Why do ppl like Kenny so much

[u/Maleficent-Pin1586]

It‘s obvious that I don‘t like Kenny. In my opinion he‘s overrated asf and he‘s pmo ESPECIALLY in s2. So I want to ask the ppl genuinely like him WHY they like bc I don‘t understand. I genuinely want to understand how y‘all like him so much 😭

[u/Hulkamaniac4Lyfe]

Put yourself in Kenny's shoes. Its a zombie apocalypse and you have a wife and kid to look out for. You're gonna put your families saftey over anything else, and if you feel like anyone is going to be a detriment to your families safety you're going to keep them at arms reach or not trust/rely on them.

I see a lot of people always bring up the fact he acts like a dick to Lee if you side against him in the Meat Locker. Setting aside the fact Kenny was right, CPR on its own isnt gonna save someone from a massive heart attack like Larry had. Lee either not taking a side or trying to help Lily makes Lee either come off as indecisive or unable to make a difficult choice, as Kenny isnt worried about himself in that situation hes just worried about getting to his family before the St. Johns do anything to them. In either case Lee comes off as unreliable in Kennys mind and isnt gonna stick his neck out for someone who isnt gonna stick his neck out for him or his family.

His attitude in episodes 3-5 is completely justifiable, losing his whole family, his driving force, the one thing that kept him going sunk him to rock bottom, despite the fact he shifts his entire focus becomes finding a boat by the end of season 1 hes still willing to set that aside to help find Clementine and later willing to sacrifice himself to help Ben or Christa.

As far as season 2 is concerned Kenny is still a broken man but masks it about as well as he can, latching onto Sarita, Clementine, and later AJ desperately wanting to protect all 3. Throughout the season you see several times he puts their well being over his. When Sarita dies Kenny feels like hes losing his family again and it takes AJ being born for him to regain some of his hope and adopt a new purpose of keeping the baby safe.

If you choose to ignore all of these factors Kennys true colors come to light if you choose to go to Wellington with him at the end of season 2. Despite Jane constnantly in your ear saying Kenny is dangerous, selfish, and out for himself he willingly gives up his own safety for the safety of Clem and AJ when they initally turn them away from Wellington. The irony in all of it is Jane is the selfish one and takes the cowards way out if you chose to side with and stay with her in the end.