. Eventually, West defeated Hudson and, in his dying moments, the Vietnam veteran returned to his senses. He explained the loss of his granddaughter to West, then gave him the key to the neighboring store so West could release his three hostages before dying from his injuries. West felt sympathy toward Hudson and, after freeing the hostages, Josh Manning admitted Hudson seemed to be a nice man before he went insane.

Cliff Hudson was voiced by Steve Blum, who also provided the voice for Dead Rising character Roger Hall, the patriarch of a family of murderous snipers. Hudson appeared in Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop, but as a zombie wielding two machetes, rather than a human psychopath.

Escaped convicts
Sam Franklin, Reginald Jenkins and Miguel Sanchez were three convicted felons who escaped from prison during the Willamette zombie outbreak. Still wearing their orange prison jumpsuits, the escaped inmates stole a military humvee amid the chaos of the infection and drove it to Leisure Park, a large outside courtyard in the middle of the Willamette Parkview Mall, where they attacked and killed both zombies and humans indiscriminately, all while laughing and taunting their victims. Franklin drove the vehicle, while Sanchez swung a baseball bat from the passenger seat and Jenkins fired a heavy machine gun mounted on the back. The convicts attacked Frank West when he first entered Leisure Park, but West ducked out of the way just as Sanchez swung the bat at his head. West then watched as the inmates attacked the human survivor Sophie Richards and killed her companion, Sid, who Sanchez struck with the bat. West fought and eventually killed the convicts, which freed him to steal their humvee and rescue Richards. Franklin, Jenkins and Sanchez were voiced by Dave Wittenberg, James Mathis and David Berón, respectively.

The Hall snipers
Roger Hall and his two sons Jack and Thomas, both in their mid-twenties, were present at the Willamette Parkview Mall during the zombie outbreak. A strong believer in the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, Roger secured sniper rifles for himself and his two boys, who he encouraged to kill both zombies and humans alike, claiming it necessary for their own survival. Jack, who shared his father's passion for the right to bear arms, showed no hesitation in following his father's orders. Thomas, however, appeared more nervous around firearms than his brother. When the Halls spotted Frank West, Roger ordered Thomas to shoot him, but Thomas recognized that West was not a zombie and resisted. Frank badgered Thomas until he complied, and eventually all three opened fire on West, who fought and eventually killed the trio. Afterward, West is able to rescue Wayne Blackwell, a human survivor who was hiding from the snipers in a nearby cosmetics store. Roger was voiced by Steve Blum, who also portrayed the psychopath gun store owner Cletus Samson. Jack and Thomas were voiced by Jason Spisak and Phillip Tanzini, respectively.

Jo Slade
Jo Slade was a corrupt and extremely overweight police officer who was present at Willamette Riverview Mall during the zombie outbreak. As the zombie infection spread, Slade started kidnapping young, attractive human women. She shouted angrily as her hostages, declaring them "whores" and "skanks", and sexually assaulted at least one with her nightstick. Slade attempts to capture the survivor Tonya Waters, but is stopped by Waters' boyfriend Ross Folk, who Slade non-fatally shoots before running away. When Frank West came to investigate Slade at the Lovely Fashion House, a women's clothing store, he found she had four hostages tied to chairs: Kay Nelson, Lilly Deacon, Kelly Carpenter and Janet Star. West respectfully referred to her as officer and tried to reason with her, but Slade believed her hostages seductively lured him there and she angrily attacked him using her nightstick, stun gun and handgun. West eventually defeats Slade, who in her dying breaths expresses disbelief that a "worthless prick" like West could kill her.

Jo Slade was voiced by actress and singer Carol Bach-y-Rita. Slade appeared in Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop, but as a zombie rather than a human psychopath. She can be seen in two zombie incarnations during the game, once wearing a blue police uniform and wielding two stun guns, and once wearing a brown uniform and carrying a handgun and stun gun.

Kent Swanson
Kent Swanson is a young, overzealous photographer who viewed the Willamette outbreak as an opportunity to take excellent photos of zombies and other carnage. Armed with a handgun as well as his four cameras, Swanson excitedly took photos throughout the Willamette Parkview Mall after it was overrun by zombies. Upon encountering fellow photographer Frank West, Swanson became immediately competitive, insulting West's photos and trying to coach him on how to best photograph a subject. First, Swanson struck several poses and made West take photos of him. Then, he showed West what Swanson considered the sexiest, most emotionally-moving and most violent photos he had taken at the mall, and challenged West to take better photos. If the Dead Rising player accepts, and takes superior photos, Kent becomes angry and proposes another photo challenge with West the next day at noon. If the player accepts but fails to take superior photos, Kent laughs at West's picture and walks away, never encountering him again. If the Dead Rising player does not accept the challenge, Swanson is not seen again.

Driven increasingly mad by his desire to be a better photographer than West, Swanson decides to seek to photograph a person as they are in the process of becoming a zombie. To this end, he kidnaps the human survivor Tad Hawthorne and ties him up, planning to throw a zombie larva at him and take a picture the exact moment of zombification. If the Dead Rising player has West arrive at time on noon for the challenge, West crushes the larva and saves Hawthorne's life, causing Swanson to attack West. If late for the challenge, however, Hawthorne indeed changes into a zombie and is photographed by Swanson, who later shows West his work. Swanson then draws a gun on West, forces him to strip his clothes and weapons, then attaches a collar and chain around West's neck with the hopes that zombies will attack and turn him. Swanson planned to photograph West's death, convinced the resulting picture would be his masterpiece.

In either case, West fights and eventually defeats Swanson. In his final moments, Swanson hands West his camera and insists that West take a photo of him as he dies, but a disgusted West throws the camera away just as Swanson expires. Kent Swanson was voiced by Marty Belafsky.