Every Character's Signature Weapon In The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead was one of the first major TV shows to regularly kill off members of its main cast. Since the world of The Walking Dead is filled with hordes of bloodthirsty zombies (not to mention other survivors killing each other for scraps), all the characters had to fight like hell for their right to come back in next week’s episode. Just because an actor’s name was in the opening credits of a given episode, there was no guarantee that they would make it to the closing credits with their lives.

The characters who stuck around the longest often had a trusty signature weapon to rely on. Rick Grimes carried a Colt Python on his belt, Daryl Dixon slung a crossbow over his back, Michonne had a samurai sword in her hands more often than not, and Negan wrapped barbed wire around a baseball bat and called it “Lucille” in honor of his dead wife. So, here’s every Walking Dead character with their own signature weapon.

Rick Grimes - Colt Python

It’s hard to picture Rick Grimes without his trusty Colt Python in hand, at least in the early seasons. When we met Rick, and he was still keeping up the facade of a sheriff, he always carried a nickel-plated Colt Python with a six-inch barrel, chambered in .357 Magnum.

Andrew Lincoln came up with a very specific way for Rick to hold his gun: he holds the handle up and points the barrel down. So, that pistol is more than just a weapon to Rick. It’s an extension of his character; it’s a way for him to express himself through body language.

Rick Grimes - Hatchet

Rick lost his famous Colt Python in the explosion that seemingly killed him in season 9. After the bridge blew up, Michonne recovered Rick’s pistol from the riverbank and passed it down to Judith, who was quickly growing up in the mold of her badass dad. But by then, Rick had started cheating on his Python with a different signature weapon: a blood-soaked hatchet.

The hatchet comes with both advantages and disadvantages over the Python. Rick has to be much closer to his targets to kill them with the hatchet, but he doesn’t have to keep the hatchet loaded with precious, dwindling ammunition. Bullets glide right through walker skulls, but a hatchet is liable to get stuck.

Michonne - Samurai Sword

Michonne is in the running for all-time most awesome character introduction in The Walking Dead. Just when Andrea is out of options, she’s saved by a mysterious, silhouetted figure with two pet walkers chained to her for cover and a samurai sword clenched in her hand for protection.

If you know how to handle it, a samurai sword is the perfect weapon for dealing with the undead. Rougher, coarser, blunter melee weapons like Rick’s hatchet might need a couple of hits to destroy the head, which wastes precious seconds, but the katana blade is so sharp and sleek that it cuts through the walkers like butter.

Negan - Lucille

Not only is Negan one of the select few Walking Dead characters with a signature weapon; he even gave his weapon a name. Negan wrapped a baseball bat in barbed wire to beat his enemies into submission, and he gave it the beautiful moniker “Lucille.”

When we first met Negan, he used Lucille to beat both Abraham and Glenn to death; he even popped out Glenn’s eyeball. But when we found out Negan’s origin story, Lucille turned out to have a tragic background: she was named after Negan’s late wife.

Daryl Dixon (Main Show) - Crossbow

Daryl Dixon is an original character, created specifically for the TV show. He wasn’t in the comics, but he quickly became the breakout star of the series. Daryl has a signature everything: he’s got a signature vehicle (his beloved motorcycle), a signature outfit (his dusty old biker jacket), and, of course, a signature weapon: his crossbow.

In the comics, the crossbow was Dwight’s signature weapon, and the TV show found a fun way to pass it on to him. In the TV adaptation, after the Saviors’ arrival, Daryl’s crossbow briefly ended up in Dwight’s hands, so he got to wield his signature killing machine from the comic book.

Daryl Dixon (Spinoff) - Flail

After The Walking Dead ended, Daryl got his own spinoff, but his crossbow didn’t make it. The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon sees Daryl washed up in France, trying to make his way back to America. (After three seasons, he’s only made it as far as Spain.) His crossbow didn’t survive the intercontinental trip, so he had to find a new signature weapon.

In the early seasons of Daryl Dixon, Daryl picked up a flail. It was a nice nod to the history of medieval France — the remnants of which provided a key setting for seasons 1 and 2 — and it’s a heck of a way to kill a zombie.

Carol - Brass-Knuckle Knife

The best weapon in Carol’s arsenal is her cold-bloodedness. She managed to terrify a child into silence just by telling him a scary story. She was the only one with the cojones to put Lizzie down, Of Mice and Men-style, when she became a danger to the other children.

But Carol’s best actual, physical weapon is her brass-knuckle knife. It’s a big, bad hunting knife — the kind John Rambo would carry into action — but the handle comes with a set of brass knuckles, in case she doesn’t want to kill her enemy and just wants to severely injure them.

Tyreese - Hammer

Tyreese was so big and strong that he didn’t really need a weapon. When some nefarious villain was threatening baby Judith, all Tyreese needed was the adrenaline flooding his system and the might of his two fists to take that guy down.

But just in case he ran into a problem his fists couldn’t solve (or maybe just for convenience), he carried a signature hammer. That hammer made short work of walker skulls, to say the least.

Aaron - Prosthetic Mace

When Merle lost his hand, he replaced it with a metal head. But when Aaron lost his hand, he went a step further and attached a mace to his prosthetic arm.

This weapon basically turned Aaron into Ash from Army of Darkness, except without the boomstick. Suffice to say, it was pretty cool (if a bit unrealistic).

Mercer - Axe

Mercer was introduced way late in The Walking Dead’s run, in its 11th and final season, but he made a big impression. He’s the Captain Phasma of the Commonwealth: the heavily armored leader of their military.

Such a dangerous, formidable character needed to have his own signature weapon to rival Rick’s hatchet or Daryl’s crossbow. Mercer’s felling axe did not disappoint.