The 21 Best ‘Walking Dead’ Characters of All Time

It’s tough to get past that final note Beth (Emily Kinney) left on during the mis-plotted hospital storyline in Season 5. But before that, the younger Greene sister was sweet, considerate and driven — and her friendship with Daryl was a series highlight. Just try not to think about Beth the next time you stick the middle finger up at a burning house, a common occurrence I’m sure we’re all familiar with.

Bob Stookey is one of those early season characters of Walking Dead who stays just out of mind, but mention the kind, funny army medic and a smile will immediately come to your face, thanks to his good atiitude and romance with Sasha. Right after that, though, you’ll remember how he went out: having his leg eaten by a bunch of cannibals while he laughed and screamed about how they were eating “tainted meat.” Iconic, but gruesome.

A major, driving force behind the first two seasons of The Walking Dead, Jon Bernthal’s Shane was nothing but untapped potential. His arc found him burning out quickly due to jealousy of Rick, but his initial friendship — and Bernthal’s talent as a performer — made Shane impossible to look away from, even as he crashed and burned.

It’s hard to say Sasha Williams (Sonequa Martin-Green) suffered more than anyone else on the series (see above and Bob Stookey getting his leg eaten), but oh boy did Sasha suffer. Most of the men in her life died, then she died pretty abruptly, and only get a few, scant moments of happiness in between. Luckily, Martin-Green went on to bigger things on Star Trek: Discovery, and Sasha has been sadly (mostly) forgotten on the show. But her potential was there in every frame.

There are a million ways Eugene Porter (Josh McDermitt) could have been the most annoying character in TV history. But thanks to Josh McDermitt’s hilarious performance, Eugene is annoying; but in the right way. He grates on characters through his staccato delivery and insistence on knowing more than anyone else in the room; but push past his mulleted sense of authority and you get a man who is loyal to the end to what he believes in. Often, to a fault.

You can’t really go wrong casting Michael Rooker, and The Walking Dead certainly did right with big bro Merle Dixon. Initially a caricatured, racist villain, Merle grew to become — well, if not redeemed, at least redeemable right at the end by standing up to The Governor (David Morrissey) and saving his little bro-bro. Plus, he became the first of many TWD characters with a sweet hand-weapon.

We’ve been almost literally watching Judith Grimes, a.k.a. Lil’ Ass Kicker since the moment she was born in the prison. Though the daughter of Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) and, uh, Shane was initially one of those “wait did they forget they had a baby” characters, ultimately she’s grown up and lived up to Daryl’s nickname for her, thanks to actress Cailey Fleming. Sporting her father’s/brother’s hat, her Dad’s gun, and her adopted mom’s katana, Judith is the culmination of everything that has happened on The Walking Dead, and the hope for the future.

His red hair might give Archie Andrews a run for his money, but Abraham Ford (Michael Cudlitz) was far from a resident of Riverdale. The tough-talking soldier fond of ridiculous aphorisms may have started as the most red-blooded (and haired) American on the series, but by the end he was stuck in a surprisingly nuanced and emotional love triangle between Rosita Espinosa (Christian Serratos) and Sasha. Huh… Love triangle, you say? Maybe he was the show’s Archie, after all.

Paul “Jesus” Rovia (Tom Payne) is on this list slightly more for the promise of what he could have been, than what we saw on screen. Payne famously left the show a little disgruntled about his treatment, and we can’t disagree: Jesus deserved more. But what we did see was pretty kick-ass, from hopping on moving vehicles to literally kicking zombie butts. If anyone deserves a solo episode on the forthcoming Tales of the Walking Dead anthology, it’s the mysterious — yet friendly! — Jesus.

Father Gabriel Stokes (Seth Gilliam) deserves inclusion on this list for no better reason than he managed to go from one of the most loathed characters in Walking Dead history, to a fan favorite. It was a slow journey (and often an annoying one), but the former cowardly priest has managed to become a solid warrior and leader, a romantic interest — and all it cost him was an eye.

Post-Negan, it’s been hard to make an impression as a villain on The Walking Dead, but goddamn: Samantha Morton, everybody. Her sing-song baby voice as the leader of the zombie-skin wearing Whisperers, her shaved head, her… Well, everything added to a palpable sense of menace, with or without dried skin covering her face. Add in a series of complex relationships including with her second-in-command Beta (Ryan Hurst), her daughter Lydia (Cassady McClincy), and a serious rivalry with Carol, and you have a character who was more than a villain, she was a fully realized person.

To understand Aaron’s (Ross Marquand) importance to the show, you need look no further than his look, which adopts the profile Rick Grimes eventually took on in the comics. A steady leader and warrior, Aaron has always been soulful, honest and forthright. He’s also one of the increasing number of LGBTQ+ characters on the franchise, something that he helped (thankfully) pioneer. Just watch out for his mace-hand.

Khary Payton’s introduction as Ezekiel towards the beginning of Season 7 offered a turn for The Walking Dead. After the harrowing events of the Season 7 premiere, which officially brought the horrible darkness of Negan to the forefront, Ezekiel offered something different: theatricality. The series had always set up its heroes with their own silhouettes, their own weapons; but Ezkiel was — and is — something different, with his bombastic speech, snowy dreadlocks, and pet tiger. Payton owned the role from the get-go, but has only grown into it further over time, deepening Ezekiel and adding a tinge of sadness, while never losing that sense of fun.

The steady, moral center of The Walking Dead, Hershel Greene (Scott Wilson) brought gravitas to every scene he appeared in, from his time with his daughters to acting as Rick’s guide through the murky waters of the zombie apocalypse. His absence is only made the more poignant by his passing from leukemia in 2018, shortly after he filmed his final scene for the series, a hallucination via Rick in Season 9’s “What Comes After.”

Who could have predicted back, during his brief appearance in the series premiere, that Morgan Jones (Lennie James) wouldn’t just return to the series multiple times, but become one of the best characters in the franchise? “Clear,” the Season 3 episode that reunited Morgan and Rick, remains one of the best episodes the series has ever broadcast. And when he joined the show again full time, Morgan’s journey, wrestling with pacifism and his own sanity have been stand-outs on both The Walking Dead, and Fear the Walking Dead.

Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) at number six??? This list is GARBAGE! But seriously folks, yes, Rick Grimes was the lead of the series for eight plus seasons, the man who kicked it all off. And Andrew Lincoln put in the work, not just leading the show on screen, but off, as well. I’ve (humblebrag time) done dozens of interviews with The Walking Dead cast and creatives over the years, and they’ve all lauded how Lincoln was as steady behind the camera as he was in front. So why number six? Because he was the fulcrum that other characters turned on, he often got the less flashy or less exciting character arcs. He grew, he changed, he often broke, and we will eagerly follow him into his upcoming big screen adventures. But there are characters who, on their own, made more of an emotional or physical impact on the show and culture. Like, for example…

How does the most hated man in Walking Dead history rank so high on our list? Jeffrey Dean Morgan, motherf**kers. The cursing, murdering, sadistic former leader of the Saviors still hasn’t earned full redemption in the eyes of either fans, or the group at large; but Morgan has owned the role since first stepping out of that RV. He may have a long road to go to becoming a hero (though the Season 10 finale certainly helped push him in that direction), and challenges ahead. But Lucille’s daddy will never fail to take over every scene he appears in on screen.

From her shadowy introduction in Season 3 (really, the Season 2 finale) carting two zombies and wielding a katana, Michonne (Danai Gurira) has always been a striking figure. But as she slowly grew more comfortable with the group, we’ve seen the softer side of the character as well. Through her romance with Rick, and caring for Judith and little R.J., Michonne has become a fully fleshed out, wonderful character — and only ranks so relatively low on this list because she was offscreen too much the past few seasons. Fingers crossed the incredible Gurira gets to head back to the role in those upcoming Rick Grimes movies — and gets a spinoff flick of her own. We need more Michonne in our lives.

Who could have predicted back in Season 1 that Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) would become the icon of The Walking Dead, the face of the franchise, the man who launched a thousand t-shirts? Well… Everyone who watched Season 1, of course. Merle’s little bro may have been introduced as part of the supporting cast, but how can you not hook into a crossbow wielding, motorcycle riding badass with a heart of gold? Daryl has risen since Rick’s absence to become the ostensible lead of the series, but it’s those early arcs — particularly with Merle — that made Daryl so iconic. And we’ll have his angel wing vest on our TVs for a long, long time, thanks to the planned Daryl/Carol spinoff coming in 2023.

Is it a cheat to put two characters at number two on this list? Maybe, and if you think so, make your own darn list. Because Glenn Rhee (Steven Yeun) and Maggie Rhee (Lauren Cohan) are not only inextricably tied as characters, they comprise one of the best love stories in TV history. Though Glenn existed as a jokey pizza boy before meeting Maggie in Season 2, and Maggie continued past Glenn’s — sob — death in Season 7, those five seasons in the middle told a tale of two halves, people who completed each other and made each other better. The Walking Dead is known for its gore, its shocking deaths, and big action sequences. But Maggie and Glenn prove that hope and love can flourish in the zombie apocalypse, too.

There is, hands down, no better character in Walking Dead history than Melissa McBride’s Carol Peletier. From her first introduction in Season 1 as an abused wife terrified for her daughter’s (and her own) future, to a hardened warrior, to the damaged but perseverant matriarch Carol has become in Season 10, nobody has grown more than Carol. And when you think back on 10 seasons of the show, it’s hard to extricate her from some of the most iconic moments: “look at the flowers”; Carol’s cookies; even the demise of Alpha by Negan’s hands… Carol has been the center of them all. And to see her further impact, look no further than the Carol & Daryl spinoff that’s coming after The Walking Dead ends in 2023. We’ve been following the adventures of Carol Peletier for a decade, and we’ll follow them for a decade more.

Where to watch The Walking Dead