Carl is the only son of deputy sheriff Rick Grimes and his wife, Lori Grimes. When the dead rise, Lori takes Carl to a purported safe zone in Atlanta, Georgia, along with Rick’s partner, Shane Walsh. Lori and Carl join a group of survivors on the outskirts of Atlanta, formed and led by Shane. There, they are eventually reunited with Rick. Despite being only seven years old, Carl is taught to shoot a pistol. This comes in handy when he saves his mother from an attacking walker. Later, he is forced to kill an unstable Shane in order to protect his father.
After the group buries Shane and leaves Atlanta, Carl is shot and wounded by ranch foreman Otis while searching for supplies in the woods. The survivors are brought to the farm of Otis’ employer, veterinarian Hershel Greene, who successfully treats Carl. The group remains at the farm for several days until tensions cause Hershel to evict them.

They eventually find an abandoned prison. While there, Carl and the others enjoy the prison’s luxuries, such as hot showers and open space. He is confronted with disturbing experiences, such as witnessing numerous violent deaths. While Rick was away with other survivors, he frequently gave Lori re-assurance about his well-being. Throughout Lori’s pregnancy, Carl was thrilled with the idea of a baby sister and when Judith is born he is fiercely protective over her.[volume & issue needed] When The Governor and his army attack the prison, Carl managed to escape with Rick.

During the journey, while returning to Kentucky with Rick and Abraham Ford, he is nearly raped by a group of rednecks before his father manages to kill all of them. In the aftermath of their murders, Carl confesses to killing Shane and being a different person than he was before the apocalypse.[volume & issue needed] Shortly after their return to the main group, Carl witnesses a fellow child survivor murder his brother, and he secretly kills the child when he realizes no one else is willing to do it.[9] He feels deep grief, but does not regret his actions.

When they arrive at a gated community in D.C., Carl is unable to fit in with the other children due because of his horrific experiences in the dangerous outside world and the false sense of security the other children had. During a zombie attack, Carl is shot in the face, losing his right eye, and in a coma for weeks.[10] When he wakes up and again is taken care of by Rick, he shows a much more negative outlook, berating his father for all of the horrible things that have happened because of him.

When Rick decides to attack a group of survivors known as the Saviors, they retaliate by killing Glenn Rhee. Rick decides to create the illusion of falling in line with their leader, Negan, but is actually trying to find more information about the group when Carl decides to sneak into one of the Saviors’ vans and launch an assault on them, ending with him as Negan’s new “guest”.[volume & issue needed] Negan takes a liking to Carl, although the feeling is not mutual. Not long after, Carl is returned to Rick unharmed. He accompanies Rick to “The Kingdom”, a neighboring settlement led by Ezekiel. There, they plan to go to war with the Saviors. Carl stays back in the Safe Zone while Rick ventures out to Negan’s stronghold for war.

After the roughly four-year time gap, Carl decides that he wants to leave the Safe Zone to journey to The Hilltop and start an apprenticeship with Earl Sutton, the blacksmith. Shortly after arriving there, two boys attack him and Sophia, and Carl fights back with a shovel, nearly killing them.

In the final comic, Carl is an adult and married to Sophia. After killing a wandering walker belonging to Maggie Greene’s son Hershel, he faces criminal charges in a society where the threat of zombies is largely ignored and forgotten, but he is cleared of all charges with Michonne being his judge. He is last seen telling his daughter, Andrea Grimes, the story of his father, Rick, and how his efforts paved the way for a safer world for everyone.