(Please stop, this is more organized. Check the wiki)
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Daryl sees Carol leaving and catches up, inquiring where she is going. Carol claims she wants to do another sweep looking for Negan, and Daryl offers to tag along. She reluctantly accepts. While traveling, the two discuss the possibility of Negan crossing the border and joining the Whisperers. Carol stops short of a clearing near the Whisperer border and pulls out a pair of binoculars. When Daryl presses her for the real reason they came there, Carol reveals that she wants to find Alpha's horde and destroy it.
Daryl is outside on the porch with his dog smoking a cigarette. He sees Carol heading out of Alexandria and catches up to her to ask where she's going. Carol says she will go search for Negan and Daryl offers to accompany her. While traveling, they discuss the possibility of Negan crossing the border and joining the Whisperers. They stop in a clearing near the border and Carol pulls out binoculars. Daryl questions what they're really looking for. ''"Alpha's horde. We're going to find it and we're going to destroy it,"'' Carol reveals.
Carol tells Daryl that she's been tracking walker movements along the border, and that they all arrive to the area where they're currently at. She wants to observe the clearing for Whisperer activity, and see where they're taking the walkers. Daryl cautions that they won't be able to follow them without starting a war, but Carol claims they will only watch them and report to the Alexandria council before doing anything. Daryl then asks why she lied to him about their mission earlier; Carol tells him she didn't want him to worry about her after she pulled a gun on Alpha, and apologizes. She asks Daryl if he will stick around, and he confirms, claiming that she will need him to track.
Carol later explains to Daryl she has been tracking walker movements along the border, and that they all arrive to the area where they're currently at. She wants to observe the clearing for Whisperer activity hoping it will lead them to the horde's location. Daryl cautions that they won't be able to follow them without starting a war, but Carol claims they will only watch them and report to the council before doing anything. He then asks why she lied to him about their mission earlier and she admits she didn't want him to worry after she attempted to killed Alpha before and apologizes. Daryl understands and says he'll stay to help her track the herd.
Daryl and Carol pass the time by throwing acorns at a can. Daryl hits it, but Carol says he has to knock it over. Carol finds a double-capped acorn and gives it to Daryl, telling him it's good luck and might improve his aim. He puts in his vest pocket. Carol then asks how things were at Hilltop. Daryl says the King sends his best. When Carol asks him how Connie is, Daryl tells her that there is nothing at all going on between them. Carol asks him why not and tells him he can't hide out with his dog forever, but he doesn't answer. The two share a meal before spotting a group of walkers roaming around in circles, quickly concluding there is a Whisperer among them.
Later that day, they pass the time by throwing rocks at a can. Carol finds a double-capped acorn and gives it to Daryl, telling him it's good luck and might improve his aim. She then asks how things were at Hilltop. Daryl says Ezekiel sends his best. When Carol asks him about Connie, Dary says there is nothing between them.''"You don't have to be alone,"'' Carol advises him. They share a piece of bread and suddenly notice a group of walkers being herded by a Whisperer in the field. She walks off to use the bathroom and Daryl looks through her bag. She returns and asks if he found what he was looking for. He questions her about her gun but she insists she didn't bring it.
Daryl and Carol are still observing the growing Whisperer herd. Carol points out that it will be tougher to track them at night. Daryl deduces that she wants to cross the border, and she confirms, if that's what it takes to destroy the horde. Daryl asks if she's sure she doesn't just want to take another shot at Alpha, but Carol says the horde is their shot. She asks if he is changing his mind, but he denies this and tells her they need to be smart during the mission, since they will endanger everyone if they mess up. When Carol excuses herself to go to the bathroom Daryl searches her bag, but doesn't find anything of note. Upon returning, Carol asks if he found what he was looking for. Daryl asks if she brought a gun like last time, but she denies this. They then head off to track the herd.
That night, they approach the border to observe the herd from some shrubbery. When Daryl signals Carol to retreat, she accidentally steps on a twig and attracts the walkers to their location. They are forced to split up and Daryl hides by a tree. When a walker approaches, Daryl holds it, slices its guts open, and rubs its blood on his face to avoid being detected. He later meets up with Carol and finds her holding a Whisperer hostage. He's pissed but she tells him she didn't plan for that but now they have no option but to take him back for questioning.
Before crossing the border, Daryl tells Carol not to leave tracks or kill walkers, since the Whisperers will know they were there if they do. He also tells her that if things go wrong, they will head back immediately, to which she agrees. Daryl and Carol observe the Whisperer herd from some shrubbery. Daryl signals Carol to retreat, but she ignores him. She then accidentally steps on a branch, which alerts the walkers and the Whisperer corralling them to their location. Daryl gets into a struggle with a walker, but manages to snap it's neck. He then disembowels it and smears its guts over himself, camouflaging himself from the rest of the herd. He then hears a Whisperer say "over here".
Daryl meets up with Carol and discovers that she has taken a Whisperer hostage. Carol claims that she didn't have a choice as the Whisperer spotted her, and suggests interrogating him. Daryl becomes skeptical of Carol's intentions and asks if she planned this, but Carol denies the accusation. When she pulls the Whisperer up, Daryl notices that his hands are zip-tied together and wonders where Carol got the zip-ties since they weren't in her bag. Carol claims that Daryl must have missed them.
===="[[Open Your Eyes]]"====

Revision as of 17:16, November 12, 2019

This article is about the TV series character. You may be looking for his appearance in Survival Instinct, or his Social Game, No Man's Land, Our World, or Onslaught counterparts.
"Alright, we do this, we gotta be smart about it. None of this "runnin' off in the middle of the night, no backup, just us" stuff, alright? (...) You know, we mess this up, everyone else is gonna pay for it, right?"
—Daryl to Carol about their mission.[src]


Daryl is at first a brazen, surly, impulsive redneck but develops himself as an integral part of the group due to his survival skills. His aggression is unprecedented, and it remains one of his most valuable assets, as well as one of his most noticeable. Following the deaths of Ed and Sophia Peletier, Daryl has developed a close bond with fellow survivor Carol Peletier. He later formed a brief yet close bond with another fellow survivor Beth Greene before her demise.

Following the end of the war against Negan and the Saviors, Daryl becomes the new leader of the Sanctuary, though he eventually resigns from the role, giving it to Carol instead. In the years following Rick's assumed death, he started living in the woods after spending a long time searching for his best friend's body. He also found and trained a dog during this time who he just refers to as "Dog". Later on, he forms a parental bond with Lydia and acts as her father figure, protecting and caring for her.


Daryl is both a physically and mentally strong man who is often surly and very resourceful but his compassion and loyalty towards the people he cares about are second-to-none; despite his hardened personality, he is not without a soft, emotional side. He is often volatile, but still significantly more level-headed than his older brother, Merle Dixon. Though he is usually distant, Daryl has often shown to be caring and selfless. All on his own, he attempts to find the lost Sophia Peletier on multiple occasions, one of which nearly cost him his life. He also immediately takes initiative to go back to find Andrea when she gets separated from the group.

In Season 1, Daryl is portrayed as a southern specialist tracer who constantly lives in the shadow of his older brother, Merle. Despite his hostile and distant behavior, he is a member of the team because of his hunting skills and his unparalleled craftsmanship in dealing with walkers.

In Season 2, Daryl becomes more friendly and cooperative. He also begins to develop a special bond with fellow survivor Carol, helping her find her lost daughter, Sophia. Daryl begins to grow up, becoming more and more responsible. Having been an outsider for most of his life, he is now starting to become a loyal member of the increasingly closely-bound team. However, after Sophia's death, he returns to his original, more hostile personality and is emotionally detached from the group. With the help of Carol and the rest of the group, he is involved in some issues (eg. helping Rick and Shane handle Randa;;) and seems to care about the farm and his shelter. On the night the farm is destroyed, he escapes with Carol and while she tries to persuade him to leave with her, Daryl, with a sense of respect for Rick, seems to be committed to keep the team safe.

In Season 3, Daryl proves to be invaluable, helping Rick and the rest of the group to clear the prison from the walkers so they can turn it into their new home. Moreover, he helps defend the prison after Rick's psychological collapse due to Lori's death, takes care of Judith, and also demonstrates his leadership capabilities by keeping the team united. The group has now become a large family, for which he is willing to even die for. Not surprisingly, when he learns that Glenn and Maggie are detained by The Governor at Woodbury, Daryl is one of the first members of the group to voluntarily go with Rick and penetrate the town to get their people back. However, Daryl ends up imprisoned there and after many hardships manages to escape with his brother, Merle. Then, Daryl is forced to choose between his old family and his new family. He finally decides to go with his brother. Daryl and Merle meet a family that is threatened by walkers. Daryl shows his altruistic mentality, leaping in to save them while Merle ignores them and then tries to plunder their car. However, Daryl prevents him, deciding to leave his brother behind and return to the prison. Merle then decides to follows him as he has nowhere to go. Merle eventually sacrifices himself while trying to kill the Governor. Later, Daryl finds Merle as a walker and for the first time Daryl shows his conflicting feelings. On the one hand, he is devastated by his brother's death and on the other hand, he unleashes a torrent of frustration and anger in Merle's body.

In Season 4, his role in the group is even more important. He has become a member of the Prison Council, being responsible for the prison administration and is also one of the key members of the group. However, the security of the prison does not last long, as The Governor leads a new team that manages to eventually destroy the team's shelter. After The Governor's assault, Daryl and Beth are separated from the others and Daryl firmly believes that they all died during the assault. He feels guilty about not being able to protect Rick, Hershel and the rest of the group. However, everything changes when Daryl meets Rick, Michonne, and Carl once again just before they all head to Terminus. Rick's relationship with Daryl has become so strong that Rick considers him a brother.

In Season 5, the group is trapped in Terminus. They all face a great risk, but for good luck, an explosion gives them the opportunity to escape. Thanks to Carol, the group is able to reunite. During the fifth season, Daryl and Carol's bond gets stronger, having been separated from each other for a long time. However, Daryl hasn't forgotten what happened to Beth. At the same time, the group meets a new survivor, Father Gabriel. At one point, Daryl sees the car he had seen the night Beth was lost and follows it with Carol. In their effort to find Beth, they meet Noah, who are kept as hostages, but they manage to escape. After a long time Daryl starts to mature, he went to prevent Carol from killing Noah, saying "He's just a kid". Later in the season, the group who captured Beth, captures Carol as well and Daryl returns to Father Gabriel's church with his main motivation being revenge. The whole group is preparing to get back its members. Unfortunately, only Carol manages to come back as Beth ends up with a bullet on her head. Daryl responds with swift vengeance on Dawn Lerner because of his wrath. After a long search for a shelter, the group finds a barn and temporarily stays there, but a new and seemingly suspicious survivor named Aaron approaches them and suggests they follow him. After a lot of thinking, they finally join Aaron and end up in Alexandria. At first, Daryl cannot adapt to Alexandria's life and is isolated. However, soon and due to his hunting and tracing skills, he is offered to be Alexandria's new recruiter along with Aaron.

In Season 6, he blasts with a RPG a group of Saviors saving Abraham and Sasha. After a meeting with Jesus and Hilltop Colony the group unleashes an attack on a Savior Outpost. Later in the season, Daryl ends up injured and hostage to Dwight. In the last episode of the sixth season, everyone's future is uncertain as they are confronted by Negan and his group.

In Season 7, after the deaths of Abraham and Glenn. Daryl is seen for the first time truly broken. Alexandria ends up working for Negan and for the first half of the seventh season, Daryl is imprisoned in The Sanctuary. Through the hardships and psychosomatic torture, Daryl still manages to maintain his sanity. After a while, Daryl reunites with the group at Hilltop after he manages to escape from The Sanctuary by killing Fat Joey. They try to persuade all of the communities to participate in the war against Negan and The Saviors. Later in the season, Dwight goes to Alexandria and tells them he wants to help them kill Negan. On the one hand, Daryl wants to kill the man who imprisoned him, killed Denise, shot him, and took part in his torture; and on the other hand wants Alexandria free from Negan. Eventually, he receives Dwight's help, still suspicious of his motives. The war against The Saviors begins, with the communities of Alexandria, Hilltop and Kingdom winning the first battle but certainly not the war.

In Season 8, Daryl is the key character for the success of the plan to trap The Saviors inside The Sanctuary. Daryl, along with Rick separate from the rest in order to get some weapons from a Savior outpost. However, it soon becomes clear that Daryl, seething over Glenn's death and the torture he suffered at the hands of the Saviors while imprisoned by them, is determined to kill them all, not caring what their reason for following Negan's orders may be. This is shown when he kills Morales despite their history prior to his joining the Saviors stating that the history in question no longer matters, murders an unarmed Todd despite the fact that Todd was just a worker and that Rick had just promised Todd they would spare him if he gave them the information he'd agreed to give them and drives a bus through the Sanctuary wall in a determined attempt to allow walkers they'd lured to the Sanctuary to get in and kill everyone inside, so blind with hate that he was unconcerned that many of the people the walkers subsequently killed were innocent prisoners and workers. After a while, Daryl comes in contact with Dwight and takes back his vest saying he will kill him when the war is over. Finally, Daryl participates in the final battle against The Saviors. Then, he leads Dwight into a forest, where Dwight waits to be killed. However, Daryl, finally accepting that Dwight had been forced to follow Negan's orders against his will, drives him away and encourages him to look for his wife Sherry, warning that he will kill him if he returns.

In Season 9, eighteen months after the victory of the communities against The Saviors, Daryl has become the leader of the Sanctuary, which seems to not entirely please him. Indeed, he expresses to Rick his desire to do what he is good at; being out there, but Rick doesn't agree. The relationship between the two men is not at its best, as they have different beliefs and it seems clear when Daryl is eager to help Maggie, who wants to kill Negan, contrary to Rick's "belief". Later, Daryl tries to prevent Rick from stopping Maggie. They have a brief fight, but in the end, they reconcile. Then, when a horde of walkers is preparing to attack the communities, Daryl and Rick split up with the latter presumably dead. After a six year time jump, everything has changed and Daryl now lives alone with a dog. Daryl later assists Jesus and Aaron in looking for a missing Eugene. In their effort to find him, they notice that something strange is going on with the horde of walkers. When they finally find Eugene they are confronted by The Whisperers.

In "Omega", Daryl shows a knowledge of how abusive parents work and sympathy for Lydia when he realizes that the girl has been abused. Upon confronting Daryl, Henry realizes that Daryl himself is likely a victim of abuse, explaining his knowledge and sympathies. Henry tells Daryl that "sometimes you act like the kind of guy that slams people against walls, but I don't think that's it." Henry suggests that Daryl's perspective could help to show Lydia that Daryl could be the one person to show Lydia that there's nothing to be afraid of with Daryl suggesting that Henry could as well.


Northern Georgia

Survival Instinct

Main article: Daryl Dixon (Survival Instinct)

Daryl grew up in the mountains of Northern Georgia alongside his older brother Merle, under the roof of their neglectful redneck parents, their father, an abusive alcoholic alongside their chain-smoker mother. Merle was the only inspirational figure he had during his youth and thus inherited his backward views on society, however, due to his older brother's service in juvenile detentions, he became frequently absent from Daryl's life and thus he was reluctantly forced to fend for himself, upon where he developed a hard-boiled survivalist mindset.[1]

At a young age, the brothers lost their mother in a house fire which had been caused by a cigarette while she was asleep or presumably drunk.[2] Some point after this event Daryl found himself lost in the woods for nine days during where he was forced to consume wild berries and utilize poison oak as a substitute for toilet paper. Eventually, he managed to find his way back home. Upon arrival however, he discovered that his father had not noticed his absence and thus Daryl simply walked through the back door and made himself a sandwich.[3]

Over the course of several years, the brothers were mentally and physically abused by their father, which eventually caused Merle to abandon the family and join the military, subsequently leaving Daryl in the process which resulted in severe scars located on his back, this abuse however was unknown to Merle.[4] Following their father's death, Daryl moved out from his birth home and eventually reconnected with Merle and thus simply followed his brother's lead upon where they entered into a drifter lifestyle, where the pair utilized their survival instincts, upon where Daryl grew into a proficient hunter and tracker, hunting for food and dealing in contraband.[5]

At one point, the pair resided in Merle's drug supplier's house where the trio watched TV and by noon had become intoxicated, a discussion turned violent where the dealer punched his older brother, where Daryl retaliated by savagely beating the man. However, the dealer then threatened to shoot Daryl, a large argument ensued, which ended with the dealer punching Daryl in the gut, causing him to vomit. Merle and the dealer laughed the incident off. Following this near-death experience, Daryl came to view himself as an unimportant individual who held no value or purpose in life.[6]


Metro-Atlanta, Georgia

Survival Instinct

Main article: Daryl Dixon (Survival Instinct)

During the onset of the outbreak, Daryl and Merle traveled towards a supposedly safe-zone in Atlanta. Sometime after the city was napalmed by the military, they met up with Shane's group and they formed a campsite outside the outskirts of Atlanta, along with other survivors. During their stay at the camp, the brothers spent a considerable amount of time hunting animals for the group.

Season 1

"Tell It to the Frogs"














Season 2

"What Lies Ahead"




"Save the Last One"




"Cherokee Rose"






"Pretty Much Dead Already"







"Judge, Jury, Executioner"








"Better Angels"




"Beside the Dying Fire"



Season 3








"Killer Within"



"Say the Word"




"When the Dead Come Knocking"


"Made to Suffer"


"The Suicide King"




"I Ain't a Judas"


"Arrow on the Doorpost"


"This Sorrowful Life"


"Welcome to the Tombs"



Season 4

"30 Days Without An Accident"










"Too Far Gone"
























Season 5

"No Sanctuary"







"Four Walls and a Roof"


















"What Happened and What's Going On"

Daryl appears at the end of the episode during Tyreese's funeral.






"The Distance"















Season 6

"First Time Again"



"Thank You"


"Always Accountable"





"Start to Finish"



"No Way Out"


"The Next World"






"Knots Untie"


On the road, the group stops as they approach an overturned car and Jesus recognizes it as one of Hilltop's. Daryl follows tracks to a nearby building where they rescue four of Jesus' people before continuing on their journey.

They arrive at the Hilltop, where they meet Gregory who orders the group to clean up before talking with him. As they wait in the foyer, Abraham asks Daryl if he's ever thought about settling down. "You think shit's settled?" Daryl replies.


Jesus explains that a group called the Saviors agreed not to attack the Hilltop in exchange for half of their supplies. Rick mentions Daryl, Sasha and Abraham's encounter on the road with a group of Saviors', and Daryl argues that they just have a good story. He suggests that they wipe out the Saviors and strike up a deal with Hilltop in which they exchange supplies. Jesus agrees to discuss this with Gregory.

After the deal is made, the group head back to Alexandria. Daryl looks at Glenn and Maggie's ultrasound scan before passing it on to the others.

"Not Tomorrow Yet"





"The Same Boat"


"Twice as Far"






"Last Day on Earth"


Season 7

"The Day Will Come When You Won't Be"



"The Cell"








"Sing Me a Song"

Daryl is seen looking at what happened between Carl and Negan.





"Hearts Still Beating"





"Rock in the Road"





Ezekiel is reluctant to break the peace with the Saviors and ultimately refuses, however, Daryl is offered asylum by Ezekiel since the Saviors won't harm him there. While reluctant, Rick tells Daryl to stay and try to convince Ezekiel to change his mind about helping them. Simon and the Saviors later search Alexandria for Daryl, but are unable to find him due to Daryl being at the Kingdom.

"New Best Friends"






"The Other Side"




Later, Daryl asks Jesus where Sasha and Rosita are.

"Something They Need"








"The First Day of the Rest of Your Life"







Season 8





The group on the overpass spots a walker nearing the tripwire. Morgan kills the stray walker endangering the tripwire and sees the caravan of Saviors in the distance. On the road, the Savior caravan trips the wire and sets off an explosion, killing them all. The herd approaches, drawn by the explosion. Morgan and Tara get in a car, preparing to leave. Carol urges Daryl to be careful.



"The Damned"

Daryl, Rick and and three others enter the Shephard Office Plaza from another direction, silently taking out the two guards. While the others stay behind to watch for Saviors retreating inside from the courtyard, Rick and Daryl go from room to room searching foe the weapons armory. They are here to find guns.


Daryl tosses his crossbow into a ventilation shaft. Daryl and Rick arrive on the second floor, and Daryl expresses doubt that Dwight's instructions were accurate, but Rick points out that they have been so far. He tells Daryl that they will use the heavy artillery to take out the Saviors in the courtyard below, bringing a swift end to the battle. They split up. 






"Some Guy"




"The Big Scary U"





"The King, the Widow, and Rick"


"Time for After"




"How It's Gotta Be"




Daryl is later seen at the sewers along with everyone else.




"Dead or Alive Or"









"The Key"


"Do Not Send Us Astray"






"Still Gotta Mean Something"














Season 9

"A New Beginning"

During the year and a half that passed since the end of the war, Daryl reluctantly took charge of the Sanctuary and it's residents.



Rick tells everyone to be safe and the group separates.









Outside, Carol follows Daryl and offers to take over the Sanctuary for him. She tells him about Zeke's proposal and says she wants to take her time. Daryl's surprised and asks if he should stay with her. She declines and rests her head on his shoulder.




"The Bridge"









"Warning Signs"



A while later, Rick confronts Daryl about Justin, suggesting he might have been shot with an arrow or bolt. "If I was going to kill him, I'd a done it in plain sight," he counters before saying the Saviors don't deserve to have a new beginning while their dead friends didn't get a chance.




On the woods, Maggie admits to Daryl that what Rick's doing is right for the future. They find a walker with a bolt in it and Daryl says, "I know who took Arat."


Cyndie says that they went along with Rick's rules because they thought they had to, until Maggie executed Gregory, "showing them the way". Since that moment, they have been killing the Saviors responsible for wiping out Oceanside.



"The Obliged"





"What Comes After"




"Who Are You Now?"


Six years later, Daryl spearfishes in a lake and kills a walker. As he returns to his tent, he watches as nature takes over a walker stuck in a tree.






Henry tails Daryl and finds a walker instead. Daryl shows up and asks if he was following him. Suddenly, Daryl hears his dog barking wildly nearby and rushes over to find it stuck in a trap and surrounded by walkers. Daryl picks off the walkers to save his dog and before a walker can bite him, Henry jumps in and saves him. "I told you to stay back," Daryl scolds. From the bushes, Carol secretly lowers her bow and arrow. 

Back at the camp, Henry notices an x shaped scar on Daryl's back as he changes his shirt. He sits next to him and tells him that this is the first time the dog got caught in his trap. Henry thanks him for the save and tells him Carol misses and worries about him. "She knows how to find me," Daryl says. Henry suggests he should come to Hilltop with them. Daryl asks if it's so he can look over him, but Henry says "It isn't just about me."

In the morning, Daryl loads up his bike for Hilltop and Carol seems overjoyed she convinced him to come. Later, they arrive at Hilltop and hug Tara. Carol tells Jesus that Henry wants to learn how to be a blacksmith. Aaron greets Daryl and tells him they could use his help locating Eugene. Henry tries to tag along but Carol instead says he needs to stay and she will help him find a home.



In the woods, Daryl, Aaron, and Jesus discover a herd middling around in the middle of a field. As they leave, an odd looking walker watches them from the herd.




From the top of an abandoned car, Daryl sets off fireworks to redirect the herd, but a group of walkers ignore the noise and the rest follow their lead, leaving him shocked. A while later, he, along with Michonne, Magna and Yumiko arrive to help the others unlock the gate.


Daryl shoots it in the head as several more Whisperers arrive and the rest of the group run in to finish them off. As Aaron goes over to Jesus' body, Daryl notices something on the back of the walker and cuts into his neck, revealing a mask. Before they can process it, the whispers get louder and the group circles up to fight them off. 


In the cemetery, Daryl and the rest proceed to kill the Whisperers and walkers around them. When more arrive, they’re forced to carry Jesus’ body away and lock the gates. As they leave, a whisperer opens the lock.


Later, Daryl and the group arrive at Hilltop with Jesus' body and the captive girl, causing the whole community to react in disbelief. In the cellar, Daryl throws the girl in a cell and tells Henry that Jesus is dead. Michonne rips off her blindfold and tells her "No more bullshit!"

Daryl, Michonne and Tara interrogate the girl. She claims to not have a name and that her group were good people just trying to survive. Michonne asks if her people know about Hilltop but the girl begs to be left alone. Outside, Michonne tells Daryl and Tara she's heading back to Alexandria. Tara agrees and tells her she's going to allow Magna's group to stay because it's what Jesus would have done. Michonne secretly reminds Daryl that he knows what to do if the girl keeps refusing to talk.

Afterward, Daryl scolds Henry for behaving stupidly and reminds him he has one more night left in the cell before he can be released. Michonne then informs Daryl that he should stay at Hilltop to help Tara and suggests he lead the effort in questioning the girl to ensure they don't lose anyone else.

A while later, a funeral is held for Jesus and everyone take turns hammering the nails in his coffin. Daryl looks in sadness, before rushing back to the jail to demand the girl to reveal her identity. Henry tries to intervene but Daryl shuts him down. He slams her against the bars and asks if she comes from a place with walls. She tells him that places like Hilltop never last and her mom told her they needed the dead to stay safe. He raises his knife to her and demands why her people killed his and she says they were always going to, that's what they do. She tells him her mother is out there alone but he calls her a liar before dragging her towards the exit. She begs for her life and he lets her cower back in her cell.

Daryl then reminds Henry of his place and warns he'll stay in that cell until he realizes it. After he leaves, the girl thanks Henry for saving her and introduces herself as Lydia. Outside, next to a window, Daryl listens in.


In Hilltop, Daryl sits by a window outside the cell and listens to Lydia telling Henry how she survived with her parents at the start of the apocalypse. He is then left in thought as Lydia tells Henry her mother is not someone you want to mess with.

Later, Daryl runs inside the cells to take Henry out after he tells Lydia about the Kingdom. Outside, Daryl scolds him for endangering his family and reveals he has been using him to get information out of her. Henry lashes out, believing Lydia to be a good person who got messed up. He calls Daryl an asshole and tells him to get the information himself.

Daryl goes back to Lydia's cell and offers her medicine to help with her ear, but she refuses. He tells her that Luke and Alden are missing, but she says she knows nothing about it. He then asks her if her mom would kill their people if she crossed them. Lydia says that she would if she had to and tells him how her mother had to kill a man who was panicking and scared. Daryl says to Lydia that her mom did what she had to keep her alive. Lydia again pulls at her ear and Daryl tosses her the medicine, reminding her the people at Hilltop will help her if she helps them. She asks him for water and when he gets close she tries grabbing him. He grabs her arm and pulls up her sleeve, revealing a series of cut marks, causing her to retreat in the corner. Daryl looks at her for a moment and then leaves.

At night, Daryl visits Lydia again to find out more about her bruises. She says she got them from her mom, so Daryl asks why she won't tell her where she is. He says she’s safer here than out there but she disagrees and says her mother’s abuse makes her hard. Daryl calls it bullshit, but Lydia says staying soft makes you die and tells him that her father was weak and died saving her. Lydia then tells him that he is strong and doesn't belong in Hilltop. Daryl says she doesn't know shit about him and leaves.

Outside, Henry confronts Daryl but he claims Lydia is Tara's problem now. Henry realizes that Daryl was most likely abused himself, which Daryl doesn't confirm but doesn't deny it either. Henry tells him that he overheard Carol telling Ezekiel that she kept her hair short because Ed used to pull it and abuse her when it was long. He guesses that it took her this long to feel safe again. Daryl listens in thought as Henry tells him he knows Lydia's people are bad but he doesn't think Lydia's bad. He thinks she's just scared and Daryl can show her there's nothing to be afraid of. Daryl says, "Not just me". Later, Daryl watches as Henry and Lydia spend time together outside the cells.

In the morning, Daryl finds them holding hands. Lydia asks for the pills, promising not to attack this time. She confesses she was trying to get intel from them and that if her mom did find Luke and Alden then they're probably dead. She then explains her people are always on the move and that her memories were mixed up because her mother lied to her. Lydia confesses her father was caring and her mother was the monster. She then finishes her story by claiming her mother killed her father. Lydia cries and apologizes to Daryl for wasting his time, but he says she didn't and goes outside.  

Outside, Henry follows and asks him why a mom would do that to her kid. Daryl tells him that some people ain't meant to be parents. Henry asks if Lydia can stay. Daryl says they'll see and tells Henry to get Lydia fresh clothes, while he talks to Tara about their camp. Henry tells Daryl that he's glad he and his mom are friends. 

Suddenly, Tara calls out to him and Magna below to join her and Yumiko on the guard post. In front of the gate, Alpha leads a group of Whisperers. She introduces herself and tells them she just wants her daughter back.  



Daryl walks outside and Alpha instructs one of her people to bring someone. Daryl informs Alpha he's ready to fight her people to ensure she doesn't get Lydia back, when he then spots one of the Whisperers with a baby. Alpha explains they're animals and "animals have babies." Suddenly, a couple of whisperers bring up a tied up Alden and Luke. Alpha offers to trade both of them for her daughter. 

Inside, Daryl informs Enid he's going to make the trade when Magna says Lydia and Henry are missing. He tells everyone to split up and find them. He gives their scent to Dog and sends him off. Suddenly, he discovers Henry and Lydia escaped and decides to look for them. Addy says she knows where they went, so she and Enid head out to find them while Daryl stalls. 

Meanwhile, Connie runs out of the cornfield, sling-shots a walker, and grabs the baby to save it from a nearby herd. The Whisperers around her unsheathe blades as Connie escapes back into the cornfield. Daryl runs in and kills the walkers around her while Kelly, Tammy, and Earl step in to rescue her. Later, Lydia and Henry return to Hilltop and Daryl goes outside to make the trade.

Outside, Daryl hands Lydia over to Alpha in exchange for Alden and Luke, who are embraced by Enid and Magna's group. Lydia apologizes to her mother and Alpha smacks her across the face, ordering her to address her as Alpha like everyone else. She then smiles at Daryl as they leave. Later, Henry tells Daryl that what they did isn't right, but Daryl reminds him they had to and they just have to live with it.

At night, Daryl sits alone when Addy hands him a note from Henry, where he says he left to find Lydia. Nearby, Connie sits on a table and stops Daryl, writing him a note, claiming that she wants to tag along. He reluctantly agrees and they set off.


In the woods, Daryl and Connie look for Henry and realize that the Whisperers caught up with him. They kill some walkers and Daryl orders his dog to bring him the bolt back, but he refuses. Connie smiles as Daryl calls him a bad dog. Later, he and Connie watch from some bushes as some Whisperers draw a herd to devour some corpses.

At night, Daryl and Connie, dressed as Whisperers, lure the herd into the Whisperers' camp. In the middle of the chaos, Daryl and Connie grab Henry, who grabs Lydia, and together they escape.


In the woods, following their daring escape from the Whisperers, Daryl blames Lydia for getting them into this mess and says she can't go with them back to Hilltop. Connie and Henry refuse to leave her behind and run off with her in another direction. Daryl reluctantly follows them.

At dawn, Daryl and Connie devise a plan to use an office building as a means of separating the Whisperers from the undead. Lydia warns Daryl that Alpha’s going to send Beta, who's their best fighter. "We'll kill him first", Daryl promises. Inside the office building, Connie reveals to Daryl that her group used the building to hide supplies and they argue about how they should proceed afterwards, with Connie saying Lydia should come back with them because they have more to lose than her.

Later, Lydia spots a group of walkers/whisperers emerge from the bushes. In the middle of the group is Beta, who quietly instructs his people to spread out as Daryl shoots one of them with his crossbow. Beta and his people break in and quickly discover a trap meant to separate them from the dead. Meanwhile, Daryl makes Lydia hide in a closet as the Whisperers creep upstairs.

Daryl aims his crossbow at the main door, which gets busted down by Beta, who's using another door as a shield. Daryl regroups and he strikes a Whisperer through a tarp with a fire axe while Connie and Henry hunt down the others. Daryl slits Zion's throat, before he is bull-rushed by Beta, whose size startles him. The two size each other up and Beta forces Daryl's neck towards a blade, but he manages to punch him and break free. Beta returns with a punch of his own and Daryl stabs him in the chest before escaping into the trap door. Beta grabs the knife out of his chest and announces all he wants is Lydia. Daryl sneaks up through the crawl space behind him and pushes him down the elevator shaft. He spites down and grabs his knife.

Afterward, Connie draws the herd away with her slingshot and Daryl tells the others they're headed to Alexandria to get Henry help because it's closer. However, he doesn't intend to stay and they will instead keep moving on.


In a flashback to at least eight months after Rick’s presumed death, Daryl finds Michonne in the riverbank and tells her he followed the river to the ocean but hasn't found Rick. Michonne asks when he’s going to return to Alexandria, but he says when he finds something.

In the present, Daryl arrives at Alexandria with Henry, Lydia, and Connie. From a guardpost, Michonne tells him she's skeptical of Lydia but he assures her she's on their side. Inside, Daryl tells Michonne they should head to Kingdom soon. Later, nearby the lake, Judith tells Daryl she's happy he helped Lydia and suggests they could all defeat the Whisperers if they came together since it's what her dad would have done.

At night, Daryl, Henry, and Lydia prepare to leave for the Kingdom. Michonne tells Daryl Judith's still mad at her so he suggests he tell her the truth. "That's not just a little kid you got there," he says. 

In the past, Daryl joins Michonne in her mission to find Judith and the missing Alexandrians in the woods. During a break, Michonne laments how stupid she was to trust her old friend, but Daryl reminds her some people just have too much evil in their heart. A while later, Michonne and Daryl spot one Jocelyn's kids outside of an abandoned school. They chase him until they're met by all of the kids in a hallway. One of them shoots Daryl in the shoulder with an arrow while Linus knocks Michonne unconscious. 

Sometime later, they wake up bloodied and tied to a pipe. Linus painfully brands an iron X on Daryl and Jocelyn tells Michonne the kids can't be soft. Winnie then brands Michonne as she shrieks in pain. When they are left alone, Daryl and Michonne break free and split up. A while later, Daryl emerges from the school and watches in confusion at the children killed by Michonne, but smiles as Judith emerges from the trailer and happily embraces her mom. Later, Daryl and Michonne return to Alexandria with the kids as the parents rush up to greet them.

In the present, Daryl, Connie, Henry, and Lydia encounter Michonne and Judith in the woods and join them on their way towards the Kingdom.

"The Calm Before"

Daryl and the group arrive at the Kingdom as the fair starts. Carol scolds Henry for running away and then hugs Daryl. As everyone catches up, Tara spots Lydia among the group. "The plan was to bring Henry…just Henry" Tara says angrily to Daryl. Additionally, Ezekiel and Carol offer Daryl a home at the Kingdom which he promises to consider.

Inside the theater, Daryl listens as the leaders reunite and decide to grant asylum to Lydia in Alexandria, send some soldiers to Hilltop to guard against any potential attacks from the Whisperers and to re-establish the charter. He then sees as they all sign the charter.

Later, Daryl, Carol, Michonne, Magna and others prepare to leave the Kingdom to go to Hilltop and leave some soldiers in case of a possible attack. He says goodbye to Connie and tells her to watch out for his dog until he returns. In the woods, he and the rest encounter Ozzy, Alek, and D.J. and find one of Hilltop's carts overturned. He, Michonne, Carol, and Yumiko decide to track any possible survivor. 

At night, Daryl and the group gets attacked by walkers. They take them out one by one until the Whisperers surround them. Beta emerges from the trees and tells them to drop their weapons. "You just had to give me the girl," he growls at Daryl, telling him their deal is off. After the group is tied up, Alpha approaches them and tells them she ran into trouble on the road as she wipes her bloody knife on her pants. Michonne warns her if she tries to get Lydia back they'll respond in force, but Alpha assures her Lydia isn't her concern anymore. She takes out a shotgun and tells Daryl to come with her alone. 


On their way back to the Kingdom, Daryl, Michonne, Carol, and Yumiko find a beaten and bloody Siddiq tied to a tree. He points them to a nearby hill, which has ten pikes in the ground. Each spike has a severed head stabbed through the top. The group walk devastated towards it and look in horror at the victims: Ozzy, Alek, D.J., Frankie, Tammy, Rodney, Addy, Enid, Tara, and Henry. Daryl comforts Carol and tells her to look away, but she is overwhelmed with emotion.

Later, in the Kingdom, Daryl listens from the crowd as Siddiq delivers the tragic news, tells them how brave everyone was in their final moments and how he was intentionally kept alive to tell this very story. He encourages everyone to remember the fallen. 

Sometime later, Daryl and Lydia return to the border. Lydia leaves the necklace Henry made for her on the ground and as the two walk away, snow flurries begin to fall.

"The Storm"

Several months after the fair massacre, Daryl has become a fatherly figure to Lydia, protecting and caring for her. In the Kingdom, as everyone gets ready to leave and move to Hilltop, he makes dinner for Lydia.

On the road, the group spots walkers in a field but keep moving undetected. Suddenly, Alden asks Lydia if they’re her people. “We followed their rules, haven’t they done enough to us?” but is shut up by Daryl. Lydia tells him, “I don’t want to cause any more problems," but Daryl reminds her people should stop blaming her.

Later, as it becomes colder, Daryl reminds Carol that Henry wanted Lydia to be with them. She admits all she can see is Henry when she looks at her and Daryl asks what she sees when she looks at him. She assures him she just sees him and puts her hand on his shoulder. A while later, Daryl and Carol kill a couple of walkers. He tells the group to keep moving as he and Ezekiel go to retrieve his bolt. In the woods, Ezekiel tells Daryl he wants a fresh start with Carol at Hilltop “it would be easier if it was just us.” Daryl doesn’t say anything and looks at him in thought. As more snow starts falling, Michonne decides to take the group to Sanctuary.

In the Sanctuary, Daryl sits with Carol and she asks him if something happened back there between him and Ezekiel. He says no, but Carol’s suspicious. She admits with Henry gone she feels like she’s losing herself again, so Daryl offers to take Lydia away and protect her on his own, even though he doesn’t want to leave.

A while later, Daryl listens as the leaders map their route through a frozen lake on Alpha’s land and Michonne warns they have to leave now or they won't make it. The group gets ready and leaves the Sanctuary.


In the morning, Daryl and the group finally arrive at Hilltop, where he knocks off the head of a frozen walker. That night, he informs Lydia they’ll leave for Alexandria in the morning. She asks why he left Hilltop and he says he'll tell her that story another day. The next day, Daryl, Michonne, and the others return to Alexandria, along with Carol and several Kingdom refugees. He then plays with the group in a snowball fight.

Season 10

"Lines We Cross"

Some months after the blizzard, Daryl and the Coalition form a militia in order to train the several residents of the communities to face any future treats. He also has been learning ASL in order to communicate better with Connie.

On the training day, Daryl watches as the militia exercise on the Oceanside beach. Later on, Daryl and Michonne laud the results of their training session. "Tara would have been proud," Daryl says. They also comment Rick would've loved the fact that the children are seeing the beach for the first time. A while later, Daryl listens as Aaron radios Gabriel at Alexandria to warn him about the recently discovered Whisperer mask at the beach. As Michonne leads a group to look for more signs of the Whisperers, Daryl decides to stay and wait for Carol's return.

Daryl walks by the beach and waves at Connie and Kelly after Dog runs over to them. As he waits on a dock, Ezekiel talks about his time working in the zoo and reveals he was scared of birds back then. Connie comes up and delivers Dog to Daryl with a note saying, "Think you lost something." He communicates with her in ASL and she tells him that he signs with a southern accent. Suddenly, Carol arrives on a boat. She awkwardly greets Ezekiel and quickly moves on to talk to Dary, who lifts her up in a hug.

As they walk around the camp, Carol tells Daryl about her travels. He thinks she is looking for Alpha, but Carol claims to be happy that the past is behind them. Daryl then informs her of the mask they found and asks if she wants to help them look but she declines, telling him she's only here temporarily. Daryl then drives the two of them off on his motorcycle. In the woods, Daryl and Carol try to hunt a deer in the woods. They follow it as it stumbles into one of the borders. Daryl stops Carol from shooting the injured deer as walkers devour it. Daryl rules that it is across a border and they shouldn't pursue it. Carol angrily reminds him they never agreed to the border.

Afterward, Daryl apologizes and the two make up. He admits he doesn't want her to leave again on a boat, calling her his best friend. "Best friend, what are you, 10?", Carol jokes and suggests they make friendship bracelets. She then proposes they run away together. Suddenly, an explosion rings out in the sky.

That night, Daryl and the others decide to cross Alpha's border to put out the fire and avoid it burning down Oceanside. They discover the remains of the satellite and start combating the fire. Some use water while others dig a means to prevent the fire from spreading until the morning arrives. The group runs out of water as a herd of walkers approaches the group. With their backs to the fire, the group prepares for a fight.

Daryl and the group take their formations and start fighting off the herd. As they keep killing the walkers, Daryl tosses an axe to cut a tree down and have it fall to some walkers. Later, the fire is put out and everyone recovers. He and Carol walk to the cliff where Alpha showed him the Whisperers' herd. Carol still wants to run away tomorrow, but Daryl wants her to stay and proceeds to walk back to the camp.

"We Are the End of the World"

Daryl is remembered by Frances when he questioned Alpha as to why she brought a baby to their confrontation in a flashback to the time she brought her son to the Hilltop in search of Lydia.


Daryl and the rest of the Alexandria residents face against waves of walkers pouring onto the community gates over the next 49 hours. After prevailing from the exhausting battle, the community discovers that a new herd of walkers is approaching from multiple directions. In the morning, Daryl helps to clean up the community from the corpses while Eugene warns that it will be an hour until the next wave hits. Michonne is tired and Daryl feels her frustration. Suddenly, Gamma arrives at the gate to tell them to go to the north border, lay down their weapons, and wait for Alpha. Michonne asks her to call off her walkers but she swears they're not theirs.

Later that day at an emergency council meeting, Daryl reaffirms that he saw tens of thousands of walkers in Alpha's herd. Michonne tells everyone instead of retaliating, she and a small group will meet with Alpha at the border to work things out. That night, Daryl, Michonne, Carol, and a few others arrive at the border and lay down their weapons. Alpha arrives with some Whisperers and reminds them to stay off her land. Michonne explains the fire would have wiped out Oceanside and they only crossed one time, but Alpha reminds her of two other times they trespassed. Alpha declares that there will be no bloodshed, and instead announces she's moving the border up as punishment. Carol says they don't have to listen to her bullshit.

Daryl tries to get her to leave but Alpha says not until Carol lowers her eyes to her feet. Alpha tells Carol she should fear her but Carol says she feels nothing at all. Alpha reminds her how Henry feared her before she beheaded him, causing Carol to pull out her gun and shoot. Daryl manages to hit her arm so she misses as the Whisperers draw their weapons. Michonne apologizes to Alpha for Carol's behavior and Alpha says she forgives her "mother to mother." Back in their camp, Carol tells Michonne, "Bitch has to die." Daryl tells Michonne she hasn't been the same since the boat. Suddenly, Daryl and the others hear Carol shooting and she claims she spotted some Whisperers nearby.

After searching around the woods, Michonne suggests to Carol that the pills she is taking is affecting her, but Carol brushes it off. The group then arrives at an abandoned school to rest. Carol decides to keep watch while everyone sleeps. Once her shift ends, Daryl finds her and she claims to be fine. Carol insists that this isn't like the story of his trucker dad but a confused Daryl says he never told her anything. Daryl volunteers to take her shift but Carol says she wants to keep watch one more hour.

A while later, Daryl and the others hear Carol's cries for help and enter the gymnasium to find her standing on top of several walkers she has killed. He and the rest decide to head back to Alexandria so Carol can be treated at the infirmary and rest properly. After Siddiq and Dante inform Daryl and Michonne Carol's doing well, they take her home so she can sleep. The next morning, Carol asks Daryl if he believes her about the Whisperers and he says he does.

"Silence the Whisperers"

Daryl joins Michonne and her children as they dine together and share a laugh. He then takes a tray of food to Carol's room but leaves it outside when she doesn't answer. The following morning, Daryl is left in charge of R.J. as Michonne leads a convoy to Hilltop. While looking for Lydia, he finds her talking with Negan and orders her to leave. "She's just trying to fit in," Negan says. Daryl tells him that won't happen with him being around her. He catches up with Lydia to scold her for talking to him, when they notice a "Silence the Whispers" message graffitied on their house door.

Later that day, Daryl talks with Lydia and tells her to not do things like gutting animals in front of the residents. She defends herself and storms out, causing Daryl to blame his lack of understanding of a teen. That night, Daryl comes to Lydia's aid after she is attacked. As the residents realize Margo is dead, Daryl crouches down to hug Lydia and orders Negan back to his cell despite Lydia's protests that he didn't do anything wrong. He then has Lydia taken to the infirmary to be treated and bandaged. When Daryl checks on Lydia, he tells her he's sorry for what happened, and she claims that her father would've protected her. Daryl hugs her and she tells him Negan saved her.


Daryl radios Michonne later that night to update her on the situation. Michonne asks if she should come home but Daryl tells her to stay as long as Hilltop needs her. Michonne tells him Lydia has to be protected regardless of the outcome because she believes Alpha will be harsher with them if Lydia's gone, reminding Daryl was chosen by Alpha to be Lydia's protector. She also asks Daryl to be her proxy on the council's vote regarding Negan. Daryl checks in with the council and says he believes Lydia, which ties the vote. Gabriel announces he'll take the night to make his decision by tomorrow.

The following morning, Daryl is informed by Gabriel that Negan has escaped. He then rushes over the basement to find Lydia has locked herself in. Daryl tells her she didn't leave the house that night. However, Lydia chooses to stay in the cell because she feels safer and laments she couldn't be like him. Daryl leaves in sadness and then starts to wash off the graffiti off the walls around the community. 

"What It Always Is"

Daryl and Siddiq travel to Hilltop following their search for Negan to check on the community. Upon informing Ezekiel they hadn't had any luck finding Negan, Daryl wonders if he is going to ask about Carol, but Ezekiel declines and leaves. He then notices as Connie is informed by the Hilltop hunting group that Kelly chose to stay in the woods.

Later that day, Daryl and Connie search for Kelly around the woods. As Connie grows worried for her sister, Daryl tells her a story about how he saved Merle from drowning during a fishing trip but was chastised for not getting the beer off the lake. They laugh over the story and hold hands. Suddenly, Dog finds the remains of a boar. They hear a noise behind them and find Magna. 

Sometime later, the group manages to find an exhausted Kelly lying under a tree. As they give her water, Kelly insists to Magna they tell Daryl and Connie about the supplies they've been taking. Daryl is mad about them hiding the supplies and Connie suggests they lie and say they found it in the woods. When the group later arrives back at Hilltop, Daryl looks in disappointment at Magna for her actions.

That night, Daryl prepares his bike to head back to Alexandria with Siddiq when Connie arrives to apologize for involving him with Kelly and Magna's lie. He claims to understand because they are her family. She says she considers him family too. Daryl smiles before leaving the community on his bike.






"Open Your Eyes"

Daryl will appear in this episode.

Killed Victims

This list shows the victims Daryl has killed:


Merle Dixon

"I just want my brother back."
—Daryl's last words to Merle[src]





Rick Grimes

—Rick to Daryl[src]






During Season 5, Rick and Daryl's relationship remains strong. The two look out for each other during their escape from Terminus. When Daryl agreed with Tyreese that a more peaceable plan be executed to retrieve Beth Greene and Carol Peletier from the officers of Grady Memorial Hospital, Rick reconsidered his own plan and decided to opt for a trade. After the group arrives at the Alexandria Safe-Zone, Rick constantly looks to Daryl for his opinion on matters. When Daryl gets taken prisoner for attacking Negan, Rick was devastated to see him as a prisoner, When Paul Rovia returns to Hilltop with Daryl, Rick and Daryl hug each other, and Daryl also retrieving Rick's Colt Python to him. Rick and Daryl's relationship becomes somewhat strained in "The Big Scary U" when they fight after a disagreement on whether to kill the workers and families in The Sanctuary. In "The Key", Daryl apologizes for his actions and Rick thanks him for getting everyone to the Hilltop. In "What Comes After" Daryl is shown to be devastated and heartbroken over Rick's assumed death, so much so that he spends years searching for his best friend's body along with Michonne to attempt to find closure, although he does this Daryl believes Rick is still alive and has vowed to stop at nothing to find his lost brother.

Carol Peletier

"They came; we got them all. We made a deal with the rest of them, like Ezekiel. Everyone's alright… everyone's alright."
—Daryl lying to Carol to protect her[src]



In season 6, Carol gets kidnapped along with Maggie. When the group finds them Daryl immediately pulls Carol to the side to ask if she is OK. When she answers "no" he pulls her into a hug. He later asks her what her kidnappers did to her, to which she replies that they did nothing and then walks away.

Carol leaves the group at the end of season 6 and relocates to a little house outside the Kingdom in season 7. Upon Carol's request, Morgan does not tell Daryl that he knows where Carol is and simply says tells him that she "is gone". Daryl is shown to be saddened by this.

In the following episode, Daryl gets in a fight with Richard after finding out that he has planned to kill Carol, and threatens to kill him if anything happens to her. After the fight, Daryl finds Carol's house and knocks on the door. When Carol opens, they first look at each other, Carol seemingly in shock, after which a teary-eyed Carol hugs Daryl who also is shown to be close to tears. During his visit, Daryl decided not to tell Carol that Glenn and Abraham have been killed by the saviors because he wants to protect her from the pain. He also knows that if he tells her she will want to fight, and that that's the last thing she needs at that moment in time. He shows how well he knows her by giving her a chance to heal. The two have dinner and then Daryl leaves, but before walking away completely he turns around and walks back to hug Carol, telling her to "watch out for herself", again showing great concern for her well-being.


In season 10, Daryl waits for Carol as she returns after some time at sea. The two hug and take a trip into the woods together on Daryl's bike to catch up. While breaking to eat, Daryl tells Carol that she's his best friend. Carol teases Daryl for this and asks if they're going to make friendship bracelets now. While they continue talking, Daryl makes Carol a bracelet and gives it to her. She seems appreciative of this and puts it on. A few episodes later, Daryl and Carol are out scouting for Alpha's herd. While doing so they play a game of "knock the can over" with acorns. Carol finds a double-capped acorn and gives it to Daryl, saying it's good luck and indicating it might help with his aim. Daryl puts the acorn in his vest pocket and later refers to it as luck being on their side as they cross Alpha's boarder together.


Daryl and dog have a good relationship. Daryl is Dog's owner and cares for him greatly, as seen that Daryl goes out of his way to feed Dog, at his own expense. Dog also is seen to listen to Daryl. In "Evolution", Dog starts barking at the herd when the firecrackers go off, to re-route them, but when the plan fails, Daryl commands Dog to stop, which he does without hesitation.

Maggie Rhee

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
—Daryl to Maggie about Glenn's death.[src]



Following the events of All Out War, Maggie and Daryl plot to kill Negan behind Rick's back, believing he should die for what he's done.

When Oceanside begins to kill Saviors (such as Justin), Daryl and Maggie are the ones to figure it out. They find Cyndie and a group of Oceanside women about to kill Arat. Arat begs for her life while Cyndie explains that Arat mercilessly killed her brother, saying "no exceptions" as she did it. This echoes the words Negan spoke before killing Glenn. As both Daryl and Maggie are haunted by Glenn's death, they turn around and leave Arat to die.

Back on the road, Maggie says that they can no longer keep going with Rick's way and that they need to see Negan. Daryl agrees and the two walk off together.

When Rick tries to stop Maggie from getting to Alexandria, Daryl tricks him and accidentally gets them both stuck in a pit. He berates Rick about what Negan did and how he knows how much it means to Maggie to see Negan dead. Rick says he knows too.

Daryl and Maggie are both horrified when Rick seemingly dies at the bridge, both crying at the loss of their brother.


—Michonne to Daryl about the rock he found[src]

Daryl was at first wary of Michonne, but eventually he and Michonne have established a friendly relationship following the Woodbury residents moving into the prison. Michonne often jokes around with him, such as when she joked to Hershel that Daryl had given her fleas. Daryl was also the person who convinced Michonne to end her search for the Governor, saying that the trail had gone cold. Daryl has also indicated he would have gladly helped Michonne look for him, but Daryl believes the prison group needs Michonne around. Michonne comments on the rock Daryl found, and says that it brings out the color of his eyes. Eventually, when the leader of the Saviors, Negan, introduced himself to the group, he took Daryl captive, making Michonne and the others were upset with it. When Daryl escaped the Sanctuary with the help of Paul Rovia, he was reunited with his group at Hilltop and was kissed on the cheek by Michonne, who was very glad to see him, Since Rick's assumed death in "What Comes After" he has developed a very close bond with Michonne, the two spend lots of time in the woods searching for Rick's body together and the two were later captured by Jocelyn's group and both were branded with X scars in "Scars", since Rick's death Daryl has looked after Michonne as a sister to honor him.

Carl Grimes

—Daryl tells Carl not to worry about Rick[src]




Glenn Rhee

"You've got some balls for a Chinaman."
—Daryl to Glenn[src]



Daryl rescues Glenn and Maggie from Woodbury alongside Rick, Michonne and Oscar when his own brother, Merle, kidnaps them. Daryl's allegiance to his brother puts a strain on his relationship with Glenn as Glenn resents Merle for beating him and kidnapping him with Maggie who was 'terrorized' by the Governor. But even then, Daryl is shown to have great respect for Glenn, correcting Merle that he's Korean not Chinese. This mirrors when Glenn and Daryl had a similar interaction in Atlanta before becoming family.






When hiding out at the Hilltop with Maggie, in "The Other Side," Daryl breaks down crying, admitting his guilt over his role in Glenn's death. Maggie tells him Glenn's death wasn't his fault and hugs him.

Lori Grimes

—Daryl to Lori[src]


Judith Grimes



Sophia Peletier

—Daryl yelling at Carol[src]


Shane Walsh

—Shane insulting Daryl[src]


Dale Horvath

"Sorry, brother..."
—Daryl to Dale before he mercy kills him[src]



—Andrea in response to Daryl's question



—Daryl to Rick regarding Amy[src]



—T-Dog to Daryl[src]



—Daryl to Rick[src]



—Daryl to Rick about Morales[src]




—Daryl attempting to kill Jim[src]


Hershel Greene

"You're a tough son of a bitch."
—Daryl to Hershel[src]


Beth Greene

—Beth to Daryl during their time together[src]


Randall Culver



"We liked him. He was one of us."
—Daryl to Andrea about Axel[src]



"You know, end of the day, relaxing."
—Oscar to Daryl about the slippers he found[src]


The Governor

—Daryl to Andrea about Philip[src]


Caesar Martinez

—Caesar insulting Daryl[src]


Milton Mamet

"Great. He brought his butler."


Tyreese Williams

"We're on the same side, man."
—Daryl to Tyreese[src]


Sasha Williams


Bob Stookey

—Daryl to Bob[src]



—Zach, guessing Daryl's former occupation[src]



"Permission to shake your hand, sir?"
—Patrick to Daryl[src]


Tara Chambler


Abraham Ford


Eugene Porter


Their relationship is presumably repaired after Eugene's betrayal of the Saviors, which led to their defeat.

In "Stradivarius", upon hearing that Eugene was missing, Daryl quickly agreed to join Aaron in finding him.

Rosita Espinosa






"I didn't know what they could do."
—Daryl to Rick about Joe and the Claimers[src]






Gabriel Stokes




Dawn Lerner




Eric Raleigh



Deanna Monroe


Morgan Jones

—Daryl to Morgan on his pacifism.[src]



Denise Cloyd

Denise and Daryl first met in "No Way Out" stitching his wound on his back. In the few next episodes, they've interacted more as Denise asks a favor for Daryl who was about to go out to scavenge for supplies and requests a particular soda as a surprise for Tara. In "Knots Untie", Denise persuaded Daryl into eating her baked oatcake which he refuses at first but took it later on. It is later revealed in "Twice as Far" that Denise sees Daryl as his older twin brother, whom both are very alike. Daryl even compares her brother to his own brother. During Denise's breakdown after raiding the Gift Shop Denise found, Daryl praises and comforts a crying Denise telling her "Hey.. You did good finding this place." During Denise's attempt to kill a Walker to get a cooler, she fell down and was in the verge of getting eaten. Rosita and Daryl immediately come over to help and witness her first Walker kill and proceed to get one particular soda from the cooler and both Rosita and Daryl scold her for it. Later on Denise gives a speech to both of them but was accidentally shot in the back of her head with a crossbow by Dwight. Following Denise's death, Daryl and Carol both bury her body. In "East" Daryl goes out of Alexandria to avenge Denise. Michonne, Glenn and Rosita chase after him and convince him to back to which he refuses and Rosita comes along with him.


—Daryl to Rick about Dwight.[src]




After Negan's defeat, Daryl, seeing that Dwight genuinely regrets his actions, spares his life and encourages him to find Sherry (though he still warns him not to return, or he will kill him).



Paul Rovia









—Daryl to Morgan about Ezekiel.[src]


After the death if Henry Ezekiel request Daryl stay away from Carol as a way to fix his failing relationship with Carol. This creates a rift in their friendship.


—Daryl threatening Richard should harm befall Carol.[src]




Daryl and Justin have an extremely negative relationship.




Daryl and Henry had a relatively positive relationship, considering Daryl and Henry's adoptive mother Carol's close friendship. Daryl is angered by Henry's decision to befriend Lydia who had recently been captured and imprisoned. Daryl later listens to Henry and Lydia talk with each other. Henry calls Daryl an asshole when he learns about this. When Lydia tells Daryl the real story of her abusive mother, Daryl has sympathy for her. Henry then tells Daryl that he's glad he and his mother are friends.

After Lydia's arrival, Daryl and Henry form an alliance to protect Lydia from Alpha and the Whisperers, though Daryl appears to be disapproving of their romantic relationship. In "Scars", Aaron jokes that Daryl has gained children in Henry and Lydia. After Henry is murdered by Alpha, Daryl does his best to comfort Carol and is visibly devastated himself.

Daryl feels guilt over Henry's death due to his actions causing the Whisperers to retaliate. However, Carol does not view this as his fault.


At first Daryl views her as a threat as being apart of the enemy. As time goes on and Lydia opens up to him over her past. He feels sympathetic towards her and no longer views her as a threat. When rescuing Henry he rescues Lydia too, albeit reluctantly. Daryl develops into a father figure for Lydia to the point that Aaron jokes that he's become a father. Daryl remains very protective of Lydia, though he appears to disapprove of her romantic relationship with Henry. When confronted by the Whisperers, Daryl seems worried when Alpha implies Lydia is dead. After she shows Daryl her large horde, Alpha says that she doesn't think Daryl can protect her daughter, but hopes she's wrong, to which Daryl replies "You are". In the episode "Silence the Whisperers" he takes the responsibility in protecting her from the commumity that still views her as the enemy.


Daryl and Magna seem to be on good terms.




Daryl and Connie have a positive relationship.

In "Bounty", they interacted for the first time, when Daryl saved Connie and lead her out of the corn field. When he found out about Henry going after Lydia, Connie decided to join him. Even though Daryl was against it initially, he let Connie go with him.

In "Guardians", he and Connie followed the Whisperers and eventually led a herd of walkers to the Whisperer camp. The two worked together to protect Henry and Lydia in the following episode. When Daryl leaves the Kingdom in "The Calm Before," he and Connie wish each other luck and Daryl leaves Dog in her care.

Overtime, Daryl tries to learn sign language to communicate easier with her. Connie also tells him that she views him as family.

In "Bonds", Carol indicates to Daryl that she sees something other than friendship between him and Connie; however, Daryl tells Carol that his relationship with Connie is not at all like that.


Daryl and Kelly have not interacted much on screen but it is assumed they have a good relationship.


"Now... if it's a fight you're lookin' for, we got enough firepower to light you up. Right here and now."
—Daryl to Alpha.[src]

Daryl despises Alpha and her way of life, because her abuse towards Lydia reminds of his parents, as well as because he views the Whisperers as a threat to his friends.


TV Series

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Season 4

Season 5

Season 6

Season 7

Season 8

Season 9

Season 10


  • Daryl has been shown to survive the most severe situations. In the episode "Chupacabra", Daryl fell off a horse and, in result, getting impaled through the torso by one of his own arrows. Later in the episode, he got shot in the side of the head by Andrea. In "A", he was beaten severely by the Claimers. In "Consumed", he and Carol Peletier were pushed off a bridge in a van. In "East", he got shot in the shoulder by Dwight and still survived. In "The Day Will Come When You Won't Be", he had enough strength to land a single punch on Negan although suffering from the aforementioned gunshot wound. In "Chokepoint" he managed to engage Beta in a knife fight and knock him down an elevator shaft although the latter was a much larger and physically stronger individual, and in "Scars" he was shot with an arrow by a child then branded with an X mark by Linus, which clearly pained him.
  • Daryl has been responsible for three of the original Atlanta group member's deaths.
    • He put Dale out of his misery by shooting him in the head.
    • His violent outbreak during Abraham’s execution resulted in Glenn’s death.
      • While the pike victims were not original Atlanta people, Daryl is somewhat responsible for their deaths due to entering the Whisperers territory, killing many Whisperers, taking Lydia, and refusing to hand her over to Beta. This lead to Alpha kidnapping and killing Henry, Tara, Enid, Tammy, Addy, and Rodney. Ozzy, Alek, and D.J. were also killed but they died trying to save them. Siddiq was the only pike kidnapping victim to survive.
  • His signature weapon is a Stryker Crossbow.
  • Daryl has been captured six times.
    • He was captured in the episode "Made to Suffer" by Woodbury and forced to fight his brother Merle. He was captured a second time in the episode "A" by Gareth at Terminus. He is then captured again by Dwight and The Saviors in "East" after he and Rosita were trying to free Glenn and Michonne. Then he was captured in the episode "The Day Will Come When You Won't Be" after being recaptured by the Saviors because Negan liked the way he stood up to him. He was then captured along with Michonne in "Scars" by Jocelyn and her kids. The final moment was in the episode "The Calm Before" when he, along with Michonne, Carol, and Yumiko were captured by the Whisperers, however they were released afterwards.
  • Daryl has the highest number of appearances than any other character in the show.
  • Daryl's crossbow has been stolen 5 times on the show.
  • Daryl is currently the longest male living character of the TV Series, and the second longest living character behind Carol.
  • Daryl displays several stereotypes of a redneck.
    • He possesses a southern American accent.
    • His most consistent trait is his aggressive and hostile demeanor.
    • He has shown to have a fondness for alcohol.
    • He has shown to be a chain-smoker.
    • He owns a personal motorcycle jacket
  • Daryl possesses several tattoos including one located on his left chest which says 'Norman' - (Reedus' own and father's name), a small devil located on his upper right arm, a red tattoo with the name "Mingus" (Norman's son's name), two individual demons located on his back and a skull on his right hand.
  • Daryl has killed the fourth largest amount of living characters on the TV show with a total of at least 78 victims, Carol has the third largest with at least 110, Simon has the second largest with a total of at least 172, Negan has the largest with a total of at least 225.
  • Coincidentally, whenever the group comes into conflict with an antagonistic force, Daryl often finds himself with the antagonists in some way and is separated from Rick's group. When Rick's group began a conflict with the Governor, Daryl left with Merle. When Rick's group encountered The Claimers, Daryl was associated with them. Right after meeting Negan, Daryl is then held captive by the Saviors and shortly after meeting Alpha, he, Carol, Michonne, and Yumiko are then temporarily held captive by the Whisperers.
  • As of "What Comes After", Daryl and Carol are the only remaining characters introduced in Season 1.
  • Daryl is one of two original Atlanta camp members still alive out of 33 others. Carol is the other one.
  • Daryl bears a scar, similar of a black eye, on his right eye due to the fight with The Claimers in the Season 4 finale episode.
  • In "East" Daryl lost his vest after getting shot by Dwight who took it from him and wore it. Thus Season 7 was the only season where Daryl wasn't seen wearing his vest. He would finally get it back from a wounded Dwight in "How It's Gotta Be".
  • As of "The Cell" onwards, Daryl appears to no longer wear any kind of sleeveless shirt. The last time he did was on "The Day Will Come When You Won't Be".
  • As of "Stradivarius", Daryl is missing the whole right wing off of his vest, first only missing half of his right wing in "What Comes After".
  • In "Omega" Daryl told Lydia how some abusive fathers are, possibly referring how Daryl was abused in his past. This is more noticeable in "Home", when Merle rips off Daryl's shirt, revealing the scars on his back.
  • Daryl has the most scars among any other characters in the series.
  • In Season 9, Daryl, like Michonne, bares an X shaped scar on his back. "Scars" reveals he was branded this scar by Linus, on Jocelyn's orders. Interestingly Daryl already had a x scar back in "Home".
  • In "The Little Prince" from Fear The Walking Dead, Dwight mentions Daryl to John about how he let him go because he knew of his love for Sherry and wanted to give him a chance to find her.
  • Daryl is one of seven people to know ASL. The others being Carol Peletier, Connie, Kelly, Magna, Yumiko, and Luke.


TV Series Characters
Grimes Family JudithR.J.RickCarlLori
King County LambertPaulaShaneLeonMr. SiggardMrs. Siggard
Jones Family MorganJennyDuane
Atlanta Camp CarolDarylMoralesGlennAndreaMerleTheodoreDaleSophiaJacquiMirandaLouisElizaAmyEdJim
Nursing Home MiguelFelipeJorgeGuillermoGilbert
Jenner Family EdwinCandace
Greene Farm MaggieBethHershelPatriciaJimmyAnnetteShawnArnoldOtisJosephine
The Living NateRandallSeanTonyDave
Michonne's Group MichonneMikeTerryAndre
The Prison AxelOscarAndrewTomasBig Tiny
Woodbury JeanetteMrs. RichardsMs. McLeodPhilipCaesarShumpertMr. JacobsonMr. RichardsOwenErynKarenGregMiltonDr. StevensRowanEileenFosterBettyNoahPaulJodyRichardHaleyPennyWarrenMichaelGargulioCrowleyTimEmily
Tyreese's Group SashaTyreeseAllenBenDonna
Military Personnel WellesWilsonBradySeanFranklinCallaway
Prison Newcomers BobLizzieMikaLukeMollyJulioHenryNorisCalebDavidRyanCharlieChloePatrickZach
Chambler Family TaraLillyMeghanDavid
Martinez's Group HowardMitchAlishaPete
Ford Family AbrahamEllenA.J.Becca
Post-Prison Survivors EugeneRositaChristopher
The Claimers DanBillyHarleyTonyJoeLenLou
Terminus MartinGregTheresaGarethAlbertMikeMaryAlex
St. Sarah's Church Gabriel
Grady Memorial Hospital StevenTanakaAlvaradoAmandaBelloLicariPercyMcGinleyFrancoNoahDawnO'DonnellBobJeffriesGormanJoanGavinHanson
Alexandria Safe-Zone AaronBarbaraScottKyleNoraAlexSocorroJenWayneHeathMrs. RobinsonCherylEnidRussBobBruceTobinKent AnnaMikeyFrancineSpencerOliviaDeniseDeannaLucyRonJessieSamMayaDavidBetsyNicholasAnnieWillTommySturgessBarnesNatalieStacyMichaelJefferyRichardsHollySamanthaBobbyCharlyneO'HaraDineshDanErinAdrianParkShellyCarterPeteRegAidenEric
The Wolves OwenAphid
The Saviors NeganLauraQuanAldenGracieAliceSherryDwightAmberTanyaMarkGinaPotterJoséBrookeMelJohnMarcusJonahBrandonFrankieD.J.RichieRegina JedNorrisArat JustinSimonDukeLanceGaryReillyJaredEvanKatyKenoDerekDeanGavinGomezPaulieDukeZiaLeoYagoJoeyGuntherRudyToddDinoHuckWadeCamNelsonMaraGordonRoyDavidEmmettIsabelleJosephChrisGeorgeNeilRomanJiroMilesPrimoPaulaMichelleMollyDonnieGabeTimmyTina
Hilltop Colony BertieKalEduardoOscarMarcoEarlHershelGageBriannaAdelineRodneyTammyCasperMartinMilesHildePaulGregoryKennethStephanieCraigCrystalWesleyHarlanNeilFreddieAndyEthan
The Kingdom EzekielJerryDianneNabilaJennyWilliamHenryDanaKevinKurtAlvaroDanielColtonRichardBenjamin
Oceanside CyndieRachelBeatriceJulesKathyNatania
The Scavengers AnneTamielBrionFarronWinslow
Georgie's Group HildaMidgeGeorgie
Magna's Group MagnaLukeConnieKellyYumikoBernie
The Whisperers AlphaAdamBetaMaryLydiaDanteFrancesZionRasmusSeanHelen
Shelter Survivors CyrusAmandaLamarFrankRoseMatias
The Highwaymen AlfredMargoAlekOzzy
Jocelyn's Group WinnieP.J.GinaLinusMitchellJocelyn
Bloodsworth Island Virgil
Unknown Location LucyRufusPrincess
Miscellaneous Survivors WilhelmSiddiqMiloAmeliaEastmanSamAnaMrs. BlakeClara
Animals DogNellyShivaTabithaButtonsDukeFlameViolet
Walkers CarlaDellyJoe Sr.BillTonyNickErinDougLouiseWayneSummerHannahEddie