Usually, when the end of the world happens in any movie or TV show, you’d expect the characters to change a lot, probably, and not really for the better. In these situations, people are often forced to become the worst versions of themselves to survive, turning into pretty terrible people—or morally grey ones.
But for these four characters from The Walking Dead, they actually became better people when the world fell apart, and some of them are even still kicking it now in The Walking Dead spinoffs because they survived so well.
1. Daryl Dixon
To be honest, Daryl (Norman Reedus) is the most obvious choice here. There’s a reason why he ended up becoming such a fan favorite and why he’s arguably the most important character even years later.
Daryl started as a nobody. He had his brother, Merle (Michael Rooker), who was also kind of the worst and was a volatile man in nature who had absolutely no control over his anger or who he directed it at. Daryl is one of those characters where, if the zombie apocalypse were to happen in real life, he would surely survive.
But through life changes, losing people, and quite literally being forced to work with others, he changed for the better. He learned how to manage his emotions better, fought for what he felt was right, and turned into a valuable leader and partner to Rick (Andrew Lincoln), so much so that he considers Rick his brother.
Honestly, if I don’t see a Rick and Daryl reunion at some point in these spinoffs, I think I might crash out. Daryl changed a lot because of him, and I think Rick would be proud of how far Daryl has come in the years that he hasn’t seen him.
2. Carol Peletier
My queen, Carol (Melissa McBride), is certainly the second pick on this list, without a doubt.
While Carol’s biggest change was certainly in season 4, when she was really on one and did a whole lot of stuff you’d never expect her to do (like teaching children how to hold weapons and straight-up burning bodies of sick people to prevent an outbreak), her change began at the beginning.
Carol was a meek woman in season 1, still under the thumb of her abusive husband, Ed. When he was killed and turned into a walker, and she delivered the fatal blow to stop the walker version of him, it was as if something began to change. She only continued to grow into a more self-assured, morally grey, but stronger version of herself.
Is Carol entirely in the right about a lot of what she has done? Of course not. But I do think she’s become an amazing example of how separating yourself from a bad environment can help you grow into something far better than ever before.
3. Eugene Porter
Ironically, I feel like a lot of people forget about Eugene (Josh McDermitt) because he’s just not one of those people who made it to a spinoff or anything. But the apocalypse really changed Eugene for the better.
When we first met Eugene back in season 4, he was the worst, always lying about scientific facts and using deception to have stronger people keep him alive. But through events and moments that led him to try to help others, he stepped up and became a braver man, someone who was smarter and more emotionally intelligent than ever before.
He also became an active contributor to his society and his group instead of hiding away all day trying not to be seen. That kind of change can’t be ignored.
4. Negan Smith
Alright, hear me out.
Is Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) a great man in general? Not really. He was a jerk before the apocalypse, and he still kind of is now in Dead City. But I think what makes his change so distinct is that he’s had an up-and-down battle, even with his insane moments.
Negan wasn’t a great person before the world ended and became even worse as the leader of the Saviors. Still, his imprisonment by Rick and co., and later events that led him to build a life and find other things to fight for, gave him a twisted sense of morality that he shared with others.
He’s not perfect by any means, and he still does a lot of messy stuff that has led to him being ostracized by his community. But I can say that Negan is, at the very least, a more morally aware man than he was before, even if he sometimes still makes those bad choices.
You can watch all 11 seasons of The Walking Dead on Netflix.
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