The Walking Dead has become one of television’s most wildly successful shows, the zombies themselves (or “walkers” as they’re known in AMC’s hit series) have always been stumbling behind the driving force that is The Walking Dead’s phenomenal cast of characters.
The show owes a huge amount to its heroes, villains, and those in-between. The post-apocalyptic series has given audiences a vast array of complex characters to care about, but in such a treacherous world, it’s no surprise that many of them didn’t survive long on-screen. For some, when their number was up it seemed a fitting end, but for others, it was a case of gone too soon.
8 Jesus Was One Of The Few Capable Of Leading A New World
Though his death provided The Walking Dead fans with one of the most shocking and upsetting moments in the entire series, fans weren’t ready to see the back of the martial arts master Jesus.
His flowing locks and wise ways were a unique and welcome addition back in season 6. The character went from strength to strength thanks to Tom Payne’s stylish performance, and after watching his captivating relationships develop with characters such as Morgan, Tara, and Aaron, it’s a shame that viewers never got to see more of Paul Rovia.
7 Bayonet Versus Bat Makes A Strong Argument For Merle Sticking Around For Negan’s Arrival
Michael Rooker’s Merle Dixon remains one of the show’s greatest characters, a deeply flawed villain, who found sensational redemption with his betrayal of The Governor. At times, the bayonet-armed fighter appeared to be void of morality, but when his time came, Merle died a hero.
Merle’s ruthlessness would have made him a formidable ally in Rick and the group’s later conflicts. In terms of The Walking Dead fantasy matchups, few would be as fascinating and ultimately gruesome as Merle versus Negan. Yet on a more heartwarming note, Merle riding off into the sunset with Daryl and Dog makes for a teary-eyed “what might have been” for The Walking Dead fans.
6 Tyreese Can Probably Thank A Certain Biker And His Crossbow For His Underwhelming Showing
Thanks to the unwavering popularity of Norman Reedus’ Daryl, The Walking Dead’s Tyreese never got to fulfill his role as right-hand man to Rick Grimes. Three’s a crowd after all, and there was little space or screen time that could be given up for Chad Coleman’s Tyreese at Daryl’s expense, as by this point the crossbow-wielding loner was arguably the show’s most popular character.
It was simply a case of a well-loved character from the comics not living up to those highs seen on the page. Chad Coleman was certainly up to the task with his performance, though sadly fans will always wonder how things might have turned out for Tyreese had Daryl not stolen his shine.
5 Bob Stookey Always Gave The Fans Food For Thought
Bob’s demise in season 5 is certainly one of the show’s most gut-wrenching deaths. After finding himself as chow not just for the walkers, but a group of cannibalistic humans too, Bob is then stabbed in the head by Tyreese before he can become one of those that feasted upon him.
Most of Bob Stookey’s time in The Walking Dead could classify him as enhancement talent, often occupying a background role compared with the likes of Rick, Carol, and Carl, but Lawrence Gilliard Jr.’s portrayal always made sure audiences cared deeply for the survivor, and it was unpleasant to many to see such an established TV actor leave the show.
4 Shiva Was The Kingdom’s Crown Jewel
King Ezekial certainly wins the award for the best post-apocalyptic pet, (with Daryl’s creatively named dog coming a very close second). Shiva the tiger was one of the comics’ most outrageously cool characters if she can be classed as one, but the beast that turned the undead into tiger feed always felt a little underused when it came to the show.
Shiva’s appearances in times of peril were always exciting and memorable, but they were few and far between. Fans also felt that the tiger’s death didn’t play out quite as heroically as it should have either, as Shiva’s tragic demise — succumbing to a relatively small group of walkers — felt completely avoidable.
3 Andrea Wasn’t Destined To Be Mrs. Grimes, But Maybe She Deserved Better Than She Got
Laurie Holden’s Andrea has a drastically different journey in The Walking Dead comics, where Andrea becomes Mrs. Grimes, marrying Rick and adapting herself into a mother figure for a young Carl. In the show, Andrea’s relationship with The Governor left her with little chance of survival, though she did take her chance at redemption.
For many fans, the redemption was unsuccessful, as they remained glad to see Laurie Holden’s exit, yet some like to speculate on what might have happened had she remained one of the living. Andrea was a killer shot, and a determined survivor, making her a valuable asset greatly missed in later seasons.
2 Morales Can’t Be Glad He Met Officer Friendly For A Second Time
Season 8 of The Walking Dead gave fans one of the show’s most shocking surprise returns when Morales was revealed as one of The Saviors. The character had been absent from the show since the first season, and upon his return, viewers learned he had lost everything, his wife, his kids, and seemingly his morality.
A potential reunion with the rest of the group would have made for a fascinating watch, though it was Morales’s lightning-quick reunion with Daryl that prevented this from ever happening.
1 Fans Never Got To See Carl Follow In His Dad’s Footsteps
For some fans, Carl was far more irritating than interesting in earlier seasons, but in season 8, they got a fantastic glimpse of the fierce Grimes warrior that Carl always seemed destined to grow up to be.
As the character matured, so did Chandler Riggs. The actor’s season 8 performances were some of his best, with his final two appearances being especially noteworthy. Carl dying meant that others could live, including a particularly bad man with a baseball bat, it’s just a shame we never got to see a grown-up Carl Grimes fighting the undead as the one-eyed walker killing badass fans always thought he would be.
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