In the world of The Walking Dead, few characters held the spotlight like Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln). Sure, he was the fearless leader, but he was also the guy who could hype up the group, drop a savage threat, and make you believe in a better tomorrow, all in the same episode.
Whether he was rallying his group with fiery speeches, warning enemies they picked the wrong fight, or reminding us what survival is really about, Rick always knew how to deliver a quote that stuck. And honestly? Some of them have been playing on a loop in our heads ever since.
In this article, we’re revisiting six of Rick's most iconic quotes. These quotes remind us why we fell in love with the sheriff in the first place and why his words still resonate with fans years later.
"Look here, Merle. Things are different now. There are no n***ers anymore. No dumb-as-shit, inbred white-trash fools either. Only dark meat and white meat. There's us and the dead. We survive this by pulling together, not apart." - Season 1, episode 2
Rick says this to Merle Dixon at the very beginning of The Walking Dead series. Merle displayed racist attitudes and often lashed out at anyone he saw as different or weak. In this quote, Rick is explaining to Merle that the old social hierarchies no longer matter in the world they now live in. Racism, classism, and prejudice are irrelevant. The only thing that matters is sticking together to stay alive.
By reducing everyone to simply "us and the dead," Rick forces Merle to see that survival depends on cooperation, not division, and that old biases are a dangerous distraction in a world where unity is the key to living another day. With this happening so early in the series, fans got to see an idea of the kind of leader Rick would become, which is someone who values people for who they are, not the labels society once put on them, and who isn’t afraid to challenge prejudices to keep everyone alive.
"We've all done the worst kinds of things just to stay alive. But we can still come back. We're not too far gone. We get to come back. I know... we all can change." - Season 4, episode 8
Rick says this to The Governor and his people at the prison. The Governor wants to take over the prison, and Rick refuses to leave. He believes his group and The Governor's group can co-exist and he’s trying to appeal to their shared humanity, stressing that even after all the terrible things they’ve done to survive, they still have the capacity to change and work together instead of fighting.
In other words, redemption is still possible. People aren’t beyond saving, and that even in a world filled with death and chaos, everyone has the chance to change and reclaim their humanity. If you recall how this scene plays out, things do not go well and a fight breaks out.
"When I was a kid... I asked my grandpa once if he ever killed any Germans in the war. He wouldn't answer. He said that was grown-up stuff, so... so I asked if the Germans ever tried to kill him. But he got real quiet. He said he was dead the minute he stepped into enemy territory.
Every day he woke up and told himself, "Rest in peace. Now get up and go to war." And then after a few years of pretending he was dead... he made it out alive. That's the trick of it, I think. We do what we need to do and then we get to live. But no matter what we find in DC, I know we'll be okay. Because this is how we survive. We tell ourselves... that we are the walking dead." - Season 5, episode 10
Rick Grimes says this to his group while they're all sitting around a campfire. He is recounting a lesson from his grandfather about war and survival. The idea is that mentally preparing yourself to “be dead” in a dangerous situation allows you to operate without fear, detach from the stress, and focus on survival.
It's a survival strategy. By embracing the idea that you’re already “dead” in a sense, nothing can terrify or paralyze you. You're able to focus on doing what’s necessary to survive. Rick's grandfather was able to endure the horrors of war and survive because of this mindset. Rick believes that to survive, they must mentally accept that they are constantly in danger, almost “dead” in spirit, and yet keep moving forward.
"You can do it right in front of me. You can take my hands. I told you already -- I'm gonna kill you. All of you. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow... but nothing is gonna change that --nothing. You're all already dead." - Season 7, episode 16
Rick tells this to Negan after he and the Saviors capture him and Carl. In this moment, Negan has Rick and Carl kneeling on the ground as he threatens them. He tells Rick that he's going to kill Carl, and instead of Rick showing fear or begging, he stands firm, confronting Negan with unflinching resolve and making it clear that he will not be broken. He warns that Negan and his group are already doomed in his eyes. This is just another powerful quote from Rick.
"I think of the dead all the time. And about the living, who I lost. I think about them all every day. Their faces, what I learned from them, how they made me who I am, so much more than all this made me who I am. All of our lives, they come in one life. We're together, pieces of a whole that just keep going for what we gave each other. One unstoppable life. You showed me that. You gave me that. We're the ones who live." - Season 11, episode 24
Rick wrote this in his letter to Michonne. He is acknowledging the weight of loss. He's explaining how the dead and those still alive who are gone from his life are constantly on his mind, and how the experiences and lessons he gained from relationships with others have shaped him more than the hardships of the apocalypse. But the part where he says, "We're the ones who live," it's more like a motto that the survivors have lived by. It basically means that no matter the horrors they face, they'll make it out alive because they believe and rely on each other.
"Hey. It's not on you. You being back with us here, now, that's everything. You're my brother." - Season 4, episode 16
Rick says this line to Daryl Dixon in The Walking Dead. Daryl had been separated from the group after Joe and his Claimers captured him. He didn't know that Joe was going after Rick, and by the time he found out, it was too late. After a physical altercation that ends with the deaths of Joe and his people, Rick and Daryl sit down and talk. That's when Rick says this line.
He's telling Daryl that he doesn’t blame him for whatever happened while he was away. In other words, he's absolving Daryl of guilt or self-blame. By calling him his brother, it shows the deep bond and loyalty between Rick and Daryl. It’s not just friendship. It’s a family-like connection.
The Walking Dead is available to stream on Netflix.