Back 4 Blood is considered the spiritual successor to Valve's Left 4 Dead series and features the same co-op zombie-slaying action. So it's only natural that gamers would draw comparisons between the titles, including their intriguing characters.
Its survivors are called Cleaners, which clean areas by destroying the infected Ridden. While it took a pair of games for the Left 4 Dead series to give players 8 Survivors to choose from, Back 4 Blood launched with eight playable characters out of the gate. All the classic zombie apocalypse tropes are embraced or averted, and there's plenty of similarities between the characters of the two games.
The Leaders in Back 4 Blood and Left 4 Dead
There are a few characters in both Back 4 Blood and Left 4 Dead that clearly assume a leadership role in their group. Often these are the ones with the most experience, using their knowledge to try and keep their younger party members alive.
While Bill was never the official leader of the Left 4 Dead Survivors, his combat experience in the Vietnam war and advanced years often meant he took the role. Just like Bill, Walker takes the leadership role among the Back 4 Blood Cleaners due to his military experience. Although he doesn't have Bill's many years of wisdom to call on, his cool head and pragmatic planning allow him to guide his team just as well.
As the oldest member of the Left 4 Dead 2 survivors, as well as a high school football teacher, Coach takes the unofficial leadership role in the second Left 4 Dead game. Coach is also a pious man, encouraging the team to pray, or reciting scripture to them. And while a very different character to Coach, Bill, and Walker, Back 4 Blood's Mom also fills a leadership role for the Cleaners. She's the official second-in-command at Fort Hope and represents the strong voice of the civilians there.
The Supporters in Back 4 Blood and Left 4 Dead
Every group of survivors needs a heart to keep it going, and these characters appear in both Back 4 Blood and Left 4 Dead. These supporters are all about raising spirits and keeping everyone working together in the face of the apocalypse.
Louis is the most upbeat of the original Left 4 Dead Survivors, an everyman IT executive who works hard to keep his allies' spirits up. Evangelo from Back 4 Blood is similarly upbeat and enthusiastic, though he holds a particular hatred of Back 4 Blood's Ridden.
Just like Evangelo in the Cleaners, Ellis is the youngest among the Left 4 Dead 2 Survivors. A former mechanic, he is an excitable, inclusive country boy who seems to take the zombie apocalypse a lot less seriously than his teammates. Raising spirits isn't the only support skill that a survivor can have, however, and although her bed-side manner isn't exactly comforting, Back 4 Blood's Doc is always ready to help her team when they need it. As a former physician, she brings vital medical knowledge to the Cleaners of Fort Hope.
The Wildcards in Back 4 Blood and Left 4 Dead
It takes a lot to survive in a zombie apocalypse, and not all the characters in Back 4 Blood and Left 4 Dead are as team-orientated as Louis and Evangelo. Each group of survivors has its loners, misanthropes, and rebels who've joined the team because it's the only way to live.
As a brash biker and member of the Hell's Legion, Francis often has trouble getting on with the rest of the original Left 4 Dead characters, Bill in particular. Despite this, his cockiness and bravery mean that he'll never back down from a fight, even against the worst odds. Similarly, Karlee is a self-sufficient character who only sticks with the group because she knows that it's her best shot at surviving Back 4 Blood's zombie apocalypse. She also shares Francis' checkered, criminal past, as well as his taste in tattoos and black leather.
Another Survivor with a criminal past, Nick from Left 4 Dead 2 is a former con-man and professional gambler who once drifted from city to city pulling scams. Despite his pessimistic attitude toward the zombie apocalypse and the rest of his team, Nick slowly warms up to them over the course of the game. Finally, proving that you don't have to be a criminal to be a loner is Jim from Back 4 Blood. An outdoorsman with an encyclopedic knowledge of the surrounding countryside, Jim prefers his own company to that of his fellow survivors.
The Newcomers in Back 4 Blood and Left 4 Dead
There are plenty of hardened, cynical characters in Back 4 Blood and Left 4 Dead, but also a few young and inexperienced ones. Whether unprepared for the zombie apocalypse, or simply new to their group, these characters often have something to prove to their fellow survivors.
Zoey is still in college and the youngest of the Survivors in the original Left 4 Dead. Although the rest of the team is careful to look after her, she's more than capable of handling herself due to a talent with firearms and years of fascination with horror movies. Just like Zoey, Holly from Back 4 Blood is a fun-loving young woman who tries to face the apocalypse with a snarky attitude. She particularly enjoys giving the Ridden a beatdown with her custom baseball bat, Dottie.
As a white-collar associate producer at a television news station, Rochelle was probably the least prepared for the zombie apocalypse among the Left 4 Dead 2 survivors. Despite this, she's anxious to prove her worth as both a competent zombie-killer and the "big sister" of the group. However, even the most prepared can have something to prove. Back 4 Blood's Hoffman is a conscientious doomsday prepper who spent the early days of the apocalypse hiding out in his well-fortified house. He was only forced to leave after running out of supplies and is now eager to demonstrate his worth as a skilled Cleaner to the rest of Fort Hope.
Back 4 Blood is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.