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Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon - The Book of Carol episode 5.Despite having a chip on his shoulder when the series first started, Daryl Dixon has grown into one of the most reasonable survivors in the franchise, but his spinoff show just proved how dangerous he'd be if he ever became a villain. Although Daryl is usually pretty loyal and caring, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon has shown his more brutal side, and one scene in particular highlights how menacing the character truly is. While some of Daryl's best Walking Dead moments have involved wholesome heart-to-heart conversations or funny dialogue, the character is at his best when in conflict.
Thankfully, the spinoff show has provided plenty of fights involving Daryl, as he has had to overcome numerous zombie attacks as well as France's villainous factions. Having tortured someone in season 1 for information, the show appeared to be leaning into his darker side, and while Daryl and Isabelle's romance story highlighted some of the protagonist's more loving characteristics, season 2 only escalated the violence. However, "Vouloir, C'est Pouvoir" went one step further by highlighting just how terrifying the character can be at his worst, confirming that a villainous version of Daryl Dixon would be a major problem.
Daryl Dixon's Scene In The French Catacombs Proves He Would Make For A Fearsome Villain
His Terrifying Combat Skills Would Make For A Menacing Antagonist
Season 2, episode 5's catacombs scene was the ultimate display of how intimidating Daryl can be, as he picked L'Union and Pouvoir apart in a deadly fashion. After being chased into the catacombs alongside Laurent and Codron, the protagonist helped hide the boy somewhere safe and went a separate route from Codron to take on the show's villains. While the audience is used to Daryl taking on large groups of enemies by himself, seeing the action from Losang and his soldiers' perspective helps showcase just how scary it would be to get on the protagonist's bad side.
Watching soldiers step into the darkness and fall one by one proves Daryl is a master of using his environment and combat skills to take down even the toughest of foes. Given he played a huge part in Genet's Walking Dead death, it's clear Daryl is capable of taking down powerful leaders, and his confrontations with Beta and the Saviors confirm that there are very few characters that can hold their own against him. The L'Union and Pouvoir coalition found this out the hard way, as each soldier that went hunting Daryl wound up dead.
Killing Losang alongside his army highlighted just how difficult it is to take on Daryl, and even The Walking Dead 's central characters would struggle.
Losang eventually tried to take things into his own hands, and while he did briefly get the better of the veteran survivor, Daryl soon answered back with a devastating blow. Killing Losang alongside his army highlighted just how difficult it is to take on Daryl, and even The Walking Dead's central characters would struggle. Add in his ability to stalk his prey while killing silently, and it's clear that Daryl Dixon has the potential to be the franchise's most dangerous villain if he ever turns on his allies.
Daryl Dixon's John Wick-Esque Assault On The Union Already Proved He's A Major Threat
Daryl Taking Down Multiple Soldiers On His Own Confirmed How Dangerous He Is
While the French catacombs scene reinforced how threatening he is, the spinoff already confirmed this through Daryl's assault on the Nest. Having stopped The Union from completing their ceremony involving Laurent, the villainous faction set their sights on the protagonist who had to fight off waves of soldiers. The action led to Daryl Dixon being involved in a John Wick-like fight scene where he killed enemies one after the other in close-quarters combat. His fast thinking and creative techniques allowed him to avoid being outnumbered and escape with his life, at least until he was captured later in the episode.
Although L'Union may not be filled with trained fighters, the group still has plenty of followers who are capable of holding their own and the faction is well-equipped with firearms. Therefore, the fact Daryl managed to take so many of them on by himself is a pretty remarkable accomplishment, and it isn't the first time he's done it. Throughout The Walking Dead's 11 seasons, Daryl has fought off large groups of enemies, making it all the more impressive that he's survived all of these encounters without permanent injuries, which cements his status as one of the franchise's best fighters.
The Walking Dead's Survivors Wouldn't Have Come This Far Without Daryl
Daryl Has Been One Of The Most Influential & Dependable Survivors In The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead's central characters each have their own traits that have helped them survive for so long, but they wouldn't have made it nearly as far without Daryl. His survival tactics were critical at the beginning of the apocalypse, as he had developed hunting and tracking skills well before the outbreak. Not only did this come in handy when it came to finding food, but it also allowed him to help find lost allies while keeping tabs on enemies. He was willing to get his hands dirty before some of the other heroes, showing his value to the group.
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Many of the main cast developed their most useful attributes several seasons into the show, but without Daryl, this might not have been possible. In addition, he also helped save the group on several occasions. His involvement in one of The Walking Dead's best episodes, "No Way Out", saw him fire a rocket launcher into a pond filled with fuel to attract the horde that had infiltrated Alexandria, and Daryl also saved many of his allies' lives on a more individual level.
Carol has grown to become one of the franchise's most capable survivors, but back in season 2, she was much more fragile and faced almost certain doom after finding herself alone on Hershel's farm. Luckily, Daryl was there in the nick of time to rescue her, suggesting she wouldn't have made it beyond year one of the outbreak without him. Daryl also helped rescue Rick who was pinned by walkers at the prison in season 3 and cleared a path for himself and Aaron to escape in season 5, showing how many characters owe their lives to the survival expert.
Daryl Dixon Vs. Rick Grimes: Who Would Actually Win An All-Out War?
Both Characters Have Their Own Unique Strengths
In the unlikely scenario that Daryl did turn evil, an all-out war between him and Rick would be a fascinating encounter. While both are extremely great fighters, the franchise's history suggests a one-on-one fight would favor Daryl. Rick has survived extreme situations and has shown an ability to get incredibly savage when backed against a wall. However, Daryl also possesses similar traits and has superior combat skills, making him the favorite. They've both endured plenty of punishment and overcome the odds time and time again, but Daryl has the fighting expertise to defeat Rick, especially with his variety of weapons.
Daryl is lethal with firearms, crossbows, knives, and flails, suggesting he has more in his arsenal. Despite this, if Daryl faced off against Rick in the more traditional wars that we're used to seeing in The Walking Dead, Rick has the advantage. Rick is a more motivational and experienced leader who has earned the trust of his allies. Additionally, his CRM training makes him much more capable of leading an army of fighters and coming up with strategic attacks that would leave Daryl and his hypothetical group extremely vulnerable.
New episodes of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon - The Book of Carol air Sundays on AMC and AMC+.
Although The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon has proven that Daryl can inspire people in his own way, Rick seems like the more powerful character overall, especially at this point in the franchise. While he may not be able to beat Daryl on his own, Rick's ability to influence those around him while having unique skills, such as piloting a helicopter, proves he's the more versatile survivor, and would likely best his long-term ally in the event of an all-out war if between the duo.
"La Gentillesse des Étrangers" | September 29 |
"Moulin Rouge" | October 6 |
"L'Invisible" | October 13 |
"La Paradis Pour Toi" | October 20 |
"Vouloir, C'est Pouvoir" | October 27 |
"Au Revoir les Enfants" | November 3 |
In a post-apocalyptic France, the series follows Daryl Dixon as he navigates the complexities of a new landscape. Separated from his familiar world, Daryl faces unexpected challenges and forges new alliances while confronting the lingering threats of a walker-infested reality.
Cast Norman Reedus , Clemence Poesy , Louis Puech Scigliuzzi , Laïka Blanc-Francard , Anne Charrier , Romain Levi , Melissa McBride , Joel de la Fuente , Adam Nagaitis , Eriq Ebouaney , Tristan Zanchi , François Delaive , Maxime Lefrançois , Lukerya Ilyashenko , Catherine Arditi , Hugo Dillon
Character(s) Daryl Dixon , Isabelle Carriere , Laurent , Sylvie , Genet , Stéphane Codron , Carol Peletier , Losang , Quinn , Fallou Boukar , Emile , Dr. Henri Lafleur , Capo , Anna Valery , Mother Superior Véronique , Père Jean
Release Date October 1, 2023
Seasons 2
Streaming Service(s) AMC Plus
Directors Daniel Percival , Greg Nicotero
Showrunner David Zabel
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English (US) ·