In ‘The Walking Dead’ this character had to die very quickly

We follow the life of Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) for nine seasons The living deaduntil Lincoln decided to resign. One of the characters in Rick’s group was Daryl Dixon, who appeared as a recurring character in the first season.

Daryl Dixon

When Daryl Dixon first appeared in The living deadHe was a secondary character who was in the shadow of his older brother Merle. His hostile attitude and sometimes short fuse did not immediately make him a favorite within Rick Grimes’ group, but his courage and intelligence quickly won over both his teammates and the public.

Played by Norman Reedus, Daryl’s role evolved to become the central focus of the series, to the point that he even replaced Rick Grimes as the main character in later seasons. Daryl became so popular that fans of The living dead They often flooded social media with the promise: “If Daryl dies, we rebel.”

Kill main characters

But it wasn’t originally planned for Daryl Dixon to have such an important role. In the first seasons it was The living dead known for his unpredictability and killing off important characters, leading to constant speculation that Daryl would also get his turn sooner or later. But thanks to its growing popularity among fans, it quickly became indispensable.

Behind the scenes, even Reedus was prepared for the possibility of his character dying in previous seasons. He reportedly requested that if Daryl ever died, the writers would make sure it was meaningful and appropriate for the character. However, as the series progressed, it became clear that Daryl had firmly established himself as a core member of The living dead.

Not in the original comics.

When The living dead When it was first released, Reedus auditioned for the role of Merle. Although Michael Rooker landed that role, the show’s creators were so impressed with Reedus that they wrote the character of Daryl specifically for him. Daryl did not exist in Robert Kirkman’s original comics.

In his performance, Reedus was able to convey the complex nature and emotional depth of a character who could have easily been unloved otherwise. He transformed Daryl into a fully developed, nuanced hero that viewers could relate to effortlessly.

Split

Daryl’s chemistry with characters like Carol and Beth allowed for unexpected but touching relationships that further established him as an iconic figure in The living dead. It even got its own spin-off with The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixonwhich premiered in September 2023.

So while other major characters met a premature end, Daryl Dixon’s journey was one of evolution, proving that a character originally written as a supporting role can, with the right actor and fan support, become the center of attention. .

To look at?

Would you like to see Reedus as Daryl Dixon in The living dead? You can watch the series on Netflix and Disney+.