The Walking Dead Characters: Daryl Dixon

The Walking Dead Characters:

Daryl Dixon

"The Walking Dead" will enter its seventh season on October 23, and after leaving on a massive cliffhanger, excitement and anticipation are at all time highs. 

For the next few days I will be posting articles about the main characters you will see in the upcoming season, from faces we've seen since the first season to ones we'll be introduced to once season seven begins.

**THERE WILL BE SHOW AND COMIC SPOILERS!**

You have been warned.  If you want to keep reading, do so in knowing that I will be divulging comic book and television show spoilers.  Information was derived from personal comic book readings, show watching, The Walking Dead wiki and imdb.com.

**SERIOUSLY, SPOILERS WILL ABOUND 

FROM HERE ON OUT**

Daryl Dixon: The Comics

Daryl doesn't appear in the comics.  When Norman Reedus applied, he read for the part of Merle, but the producers wanted Norman for a different role and created Daryl for him.

Daryl Dixon: The Television Series

Hardly seen without his signature crossbow and motorcycle, Daryl is physically and emotionally strong, often volatile, but still level-headed and rational.  He has an older brother Merle and is shown to be caring and selfless, incredibly honest and hardly ever lies.  He's an excellent tracker with a keen sense of intuition, and he grew up in the mountains of North Georgia in a typical redneck setting.  His father was abusive and drank, and his mother neglected them.  After the apocalypse, Daryl and Merle headed to Atlanta to find a safe zone and meets Shane's group along the way.

When Rick takes over leadership, he leaves Merle chained to the roof of a building in Atlanta due to his violent nature, and Daryl is enraged and they go retrieve him, but only find a hand.  he's visibly angry but follows Rick and the group to Hershel's farm, where he shows a calmer demeanor and is the main person searching for Sophia everyday.  He comforts Carol and is with her when they find Sophia as a Walker.  When the farm is overrun, he goes with the others to the prison, where he becomes Rick's closest confidant and right hand man.

He discovers that Merle is still alive, and goes to Woodbury to get him back.  Their relationship remains at odds with one another, but Merle eventually sacrifices himself to try and stop the Governor, and Daryl is the one who finds Walker Merle and has to tearfully put him down.  He becomes depressed and despondent, and is separated from the group after the Governor's attack, running off with Beth.  When Beth is kidnapped, he tries to find her but instead runs into Joe and the Claimers, who take him in as one of their own.  Daryl knows the group is bad news, but sticks with them because he feels like he has no one, until they ambush Rick, Carl and Michonne, and he helps them kill the Claimers.  He forms a brotherly bond with Rick, and manages to escape Terminus with the others.

After Terminus he finds the car that took Beth, so he and Carol head to Grady Memorial to bring her home.  The rescue goes wrong and Beth dies, and Daryl in a blind rage shoots and kills Dawn.  He is incredibly saddened over Beth's death and becomes sullen and quiet, and Carol helps comfort him.  They make it to Alexandria, where he feels like the black sheep - he doesn't sleep in a house, and doesn't shower.  Aaron befriends him and brings him on as the new recruiter after Eric hurts himself, and on the road he meets Dwight, who takes his crossbow and motorcycle.  When Dwight reappears later and uses his crossbow to kill Denise, Daryl is enraged and goes out to find him, and in his anger he gets ambushed and shot by Dwight, and brought before Negan.

Why Daryl Could Die

Daryl's death at the hands of Negan could be the biggest shocker not just on "The Walking Dead" but in all of television history.  It would be a big move that could suffer big time, but his time could be up due to his strong nature.

Why Daryl Won't Die

The show won't let their golden goose go, no matter how shocking it would be.  He's still got a lot of story to continue, and rumors abound that he's still on the show and a captive of Negan, so time will tell, but I doubt he'll be the one meeting Lucille.

Daryl Dixon: The Actor

Norman Reedus was born January 6, 1969 in Hollywood, Florida, and he left home at age twelve and lived in England, Spain and Japan.  He's best known for his portrayal of Murphy MacManus in the "Boondock Saints" series as well as appearing in films such as "Blade II," "Air," "American Gangster," "Sky" and "Until the Night."