Nick is a hot-headed individual that can easily let his temper get the better of him. Shaped by his experiences after the outbreak, Nick appears to show little concern for other survivors, considering them a risk to his own people's safety, and tends to be rude to them. Said behavior is likely a consequence of the events surrounding his mother's death, which was caused by the cabin group's willingness to treat a stranger that had been bitten, who proceeded to turn and then attacked Nick's mother. As a result, Nick was forced to kill his own mother, which heavily traumatized him.

Traumatic events, such as the deaths of his mother and his uncle, are shown to depress Nick greatly and make him question whether there is any point in attempting to survive. As a result, his fellow group members often worry about his mental health, with some considering him to be a bit of a liability, something that Nick himself realizes. For this reason, Nick has claimed to be envious of Luke's ability to move on and wishes he could be more like his friend in this respect. Instead, Nick tends to act abrasively towards others to convince them he is "fine", when in reality, he is shown to deal better with his insecurities when somebody emotionally supports him.

Due to his impulsive nature, Nick tends to make hasty and aggressive decisions, which often lead to mishaps. Although he can initially be very reluctant to admit his blunders, Nick ultimately comes through most of the times, following which he will try to rectify his mistakes, as demonstrated by his apology to Clementine and his confession to Walter about his role in Matthew's death. Despite his flaws, he is generally a good person who means well and tries to help the people he trusts.




Nick was born to an irresponsible father who was rarely around, and an unnamed mother. Due to this, Nick's uncle, Pete, took on the responsibility of raising his nephew. Pete felt that it was best for Nick to learn about the cruelties of the world as soon as possible. Because of this approach, Pete was often condescending and brutally honest with Nick about life and his place in the world, causing Nick to suffer low self-esteem and anger issues, which resulted in a serious strain on their relationship that continued throughout their lives.

Once, when he was about Clementine's age, Pete took Nick on a hunting trip where they spotted a roe buck. Pete was disappointed that Nick didn't want to shoot the buck, and when they argued over it, Nick's rifle went off and nearly hit Pete. Pete later went out and found the buck, killed it and took it back to his sister's house to show to Nick, after which Nick didn't speak to Pete for weeks.

He would later go into a six-month business pursuit with Luke, his childhood friend, after the latter had drunkenly suggested it to Nick. Despite his initial unwillingness, Nick would come to look back fondly on this venture, saying it had been fun.