The TV version of Andrew Lincoln for the AMC show, but Rick was first created by Robert Kirkman for The Walking Dead comic book series. Rick served as the central character of the series until Lincoln exited during season 9. By that point in the story, Rick still had all of his limbs intact.
Rick, the de facto leader of a group of survivors, lost his hand in The Walking Dead #28. After finding refuge in an abandoned prison, Rick encountered one of the series' most brutal villains, "The Governor." After refusing to give up the location of his camp, the Governor chopped off Rick's right hand as a punishment. The protagonist struggled with the loss of a limb for quite some time, but he eventually adapted to the situation.
Even though the Governor had a major presence in The Walking Dead, his arc never involved the loss of Rick's hand. Kirkman regretted the fact that the TV series never forced Rick into losing a hand — but the event was hinted at on several occasions.
The Walking Dead Teased Rick Losing His Hand Multiple Times
The infamous moment was first teased during The Walking Dead season 7 premiere episode. Following the deaths of Abraham and Glenn at the hands of Negan, the new villain put Rick through a gauntlet of trauma. Still refusing to submit, Negan tried to force Rick into cutting his son's hand off. Rick begged for the man to take his own hand, but before anyone lost a limb, Negan realized he finally had control and let them walk free. Later that season, Rick encountered Winslow, the spiked walker at the Scavengers' camp. While fighting the zombie, Rick severely injured his right hand, a nod to the comic book injury. In another instance, Rick killed a walker and cut his hand on a machete, causing fans to worry that the wound would become infected.
Though nothing happened to Rick's hands over the course of the series, another character wasn't so lucky. Aaron ended up losing an arm during The Walking Dead season 9 when it became crushed by a log while he was attempting to help build a bridge. The arm had to be amputated with a bone saw, but the character fully recovered. Aaron now has a series of prosthetic arms, many of which are equipped with weapons. Lincoln will soon be reprising his role as Rick for the sequel movie so there's still a chance for the character to lose his hand. For now, Aaron's injury will have to take the place of the comic book arc.