Andrew is a 16-year-old survivor from Connecticut who lost his parents and younger sister, Elizabeth, to the superflu. After stepping in a bear trap, he seeks refuge with a stranger, using humor and sarcasm to mask his physical pain and emotional trauma. He carries a heavy burden of guilt regarding his past actions with the Foster family, questioning his inherent goodness while traveling south.

Jamie is a cautious 16-year-old living alone in a solar-powered cabin after his doctor mother died from the superflu. Armed with medical supplies and survival resources, he initially views outsiders as threats but possesses a deep empathy that prevents him from turning away the injured. He struggles with the shifting morals of the post-pandemic world, questioning whether he has the capacity to use violence in self-defense.

Cara is a young woman who ended up at the Fort Caroline settlement after her family died in Maryland. She appears timid and wary of her surroundings, working silently while secretly stockpiling food and drawing maps. Recognizing the authoritarian nature of her community, she quietly prepares for an opportunity to escape.

Danny is the head selectman of the Fort Caroline settlement. He maintains strict authority over the community, enforcing exclusionary policies that weed out the elderly, sick, and marginalized. He uses spectacles like holiday fireworks to project an illusion of safety while running a highly regimented society.

Harvey is Danny Rosewood's teenage son and an active member of the Fort Caroline settlement. He exhibits open hostility and anti-gay bias, frequently using mocking language to intimidate outsiders. He uses his father's authority to act aggressively without fear of immediate consequence.

Henri is an older survivor living independently in a fenced home outside Washington, DC. She cooks on a woodstove, scares away wild animals with a jar of pennies, and chooses to believe in luck rather than fate. Her willingness to share food and shelter offers a rare glimpse of unconditional generosity.

George is a survivor who initially teams up with Andrew on the road. When resources become scarce, he attempts to steal from Andrew at gunpoint, leading to a violent dispute. His actions force Andrew into a life-altering defensive decision.

Joanne is a survivor trying to reach her son in Alexandria. She participates in her husband's attempt to rob Andrew, leading to a desperate physical struggle over survival supplies.

Marc is the adult son of George and Joanne Foster. He lived in Alexandria, Virginia, with his wife and child. Andrew travels for weeks to find him, hoping to confess what happened to his parents on the road.

Grover is a former Air Force member acting as the sheriff of Fort Caroline. He introduces newcomers to the settlement's rigid rules, ensuring their weapons are registered and their supplies are confiscated for community rations.

Howard is the leader of a hostile group of survivors operating near Jamie's home. He uses intimidation and superior numbers to enforce a "tax" on independent survivors, seizing their food and supplies under the threat of violence.

Amy is Henri's daughter, living in a functional, solar-powered settlement in Florida. She represents a successful model of post-pandemic society, maintaining electricity, clean water, and an organized census. She welcomes travelers who bring news of her mother.

Chris is a teenage survivor sheltering at the Reagan National Airport. Hoping to find a pilot to take him to Chicago, he spends his time organizing government intelligence briefings that detail the true extent of the global viral outbreak.

Nadine is a community member at Fort Caroline who serves as a guide for newcomers. She drives Andrew and Jamie around the settlement, explaining the strict shift work and ration systems that govern daily life.

Jennette manages the supply depot in Fort Caroline. She processes the belongings of new arrivals, exchanging their personal supplies and survival gear for community ration vouchers.

Walt is a member of the Fort Caroline settlement who acts as a follower to Harvey. He participates in aggressively tracking and threatening outsiders who cross the community's leadership.

Elizabeth was Andrew's younger sister. After their parents died, the two siblings survived together for several months until she contracted the superflu. Her death ultimately forces Andrew to abandon his home and begin his journey south.

Mr. LaPage is the nickname Jamie gives to a highly dangerous, unstable survivor they observe in a deserted town. Singing upbeat music while wandering a street filled with violence, he embodies the unpredictable threat of individuals completely unmoored by the apocalypse.

Eddie is a guard stationed at the fortified entrance to the Key Largo settlement. Faced with desperate strangers begging for medical help, he chooses to unlock the gate, demonstrating a rare act of institutional mercy.

Dave is a resident of the Florida Keys settlement who assists in transporting newcomers. He proudly points out the community's rebuilding efforts, including desalination plants and solar grids, proving that society can recover.

Benjamin Wilson was a White House intern who gathered classified documents regarding the global failure of the viral quarantine. He fled to the airport seeking rescue but succumbed to the superflu, leaving behind the only proof of the world's true death toll.