Happy birthday Chandler Riggs: Top Carl Grimes moments

We are celebrating Chandler Riggs with the top Carl Grimes moments.

The Walking Dead isn’t shy about introducing children into its storyline. We have encountered and lost many during the past ten seasons. Carl Grimes had been on the show since the beginning and had the longest run for a child until his death in season 9. Since June 27 is his birthday, let’s take a look back at Carl’s top moments.

Now keep in mind these might not be the best moments in his life since a lot of them involve him being hurt or having to do something horrible.  These are moments that made Carl into the person he grew up to be.

Carl takes Shane out

One of the early moments in the series that showed us what Carl is capable of is when he had to take out walker Shane. He came upon Rick and saw that Rick killed Shane, and Carl held up the gun, making us all think he was gunning for his father. Carl then shot over Rick’s shoulder to kill the reanimated Shane.

This had to be very difficult for Carl because Shane served has his father figure during Rick’s absence. Carl had begun to look at Shane as his father because he thought his dad was dead. This also set the tone of the person Carl would grow to become.

Carl shoots Lori

One of the most heartbreaking moments in Carl’s life when he had to kill his mother to ensure she wouldn’t turn into a walker. Immediately after Carl watched Maggie cut open his mother to deliver his sister into the world, he had to shoot his mother. This was another moment very early on in his life that even tho it was a traumatic experience, in Carl’s eyes, this was probably easier than watching her turn into one of the undead. Carl looked numbed and traumatized in the prison yard when the realization of what occurred hit Rick.

This is another moment of growth for Carl. Realizing that this new world he lives in is never going to be the same as things were before.

Carl gets shot, multiple times

When it comes to injuries, poor Carl endured more than his fair share. In season two, he was shot by Otis and almost lost his life. In season 6, Carl loses his eye when Ron shoots him.

The first time he is shot is soon after he reunited with his father, Rick. Carl and his mom had thought Rick was dead, ironically, from a gunshot wound he receives while working as a sheriff deputy. This was extremely traumatic for all as it is any time something this tragic happens to a child. But, through the work of Hershel, Carl survived.

When Ron shoots Carl, four seasons later, he was shot in the eye, and it was hard to believe he could survive yet another gunshot wound. This time it was Denise who used her skills to help Carl heal from this gruesome wound.

Carl reunites with Rick

Probably one of the first emotional scenes in The Walking Dead is when Rick arrives at the Atlanta camp and is reunited with this wife and child. The look on Carl’s face when he sees his father for the first time in months is pure joy. Shane told Carl and Lori that Rick had died in the hospital. Carl was so happy to see his father, and it was a joyous occasion in the Atlanta camp.

Carl bonds with Michonne

In season three, Rick, Michonne, and Carl travel to King County in search of more weapons. At this point, Carl has a severe dislike for Michonne. Carl decides to look for a crib for Judith, and Michonne goes with him. But, Carl had something else planned and tries to get away from Michonne. At the King County Cafe, Carl wanted to retrieve a photo of his family so that Judith would be able to see what their mother looked like when she is older. Michonne showed her true colors when she kept Carl out of danger while she retrieved the photo for him. This showed Carl that she understood how important this was to him, and she was willing to put herself in danger to obtain it for him. When they met back up with Rick, Carl told him, “I think she may be one of us.”

Carl loses his shoe and gets pudding

After the fall of the prison, Carl and Rick are together searching for a safe place for Rick to recover after his altercation with The Governer. Rick is severely injured and needs rest. They find and house that Rick thinks will be safe, and they take shelter there. Rick passes out, and Carl, doing what he does best, doesn’t stay in the house. He ends up getting into a couple of scrapes with walkers, and he successfully kills them but not after some close calls, one where the walker does manage to take his shoe. He comically writes, “Walker inside, got my shoe, didn’t get me” on the door of the room that he traps the walker in.   While scavenging for food, he discovers a massive can of chocolate pudding, and we see him celebrating his victories over the walkers while feasting on the pudding sitting on the roof.

This is a turning point for Carl, where he now realizes that he can protect himself and others.

Carl Grimes was a much-beloved character, and many fans are still grieving over his death in the series. The fact that we all had to watch him grow up and then die is tough to take. He will always be a well-loved character.

Happy Birthday to Chandler Riggs and best wishes in your future projects.