Shane Walsh ~ "There is nothing easy about taking a man’s life no matter how little value it may have. But when you get it done, you have to forget it. I guess I haven't quite got that last part down".

Shane Walsh and Rick Grimes were best friends throughout their childhood. Shane was an avid football enthusiast, playing on his school's team as number 22 (which he's reminded of by the necklace he wears). He was a known prankster, once stealing the principal's car. He had many casual relationships with girls - even once apparently having sex with the high school women's athletics teacher. Shane eventually went into police administration along with Rick, and the two soon worked as local deputies for the King County Sheriff's Department. He became close to Rick's family during this time. Throughout his adult life, Shane never married, and had instead stayed a womanizer.

During the first season, Shane was largely the deuteragonist, having lead the group until Rick's arrival, and continued to be the de-facto second-in-command through out the first and second seasons, much to his apparent dismay, causing tension between the two former partners. During his incursions with Lori, he developed an obsession with her; and was never able to get his head around the fact that Lori left him for Rick, who was thought to be dead when he and Lori had their sexual encounters.

Despite his strong leadership abilities, combat proficiency, skill with firearms (having been a former gun instructor) and protective instincts, Shane is largely morally unstable, and by the second season, he has only one motive, to keep himself, Lori, her unborn child (who he believed to be his) and Carl safe, no matter what the cost. He believes himself to have the most pragmatic view of the apocalyptic world, and most qualified to lead the group in the post-apocalyptic hell.

By the second season, Shane becomes more of an antagonist, having shed his concepts of guilt, shame and moral correctness in favour of the concept of survival for himself and those he cares about by any means, even murdering his allies, going against the beliefs of the group, and betraying his former best-friend; leading to his eventual demise.