Seminal zombie apocalypse thriller The Walking Dead may have a truncated first season, but the first six episodes of the series certainly pack a punch. More importantly, they introduce many of the main characters whose journeys we follow over the next 10 seasons of the series.
It is fair to say that most The Walking DeadThe best characters are featured in Season 1, which traces the immediate aftermath of the planet’s conquest by zombie “walkers” from the perspective of the residents of the greater Atlanta area in the southeastern United States. The season’s plot brings disparate groups of survivors together to form a single core of main characters.
Alongside the perilous danger posed by walkers hungry for a taste of human flesh, the season explores the interpersonal dynamics between those still alive. The apocalyptic scenario into which the survivors have been thrown causes cracks to appear in relationships, but also allows new bonds to form.
Those who have already seen the series must face harsh realities when watching it again. The Walking Dead season 1 too, especially when it comes to the untapped potential of certain characters that the season presents to us. For many of the people on this list, the first season proves to be the high point of their series. For others, it’s just the beginning.
Ed Peletier
A violent and abusive husband
If he weren’t so insignificant, Ed Peletier would be one of the The Walking Deadthe most hated villains. An abusive husband who oppresses, controls, and beats his wife, Carol, Ed gets what he deserves before the end of season 1. He has no redeeming characteristics as a character, merely serving as a catalyst for Carol to unlock her dark side.
Michael
The big-mouthed kid from the Vatos
It is the appearance of Miguel in episode 4 which introduces us to The Walking DeadThe retirement community of , run by the Vatos gang to which he belongs. An unruly teenager who seemingly endangers everyone he comes into contact with, he still has his charms and provides comic relief during Rick, Glenn and Daryl’s return to Atlanta.
Morals
A friendly member of the group
Although he may have ended up becoming one of Negan’s vicious underlings, Morales is far from a villain when he first appears in The Walking Dead. While not particularly notable as a character, she’s just a fundamentally decent person who looks out for her family and lends a hand in defending the group from walkers when necessary.
Guillermo
He listens to his grandmother
Leader of the gang that takes over a retirement community in Atlanta in the fourth episode, Guillermo is one of the best Walking death characters with minimal screen time. The way he goes from being a ruthless gangster to being obedient to his elderly grandmother in an instant is truly overwhelming and could have started one of the most intriguing subplots of the series.
Jacqui
A calm but soothing presence
Jacqui’s decision to stay with Dr. Edwin Jenner at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) kills her too soon. The Walking Deadbut we always see a greater figure waiting to be born. For example, his observation that women in the core group were lumped in with domestic chores is spot on.
Merle Dixon
The Walking Dead’s first true antagonist
Before The Walking Dead Turning Merle’s relationship with his brother Daryl into something more complicated, he fits the bill as the series’ first true antagonist. A racist hothead who threatens the rest of the group in Atlanta before Rick stops him, Merle seems to have understood what was happening to him, until it turns out he escaped without his hand.
Jimmy
The father who lost everything
One of the most tragic characters in Season 1, Jim is the member of the group most visibly afflicted with grief and post-traumatic stress disorder after watching his family get eaten by zombies. To make matters worse, he gets bitten after just a few episodes. Even though he doesn’t feature much in the series, he certainly deserves our empathy.
Daryl Dixon
Better than his brother but not completely transformed
Season 1 of The Walking Dead makes Daryl Dixon a potential villain of the piece, but we begin to witness his transformation into a more selfless and reasonable person by its conclusion. Daryl is not like his brother, Merle, as becomes increasingly apparent in later seasons. However, in the first six episodes he remains a relatively minor and antagonistic character.
Carol Peletier
A long-suffering wife and mother
It’s only when she bludgeons her deceased husband’s skull repeatedly that we get a glimpse of Carol Peletier’s darker side in The Walking Dead during this first season. Otherwise, she is the wife of a monstrous abuser, whose personality has yet to blossom at this point in the series.
Carl Grimes
He shows strength beyond his years
Carl Grimes is showing signs of being The Walking DeadThe strongest character even in these first episodes of the series. His standout moment in season 1 is when his mother asks him if he’s worried about his father, before admitting that she is. It is Carl which ends up reassuring herreminding him of how much Rick has already managed to survive.
