The Walking Dead has enjoyed many great moments over the years, but they've also had a few moments that have left fans scratching their heads for days.
Today, we want to take a look at ten characters from throughout the show's entire run thus far that deserved a bit better than what they got. We aren't suggesting they were the most complex individuals in all of television, but we do think there's something to be said for an alternate universe in which they were all given more of a chance to shine - or, at the very least, not be killed off in the manner that they were.
Carl
There’s an argument to be made that Carl was cast poorly from the word go, but it’s almost impossible to know whether or not a character is going to be a success – especially when the actor in question is so young.
Still, as the years went on, Chandler Riggs made the character of Carl his own and really seemed to be progressing by the time he was killed off the show. The manner in which the show did it just kind of felt a little bit off to us, mainly because he was supposed to be the future of the series.
Beth
Despite coming into the show as a shy, innocent girl, Beth seemed to have the kind of spirit that had many believing she could grow into her character and continue to progress in the same way that her sister Maggie did.
Then, they threw that potential down the drain for the sake of a ‘shocking’ death.
She was shot through the head after one last act of defiance at the hospital, and the whole thing felt like a great big throwaway for someone that clearly wanted to keep developing and improving.
Enid
Enid was a damaged girl from the first moment we saw her appear at Alexandria, and that theme continued throughout large parts of the following seasons.
She appeared to be growing into a strong female lead, as was the case with Beth, but it all came crashing down when her head was placed on a pike by Alpha.
It was definitely surprising and it hit viewers hard, but again, there was almost certainly a substitute for this happening that could’ve worked just as well – probably in the form of Rosita.
Jesus
The death of Jesus was a vital part of The Whisperers making their presence known on the show, so in that sense, you could argue it was a necessary evil.
Alas, a lot of fans wanted to see TWD stretch out Jesus’ story in order to see what he was really about.
He may not have come across like a leader when he was first introduced but as time went on, he was given more and more responsibility.
In another world, maybe he wouldn’t have wound up being stuck in that position.
Tyreese
The manner of Tyreese’s death left a sour taste in the mouths of many, predominantly because he was a really fascinating character.
While he clearly had a decent relationship with most other people in the show, he also had the kind of mean streak that had many believing he was legitimately going to kill Carol after the prison saga.
His ‘hallucination’ episode was okay to watch in parts, but it seemed to have been done in a way that allowed the show to kill some time before they moved on to the next part of the story.
Noah
Noah clearly had some big ambitions for what he was going to do both during and, hopefully after, the apocalypse. He wanted to learn and grow as a person, and he wanted to do everything in his power to help out his new community.
Alas, it wasn’t meant to be as the cowardly actions of Nicholas caused a disastrous ripple effect for Noah, and he was subsequently torn apart by a series of walkers.
It’ll forever go down as one of the top five, if not the top three, most brutal deaths in the show’s run.
Reg
Reg didn’t really have all too much to do on the show aside from introducing Rick’s group to the Alexandria community. Outside of that, he was just trying to keep the peace and keep his family safe.
That didn’t really work out all too well for him as he was murdered at the hands of Pete who slit his throat during a drunken moment of madness.
We felt as if Reg could’ve been an impactful authority figure on the show, possibly even for a few seasons, but it didn’t work out.
Abraham
It finally seemed as if Abraham Ford had discovered a real direction for himself after not really being able to get himself out of a funk he’d been in. He was ready to take control of his own life, begin a new relationship with Sasha, and become a leader of the group.
Then, it all went wrong as he was beaten to death by Negan in order to send a message to Rick and the group. It was upsetting, to say the least, as a huge part of the show’s comedy value had just been removed.
Jessie
In of natural chemistry, Jessie was quite clearly a better match for Rick Grimes than Michonne ever could be.
She was starting to come into her own as a character, getting over the death of her husband and moving on to pastures new. She also seemed to be edging towards a point whereby she would be able to handle herself in tough situations.
Then, after she sees her son Sam die in front of her very eyes, she seems to lose the will to live, which proves to be her ultimate downfall.
Dale
While the actor playing Dale may have requested that he be killed off, there’s no room for reasoning in a fantasy booking world.
Dale was the voice of reason that the original group needed, and while we all saw his death coming from a million miles away, it was somewhat cheap for the core of the problem to stem from Carl’s mistake.
He was slightly annoying at times, but beyond that, Dale was a smart man who provided us with some entertaining back and forth showdowns with Shane that indicated he was one of the more switched on of the gang.