The apocalypse is a scary thing to think about, but when you’re a fan of The Walking Dead universe, you’re probably trained in five different ways on how to survive if it actually happens. I feel like I’ve played enough zombie games to know how to shoot a gun at this point.
Jokes aside, we’ve seen characters survive the apocalypse easily, and some die. But it makes you wonder — who, out of the whole cast of The Walking Dead, would survive in a real-world situation?
There are four Walking Dead characters who would have the best chance of actually surviving the apocalypse in real life.
Daryl Dixon
I’ve seen some people go against his take because many believe Daryl (Norman Reedus) might die because he wouldn’t have learned the lessons he did later in the series. And granted, he did learn a lot. But let’s not forget that Daryl himself was basically surviving on his own before the world went to crap anyway. He’s Daryl. He is arguably the most important character of the whole franchise.
He was already a hunter and tracker who knew the woods inside and out. He had a quiet weapon of choice: his crossbow. He was distrustful of most people, which, if we’re being honest, is a skill you want to have in the world of the apocalypse. He would make it very far.
As for his brother, Merle (Michael Rooker), he probably wouldn't survive. The same goes for Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), since Daryl’s paths crossed with him consistently. Why did I put those two here? Because I'd say they are closest to Daryl survival-wise, but they are volatile people. Merle was just a racist jerk most of the time, and I know that something he said would have ended up with him getting shot in the real world. And Negan’s ego would have surely annoyed someone else out there.
Daryl would keep to himself, lay low, and most likely hide out in a cabin for most of this. He’s my top pick, for sure.
Michonne
I originally thought of putting both Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira), but in reality, Michonne is the better choice here. While Rick did make it in the world of The Walking Dead, despite the weird story choice to sort of “kill” him for a spinoff, he’s kind of emotional, almost too emotional in certain instances. Many of the issues in his life have been because he couldn’t keep his cool and caused something to go down.
Like, if Michonne had not been there in season 5 when he was starting to crack a little at the seams in Alexandria, he would have been shot dead in that street. You know it; I know it. He was just emotionally volatile sometimes.
Michonne, however, is cool as a cucumber. She already had fencing experience from her past (according to the comics) and had just learned how to use the katana effectively. But the bigger thing is that she had a full-on breakdown after losing her son and still bounced back. That takes strength. A lot of freaking strength. And for that, she would survive in this world for sure.
Abraham Ford
Yeah, so this next choice a pretty easy additiont, too, but Abraham (Michael Cudlitz) would for sure survive.
I don't think everyone who was in the army would survive. Certain people do well under certain kinds of pressure, and I think some would totally fall apart. But Abraham had this calmness from his time in the army as a sergeant that made him a great character and someone who could easily survive in a real-world situation.
Honestly, if it hadn’t been for Negan’s pointless game and his killing of both Glenn and Abraham, he probably would have survived longer, maybe until the end of the show. He had his moments of emotional volatility, but he was a strong contender and one I could totally see making it until the end.
Carol Peletier
Before you berate me, hear me out. Carol (Melissa McBride) would make it to the end in the real world.
It takes a lot out of someone to escape an emotionally abusive and physically abusive situation, as Carol did in the show. And I truly do believe that once she was free of that, she would be able to survive easily. How? By blending in. Carol is unassuming. You look at her, and you see an older woman with a smile on her face who likes to bake cookies. But deep down? She knows how to mess you up.
From season 2 onward, she became really self-sufficient and learned a lot about survival, and I could easily see her surviving in real life. Heck, her changes in season 4 really cemented her as a survivor. She could blend into multiple groups, work her way around to get the info she needed without anyone suspecting her, and still survive somehow without people around her. She’s just that girl — and she would survive.
If you want to relive these characters, you can watch all eleven seasons of The Walking Dead on Netflix.
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