A huge ensemble cast like The Walking Dead's features plenty of moments that let the characters shine. But what about the main characters? The ones from the beginning, or a couple of seasons later, that truly stole the show?
We looked back at each and picked their most iconic moments in the series—and these were our picks.
Rick ripping out the Claimer’s throat
With someone like Rick (Andrew Lincoln), you could pick from a lot of moments. Heck, even his introduction is pretty iconic in the franchise and still gets talked about today. But the one that we always think about—and many people bring up—is when he rips out Joe’s (Jeff Kober) throat with his own teeth in the season 4 finale, “A.”
I think something shifted before our eyes at that very moment, when Rick went from a leader to a feral man just trying to save his son and the people that he loved from getting literally killed. But it was also the beginning of the Rick we saw for most of season 5: a hard-edged man who wasn’t afraid to kill anyone to protect his group. And I must admit, even now, I’m still thinking about it.
Daryl using a rocket launcher to blow up Negan’s gang
Daryl (Norman Reedus) is so iconic that they went and gave him his own Walking Dead spinoff. He wasn’t even a comic book character and still somehow earned everyone’s love. I almost put the moment he put a literal live grenade in a tank in season 4, but to me, I always think back to that RPG on top of a weapon’s truck in season 6.
The moment happens in season 6, episode 9, “No Way Out,” when he, Abraham, and Sasha are confronted by Saviors on bikes, and Daryl sneaks behind the truck, takes out an RPG, and blows them up. Granted, that also led to a lot of drama between the Saviors and ultimately led to a lot of deaths. But come on, that moment is great.
Carol literally blowing up Terminus
Funny how Carol’s (Melissa McBride) and Daryl’s iconic moments are pretty similar. In the season 5 premiere, “No Sanctuary,” Carol blows up Terminus.
She was able to cover herself in walker guts, sneak around Terminus, use a sniper rifle with a scope to aim, and just blow it up, just like that. I would have loved to see more of the Terminus storyline, but this moment is just too good. It was such a shift for her character, but it was the beginning of her truly becoming the best survivor out there.
Michonne making her debut
“Besides the Dying Fire” is an iconic episode, but you want to know what’s even more iconic? Michonne’s (Danai Gurira) debut.
Yes, Michonne has had plenty of crazy moments in the show. There’s a reason she and Rick got a successful spinoff. She’s a great character. But I will never forget the moment we saw her with those two walkers behind her, sword in hand, shrouded in secrecy, and we just knew we were going to get a character unlike any other.
Maggie hanging Gregory
Maggie (Lauren Cohan) is another character that has truly become a staple of The Walking Dead. While she has her own spinoff with Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Negan) in Dead City, she was one of the few characters around from almost the beginning (she debuted in season 2).
While I could talk about her confrontation with Negan in “What Comes After,” I can’t get over how she hung Gregory (Xander Berkeley) in “A New Beginning,” the season 9 premiere. It’s such a badass moment for her overall, showing her shift into leadership and how things would be run this way. And it also made people more wary of her. It’s the Maggie we know so well in Dead City now, for good reason.
Glenn's voice on the radio
Is Glenn’s (Steven Yeun) death pretty iconic? Yeah, in the worst way possible, but you want to know what’s better? His debut. Well, kind of his debut. In the last seconds of “Days Gone Bye,” the pilot episode, we hear his voice to Rick on a radio in the tank he is hiding out in, saying, “Hey, you. Dumbass. Yeah, you in the tank. Cozy in there?”
God, just writing those lines made me both emotional and so happy. It was the beginning of our love for Glenn and everything that came after, and it will always be one of his best moments.
Carl getting his eye shot out
Okay, so him eating pudding is pretty iconic, but I must admit that the coldest shot in The Walking Dead ever was Carl (Chandler Riggs) getting his eye shot the heck out of his head in “No Way Out” in season 6.
Did we expect it to happen? No. At least not in this way. He does get his eye shot out in the comics, but in totally different circumstances. This moment was crazy and shocking, and he still somehow came out of it stronger than ever. I have to give the kid props, and I wish we'd seen way more of him.
Negan's introduction
I mean…. Come on.
There’s no denying that Negan’s entrance at the end of season 6 is his best moment. He had some hilarious moments in seasons 7 and 8, and later some heartfelt ones, especially with Judith. But you can't deny the aura he had stepping out of that trailer in the season 6 finale and walking up to that line-up. We still hear his voice when we read the terms “pee-pee pants city” nowadays.
This man was charismatic and scary, which is a terrifying combination. And I, for one, will never, ever forget that, no matter what he did in Dead City.
You can watch all 11 seasons of The Walking Dead on Netflix.
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