5. Otis (Pruitt Taylor Vince) - Episode 2.3
A minor character, sure, but one whose demise has a significant impact on the plot. Otis, portrayed by Pruitt Taylor Vince, is introduced in the second episode of season 2, having accidentally shot Rick's son Carl with a bullet intended to take out a deer. He, Rick and Rick's former police partner Shane rush him to the farm of veterinarian Hershel Greene, where Otis has been staying, with the hope that the medical practitioner will be able to save the boy's life. When it transpires that Carl requires major surgery to stand a chance at living, the guilt-ridden Otis volunteers to accompany Shane to a local high school, where the supplies for such a procedure can be found. The two succeed in finding what they need, but find the school overrun with walkers, forcing them to split up. Eventually they reunite, albeit with matching leg injuries and only one bullet left in each of their guns, which causes Shane to make the decision to sacrifice his companion, shooting him in the leg and leaving him for the walkers in order to ensure his own, and by extension, Carl's survival.