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GraveHorizon · Feb 3, 2014

Months after playing Telltale's The Walking Dead with my friend, we were talking about great Clementine was and I referenced her rareness of being a black female character, to which he replied that he always saw her as a little Asian girl. A quick trip to the internet didn't turn up anything explicitly telling, and we still disagree on what race she is. Her features and hair strike me as black, possibly with some white in her background given her paleness. Also, a picture of her parents shows they are both black, and there's the fact that everybody in the game just assumes she's Lee's daughter. I heard a rumor

from my friend

that Clementine was adopted, which if true could make her being half white more likely.

My friend is adamant that she is Asian, with her hair resembling that of someone from the China area, and any additional race being white at the most; no possibility of any black in her, he just doesn't see that at all. He also says the way he views the game is changed with the idea that she wasn't Asian.

What do you think, GAF? Is Clementine black//Asian/mixed race? Are there any other characters from games that have such a disputed racial background? Not ones that are just ambiguously brown, but in a setting were people have realistic racial and/or ethnic characteristics and are implied to be of a certain group of people. Also, if anything is explicitly revealed in Season 2 of the game, please spoiler tag that shit.

Manmademan · Feb 3, 2014

There's a picture of her parents in the walking dead season 1 somewhere that makes it clear that she is- or at least biracial.

Tripon · Feb 3, 2014

It's the South, OP. And how many Asian parents name their kid Clementine?

Camp Lo · Feb 3, 2014

I always thought she was Asian and black

Kyou · Feb 3, 2014

she's black and both of her parents are black

Alec · Feb 3, 2014

Black.

But I could see half-black, half-asian.

jwk94 · Feb 3, 2014

I always assumed she was caucasian.

cw_sasuke · Feb 3, 2014

Best of both worlds.

jph139 · Feb 3, 2014

Definitely assumed she was black... light-skinned, but he hair is a dead giveaway, I think.

Possibly mixed-raced but at least part black.

oti · Feb 3, 2014

I never really thought about that until just now... and I still don't really care.

DedValve · Feb 3, 2014

She's definitely black but just very light skinned. EDIT: The developers even said that they changed her black (from who knows what) in order to bear more of a resemblance to Lee so there was justification in people assuming he's her kid (I could be wrong on that).

Chinner · Feb 3, 2014

I thought she was Jewish?

KefkaPalazzo · Feb 3, 2014

I had always assumed she was hispanic.

But I guess she is black judging from that photo.

Zeyphersan · Feb 3, 2014

Definitely part black at least, and a case can be made for the mother's side too.

I never saw any Asian in her.

Camp Lo · Feb 3, 2014

oti xero said:
I never really thought about that until just now... and I still don't really care.

Well done.

Manmademan · Feb 3, 2014

jwk94 said:
I always assumed she was caucasian.

I thought she was Jewish?

Lot of blind gamers playing the walking dead

jiggles · Feb 3, 2014

Well, she looks a little Asian, and the whole reason she reached out to Lee in the first place is because he looks like her dad, so I'd assume she's supposed to be a black/asian mix.

Ahasverus · Feb 3, 2014

I alwaya thougt she was indian, she might be blac mixed but it doesn't seem to be black black.

Cheddahz · Feb 3, 2014

Half-black and half-white

Dark Octave · Feb 3, 2014

Yes.

Cheddahz said:
Half-black and half-white

No, it looks like her mom is black as well, maybe half.

LQX · Feb 3, 2014

I thought she was Asian until I saw her family picture in the house.

RoboPlato · Feb 3, 2014

Her father looks black and her mother looks Asian/black. Clem seems to take after her mother more in appearance.

GraveHorizon · Feb 3, 2014

Manmademan said:
There's a picture of her parents in the walking dead season 1 somewhere that makes it clear that she is- or at least biracial.

Yeah, the mother could be part white, or even just really pale.

Alec2DaBreen said:
Black.

But I could see half-black, half-asian.

The Asian part I only really see from the game's art style giving Clementine somewhat pointed eyes, but I never thought for a second she was Asian at all.

oti xero said:
I never really thought about that until just now... and I still don't really care.

Great contribution.

Mr. Smiley · Feb 3, 2014

I just thought of her as bi-racial or light-skinned black because of her picture with her dad.

Never made much of an effort to determine which though.

Fiktion · Feb 3, 2014

She's clearly a light skinned black girl.

Tripon said:
It's the South, OP.

Uh, there are tons of Asians in the Atlanta area. The fuck you talkin about?

Alec · Feb 3, 2014

GraveHorizon said:
The Asian part I only really see from the game's art style giving Clementine somewhat pointed eyes, but I never thought for a second she was Asian at all.

Yeah, I'm with you.

Deified Data · Feb 3, 2014

Camp Lo said:
I always thought she was Asian and black

This here. She's clearly blasian.

TUSR · Feb 3, 2014

mocha

Storm Chamber · Feb 3, 2014

She is to me and I will literally fight you if you disagree

DICKS AHOY · Feb 3, 2014

I can't remember where from so it might be complete bullshit, but I swear I heard that at one point TWD was going to have you playing as a teen boy protecting your younger sister Clementime, with both characters at the time being asian american. Could've just been they didn't change Clem's character design enough to make her new ethnicity obvious, especially given TWD's ultra-stylized look.

CHEEZMO · Feb 3, 2014

I hope not. How am I supposed to be emotionally engaged by Season 2 if I can't relate to the protagonist?

jediyoshi · Feb 3, 2014

No dice.

Camp Lo · Feb 3, 2014

Manmademan said:
There's a picture of her parents in the walking dead season 1 somewhere that makes it clear that she is- or at least biracial.

Damn, she probably is all black then. I never paid attention to that picture.

jiggles · Feb 3, 2014

Of course, we're all making the assumption that these are her birth parents.

Kyou · Feb 3, 2014

Storm Chamber said:
She is to me and I will literally fight you if you disagree

Sean Vanaman and Jake Rodkin, the dudes who wrote the game, agree with you so you're probably in the clear

timetokill · Feb 3, 2014

Seemed obviously black when I played the game. I'm actually stunned that there's even any doubt about it.

Comet · Feb 3, 2014

I always thought she was half-black and half-asian

Vice · Feb 3, 2014

She's black, takes after her mom when it comes to skin tone. Happens all the time in the black community.

jim-jam bongs · Feb 3, 2014

The best way to find out is to play her some guitar, percussion then electric piano, and see which she dances to.

GraveHorizon · Feb 3, 2014

Is there anyone that doesn't see any of her features as black at all? I just don't understand how you can look at her and not even consider her being black for a second, especially given the setting of the game and the material evidence of the family photo.

timetokill said:
Seemed obviously black. I'm actually stunned that there's even any doubt about it.

Me too. My friend says there's no way in hell she's black.

toastyToast · Feb 3, 2014

I had to convince myself she was white since I found it difficult to connect with a black child

Alec · Feb 3, 2014

jediyoshi said:

Aaaahahahahha. Pic saved.

bengraven · Feb 3, 2014

I always thought she was black.

Then seeing the pictures of her parents confirmed it.

She's black.

Sorry anti-Rue people.

Storm Chamber · Feb 3, 2014

Kyou said:
Sean Vanaman and Jake Rodkin, the dudes who wrote the game, agree with you so you're probably in the clear

They know whats good

Mr.Marston · Feb 3, 2014

timetokill said:
Seemed obviously black. I'm actually stunned that there's even any doubt about it.

.

Manmademan · Feb 3, 2014

Camp Lo said:
Damn, she probably is all black then. I never paid attention to that picture.

Almost certainly. The dad is CLEARLY black, and it's a really tough sell for the mother to be anything but a light skinned black woman with those features.

My friend is adamant that she is Asian, with her hair resembling that of someone from the China area, and any additional race being white at the most; no possibility of any black in her, he just doesn't see that at all. He also says the way he views the game is changed with the idea that she wasn't Asian.

You know how I know your friend is racist?

Byronic Hero · Feb 3, 2014

Kyou said:
she's black and both of her parents are black

Yep. I thought she was mixed at first too, then I actually looked at the picture of her parents.

aly · Feb 3, 2014

timetokill said:
Seemed obviously black when I played the game. I'm actually stunned that there's even any doubt about it.

Me too. She's just a light skinned black girl. There are plenty of those around. Black people come in all types of shades ad facial features.

Camp Lo · Feb 3, 2014

toastyToast said:
I had to convince myself she was white since I found it difficult to connect with a black child

Lol this guy

robovanburen · Feb 3, 2014

I dithered between thinking she was black and white. On the one hand, her parents appear black. On the other hand, she actually gets media attention when she's in trouble.

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