The strongest Walking Dead characters are those who helped carry the survivors to the end of their story, or almost killed them before they ever reached that point. The Walking Dead is a tale of what happens when ordinary people get swept up in the carnage and chaos of a zombie apocalypse and with survival being a number one priority, these humans need to be able to hold their own in order to stay alive. The threats don't always come from the undead, but also the worst elements of humanity who are turned loose in a world with no laws.

In the initial aftermath of the zombie apocalypse, very few survivors had the skills necessary to keep going for long. It wasn't until former cop Rick Grimes found his family among Lori's group that they found someone to help them battle and fight for survival. Throughout the series, more characters ed, and even more died, but the strongest Walking Dead characters remained the ones who could fight off the hoards of walkers while also killing human enemies who stepped in their way. While only a handful lived, the most powerful Walking Dead characters left an impression on the show.

25 Eugene Porter

Played By Josh McDermitt

When it comes to the strongest Walking Dead characters, very few would ever think of Eugene Porter. For almost the entire series, he was the most cowardly and would hide and cower in a fight before ever standing up for himself. When he was introduced in The Walking Dead season 4, Eugene lied about who he was just so Abraham would protect him.

After Abraham died, he lost his protector and he had to learn to survive on his own. His biggest trait for survival was his scientific ability, and he used this to stay alive long after most felt he should have died. Eugene survived Negan and the Commonwealth, two places where he almost met his fate.

However, by the time he was in the Commonwealth, Eugene had started to change. He was willing to stand up and fight for those he loved, whether it was Rosita or his future wife Max. He still wouldn't win many fights on the show, but he was at least more accomplished than he was when he first arrived.

24 Father Gabriel Stokes

Played By Seth Gilliam

Father Gabriel Stokes was one of the most hated Walking Dead characters for a long time because he wasn't a fighter. He was even a bigger coward than Eugene. Gabriel locked people out of his church and let them die to save himself, and tried to betray Rick and the other survivors to keep himself free from danger.

Shockingly, despite being so despised and fixated on self-preservation, Father Gabriel outlived many of the best fighters on The Walking Dead and made it all the way to the finale and beyond. Unlike Eugene, Gabriel also learned a little bit from Negan and Daryl and could fight when needed, although he was never long for a battle before needing some help.

While Gabriel is far from the strongest character in The Walking Dead, he is also far from the weakest. His initial cowardice gave way to bravery. By the end of the show, he was one of the five co-leaders of the Coalition, and ended many walkers, Reapers, and Whisperers on his redemption journey.

23 The Governor

Played By David Morrissey

One of the first major antagonists on The Walking Dead, Philip Blake - also known as The Governor - is still one of the most fearsome figures Rick's group encountered. While he relied heavily on the army of Woodbury and his henchmen, he was still an incredibly competent foe in his own right, and still remains one of the strongest characters to appear in The Walking Dead.

The Governor's fighting skills were amplified heavily by his own unhinged personality, and that made him an extremely dangerous foe.

The Governor's fighting skills were amplified heavily by his own unhinged personality, and that made him an extremely dangerous foe. Not only was he a manipulator and a master strategist, but he also knew how to wage war on a large scale, if so required. He almost ended Rick Grimes and his group before he was slain by one of his own in Lilly.

He was lethal in a hand-to-hand fight, tapping into his own unbridled aggression and rage. The Governor nearly killed Michonne during an altercation, and he defeated Merle during a one-on-one brawl, which was no easy feat. However, the worst beating he ever delivered was to Rick, whose injuries took a long time to heal.

22 King Ezekiel

Played By Khary Payton

Not only is he among the strongest characters in The Walking Dead, Ezekiel Sutton, better known as King Ezekiel, was certainly among the most distinctive. The leader of The Kingdom fashioned an entire society based on romanticized medieval principles, and was an incredibly effective monarch.

However, he doesn't rank higher than many of the other more dangerous TWD characters due to being a man of conscience and principles. King Ezekiel was a ruler, and a lover, more than he was a fighter. He was first seen leading his own community with a pet tiger by his side.

He also helped build his community a worthwhile army of fighters, proving that Ezekiel might rather lead than fight, but he could fight when needed. He proved himself over the show as well, as he killed dozens of Saviors and even took the fight to the Commonwealth soldiers. There are several of the best fighters on The Walking Dead who are stronger than him, but Ezekiel lived to the end, and he didn't do it sitting on his throne.

21 Carl Grimes

Chandler Riggs

Carl Grimes was a child when he first appeared in season 1 of The Walking Dead, but by the time he died in the season 8 episode "Honor", he'd proved himself as one of its most dangerous fighters. Carl Grimes was a polarizing figure as for most of his tenure on The Walking Dead, fans online seemed to hate him.

He often made the worst decisions and put his dad, Rick, and the other survivors in danger more times than he helped them. However, as he got older - and especially after he lost his eye - Carl began to grow up, and became a much better fighter along the way.

He even impressed Negan with his courage. By the time Carl died, fans had come over to his side, and the complaints about his death were almost as loud as those about his prior mistakes. He developed into one of the strongest Walking Dead characters before his death and could hold his own against almost anyone.

20 Tyreese

Played By Chad Coleman

Introduced in season 3 and dead by the end of season 5, Chad Coleman's Tyreese wasn't present in for long compared to many other characters, but he still remains known as one of the best fighters ever to appear on The Walking Dead. Not many wanted to tangle with Tyreese when he was alive, and it's easy to see why.

Not only was Tyreese very large and physically capable, but he was also a natural fighter who wasn't afraid to jump into harms way. Despite his imposing appearance, Tyreese was a gentle person at heart, and he never lost sight of the value of holding human life as sacred.

When the time came to fight, however, Tyreese was a bull in the middle of a charge, and those who got in his way either lived to regret it or died too fast to notice. One thing that holds him back is that his comic book counterpart was one of the strongest survivors of them all, but the Tyreese in AMC's on-screen adaptation was a little too ive to be higher placed on the best fighters in The Walking Dead.

19 Glenn Rhee

Played By Steven Yuen

While he may be known more for his skills as a scout and explorer, and his tragic and brutal death at the hands of Negan, Glenn is still one of the strongest fighters in The Walking Dead too. Glenn was a major fan favorite due to his fun personality and loving nature, and he proved to be one of the moral linchpins of the series for a long time.

He was the everyday guy who would rather be enjoying life instead of fighting for it, and often helped Rick and the other survivors avoid decisions that would compromise their humanity. However, as the series moved forward, Glenn became a capable fighter who never lost touch with the good man inside.

Before the apocalypse, Glenn was a pizza delivery boy just starting out on the steps of adulthood, and that meant little-to-no combat experience. However, with time, patience, and training, he became a decent strategist and a formidable combatant, lacking only in physical strength.

18 Carol

Played By Melissa McBride

What Carol lacks in size and strength, she makes up for with conviction and dedication. Of the entire group, she's perhaps the only one willing to go to any lengths to protect those she cares about. Unfortunately, that has forced her to pursue a lot of painful decisions which have taken a toll on her gentle mind.

As a result, Carol has lost much of her empathy or at least buried it deep down. This allows her to focus herself in combat, only feeling the effects after the bullets have stopped flying. However, Carol's intellect is also a key reason she's one of the best fighters in The Walking Dead She's also good at misdirecting her opponents during a fight and capitalizing on her own stereotypes in order to fool them.

Carol proved over time that she would do anything to stop evil people and protect the survivors. She murdered countless people with explosives and guns, and she even drove one child to death by pushing him too far with her threats. She might not be one of the physically strongest Walking Dead characters, but due to her willpower and determination she is someone no one wants to cross in a fight.

17 Sasha Williams

Played By Sonequa Martin-Green

Sasha Williams started off her time on The Walking Dead traveling with her brother Tyreese and boyfriend Bob. Of the three, Sasha seemed the most likely to fight when the need comes. Her brother Tyreese was more ive and Bob was about worthless in a fight. With that said, Sasha proved to be a formidable warrior, and she showed that with her company, dating Abraham at one point and even earning Negan's respect.

Sasha proved was able to fight as well as her formidable brother Tyreese, and while she wasn't as strong as others, she never gave up. Sasha even took her own life to give her a better chance to kill Negan when she turned. Not counting numerous walkers, Sasha took several lives in The Walking Dead including a group of Saviors and multiple of the Governor's militia.

16 Shane Walsh

Played By Jon Bernthal

It's little surprise that Shane was one of the best fighters in The Walking Dead given his pre-apocalypse career as a police officer. Much like RIck, Shane was already used to violence and danger long before zombies became an ever-present danger - and while the end of the world psychologically broke him, it wasn't in a way that made him lose his dangerous edge.

Although Shane Walsh was only in The Walking Dead for a few seasons, he quickly established himself as a powerful fighter. He was Rick's best friend, and fellow sheriff's deputy before the apocalypse, and quickly understood that he needed to be ruthless to protect Lori and Carl from both walkers and humans alike.

Not only was Shane highly proficient with guns, but he was also a capable hand-to-hand combatant. His unhinged personality and aggressive nature amplified his natural strength, and that made him more unpredictable as the story drove forward.