Daryl Dixon
Daryl Dixon is a fictional character from AMC's horror drama series The Walking Dead portrayed by actor Norman Reedus. He appears as a major character in The Walking Dead and as the titular character of its spin-off series The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. He also serves as the main protagonist of the last three seasons of the original series, replacing Rick Grimes. The character was created for the television series by writers Frank Darabont, Charles H. Eglee and Jack LoGiudice specifically for Norman Reedus, and does not have a counterpart in the comics on which the series is based. The character was introduced in the first season as a southerner and expert tracker, living in the shadow of his older brother, Merle. Despite his initial bad temper and volatility, he is tolerated by the core group of survivors due to his survival skills and fearless efficiency in killing walkers. Following the events of Merle's disappearance, Daryl lets his guard down and starts to bond with the group, particularly Carol Peletier after her daughter's disappearance, and Beth Greene after the two split off together in the fourth season. The character becomes the cooperative right-hand man and protector of protagonist Rick Grimes and leads several supply runs. He is one of the longest surviving characters of the television series and one of the core members of the original Atlanta group. His origin is explored in the 2013 video game The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct, and he stars in the mobile game The Walking Dead: No Man's Land.