Max and Chloe aren't the only ones who go through a hard time during the original Life Is Strange. Kate Marsh has plenty to deal with also, particularly during the first two episodes. It all begins before the events of the game when she gets drugged at a party and is filmed being promiscuous.

As a religious girl, she's very ashamed of her actions. It's made even worse as the video is shared everywhere, and the other kids make fun of her for it. The bullying drives the poor girl to the brink. And eventually, in episode two, she climbs atop the dorms and is prepared to jump. Max is the only one who can save her. But for once, your rewind power can't solve the problem. Instead, you must talk her down from the edge. Here's how you do so.

Updated March 24, 2024, by Zoë J. Osik: Still looking for how to save Kate in Life Is Strange? Talking her down from the roof requires some careful decision-making, and you'll have to prioritize her needs throughout the first few sections of the game. We've refreshed out guide with updated formatting and more details to help you stop her from jumping.

Dave's Harassment

Certain decisions you make before Kate ends up on the roof of the dorm impact how easy it is to talk her down. One of those occurs in the first episode when you find David Madsen shouting at the poor girl.

At the time, you have the option of intervening or taking a picture. It may not seem important at the time, but it's vital later on.

If Max Intervened

Kate will appreciate the fact that you protected her from David but also claim that it no longer matters.

Then you can say:

• "Things will get better."
• "You matter, not just to me."

It doesn't matter which you choose, either way, she'll admit to wanting to believe your words.

If Max Took A Photo

Things are different if you took a photo of her interactions with David. She'll be angry at you, and you'll have to appease her with your words.

Your options are as follows:

• "I wanted proof."
• "I've been bullied too."
• "I was scared."
• "I had no idea."

You must admit to being scared, and she'll understand.

Kate's Phone Call

At one point, while you're hanging out with Chloe, you get a call from Kate. You can either answer it or simply ignore the poor girl.

Chloe doesn't make it easy as she's not willing to wait.

While Chloe isn't willing to wait, it's worth noting that she will still be there when you finish the call. Kate, however, is in a dark place and needs the support more than Chloe does.

If you're worried about damaging your relationship with Chloe to save Kate, don't be. You'll have plenty of time with Chloe to sort things out, but Kate needs you now.

If Max Answered

It turns out the call was good for Kate, as she admits to feeling a little better knowing that Max cares.

In response, you're free to say either:

• "You're my friend."
• "I'm here for you."

Kate appreciates Max's efforts whatever you say.

If Max Ignored Her

Kate calls Max out for ghosting her while she's in need. And you must make amends by picking the correct dialog option.

The choices are:

• "My phone died."
• "It was in silent mode."
• "I was with Chloe."
• "Thought it was Warren."

In this instance, lying works best as claiming the phone was on silent is the only positive response. Otherwise, Kate will accuse you of not caring about her problems. She will still say that she needed Max to answer if you lie about the phone being on silent, but it's the best option.

If your primary focus is getting Chloe to like you, then you should ignore the call. However, saving Kate will be much more difficult.

The Police Discussion

Early in episode two, you speak with Kate in her dorm room. She starts to get the suspicion that she was drugged and that Nathan was involved. So, Kate asks Max if she should go to report the incident to the police.

You can either encourage her to do so or say that her lack of proof will hurt her case — it's among the hardest decisions in the game.

If Max Encouraged Her To Go To The Police

Instead of talking about the police report, Kate mentions how much she appreciated Max coming up to the roof to stop her.

This is another situation where your exact response doesn't matter.

You can pick either of these options:

• "Nathan is involved"
• "You were drugged"

Either option will make Kate admit that you're persuasive.

If Max Told Her That She Needs Proof

Max's lack of encouragement about going to the police will not be appreciated by Kate, who gets mad at the protagonist. You can pick from the following options:

• "I'm gathering proof."
• "I wasn't sure."
• "I needed more time."
• "Too dangerous for us."

To explain yourself, you must say, "I'm gathering proof."

Anything else will not land well. Max will then reveal that she's got dirt on Nathan, which will make the girl hopeful.

The Web Video

While on the roof, she'll talk about how her video will be on the internet forever. If you erase the link on the bathroom mirror in the dorm, Kate will thank you. This can be done after you finish your shower and Victoria leaves the bathroom.

Otherwise, Kate will worry about the video ruining her life. You can choose from the following options:

• "There are billions of videos."
• "Be strong."
• "Everybody will forget."

The only reply that helps the situation is "Be Strong." It'll prompt Max to convince Kate that they can beat the bullies together.

Kate's Family

Afterward, Kate claims that nobody cares about her.

If you looked around her room in the dorm, you'd find a card from her father stating his support.

You'll have to choose from the following:

• "Your sisters."
• "Your mother."
• "Your father."
• "Your brothers."

To change her mind, you need to mention her sisters or father. This is because she's not on good terms with her mother, and she doesn't have any brothers.

If you select sisters, Max and Kate will talk about the latter's younger sibling Lynn. Bringing up her father, on the other hand, will prompt Kate to claim that he's the only one who believes in her.

Assuming you've played the scene perfectly, then Kate should, at this point, agree to come down. Bring her into a hug and keep her safe.

The Last Chance

If you choose one wrong dialog option during the rooftop scene, then you get only one more chance to save Kate.

However, you'll need to use her faith to do so.

If you looked in Kate's bible earlier in the episode, then you'll know she's a big fan of the Matthew 11:28 passage. Thus, select that dialog option to have Max recite it to Kate. It will change her mind, and she'll step away from the ledge.

What Are The Consequences Of Saving Kate?

If Kate survives, she and her family will be very thankful for Max's heroism.

The students of Blackwell Academy now feel bad for Kate and regret how they acted towards her.

Even Victoria writes her a note, and Kate forgives her. Later on, Victoria dedicates her Everyday Hero Contest prize to Kate.

There is also an additional scene in episode four where Max visits Kate at the hospital. The two have a great conversation, and it's clear that Kate is happy she didn't jump.

During the interaction, you can choose to bring up Nathan. Doing so will make it so that Kate later texts Max his room number.

This way, Max gets to go in and snoop around for more clues. There she will find very important evidence to share with Chloe.

Kate's fate impacts the nightmare sequence in the fifth episode. Along with a few small changes, Kate's dialog during the nightmare will be different depending on whether you save her or not.

As it's a nightmare concocted in Max's own mind, Kate won't be nice to you no matter what. She will either blame you for her death or be angry that you didn't let her go. So, clearly, nightmare Kate is nowhere near as nice as her real-life counterpart.