The Walking Dead: World Beyond is a a very different addition to The Walking Dead universe. The series is set in the same apocalyptic world, taking place at the same time. But it tells the story from a completely different perspective of teenagers who have grown up such that they can barely remember life before the "day the sky fell," as they call it.
The tone and pacing is different, and while some stories are interwoven, these kids, by and large, have grown up in a much different environment than the other groups and various survivor communities viewers have seen on other series from the franchise.
Central to the show are just a handful of characters so far. And while each has plenty of room to grow, a few have emerged as favorites while others are on the "fans hope they get bitten soon" list.
Iris Bennett: Love
Iris fits the stereotype of the overachieving college student. She's a natural leader, popular, and inclusive of others. She's an all-around good person who shows respect for others, is confident in her abilities, and wants to achieve greatness and make a difference.
There's no reason (yet) for fans to dislike Iris, except for perhaps her over-inflated sense of confidence sometimes. Nonetheless, she's still firmly on the "nice" list.
Huck: Don't Love
Arguably the most annoying character on the series, Huck is supposed to come across as a tough but fierce fighter with a dry sense of humor. Indeed, she's a talented security officer who gets the job done and has the literal scars to prove it.
But she carries herself in a way that is irritating. The acting and delivery of lines seem forced. Comparing her to other similar type characters like Rosita in The Walking Dead and Althea in Fear the Walking Dead, it feels like Huck just doesn't have the same likability factor.
Silas Plaskett: Love
Fans always love the underdog, and Silas perfectly fits the mold. He's a bit odd, and did something terrible that caused his fellow students to bully him even more than they likely were already doing. Of course, fans still don't know that whole backstory.
Sure, Silas clearly has a lot of pent up rage and anger issues. But that could stem from not being able to deal with his feelings and the way he has been treated for being different, or even from a difficult home life. Chances are, now out in the wild, Silas will finally be able to rid himself of all the negative energy, taking things out on the walkers and finally finding a group with which he fits in. The fact that he has the potential for biggest transformation and potential to rank among the best character arcs of the franchise makes him exciting to watch.
Hope Bennett: Don't Love
Fans want to love Hope. They really do. She seems like a typical rebellious, dark, and brooding teenage girl who is also really sweet and caring deep down. She wants to make a difference and resents her father for leaving, along with the organization who took him away from her.
She has also been dealing with the guilt of believing she caused her mother's death, as well as for killing a pregnant woman who, she now discovers, was actually Elton's mother. There are so many cards stacked against Hope, so fans want to feel bad for her. But there's something unlikeable about her that viewers can't quite put their finger on. It's almost like the character would be better suited on a teen drama than this series.
Elton Ortiz: Love
The resident "geek" of the crew, Elton has a lot to prove and feels a sense that something is missing. He wants to embark on this adventure because he feels it's what they should do, and it's the purpose of his generation to explore and understand the new world. And maybe deep down, he wants to make his father proud.
While he seems like the small, wimpy kid, Elton has much more going for him. He can obviously fight, having been a karate instructor back at the campus. And he is smart in a way that will almost certainly come in handy down the line.
Dr. Leopold Bennett: Don’t Love
Only seen in flashback scenes and mentioned through the secret communications he was sending his daughters from the research facility where he went to work for the Civic Republic, fans have limited knowledge of Dr. Bennett thus far.
He appears to be a loving and kind father. But it also seemed like he was pre-occupied with work and focused more on his career than his kids. And while he was honest with his kids by sending that message indicating he was in danger (if it was indeed he who sent it) he also must have known they would have risked their lives to try and save him. What was he thinking?
Felix Carlucci: Love
Felix comes across as a no-nonsense, caring young man who is close with Iris and Hope's father, even seeing him as a father figure, and wants to do whatever he can to protect the campus and the students in it.
The little fans have seen of his backstory also paints him as someone who understands what it's like not to fit in and has had a rough life of his own. He can relate to the kids and he knows what it takes to hack it on his own.
Barca: Don't Love
A minor character thus far, fans don't yet know much about Barca, much less if he is even still alive. It's important to note that his decision to speak up with Elizabeth about how he felt the attack on the school was unwarranted and that he didn't agree with it was admirable, but his approach was all wrong.
He must have known he wouldn't have gotten through to her. If he felt as strongly as he did, he could have laid low and tried to gather up other like-minded soldiers to plan an attack, much like Rick did when he planned an attack against Negan and his group, The Saviors. Instead, Barca acted impulsively, based on emotion. And that ended any chance he might have had at making a difference.
Elizabeth Kublek: Love/Don't Love
Fans have a love/hate relationship with this character. While she's arguably the most compelling on the show thus far, beautifully and convincingly portrayed by Julia Ormond, she is also a seemingly cruel woman.
But while she does despicable things, she struggles with her inner voice telling her they are wrong. She pushes that voice down and convince herself that what she is doing is for the greater good. She's oddly similar to The Handmaid's Tale's Aunt Lydia, who does horrible things that she sometimes questions. But so deeply believing in the cause, she tells herself it's all for a valid purpose.