Rick Grimes is one of the best leaders in The Walking Dead.
The Walking Dead has been host to a variety of leaders during the past 11 years. We all have our favorites amongst the array of characters we have been given during the past 10 seasons of the show. If we were in the apocalyptic world that these characters live in, then we would face a similar situation of wanting (or being) a leader to guide us through the new reality.
One leader who strolled into the show in 616 “Last Day on Earth” was Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and his Saviors, who were the complete opposite to the main group we have been following in the series. It just shows that you never know how someone will choose to run their community in the apocalypse. To some of the Saviors, Negan was a hero; to others, he just gave them a home and a certain amount of safety. It was similar at The Woodbury when the Governor (David Morrissey), a.k.a Phillip Blake, was seen as a hero because of the version of himself he gave out to the people in the town when all was not as it seemed.
But one leader who stole the show from the very beginning is Rick Grimes. Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) has been nothing short of an icon during his time on the show and even has 3 films in the works to be released later, which fans eagerly await. One thing is certain; there have been many times during the series in which Rick has changed his personality and looks depending on his story at the time, and it is always a pleasure to watch.
Let’s have a look at some of Rick Grimes’ character changes!
Classic Sheriff Rick Grimes
The very first time The Walking Dead aired back on October 31, 2010, with its debut episode 101, “Days Gone Bye,” viewers got their first look at the TWDU and, of course, Rick Grimes himself. It was a shocking episode in which Rick didn’t have it easy at all. In the space of just under one hour and ten minutes, he saw his first walker, was shot, lost his family, his newly found horse friend was killed, was chased through Atlanta by a horde, and was locked in a tank with an army walker…but hey at least he met Glenn!
Classic Sheriff Rick was a family man who served his duties with his best friend, Shane Walsh (Jon Bernthal), for the King County Sheriff’s Department. He could be seen donning a legendary cowboy hat which is pivotal to the series and keeps his legacy alive. It was passed onto his son Carl (Chandler Riggs) and after Carl’s tragic passing, his daughter Judith (Cailey Fleming), who still wears it today; who knows, maybe Rick Jr could be next?
This look was the closest we have seen to pre-apocalypse Rick. The man had some struggles in his married life, but it didn’t matter at all because of the love he had for his wife, Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) and family. He served his community to keep them safe and learned many skills that were absolutely helpful to have in the apocalypse. Deanna (Tovah Feldshuh) at Alexandria even had him reprise his role. Most of all, Sheriff Grimes was the making of the man Rick became.
Coma Rick Grimes
Also, in the debut episode, we were given a chance to see where Rick ended up after being shot. During his coma, much time had past leading him to awaken into a very twisted new realism. In Harrison Memorial Hospital, Rick sees the bright and bloomed flowers Shane brought him and, in what seems like a blink of an eye, the wilted and dead flowers, symbolizing the passing of time. That compounded with no one responding to his calls for help was a horrifying experience to wake up to.
Dressed in his gown and with his bandage-wrapped wound, Rick travels barefoot through the eerie and now derelict corridors to try and figure out what exactly is going on. This outfit was also seen in the famed ‘Don’t Open, Dead Inside’ door shot, which lives in fans’ minds. He had changed from fighting crime with his team to being alone in a coma.
This was revisited in 905 “What Comes After,” when he was right back in the hospital where it all began. This was a parallel look at Rick at his weakest that brought many memories back to his first moments in the new World. The fact he awoke from an awful experience and carried on fighting really shows his true strength.
Terminus Rick Grimes
Forwarding to 501 “No Sanctuary,” we saw an absolutely major change to Rick that was a product of everything he had faced during seasons 2-4, including the major loss of losing Lori. Here we saw a man who had been trying his best to keep his people safe and led them into a place that was new to the whole group, including Rick. It is no secret that he didn’t always make the right calls. Terminus and the awful people within the walls were just another evil threat and a time when everyone needed to pull together.
Rick sported a brown suede-looking jacket with a white fur-like collar along with his favorite dark denim jeans, which is one of his more common looks in the show. But in the scene from 501, “No Sanctuary,” he uses his skills of staying calm and collected whilst being ready for a fight, knowing he can save his people. Yes, he is tied up and gagged in an all too familiar kneel to a baseball bat, but thanks to Carol (Melissa McBride) being a genius in this scene, he went into full beast mode and fought back in an epic showdown in which he and his community won – go, team!
Rick’s time with the Governor, the group at Hershel’s farm and the prison led him to try and make some new alliances. Walking openly into this ‘Sanctuary For All’ (NOT!) wasn’t the best decision as they had trusted others before with terrible results. He entered Terminus with a fierce look in his eyes and was not prepared to reason with anything they had to say – kind of unlike his Sheriff days.
Revenge Rick Grimes
Negan was the reason for ‘All Out War’ during the latter part of season 7 and into season 8 of The Walking Dead. Boy was this entire journey super difficult for Rick. He was out for revenge against the people who had wronged him, his family and his friends. Mainly seen in his dark denim shirt – this Rick means business and is a strong fighter!
Rick had one of his hardest and most painful moments in his times, looking to avenge Negan for all he and the Saviors had taken and all the other communities had lost. In 809, “Honor” fans across the globe were in tears and heartbroken at the death of Carl after he had been bitten protecting Siddiq. Michonne and Rick were obviously broken to pieces at this tragedy that may not have happened if there was no war against the Sanctuary; this has to be one of Ricks’ biggest changes because his life would forever be altered.
The concluding episode of the season, 816 “Wrath,” held a moment (as also seen in the comic books) where Negan gets his throat cut by Rick. However, Rick wanted to follow Carl’s wishes and keep Negan alive to try and create a better future for everyone. Instead, he asked for someone to help stop Negan from dying to the chills screams of Maggie, who was against this decision because of Negan’s brutal killing of her husband, Glenn. Unlike Prison Rick and the guy who threw a punch at Aaron upon introduction, he let his mercy prevail over his wrath.
Revamped Rick Grimes
Another one of TWDU’s time jumps brought us a new and improved Rick Grimes. Physically, he looked very different; short hair and a bigger beard gave us Rick’s hip look. A lot changed for him since the war against the Saviors ended. They were beginning to rebuild a new world that would be suitable for everyone. Plus, we saw the growth of little ass-kicker Judith, which gave fans some beautiful scenes with her, Michonne and Rick together.
Unfortunately, one change that came with this Rick was the relationship between him and Daryl. The relationship seemed strained like it was on the rocks. No one wants to see this iconic duo argue or fall out, but sadly, this was happening before Daryl and Maggie teamed up to plot and kill Negan. In 904, “The Obliged,” their feud came to its pinnacle when Daryl tells Rick he has led him away so Maggie can get into Alexandria and get to Negan. This causes Rick and Daryl to fight and end up in a pit… not ideal!
Thankfully, this revamped and changed Rick would not let his best friend and ‘brother’ suffer or leave him in danger. He knew their disagreements about rebuilding everything were not worth more than a few punches thrown. I’m so glad!
Washed Up Rick Grimes
A scene that shook up The Walking Dead fandom: the final episode of Rick Grimes. This shocker was 905 “The Bridge” and saw Rick take it all for the team. The last image fans have of Rick shows him on a helicopter with Jadis flying to someone who awaits their arrival – but who exactly are they? Could it be the Civic Republic?
In a trippy set of flashbacks and hallucinations, we heard Rick re-iterate he was looking for his family after he fell onto a rod and became impaled as he tried to draw away a horde. As he ventures on horseback to try and find help, he has visions that feature some fan-favorite past characters who wake him up to continue his fight. This all leads up to the moment he makes the ultimate sacrifice and destroys the bridge whilst on it to save his people. The crying faces of everyone will never get any easier to watch – all his changes and his entire journey in TWD led him here to be a hero.
But fear not – we know that there will be three Rick Grimes films on their way, even though the date and any major information is still yet to be announced. At least we know that Rick’s story isn’t over yet, and we can see exactly what happens next for him. And I cannot wait!
Are you looking forward to seeing what is next for Rick Grimes? The Walking Dead returns on AMC August 22, Star on Disney Plus August 23 for UK Viewers.