One of the defining features ofThe Walking Deadseries is the fact that no character is safe, even if they are fan favorites or children. Throughout all sevenWalking Deadshows, even the best and most interesting characters are at risk of death by a walker bite, fatal accident, or outright murder. The high kill count has become a trope of the franchise. While many of thesaddest deaths inThe Walking Deadshows have been when characters with plenty to offer were killed, many obscure characters were also killed too soon.
Obscure characters are not defined by the length of their time on the show but by their memorability. Some characters that appear in just one episode made their mark on the show, like the pacifistic staff fighter Eastman, while obscure characters are usually overlooked or forgotten. Thelongest-surviving characters inThe Walking Deadare not always the best or most memorable. WhileThe Walking Deadfranchise has given audiences some iconic characters, it killed off many obscure characters that had the potential to become fan favorites or change the show.
Jacqui is the exact kind of obscure character who could have improvedThe Walking Deadif she’d survived longer. The quiet, kind and introverted Jacqui established herself as an asset in the early days of the apocalypse. As an architect, Jacqui’s knowledge of the city buildings had the potential to help the group escape a department store. Though the plan didn’t work,Jacqui’s expertise could have been valuable in later seasons ofThe Walking Deadwhen the groups were creating new settlements. However, Jacqui was killed in season 1.
The post-apocalyptic genre often focuses on survivalists, but an architect like Jacqui could have become a vital character, especially during season 6 after Alexandria was overrun. Jacqui lost hope early, choosing to die when Jenner’s laboratory exploded.Her decision was a shocking and emotional moment inThe Walking Dead. However, it was also a case of wasted potential, as Jacqui could perhaps have regained her hope by having a key role in rebuilding society.
Axel’s Sinister Backstory Was Written Out Of The Walking Dead
When Rick and his group entered the prison inThe Walking Deadseason 3, the tension between his group and the inmates was a central plot for several episodes. This storyline revealed some of the inmates to be more dangerous than others.Axel originally appeared to be both wholesome and gentle, showing extra politeness to female characters like Carol, before The Governor killed him. However, Axel had a very disturbing backstory thatThe Walking Deadshould have explored.
Axel was written as a serial killer, with a key role in the death of a fan-favoriteWalking Deadcharacter.Beth’s originalWalking Deaddeath was going to be worse, with Axel gaining the group’s trust before leading her into the woodland and slaughtering her. Though this could have been a great reminder thatThe Walking Dead’s living people were often as dangerous as the walkers, the storyline was cut to focus on The Governor.
The Governor’s Right-Hand Man Could Have Become A Formidable Villain
Milton Mamet was first introduced as a mild-mannered and delusional scientist who believed that the walkers could be cured, even after Rick’s group had learned the truth long ago. However, he was also The Governor’s right-hand man before Andrea showed him the antagonist’s dark side.Characters often change dramatically throughoutThe Walking Dead, and if Milton gained The Governor’s power and force of personality, he could have become a very dangerous character.
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From heroes like Daryl to villains like Dante, The Walking Dead has had complex double agents. So who was the most duplicitous and effective?
Milton has a typical “villain” backstory, having lost both parents at a young age before developing an an interest in science. He even had close proximity to a major antagonist. If he had survived, Milton’s scientific research could have escalated to testing on healthy people, with his laboratory becoming an early version of the CRM’s human testing project. However, Milton switched sides and died too soon, becoming one of the manycharacters killed by The Governor inThe Walking Deadseason 3.
Morales Was Brought Back After Season 1 Only To Die
The Walking Deadseason 1 introduced Morales as a brave and loving husband and father, who left Rick’s group on good terms to search for his family. However, season 8 reveals that things did not go well for Morales, and he lost his family to walkers.ThisWalking Deadtwist could have been both fascinating and heartbreakingfor viewers, as it is likely that Rick would have tried to appeal to the man he once knew.
Morales wasn’t evil when he first appeared inThe Walking Deadbut was a loyal member of Negan’s Saviors by season 8. Still, as Rick left Morales with supplies in season 1, it would have been fitting for Morales to help Rick escape with supplies. Alternatively,Morales could have been violently jealous of Rick’s successand mostly intact family. As Daryl killed him before he had a chance to make an impact, viewers will never know.
Ozzy And The Highwaymen Could Have Been A Perfect Fit For Ezekiel’s Kingdom
The Walking Deadmay have begun as a survival story, but its human aspect defined the show. The Highwaymen were first introduced as potentially clichéd bandits, but they were quickly revealed to be as human as the other characters when Carol tempts their leader, Ozzy, with the offer of a movie.The Highwaymen were theatrical, loyal, and occasionally funny, which would have made Ozzy and his group a perfect fit for life in The Kingdom.
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Ozzy and Alek of The Highwaymendied duringThe Walking Dead’s fairin the infamous episode, The Calm Before, but the little that was shown of Ozzy’s character made it clear that he was killed way too soon. Ozzy barely knew the Kingdom’s residents but rushed into the stable to help them, showing him to be brave. He and Jerry had begun as enemies, with The Highwaymen stealing Jerry’s sword. However, the two men were similar characters, andOzzy and Jerry could have become an iconicWalking Deadfriendshipequal to Rick and Daryl.
José’s Mechanics Skills Were Underused In Fear The Walking Dead
Walker introduces José and his friend Marta as “two of the best mechanics out of the Iraq war.” Military characters are often the antagonists in the post-apocalyptic genre, but José’s story could have been developed in any direction and set up José to become formidable ally or enemy.As a veteran and mechanic, José could have been useful in the apocalypseand, whileThe Walking Deadalready included military characters like Abraham, José could have had a different outlook.
José passes out from the lack of oxygen along with many other characters, and as he is a very minor character, his death is both overlooked and much too soon.
Despite that potential, José recieved almost no lines in the show. The episode “This Land Is Your Land” has one ofFear The Walking Dead’s highest kill counts, as the characters who have evacuated to the cellar die from asphyxiation, turn, and start to kill the remaining characters. José passes out from the lack of oxygen along with many other characters, and as he is a very minor character, his death is both overlooked and much too soon.
Grace spent a large amount of theFear The Walking Deadepisode In Dreams, dreaming about her infant daughter, Athena, while struggling in childbirth. The episode shows Athena as a brave, kind character who saved Grace’s life and brought her to her community, introducing Grace to her adoptive father, Morgan. In this episode, Grace comes to terms with the fact that she is dying, butThe Walking Deadseries' darkest endinghas a twist:it is the baby Athena who dies, not Grace.
Most Impactful Death In Each Season Of Fear The Walking Dead
Over eight seasons, Fear The Walking Dead showed audiences numerous deaths, some with a larger impact on remaining characters and narrative arcs.
The Walking Deadseries has never been afraid to kill its child characters, butAthena’s death felt like a missed opportunity forFear The Walking Dead. The glimpse that viewers get of her character shows that Athena united her community and therefore must have had strong relationships with existingFear The Walking Deadcharacters, including Morgan. As Morgan’s son was killed early inThe Walking Dead,it would have been interesting to see him become the father to a daughter.
The Walking Dead’s Connie has already proven that characters can communicate through a language barrier. This is the kind of scenario that would happen in an apocalypse, so whenthe Hebrew-speaking Esther was introduced inDead City,there were many ways to develop her character and mysterious backstory. However, while Esther was revealed to be quick-witted, kind, and fair, she lasts just two episodes before being killed by a Burazi member.
Esther appeared to have a plan for Negan and Maggie as she kept them alive. It is established that Esther often brings strangers back to her group, yet the reason for this is not explored. Esther seemed friendly, even after initially stealing Negan and Maggie’s supplies. However, though she likely intended to integrate Negan and Maggie into her group, Esther could have had more sinister motives andDead Citymissed the opportunity to explore thisby killing her too soon.
Viewers see Joel through the memories of his brother, Perlie. While Joel survived the apocalypse, he was an addict and had stolen from his family, causing a rift between him and Perlie.Joel and Perlie’s story is one of the most tragic inDead City, as Perlie missed the opportunity to reconnect with Joel, who relapsed and ended his life to avoid starving. Joel died before the events ofDead Citybut had he lived, he could have been a link to anotherWalking Deadseries.
AlthoughDead CityandFear The Walking Deadare set on opposite sides of the US, Joel and Nick could have been connected…
Joel is not the onlyWalking Deadcharacter to struggle with addiction.Fear The Walking Dead’s Nick is a heroin addict who is killed just as he appears to embrace a more peaceful life. AlthoughDead CityandFear The Walking Deadare set on opposite sides of the US, Joel and Nick could have been connected through online drug support groups or even other characters' chance encounters. If Joel had survived and reconciled with Perlie, this could have represented an alternative happy ending for a troubled character like Nick.
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Juno’s Toughness Could Have Made Him An Unexpected Ally To Daryl Dixon
Juno is a crass and unpleasant character throughout most of his singlef-bomb-filled episode in theDaryl Dixon Walking Deadspin-offseries. However, he also reveals himself to be smart and resourceful when he needs to be, putting aside his differences with Daryl to trick the guards into opening up the prison where the two men are being held.Juno cooperated with Daryl’s plandespite being surprised that it worked. Had he survived, this could have been a turning point for the character.
Daryl Dixon’s Plane Twist Has Been Staring Everyone In The Face Since Season 2 Began
Daryl Dixon encounters a major plane dilemma in season 2 of his The Walking Dead spinoff series, but he really should have seen it coming.
Juno is killed by a walker as he and Daryl prepare to escape together, but his last act is to release the rowboat into the water for Daryl. Juno may have been unlikable, but manyWalking Deadcharacters become more pleasant as the series progresses. Juno’s “grumpy old man” personality and callous way of killing people could have been revealed over time to be a survival strategy, with him becoming an ally to Daryl, if not a friend. It would have been a compelling direction to take a minorThe Walking Deadcharacter.
