KareDevil

KareDevil is the het ship between Karen Page and Matt Murdock from the Daredevil fandom.

Season 1
After sharing a few drinks with her co-worker Daniel Fischer, Karen awoke the next day in her apartment staring at his corpse in front of her as she held a bloody knife in her hand. When the police kicked her apartment door open and arrested her, she repeateadly pleaded with them that she did not commit the crime, however Karen was taken into prison where she eventually met Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson. When she confessed that she had no money to pay them, Foggy attempted to leave her case, but Matt convinced him to stay. As Karen told them what she remembered, Matt listened to her heartbeat to decipher if she was lying or not. When Matt realized Karen was telling the truth, he agreed to help her.

After an attack was made on Karen in prison, she was released and kept in the custody of Nelson and Murdock. When Karen requested she return to her apartment, Foggy warned her not to. Instead, Matt offered Karen to stay at his apartment for the night. At Matt's apartment, Karen was given a change of clothes, as hers had gotten wet in a rain storm, and some water. Matt and Karen smiled as they talked with each other, and eventually, Karen learned that he had been blind since he was nine and missed his sight. Murdock later asked her why she was not killed in her apartment- since the people going after her would have no reason to keep her alive if she didn't have something of value that would incriminate them. In order to keep Murdock and Nelson safe, Karen lied and said that she had nothing of the sorts. Although Matt knew she was lying, he accepted her answer and shortly went to bed after.

Believing that Matt had fallen asleep, Karen went back to her apartment to find the flash drive containing the copy of Union Allied's financial report, but got attacked by a thug who rammed her into a wall. After obtaining the flash drive, he approached Karen to kill her when a Masked Man began to fight with him. Karen watched as the two tumbled out of the window and onto the street. Ultimately, the Masked Man had won and had taken the flash drive, promising Karen to take it into the proper hands, however Karen warned him not to since he couldn't trust anyone. Agreeing with Karen's decision, the Masked Man decided to release the information through the New York Bulletin.

When all of Karen's charges against her were cleared, she joins Matt and Foggy to celebrate their victory. Karen cooked them both a meal she had learned from her grandmother, who told her to only cook it for her future husband. Foggy glances at Matt who makes a comment that he detected a whiff of virtue in the pie, which makes Karen smile. After Union Allied got taken down, Karen started to work for Nelson and Murdock.

Despite Union Allied being "taken down" Karen started her own personal investigastion on the men that had tried to kill her, and who was behind the mystery. Foggy and Karen eventually visited one of their clients, Elena Cardena's, and stayed at her home and ate dinner. As the two ate, Foggy discussed his past with Matt when they were in college. And when the conversation turned to how Matt perceived Karen, she asked Foggy to close his eyes, feel her face, and describe the feeling like a blind man would. Despite Foggy finding it a bit of a strange request, he complied, but suddenly, an explosion rocked the apartment, blasting the two to the floor. Karen and Foggy later helped Elena Cardena's get to the hospital after she had received a cut on her forehead from the explosion, meanwhile, Matt was stopping the russians who had placed several bombs in Hell's Kitchen. When the news showed the Masked Man and painted him as a villain, Karen was the only one to believe that he wasn't a terrorist that everyone made him out to be.

The next day at Nelson and Murdock, Karen and Foggy discuss the Masked Man. Whereas Foggy believed that he was a coward and terrorist, Karen argued against his view. Saying that the Masked Man's intentions were unclear, but she believed he was a good person. When Foggy remained unfazed by Karen's argument, Karen asks Matt to back her up; who only offers proffesional legal answers, but assures her he would still defend him in court. Karen decides to leave early to meet with Ben Ulrich, however she avoids telling her whereabouts to Nelson and Murdock. Ultimately, Karen involves Foggy into her and Ulrich's investigastion on a Kingpin who controlled all the crime ring's in Hell's Kitchen. In favor of the Masked Man, Karen managed to convince both Foggy and Ben that the Mask was likely working against the Kingpin. The next day, Karen and Foggy talked about how they couldn't reveal their investigation to Murdock, however failed as Matt found out. Worried for their safety, Matt insisted that they stop but since Karen refused to be defeated, he agreed to help as long as they approached the investigation from a legal position. When Karen saw Wilson Fisk appear on the news and condemn the Masked Man's actions, while assuring people that all he wanted to was make the city a better place, not for one second did she believe him. Instead, Karen chose to keep her utmost faith in the Masked Man. Karen insisted to Ben and Foggy that they keep digging to find something to bring Fisk down and they use the Mask's help to do it. Karen also commented that she believed the Mask more than Fisk, and that he was kind of badass. Matt smiled at her comment and ducked his head to avoid suspicion.

After the death of Elena Cardena's, Matt suspected that Fisk had something to do with it, which he told to Karen and Foggy. Karen put forward her desire for the Masked Man to kill Fisk, leading to Matt asking her about religion, explaining himself to be Catholic, although he noted it didn't help him in mourning. As Foggy and Karen wept over Elena Cardena's, they promised each other to take down Fisk and bring justice to her name. When Karen got kidnapped by James Wesley after learning about Fisk's mother, In self defense, Karen shoots him. She fired a further six more shots into Wesley's chest, killing him before wiping the table of any fingerprints and fleeing. Terrified after what she had done, Karen cried when she got home and kept having nightmares about Fisk planning to kill her.

"This is my home, you and Foggy are the only good things in my life right now."

- Karen to Matt.

After Wilson Fisk's arrest, Foggy went to accompany Marci to get her a new job. Just before Karen and Matt went inside their office, Matt spoke to her, saying that there was a fear in her voice that still had not gone away even when Fisk had been arrested. Karen told him it was because despite Fisk being put away, Elena Cardenas and Ben Urich still were not going to come back as a result. Matt told her that while they couldn't change what had happened, they could still try and move forward together regardless. Matt held Karen's hand and the two walked together inside the office.

Season 2
At Josie's bar, Karen plays pool together with Matt and takes his hand to guide him. The two clearly seem to be romantically interested in each other, which made Foggy tease Matt about it. Matt smiled but then heard a man's heart beating fast, showing a sign of fear. Matt discovered that a man named Grotto was looking for them because he had been hunted down by an assassin with the alias: The Punisher.

After Matt had fought Frank Castle, Karen visited Matt in his apartment to see how he was doing. When he met her at the door, he asked how she was doing. At first she said she was fine, then admitted that she was still scared after last night when Castle had shot up the hospital. He comforted her and invited her in. She noticed a broken glass on the floor and wondered if he had been drinking. He assured her that he was fine, but she refused to back down, asking him how many times he could make excuses for his injuries. Karen eventually dropped it and discussed about The Punisher, and she wondered if there was any connection between him and Daredevil, however Matt argued that there was no connection since Daredevil never killed anyone. Before she left, Karen told Matt that she and Foggy both cared about him, and then left to help him prepare his case.

When Frank Castle got arrested, Matt, Karen, and Foggy went to Josie's to celebrate. Whilst talking, Matt asks Karen about her family, to which she admits she had a brother. When Matt asked what he was like, she replied that he was sweet. After having shots, Foggy quickly left to go home and joked that someone (Karen) had the terrible idea to do shots. Karen smiled at Matt and asked if he minded rain. When he answered that he didn't, she took his hand and walked him home. They walked together in the rain, and when they reached his apartment building, they kissed. He asked her if he could take her to dinner the following night, and she accepted immediately. Smiling, the two parted and she hailed a cab, glancing back at him before getting in the taxi. The next day, the two met a fancy resaurant. They awkwardly discussed what they should drink and asked about each other's day. She excused herself, asking him to order something fantastic. When she returned, Matt told her he didn't like the restaurant. She hesitantly asked if it was the restaurant or her, and he assured her that she was not the problem. She smiled and told him she knew another place, and they left. They continued their date at a much more casual restaurant, where they were both more comfortable. They joked about appreciating cheap stuff, and Karen described the beautiful lights in the restaurant for Matt to "see" what she could see. Afterwards, he walked her back to her apartment, where they sat on the front stoop. Smiling the two began to kiss, and Karen invited him up to her apartment. He gently turned her down, explaining that he had an ability to bring disaster to the best things in his life, and he wanted this evening to remain perfect as it was. After agreeing to go on another date with him the following night, she went inside.

Frank Castle's Trial

When Castle requested that Murdock and Nelson become his lawyers, the three excused themselves to an empty room when they discussed how to go forward with his case. There was a knock on the door, and a limousine driver informed them that his employer had sent a car service for Matt. Matt stammered, explaining that he had forgotten he had scheduled a meeting with the wealthy client who deposited a large amount of money in their bank account. Before leaving, he kisses Karen. Foggy, suprised at the action, asked if they were officially dating. Karen flushed and responded that they weren't labeling it, and walked Matt to the elevator. As they walked, They reminisced about their date the previous evening.

Next Date

At their next date, Matt and Karen enjoyed Thai food and wine while they made a plan for Tepper's cross examination. They soon reminisced about the night they first met, and Karen mused aloud how both Matt and the stranger in black had saved her that night. She then asked Matt if he believed in what Daredevil did. Matt replied that he believed in the law, and the two discussed Castle's actions. He told her that he believed that Castle clearly broke the law but he needed help, not punishment. Karen replied that while she did not agree with Castle's actions, she believed that they were effective. This made Matt pause and ask her if she really believed that. At first Karen denied it, stammering, but then admitted that maybe she did. After an uncomfortable silence, Matt suggested that they should call it a night, promising a real date soon. Karen agreed and left.

Nelson vs Murdock

After Foggy and Matt had fought, Karen asked what was going on and Foggy angrily told her to ask Matt. After Matt had entered the hallway, she demanded answers, and was angry when he said it was between him and Nelson. He headed towards the elevator and she left separately, very angry. After Karen informed Foggy that Catle would testify, Foggy insisted that Matt be the one to question him. Karen disagreed; but ultimatly went to find him. When she went to his apartment, the door was opened by an old man who guided her where Matt was. The man slid open the door to Matt's bedroom, and Page was shocked to find a woman in his bed. Matt quickly suggested they go someplace to talk, but she pulled away, informing him that Castle would take the stand the following day and Foggy wanted him to question him. She quickly got out of the apartment as the old man called out that it was nice to meet her.

After Castle's disastrous case, Matt tried to talk to Karen, but she shut him down. Karen told him that she didn't care if he was an alcoholic, or if he was hiding something, but she was done. Before Karen leaves, she agrees that the city does needs heroes, but Matt wasn't one of them.

Captured by The Hand

As an attempt to lure out Daredevil to kill him, the Hand, under the orders of Nobu, had kidnapped everyone Daredevil had saved and put away, including Karen. When Daredevil finds the location of where the innocents are kept, he saves them and defeats The Hand's men. Upon seeing Karen, he cups her cheek in his hand and asks if she's okay. Later, as Daredevil fights against The Hand on the rooftop, Karen watches him.

"I'm Daredevil."

At the end of Season 2, Matt asks Karen to meet him in Nelson and Murdock's office. When Matt arrives and sees Karen, he nervously says that he has something to show her. Still angry at him, Karen replies that she did not want whatever it was, but Matt insists, and eventually pulls out his Daredevil mask. Karen looks at the helmet in shock as Matt reveals to her that he is Daredevil.

The Defenders
After winning a case, Matt meets with Karen and they both dine at the Metro Dinner. The two catch up on their new lives and laugh as they talk. After a moment of silence, Karen asks if she misses the mask, to which Matt answers that he doesn't. Later on, Matt visits Karen as she's working overnight at the New York Bulletin. When asked why he had visited, he answers that she could be danger and he can't let that happen again. Karen asks Matt to talk to her honestly, and he reveals that he's going out as Daredevil again. Matt continues that if he doesn't people will die. Karen nods and says that she knows, but she doesn't need his protection. Matt apologizes and pleads for Karen to come with him to keep her safe, and after she agrees, Matt thanks her and brings her to the police station where she reunites with Foggy.

"They came for you before, Karen. I cannot let that happen again."

- Matt.

In the finale of The Defenders, Karen watches as everyone who survived the fall of Midland Circle walks into the police station bloody and beaten, but alive. She watches with tears in her eyes as she waits for Matt to walk in, but he never does. Foggy holds her tight as she cries on his shoulder.

Season 3
Several months after Matt's "death", Karen kept paying for Matt's rent believing that he would return. She invited Foggy to Matt's apartment to talk about him possibly being alive, but Foggy had already lost hope that his best friend would come back.

Karen was assigned by Ellison to write an article about Rostam Kazemi and his daughter Neda who were attacked and almost kidnapped. Karen met with Neda at the Riverbank Medical Center to speak about the attack but Neda refused to say anything, fearing people's attention. Karen states that even if she doesn't say anything, people will still make their own version of the story. After considering Karen's words, Neda tells her about the man in the black mask who saved them. Believing that Matt truly is alive, Karen goes to see Foggy at Nelson's Meats and informs him that Matt is probably alive and still saving people. Foggy, not believing her, tells her to stop searching for a dead man. Karen rushes out angrily as Foggy calls out to her.

When Karen and Matt reunite again, Matt is cold towards her and Foggy, and they both believe that some part of him died when Midland Circle fell on him. Despite this however, Karen helps Matt take down Fisk, because she still cares very deeply about him. When Bullseye tries to kill them both, the two protect each other. In the church, the two are finally honest with eachother, now knowing each others scars and faults and mistakes, and still accepting each other. When Matt reveals he wanted to kill Fisk, Karen says that she gets him and understands, but, she tells him of what happend with her brother and explains that once Matt crosses that line, there is no going back. Matt later tends to Karen's wounds and she thanks him. When Karen brings up Matt distancing himself from them- Matt argues that he isn't and he's trying to protect them- Karen tells him to shut up, and assures him that she was never gonna leave him, and she won't leave him now.

"It was nice- It was nice that you.. thought of me like that."

- Karen to Matt when she said he thought of her as "Innocent."

Page, Murdock and Nelson.

Karen and Matt celebrate their victory with Foggy's family at Nelson Meats, and the three friends happily laugh as they finally have a chance to reunite again. Karen and Matt themselves seem to be more close to each other than ever, and smile as they talk to each other. When Foggy writes all of their names on a napkin, and suggests they work together again, they all agree to become "Nelson, Murdock and Page" but Karen jokingly fixes it to "Page, Murdock and Nelson."

Moments

 * Matt lets Karen hear his heartbeat to assure her he's not lying to her.
 * Matt and Karen walk hand in hand in the rain together before their first kiss.
 * In the finale, Karen drinks from Matt's cup.
 * Maggie Murdock tells Matt that if Karen knows she's Daredevil and accepts him regardless, she sounds like a keeper.
 * Matt saves Karen when the Blacksmith's men try to kill the DA.
 * Karen has always had her faith in Matt, even when he was lying.
 * Matt says to Karen in The Defenders that he wanted her to know he was Daredevil.
 * Karen's grandmother promised her to make her special pie only to her future husband. When Karen says this, Foggy glances at Matt.

Quotes
"Tonight has been perfect. And if I stop now, then I get to keep this one perfect night."

- Matt to Karen. "Careful, Matt. Keep going like this you just might end up happy."

- Foggy to Matt about his relationship with Karen. "It's all over your face. You can't hide that. You love him."

- Frank to Karen about Matt. "She [Karen] knows you're Daredevil, and she stuck around? Sounds like a keeper."

- Maggie to Matt. ".. Thank you."

- Karen to Matt when he treats her wounds. "You're not alone. You never were."

- Karen to Matt when he cries. "You will find her, Matthew."

- Elektra to Matt when Karen gets taken by The Hand. "I lied to someone. Someone I love."

- Matt in his confession about Karen. "Thank you. You're a goddess."

- Matt to Karen.

Behind The Scenes
"Arguably Daredevil's greatest love was Karen Page, with whom he spent a majority of his comics existence in an on-again, off-again romance. That is until she was murdered by Bullseye. Stepping in front of a billy club aimed at Daredevil's head by his arch-nemesis, the projectile pierced her heart, and she died in Matt's arms. Her death was one Matt barely recovered from, actually contemplating suicide in his throes of grief."

- CBR on KareDevil in the comics.

"What I’ve said in the past, and what I stand by is that if Matt is ever to find real happiness, it’s not going to be with Elektra. You know? That’s a lot of fun and really, really does not end well. I think if Matt was to ever find a true sense of calm and peace and real love, and have a family and stuff, it would be Karen. But people don’t always make the right choice. Karen feels like a more authentic real love. Not the fickle, exciting, crazy drama psycho love that lasts for a few months and then when things get mundane isn’t really there. That Karen love is potentially much more long-lasting."

- Charlie Cox on Elektra vs Karen.

"Karen Page. I think Karen is the love of Matt's life. Hopefully.. one day. When Matt's with Karen, she brings out a side of him that is exactly who he wants to be. I love that relationship. I find myself rooting for them. I really want them to figure it out, you know? Matt's ability to choose.. let's say Karen. That's the sensible choice. The choice that's gonna lead to happiness. I love the way the story is told, the Karen and Matt story. It's so beautiful, It's so moving to me."

- Charlie Cox talking about KareDevil.

"I think from the moment he meets Karen he feels like she sees through everything; he feels like she looks at him and she sees everything that he’s perhaps trying to hide. So we’ve been playing with the idea that, if at all possible, when he’s with Karen he has his glasses on — because it’s like he feels naked without them."

- Charlie Cox.

"Karen Page is Matt Murdock's great love."

- Charlie Cox on Matt's love. "I think that Karen represents Matt’s best chance of real happiness. She is his great love, she is the love of his life."

- Charlie Cox. "I like that our characters [Karen and Matt] really got to breathe; that way [Karen]’s not [just] a love interest. If we take it real slow into these relationships, then we buy them as genuine. They’re not plot devices."

- Deborah Woll. "Absolutely. I can’t say much in specifics, but Charlie Cox here is my favorite actor I’ve ever worked with. He’s an actor you can disrupt and he’ll respond to what you’re doing."

- Deborah Ann Woll when asked about if we’ll see more Matt/Karen relationship at the NYCC 2015. "I don’t know if this is because I’m too involved in the show but I love Karen Page. I think she’s great, I think Deborah Ann Woll is an astonishing actor and I love [Matt and Karen’s] relationship. I find myself rooting for them, I really want them to figure it out, you know what I mean? And that’s not an easy character to play, the Karen Page character, and I think Deborah does an extraordinary role."

- Charlie Cox on Deborah. "I think Karen sees something in Matt that she likes, that she thinks is challenging and recognizes in herself."

- Deborah Ann Woll on Karen. "My favorite part of working on Daredevil is working with Charlie."

- Deborah Ann Woll. "...I think that what Karen and Matt feel is very very profound, I think its on a deeper level a most sort of chemical biological level but the hurt is so deep right now, the lies are so deep right now..."

- Deborah Ann Woll and Karen and Matt in Season 3.

"My sense is that they care for each other, deeply, and that always leaves room for romantic entanglement."

- Deborah Ann Woll about Karen and Matt. "In my heart, I think Karen Page is Matt Murdock’s true love, the love of his life. I think what we see in S2 is him coming to the understanding that he’s too complicated for her, he would never choose Matt for her, he loves her too much I think. She represents a purity, something that i don’t think he deserves for himself."

- Charlie Cox on how Matt feels. "Elektra drew (Matt) back in. Somehow, he was able to go to a vulnerable place with her, and he opened the floodgates of the past with her. And that affected him deeply. In doing so, he betrayed Karen a little bit. And what was important to me was that, at the end of the season, he doesn’t choose Karen because he’s lost Elektra. And the moment at the end of season 2, the sense of that scene should be that Matt – it’s effectively Matt saying, “I don’t know how to explain to you what happened. I don’t know how you and I would recover from this. I don’t know if we have a future. But what I do know, is that the only chance we have is if you know the whole truth – if you know everything, if there are no more secrets. And this is my secret. This is who I am.” And so that’s what that moment is."

- Charlie Cox on Elektra and Karen. "I also have to say every moment with Karen— I got really excited thinking they could both have a moment of happiness, after all. When that was taken away from them, I got really depressed, I swear."

- Charlie Cox on Matt and Karen in Season 2. "Matt is capable of kind of like, sidetracking Foggy enough, distracting him […] he’s got good at it, but I think from the moment he meets Karen he feels like she sees through everything, he feels like she looks at him and she sees everything […] so we’ve been playing with the idea that, if at all possible, when he’s with Karen he has his glasses on - ‘cause it’s like he feels naked without them."

- Charlie Cox on Matt. "Matt, as much as she might have very deep feelings for him, he's also very complicated and very secretive."

- Deborah Ann Woll on Matt. "I think they [Karen and Matt] are 100% aware of the romantic chemistry, but they are just happy to be in each other's lives again and don't want to ruin it."

- Deborah Ann Woll on the Daredevil finale.

Fanon
KareDevil is the second most popular ship for Karen and the third most popular for Matt. It is one of the fan favorite ships in the Daredevil fandom, and one of the most popular in the series. On AO3, it is the third most written ship in the Daredevil (TV) tag, and the third most written ship for Matt on Matt Murdock (Works) tag. It is the second most popular written ship for Karen.

There is some controversy surrounding KareDevil however, since it is the rival ship of two other popular pairings, Kastle and MattLektra. Shipping wars are common within the fans on which ship is better, however there are fans who enjoy all three pairings.

Fandom
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Trivia

 * Charlie Cox is a KareDevil shipper. Deborah Ann Woll also supports KareDevil.
 * The producers, writers and actors all root for KareDevil to be the endgame ship.
 * Frank Castles guesses that Karen that she loves Matt. When she stammers and argues against it that he hurts people, Frank tells Karen that he would do anything to have his wife hurt him again. He continues saying that the people that hurt you the deepest is the one's you should hold onto. Frank assures Karen to hold on to Matt with both hands, and never let go. In season 3 of Daredevil, Karen tells Matt that she was never gonna leave him.
 * Matt says to Foggy that he would like someone who he really likes listening to. In Daredevil Season 1 Episode 5, Matt tells Karen he likes listening to her voice.
 * The official Daredevil twitter responded with "Karen Page" first, when a fan asked what made Matt happy.
 * Charlie Cox and Deborah Ann Woll used a fanmade KareDevil AMV while talking about how they root for their relationship.
 * Charlie Cox has said numerous times that he believes Karen Page is Matt's true way of finding happiness.
 * There is a fan forum for KareDevil on the Daredevil forum, and features an appreciation thread made by fans.
 * Deborah Ann Woll posted a gif of Karen and Matt on their date.
 * Deborah Ann Woll said that playing the role of Karen Page is personal to her, since her real life partner EJ Scott, has the rare genetic disease choroideremia, which is causing him to lose his eyesight.