The Walking Dead's 25 Best Characters, Ranked

In its 10 seasons and 146 episodes, The Walking Dead has introduced us to as many characters as it has walkers — or at least it can seem that way. But only a choice few have gone on to reach the iconic status of, say, Andrew Lincoln's Rick Grimes or Danai Gurira's Michonne.

15. Sasha Williams

Few and far between are the survivors who have had a rougher go of the apocalypse than Sasha; in just four seasons, she lost not only her brother but two boyfriends. Yet she remained true to her heart of gold and, rather than let Negan weaponize her, committed suicide to launch a memorable sneak attack on the villain.

9. Shane Walsh

There was a good man in Rick's onetime best buddy. There really was... once. And watching him go bad, vanishing bit by bit into his baser instincts, was equal parts disturbing, fascinating, scary and, ultimately, heartbreaking. Six seasons after his death, he dubbed himself "the a–hole" in a vision of Rick's. But oh, he was so much more than that.

22. Gamma

The Whisperer who became Alpha's third in command — and a substitute for daughter Lydia — did some horrific things, it's true. (Killing her own sister to protect her leader springs immediately to mind.) But once Gamma let Aaron — and, by extension, us — get to know Mary, we loved her... enough, even, to lament her brutal murder by Beta.

18. Judith Grimes

Who knew when Daryl suggested naming Rick and Lori's daughter Lil' Ass-Kicker that that was exactly what she was going to grow up to be? Since Cailey Fleming stepped into the part in Season 9, the pint-sized heroine has proven to be as formidable a fighter — and as stouthearted a soul — as survivors thrice her age.

14. Alpha

The stuff of nightmares, the Whisperers' wackadoo leader was even scarier without her mask than with it. "How is that even possible?" you ask? "It's possible," we reply, "because when she was bare-faced, we saw carved in her every feature a human being twisted almost beyond recognition, a feral thing seething behind a woman's visage."

4. Rick Grimes

There have been those who have argued that if there's no Rick, there's no show. Those folks are, simply, wrong. If there's no Rick, there's a different show, one that lacks Andrew Lincoln's intensity and the thrill of watching the character's moral compass swing wildly. But this different show has still been pretty killer, thanks to the trio in the top spots on this list.

2. Daryl Dixon

The rare character that did not spring from the pages of Robert Kirkman's comic books, Norman Reedus' crossbow-wielding superman always hits the bull's-eye, metaphorically speaking. He's gruff but tender, a taciturn biker who (thinks he) hides beneath his leather jacket the fact that he's really a big ol' softy. Just ask Dog... or Lydia... or Judith... 

8. Negan

From the start, the Saviors' larger-than-life leader made an impression. However, no one really thought that the Chatty Cathy was as cool as he did — not until after his downfall. Only then, when he began forming friendships and regularly demonstrating recognizable human qualities, did he live up to his potential to be a great character rather than a memorable caricature.

12. Ezekiel

Considering that the character was introduced as a king — with loyal subjects and a pet tiger to boot — his heart could easily have been eclipsed by his larger-than-life trappings. But thanks to sharp writing — and Khary Payton's ability to toggle between regal and real — we've never lost sight of the man behind his majesty.

17. Morgan Jones

Want proof that no matter how badly broken a person is, they can be pieced back together again? Look no further than this stalwart pacifist, who's now front and center on Fear the Walking Dead. Over the years, Jenny's widower has become a beacon of healing. Just don't mess with his peanut butter protein bars, ya hear?

11. Abraham Ford

"Suck my nuts." If Michael Cudlitz's army sergeant hadn't already been the stuff of legend before he spat those three words at Negan after taking a blow that would've put a lesser man down for the count, he sure as hell was afterwards. "Takin' it like a champ!" crowed his killer. Yup, exactly like Abraham had always taken it.

23. Bob Stookey

"I've been bitten... I'm tainted meat!" the onetime army medic delighted in informing the Termians who'd turned him into a most Unhappy Meal during Season 7. To us, however, he'll always be the optimist who rarely failed to serve encouraging words. "Nightmares end," he told buddy Rick before dying. "They shouldn't end who you are."

10. Maggie Rhee

The phrase "You've come a long way, baby!" could've been coined for Glenn's wife — except for the fact that she'd kick your ass if you called her "baby." Since Season 3, she's gone from being a feisty fighter to a formidable leader — and one whose name you'd better get right. She's not Marsha, not "dear," not "honey" — she is Maggie. Hear her roar!

19. Tyreese Williams

The quintessence of the gentle giant, Sasha's brother was tough enough to murder Termian Martin with his bare hands — not to mention dispatch so many walkers that he could've an undead football team. Yet he was also tender enough to babysit Judith after the fall of the prison and forgive Carol for making a flambé of his girlfriend, Karen.

20. 'Jesus'

While underserved by the series, Paul Rovia nonetheless managed to make a lasting impression, as an artful dodger, dropper of wisdom and the rare individual who could pull off a man bun. He also got what must go down in Walking Dead history as one of the show's coolest deaths, at the hand of what he thought was a talking zombie.

5. Glenn Rhee

If there's anyone that we miss more than Carl, it's Steven Yeun's beloved alter ego, a pizza boy-turned-action hero who managed to fight off a walker while freaking tied to a chair and survive a tumble from a dumpster into a sea of the undead, only to be "struck out" by Negan in Season 7's premiere. Wife Maggie will never forget her brave-as-hell better half, and neither will we.

25. Noah

Dawn Lerner and the baddies at Grady Memorial wrote off Season 5's sweet delegate from the Lollipop Guild as weak and scrawny. But as he told fast friend Beth, "They don't know s–t about me, about what I am." Including that he was... aw, damn! Doomed to die in a scene that's made us hesitant to use revolving doors ever since.

1. Carol Peletier

Before you grumble in the comments, hear us out. Yes, Melissa McBride's character has been polarizing. Nobody's all that keen on the weepy, accidentally-blowing-up-Connie version of Carol. (Us, either.) But consider her arc over going-on-11 seasons, from abused wife to resourceful survivor capable of singlehandedly upending Terminus. Yup, for our money, Tobin nailed it back in Season 6 when he told her that, at the end of the day, "you're a mom," and not because she occasionally baked a tray of cookies, either. "It's the hard stuff, the scary stuff... It's how you can do it. It's strength." That it is.

21. Connie

If there's anyone hoping harder than Daryl that the series' first deaf character didn't actually perish in the Season 10 cave-in that Carol caused, it's us. Connie was a ray of light in a dark, dark world and the first potential love interest for Daryl on which we could all agree. OK, on which most of us could agree. Some? Never mind.

16. Eugene Porter

At different times but in equal measure, we've loved and loathed this quirky brainiac. But he seems to have tipped the scales for good by revealing that shaking in the boots of the sniveling coward we used to hate was always a hero just waiting to emerge. Heck, at this point, he's even made us forget the mullet seasons.

7. The Governor

Brutal and brilliant, twisted and tragic, the erstwhile Philip Blake lasted just a season and a half, yet managed to become a villain for the ages. Whether he was gazing at his wall of animated walker heads, tending to his zombified daughter or earning our hatred now and forever (RIP, Hershel!), we couldn't take our eye off him. Eyes. Sorry. Eyes.

6. Carl Grimes

So symbolically significant a character was Rick's son, whom we'd watched grow up over the course of eight seasons, that when he was killed off — and pretty randomly at that! — it felt as if our hopes for the future of his loved ones died with him. Shortly, his kid sister Judith would help ameliorate that feeling — but only to a point. We still miss Carl.

13. Beth Greene

By the time Maggie's kid sister met her maker at Grady Memorial in Season 5, we hardly recognized her. Gone was the sheltered teenager driven by the end of the world to the point of attempting suicide, and in her place was a young woman so courageous and resourceful, she damn near redefined the word "spunky."

24. Dwight

We know. Believe us, we know that it's hard to feel much sympathy for any of the predatory Saviors — especially the one who shot our beloved Denise in the eye with an arrow! Still, before crossing over to Fear the Walking Dead, where he's become a highlight, Dwight did such a complete 180 that we forgave him. Well, mostly.

3. Michonne

Armed with a gaze that could be as pointed as her katana, Danai Gurira's whip-smart warrior was exactly the kind of badass that anyone would want by their side as they lumbered through a zombie apocalypse. She's fearless, ferocious — and sensitive enough to know when someone will benefit more from hearing reassuring words than getting a stern talking-to.