The Walking Dead’s 10 greatest characters, ranked
By Josh Baggins
The Walking Dead has been on air since 2010. Season 11 is on the horizon so in the meantime let’s take a look at the best characters of the show’s ten years.
The Walking Dead has introduced dozens of named characters during its decade of cable TV dominance. Some have lasted the duration of the show so far, while many have succumbed to the zombie apocalypse. Without its strong characters, The Walking Dead would not survive its current run.
Here are the best Walking Dead characters:
10. (Tie) Merle
Played by: Michael Rooker
Seasons: 1 – 3
Status: Dead
One half of the Dixon brothers, Merle is antagonistic from the very beginning; a dangerous companion for the survivors, but always reserving some tough love for his younger brother Daryl. Michael Rooker ignites every second of his relatively limited screen time – Merle was never a main character and that works in his favor.
Merle’s unpredictability brought anxiety to our heroes and excitement to the viewers. He is the type of person you would not wish to cross paths with; violent, racist, just an overall bully. Merle was a foil for our protagonists higher up on the list. Merle’s most impactful moments are when he would reveal a dormant sense of humanity, primarily through his kinship with Daryl.
10. (Tie) Abraham
Played by: Michael Cudlitz
Seasons: 4 – 7
Status: Dead
Although Abraham made it to the seventh season, that is only because of the Negan cliffhanger that ended Season 6. He is one of the horrific casualties of Negan and his bat Lucille in the Season 7 opener. What made Abraham’s death more significant is how attached we have become to him.
Abraham instantly stands out when he stomps into the show with his big persona and loud mouth, accompanied by his glorious mustache. Here was a guy who smirked in the face of death and found a way to embrace the apocalypse without turning into a psychotic villain. His personality, on top of his unique look, attracted more than one female companions. And the most memorable aspect of Abraham is the way Cudlitz would deliver off-the-wall one-liners, which are too profane to spell out in this forum.