“The Walking Dead” is often misunderstood. It’s not all about zombies. It’s actually a show about people with zombies in it. Character Development is an essential part of the show, and Daryl Dixon probably had one of the better makeovers throughout the seasons. Let’s take a closer look at his character from the beginning of time to now.
Annoying redneck
When we were first introduced to Daryl Dixon, he came off as a smart-mouthed, obnoxious redneck, who was angry at the group for leaving his brother, Merle, behind. In season 1, his primary goal was to find his brother, and he cared very little about everyone else in the group.
He was also a bit out of control with his actions.
Sophia changes Daryl
When Carol’s daughter, Sophia, went missing in season 2, something suddenly changed in Daryl. He swiftly became invested in locating “the little girl” and became a caring member of the group. Daryl stepped up in the search for Sophia and was most committed to finding her. Even Carol acknowledged Daryl’s immense effort to find her daughter.
However, after finding out that Sophia was a walker in Hershel’s barn the whole time, Daryl briefly reverted to his old self. He isolated from the group and stopped caring again. He was obviously hurt to find out that Sophia was dead the entire time he was searching for her, failing Carol.
Becoming Rick’s right-hand man
After Rick murdered Shane for the sake of the group, Daryl suddenly became Rick’s new right-hand man. Because he stepped up and became a crucial part of the group in season 2, Rick fully trusted Daryl during their takeover at the prison. Daryl showed mutual respect for Rick, which strengthened their relationship.
When Rick had his newborn baby, Judith, Daryl was there to take care of her since Rick was going insane over the loss of Lori. When Rick had to deal with the surviving prisoners, Daryl was there for him. When Rick had to deal with The Governor, Daryl was fighting alongside him.
Daryl’s brief guilt
After The Governor’s final attack when the group lost the prison, Daryl and Beth were separated from everyone else, and Daryl firmly believed that everyone must have died from the attack.
He felt guilty for not being able to protect Rick, Hershel, and the others but snapped out of it when he reunited with Rick before heading to Terminus.
Rick’s relationship with Daryl has grown so much that Rick called him his brother. That’s how much respect the two have for each other. Throughout seasons 5 and 6, Rick had Daryl right by his side, helping him keep the group safe.
Negan takes Daryl
The first half of season 7, Daryl was split from the group because Negan took him away. It hurt Rick so much to see Daryl helplessly held captive by Negan, but thankfully the two had an emotional reunion after Daryl was able to escape the Sanctuary.
Daryl went from being a hot-headed redneck, who disobeyed Rick, to a loyal and valuable member of the group, becoming very caring and respectful along the way. He is one of the strongest survivors of the apocalypse and has turned into a fan favorite as a result.
