For this slot, it was either Michael from the "Dawn" remake, or Charlie, and I chose well. Charlie is a mentally disabled man with a huge scar on his face from the obvious effects of the apocalypse and he's capable of surviving. Here's a naive mentally disabled man who survived beyond everyone else, here's a mentally disabled man who isn't smart enough to defend himself when someone calls him a retard, yet can wield a gun and fend off against the walking dead. Charlie is the real survivor of "Land" and for that he deserves a slot. Played with perfect nuance by the utterly talented Robert Joy, Charlie is both a tragic, comedic, and valiant character who stands by Riley in everything he does. Riley and Charlie are a lot like Raymond and Charlie in "Rain Man".

You get the sense that Riley really only puts up with Charlie, but you discover within the film's story that Riley wouldn't be alive were it not for Charlie's marksmanship. In the entire "Dead" series there's never been a better written friendship. The two are best friends, partners, and companions and they rely on one another to survive against the flesh eating horde of zombies making their way to their home. His introduction into the "Land" story is well done as he appears from the darkness resembling a zombie and shows how far he can go to protect not only himself but Riley. Throughout "Land", Riley and Charlie remain a team, and Romero gives us one of the better sub-plots of the film all thanks to Joy.

He started out as a dickhead, but when you think about it, the character of CJ and his actions before the second half are understandable. Here's a selfish man who has just seen his friends and society fall under the bloody wrath of the walking dead. So in a last effort of survival he holds up in the second floor of the mall with his co-workers and lives among different stores. But when the group of survivors enters, he sends them back out without a pause of conscience. CJ was only thinking about surviving for himself because he was so frightened. Thus, he remains one of the only human characters in the "Dawn" remake.

With a strong performance by Michael Kelly, CJ starts out as a pure prick who refuses to care about the other survivors desperately attempting to make their way into the mall, for fear that they may infect him and kill him, but as the film progresses, CJ becomes a worthy anti-hero who not only helps Kenneth in their escape but leads the team across the street into the gun shop where the newly revived Andy is trying to get to the useless Nicole. As the climax rushes on, he and the team make their way across town to the docks where he not only fends off single handedly against a horde of the undead making their way in to the truck, but he makes the ultimate sacrifice and takes them down with him. With his last words: "Fucking figures" he goes down in flames, but he does so as a hero who showed that he wasn't a coward after all. CJ is one of the most memorable aspects of the "Dawn" remake.

Okay, so Bub is not technically a hero, per se, but you gotta love him. Before that pansy Big Daddy came along, Bub was it. He was the man, or--undead man. More of a tragic character than an actual hero, Bub signalled the evolution of the walking dead that Romero would continue with in "Land". In all of the films in Romero's world, he explains and alludes that the walking dead would eventually learn to adapt and organize and eventually grow their own minds and fight back. Bub was the omen of such. Bub, as named by his master, was a soldier who was tamed domesticated and taught many skills. "Day" brought upon many theories.

Can the dead really be tamed over time? Can they be taught to eat other food? Can they learn to communicate and co-exist among the living? Can they be taught to obey like dogs? Regardless, even if the theories were left up in the air for fan boys to argue for decades, Bub was the clear indicator that with enough time, the dead would learn to use tools, organize, and learn who deserved to die. Bub was a wrenching character, and is one of the only zombie characters that managed to make me well up. After learning how to use tools with the help of his master, he frees himself and shows the broken chain to Dr. Frankenstein.

But upon realizing his master has just been gunned down by the remaining soldiers, he bawls in sadness and then decides its time for revenge. In a climax reminiscent of "Frankenstein", Rhodes hides out in the last room for safety as the dead storm the army base and proceeds in taking part of a cat and mouse game as Bub chases Rhodes and shoots him, as Rhodes finds himself stuck. Bub then watches on in accomplishment as Rhodes, his enemy, is torn apart and eaten by the walking dead and then disappears into the depths of the base with his kind.

Riley, played with charming humility by Simon Baker, was really a take no shit kind of guy. He was basically the allegory of the military. They go in, do their jobs, never question their leaders intentions, and only seek to go home in spite of the corruption currently ruling over his civilization. An idealist, yet swift warrior, he leads his team of Charlie, Slack, Pilsbury, and two other inter-changeable characters to trek out on to the wasteland and re-claim the "Dead Reckoning" or else, their world suffers. Baker is not the normal hero of the "Dead" world basically because he's a more dutiful persona who wants to get the job done beyond all costs.

Riley's introduction into "Land" is basically unspectacular as he hides out in a hedge  watching the dead communing and pretending to live. Then is also when he lays eyes on Big Daddy, a character who would serve as his rival throughout the entire film. Riley was a less charismatic, but much more powerful character of the "Land" film, and his mission to find the "Dead Reckoning" and leave ultimately proves futile, even when he finally starts to realize that the actions he's taking in his own pursuit of happiness are effecting others, and then must go back to help. Baker's performance is also helped by the teaming of his friend Charlie, who follows him around and follows his rules, but also acts as a big brother figure tolerating everyone else. Baker's reluctant hero who finds he's more important than he realizes is a real touchstone for "Land".