The Evolution of a Kenny Fan and Confession. EVERYONE is Welcome here. *Possible Spoilers*
LONG POST ALERT.
So, first and foremost, I apologize to all the people who are tired of seeing my name on this community, since I've been on this since I beat the game about 6 hours ago. But if I make myself sick of it, I'll stop thinking about it. Until the news for the DLC. 
Alright, welp. Im gonna be totally honest here. And Everyone is welcome to this thread, even though I am admitting to being a Kenny fan.
My views of Kenny were like a roller coaster. I liked Kenny, I hated Kenny, liked Kenny, hated Kenny, and in the end, loved Kenny.
Do I sound like I'm a Kenny bitch? Like I soak up every single word Kenny says? That I follow him blindly? Because I said Kenny Fan in my thread title, did you assume me to be a raging, insensitive Kenny follower who would immediately defend him for every decision he made?
No. I have several reasons I love him, several reasons why I dislike him. But in the end, he was the best choice FOR ME.
FOR. ME.
NOT. For everyone.
And y'know what? Telltale is awesome for letting us choose who we want. (Except Luke or Lee, in which case, they ripped them violently out of our hands, and left two holes in my heart... 
)
My point being, I've been seeing a lot of things about people hating on Kenny fans because they assume we all blindly follow him, just because we choose his ending. Thankfully, I've also been seeing a lot of people saying the choice was hard for them, and still liked Kenny in the end even if they killed him.
If you didn't like Kenny, if you didn't like Jane, if you didn't like Luke, if you didn't like Bonne, etc. There are plenty of reasons why in our minds why. And myself included, we do go into lengthy discussions to try and disapprove what people are saying, sometimes simply because we don’t want to be proven wrong, or we don’t want to change our minds because in our minds, that person is just not redeemable. Here’s some reasons why we won’t like a character…
Kenny was a racist redneck. Kenny was going insane and gonna kill Clem eventually. Kenny was inconsiderate and insane.
Jane was selfish. Jane did wrong in turning Clem against Kenny intentionally.
Luke deserted the group. Luke got Sarah and Rebecca killed. Luke was a wimpy man.
The list goes on, and all these things I just said could be seen as justifiably true by some people, or by others incredibly hasty generalizations. My point being, just because we defend a character, doesn't mean we defend everything they due. Every choice they make. If we assume that, that's where we begin to argue with each other about our chosen persons. We have the right to start disliking a said character at any point.
I liked Bonnie and Mike in EP. 4, but hated Bonnie and was extremely disappointed with Mike by the end of EP. 5. I liked Luke through the entire Season 2, but was disappointed with him in EP. 4. And to be perfectly honest, I disliked the most that he had sex with Jane. I didn’t like her to begin with, and after having sex with Luke, I really didn’t like her. But she came back in EP. 5 and saved us, working her way back to redemption in my book. But by the end, I really wanted nothing to do with her.
Kenny. Loved him in Season 1, thought he was awesome. He reminded me a lot of people I knew and grew up with. I hated him when he said he wouldn’t help my Lee save Clem because he was counting favors and mine didn’t add up to his, even though I acted as a rational Lee. Was touched by his sacrifice for either Ben or Christa. Loved to see someone we knew back in Season 2. Hated he was overshadowing the entire Season 2 cast. Loved he stood up for Clem and treated her like she was important to him. Hated him treating Luke and almost everyone else like shit in EP. 4. Loved that he apologized to Clem which was deserved on our behalf. Hated him beating Arvo. Loved him seeing us as his partner when we spoke in the Truck. Hated that he went psycho on Jane and my Clem couldn’t bring him out of his break in judgment and control. Loved that he hugged my Clem in the end. Loved that he immediately thought of Clem and AJ to get them into Wellington. Loved that he cried and wanted to see Clem and AJ safe above everything else.
It all added up in the last few seconds of EP. 5. Kenny did everything (or almost everything) to protect the people he loved. He needed someone. He has purpose when he’s will others. Hence why he acts so forcefully at certain points to protect the ones her loved. These actions were often seen as irrational, and psychotic. But y’know what? He acted irrationally and ignorantly because to him, he had to do something. It’s who he is.
In the last few moments of the game, it became very obvious to me just how important Kenny was to this story. Lee didn’t even make it this far. And Lee gave everything to save Clem. Kenny in turn was willing to do the same.
Did he have lapses in judgment? Yes. Could he slip one day and lose it all and actually hurt or kill Clem? I won’t be stupid and say no. Because he could. But I’m still choosing him.
So you see? My mind changed about him constantly, and I don’t blindly worship everything he does. But y’know what? He was the best choice TO ME. I won’t force my choice on anyone. Because to each his own. I will however defend it. I will defend Kenny when I see he should be defended.
There ya go. Kenny is worth sticking by. Like loved ones are when they’re going through tough times. I’ve recently learned this with people in my life who have suffered depression and mentioned suicide. I would do anything to keep them alive, or to make them happy again.
To me, Kenny needed Clem and AJ to live. And I cared about Kenny too much to just let Clem go off to Wellington or to go off with Jane. So, that’s exactly what I choose. Insult me if you will. Try and call me a blind Kenny supporter, but to you I say, No. I changed my mind, and evolved to grow to love and trust a character.
Just like people have done with other characters.
With that being said. I love Luke. Lee. Omid and Christa. Ben. Duck, Sarita, Katja, Nick, Alvin, Rebecca. They all had things to love, but things to dislike. Again I say, to each his own. 
Thanks for reading my essay.
Comments
Well said.
With all the Kenny hate I've been seeing, I had to say something. Thanks for reading all the way through.
Kenny hate? Then prove me wrong and answer my challenge.
I read your challenge. And y'know what? Yeah. Telltale seemed to heavily favor Kenny. And y'know what? If you read my post, I said I disliked that he overshadowed the entire Season 2 cast.
But so did Clem. Why? Because she's the main character? To TellTale Kenny became more than a side character, he became a main character like Lee. And y'know what else? It's their game, they can make it the way they want to make it. If we don't like it, lets just be glad we can join a forum and complain or discuss or rant or whatever about it. But in the end, it's their story. They're paying for it's creation, production, and have control over it.
It's interesting that you went back and forth on Kenny but in the end decided the best way to go is with Kenny. That puts Clem and AJ within arm's reach of an unstable killer and makes Clem an accomplice to murder. If Kenny snaps and kills them, that's not what he would have wanted. At the end of the season, Kenny is like a family dog. Sometimes when dogs get old or sick they become violent and dangerous. No matter how much you love them, the right thing is to put them down before they hurt someone.
The best ending is hard to say. If you shoot Kenny, you let Jane get away with what she did. If you don't, Clem becomes complicit in Jane's murder. Killing someone over an accident ... Wow, what if Clem or AJ ever make a mistake ... or what if they adopt that morality?
I think staying with Kenny is the worst ending because of who Clem becomes and because it doesn't honor that Kenny wants to protect Clem and AJ, even from himself. Leaving Clem and AJ at Wellington is not the best ending for Clem's humanity, but it's the best one where Kenny lives. It's kind of a Lee ending. Lee and Kenny both took Clem as far as they could, then leave when they become a threat to her. I still think that's a hard ending to like, because to do it, players have to be ok with Clem turning a blind eye to murder. (And actually this is similar to the Lee ending where players must decide if Clem is ok with euthanasia.) By supporting Kenny no matter what, Clem is going down a dark path. Will she be able to raise AJ like that, when she's lost so much of her humanity?
That's why I think the best ending is when Clem shoots Kenny and is alone or with Jane. Clem doesn't have to give up much humanity to shoot Kenny and stop him from murdering Jane. It's a hard decision but justifiable. Whether Clem forgives Jane or not also does not make her lose humanity. I feel like Clem can still raise AJ because she still has a sense of right and wrong, rather than becoming someone like Kenny who kills people who make mistakes. (And I also don't think that's who Kenny wanted to become, or that he would want Clem and AJ to become like him.)
You made your choice. You were happy with it. Can I not be happy with my choice? Because leaving Kenny as I walk into Wellington, full well knowing he's going to go off and die, is not something I feel happy about.
Everyone is dangerous, everyone is capable of murder, of all the things he did. But I happen to see Kenny from such a different standpoint than most people because Kenny is a lot like someone whom I love and hold dear to my heart. I take games to heart, characters and stories, and everything.
Yes, I realize and understand your thoughts about 'putting him down' for Clems and AJ's sake. But I choose not to put him down. I believe he can still be redeemed. And if you don't, then fine. You have the right to feel that way, but do I not have the right to feel the way I do about Kenny because other people see him as a dangerous, broken man?
Right, and as the customer, I have the power to reflect my thoughts while leaving feedback.
We all know, Businesses who do NOT listen to customers are bound for failure.
Personally, I thought sending Clementine off to Wellington was the safest place to be her and also gave her the best chance of possibly reuniting with Christa.
Having her remain in the wilderness with a madman, though...the upbeat nature of the ending doesn't disguise the fact that Clementine's fate is precariously balanced, now that she's alone with a ticking time bomb...
Fine. My post wasn't intended as a CHOOSE KENNY OVER ALL post. It was a opinion that hasn't been much explored in the threads. I'm giving an opinion from someone who DISLIKED Kenny for a time, and had her mind changed throughout the game.
I'm not going to argue why I choose Kenny or why it was better. All I have to say is, I have every right to choose Kenny over Jane. And I knew full well the dangers. But I still remain with Kenny. Where people think I'm being irrational and unwilling to change my opinions, they don't realize that I still have my own strong feelings about my stance. I'm HONESTLY happiest with the Kenny and Clem ending.
Yes. You're right. But making our fellow fans feel like shit is putting a bad taste in their mouths about the fandom and the actual game itself.
Just trying to change some minds.
My minds made up for now. I'm sticking with Kenny. I for see that things changing in the future involving my opinions since this whole thread was me changing my opinions on Kenny during the past two seasons, but to me, I'm fine where I'm at right now.
And that's valid. Jane proved herself to be dangerous and untrustworthy as well. I guess it's interesting that every ending has Clem put into a very uncertain position. Will Kenny break irreparably while she's alone with him in the zombie and bandit infested wilderness? Is Wellington really safe? How long can she last on her own? Can she trust the family she let into Howe's, or did turning them away only make enemies out of them?
Exactly. It doesn't matter what we choose for Clem, there will always be a myriad of dangers that are still present everywhere.
One thing's for sure - Kenny and Jane are both determinant, and we know those characters never last for long in Telltale's games...
I honestly think this is the end of Clem's story. People had posted a theory that either it would have to take place fairly soon like in the next two years and the max age she could be would be 13 since they don't want the game universe to overstep the time passed in the actual comics or TV Show.
Another thing is that with 5 endings, no matter how they start the new season, it might be a slap in the face to our choices. Kinda like with Mass Effect 3's three endings, and how they will work three endings that into the next game.
And yes, since they're both determinant, we know what'll happen. But one can dream that this really is the end of Clem's story. I think a lot of people no matter what choice they made in the end leave leave them happy or at least content.
Yeah, I think the whole reason behind the multiple endings is to please as many people as they can and conclude Clem's story without killing her. Season 3 will likely star a new protagonist.
Of course, if there ever is a Season 4 in the next few years, another time-skip in the comic universe may allow us to see a teenaged Clem. But her time as protagonist is over.
Exactly. It was left so open ended for this reason I think.
I'm personally excited to see a new protagonist in Season 3 if we have one. And seeing Clem again in a time skip would be pretty cool.
We just have to make sure as fans to support TellTale best we can. (That doesn't mean we agree with everything they do of course. 
)
Even with the fact that they force us to forgive Kenny no matter what, his determinant status means we're likely not going to see him in DLC. I liked the character, but hopefully now the writers will be able to start anew without trying to recycle even more character plots from Season 1 i.e. Lilly.
I dunno, dude. He walked the distance of a state for days without food to get his group back from Carver's camp. He's pretty tough in some regards.
This was an example of what other people were saying/incurring about Luke. I personally loved Luke and was at his defense for everything, minus the Jane sex thang.
I'm Team Luke at heart.
Lilly or Christa DLC would be epic. And could act as the sort of finality to Clem's story. I mean, we could play out their side of the story and end up with Clem where ever she ended up and reunite with her. In this case, I'd be very happy with a Christa DLC.
I'm glad Luke redeemed himself.
He never had to redeem himself. I was never mad enough at him to leave him ever. But I think he redeemed himself in everyone else eyes. He was still the best choice for Clem.
Finally,a reasonable Kenny fan,I just simply hate it when someone said "my choice iz da best urs suckzzz asszzz..."
I went with Kenny but chose to go to Wellington.
It broke my goddamn heart, but I didn't want Kenny to..I didn't want him to fail.
This whole journey to Wellington, the people who died, and for what? To just go on the road again?
I dunno..
But just..god.
"Here. Kenny hands Clem his hat. When he's older, you give him that and you make him wear it. And you tell him about his daddy and his mommy, about Lee, about me and about all the people that got him here. You tell him. And you keep him safe.
I'm..I'm glad to have met you, Clementine."
I agree with you, I do not worship Kenny. I dislike some things he does. But, in a way, I relate to him. I get angry when I'm depressed. I feel like hurting people. I don't really mean it, I see myself as a rational person. Its just my emotions that are irrational.
What he's been through, I would be the same.
When the I had the option to shoot Kenny, I had to pause the game to cry (I did the same with Luke's death and that motherfucking dream sequence). Because I didn't know what to do. I knew Jane was lying, it was quite obvious. So I ended up doing nothing. I mean, she did tell me to do that.
Just...
Telltale has suceeded in breaking me.
I hope GOTG is good.
That's exactly why I posted this, and thank you for being nice about it.
But I can't stress this enough. If Luke had lived, and we could have the original Luke v. Kenny choice. I would've been with Luke 100%.
Oh my God... I haven't watched the leave Kenny and go into Wellington end, so reading that dialogue has me in tears...
I just couldn't give up on Kenny. I always was trying to do justice to Clem by letting her lead the story and me just be her passenger. So, when she started balling when Kenny was trying to convince her to leave, I felt like I needed to go with Kenny. I don't regret it.
But in all honesty, the best thing for Clem was getting AJ to Wellington.
Wow, I am fairly similar to you as well. I have some anger issues, and being in extreme situations makes it worse, but I would do my best to keep the people around me alive no matter what. Because I love them and owe them everything. Kenny didn't guilt us when we got to Wellington, he was sacrificing what was left of him to get us there. But there was still some of him left, and I couldn't give up.
I really think this topped Season 1's ending. But I won't be offended if people disagree.
I left with Kenny.. It just goes to show that all we have is each other and sometimes being with people who you know care about you is worth more than anything.
Exactly. Kenny was worth going into the unknown with. I couldn't leave him. The bond was too strong.