Five underestimated men from The Walking Dead
Sam
Who honestly doesn’t remember Sam? Sam was introduced alongside girlfriend Ana in season 4’s episode “Indifference”.
In the episode, Rick and Carol meet them in a presumed house looking for supplies while back home several characters had fallen ill. Immediately Rick and Carol are reluctant to trust the overly friendly and innocent appearing couple.
Considering Sam’s first gesture to the pair was offering a piece of fruit he tossed down the stairs to them, fans weren’t sure what to expect. But throughout the episode, both gained Rick’s trust.
However, when Rick and Carol asked to meet Sam and Ana after their time was up searching for supplies they found Ana being eaten by walkers and Sam nowhere to be found. Sam would return for one last time in the first episode of season 5 “No Sanctuary”.
As Rick, Bob, Glenn, and Daryl are bound and gagged before a pig trough amongst other captured survivors at Terminus Sam looked on from the very end of the row. The eye contact he made with Rick broke hearts as one hit to the back of the head with a bat later Sam’s throat was slit.
Considering Sam only appeared in two episodes, why does he make this list? For one his loyalty right off the bat (pun intended).
He had only met Rick and on that same day, he was willing to go back with him to his group. As the post-apocalyptic show has shown countless times loyalty is often impossible to find.
One moment someone is your right-hand man and the next they are the same person responsible for leading an uprising. Sam easily connected and trusted Rick, enough that Sam could have been one of Rick’s closest allies and friends.
Second Sam’s personality was easily the most contagious as though he appeared afraid and cautious he was a positive thinker and happy. When times get tough, Rick will need people like Sam to return him to reality and prove that there is a light in the vast apocalyptic darkness.
Traits such as that are often scarce on a show where anyone can die at any moment. Besides, it has been mentioned several times that people are a resource.