Despite the main series concluding in 2022, The Walking Dead remains an active franchise thanks to several new shows continuing the central story, and while most have found success, Daryl Dixon has several factors that make it the best overall spinoff. The franchise has produced numerous web series over the years telling unique, one-off stories, but in total, The Walking Dead has released six official spinoffs. Each show has its own attributes and strengths, but despite Daryl Dixon season 1 leaving numerous unanswered questions, Norman Reedus’ solo adventure has stood out as the best of the bunch.
While ranking each Walking Dead spinoff can be difficult, Daryl Dixon has many qualities that make it more refreshing and memorable than its competition. Fear The Walking Dead may have some of the strongest episodes outside the main series, but it also has plenty of low points that weigh it down. Likewise, The Ones Who Live gives Rick and Michonne a fantastic ending, but its disappointing final battle and lack of longevity limit its overall potential. Daryl Dixon, on the other hand, is incredibly well-rounded and deserves the number one spot among the spinoffs for ten key reasons.
10Daryl Dixon Has Really Strong Pacing
The Show Perfectly Builds Its Story Over Each Episode
One of Daryl Dixon‘s greatest strengths is its pacing. Shows like World Beyond and Fear The Walking Dead felt a little too long, while The Ones Who Live tried to cram too much into six episodes, but Daryl’s spinoff perfectly utilized its time. Despite being thrown into a completely new location, Daryl didn’t take too long getting to know which groups were good, and which were bad. Although his main objective was to return home to America, he slowly grew closer with his new allies, which made his dilemma during Daryl Dixon season 1’s ending more impactful.
It’s strategically used its time to build relationships and make the ongoing conflict feel more personal to the protagonist
The spinoff still featured plenty of action and drama, but it strategically used its time to build relationships and make the ongoing conflict feel more personal to the protagonist. Season 1 may have only been six episodes long, but each one told a strong story and never got stale, yet still managed to drive Daryl toward his overall goal. While season 2 and beyond could potentially struggle to maintain the same sort of quality time management, the series has done a great job so far, which has really helped contribute to its success.
9Daryl Dixon Is The Walking Dead’s First Solo Spinoff
No Other Walking Dead Character Has Led A Spinoff By Themselves
The Walking Dead‘s large ensemble cast may be one of its biggest selling points, but it also helps Daryl Dixon feel more refreshing. All the other spinoffs lack a solo protagonist, as the plot is usually carried by two or more main survivors, meaning Daryl’s series is truly one-of-a-kind in the zombie universe. Naturally, the supporting characters play a big role in the story, but having it center around Norman Reedus’ Daryl makes it much easier to follow and helps the narrative feel more focused.
Learning more about Daryl’s past and his deeper emotions also shows why his spinoff is so great, as the series was able to use the majority of its time fleshing out an already prominent character. During Rick’s absence, Daryl arguably became the show’s main character, yet his show proved there was still more to uncover. The other Walking Dead projects aren’t necessarily held back by focusing on several protagonists, but they do make Daryl Dixon feel more unique as a result.
8Daryl Dixon Has Plenty Of Longevity
The Spinoff Has Already Been Confirmed For A Third Season
Given Daryl Dixon has already been renewed for season 3 with a rumored fourth season on the cards, it proves the show has far more longevity than most other Walking Dead spinoffs. The Ones Who Live ran for just a single season and looks unlikely to return. Alternatively, Tales of The Walking Dead and Dead City have both only had one season each, and while they could still last multiple seasons, they seem to have a much closer expiration date than Daryl Dixon.
World Beyond was also scrapped after two seasons, meaning the only spinoff that may outlast Daryl’s show is Fear The Walking Dead, which lasted eight seasons. However, with three installments already confirmed alongside the project moving to Spain, it seems like Daryl Dixon will easily become one of the franchise’s longest projects, and if the pacing can stay consistent, it will hopefully avoid simply dragging on due to being popular. Therefore, the series could go on for many years while maintaining a high standard, proving the importance of its long-term appeal.
7Daryl Dixon Has Better Connections To The Larger Walking Dead Universe
Daryl Dixon Links To World Beyond & The Main Series
While Daryl Dixon isn’t the only spinoff to reference other projects, the 2023 show still did a great job of incorporating the larger Walking Dead world. Not only did the series showcase what happened on day one of the outbreak, but Carol’s appearances helped tie in the main show, which few other spinoffs have done. Carol’s radio call in Daryl Dixon also hinted at Rick Grimes’ return, which not only connects to the original television show, but The Ones Who Live as well, highlighting how well the project fits into the overall story.
In addition, Daryl Dixon feels far less removed from The Walking Dead season 11 than most other spinoffs despite taking place in a completely different continent, showing how well it has expanded the universe. The protagonist even hears Judith’s voice in the first episode, proving he hasn’t simply forgotten everything that came before France. Dead City and The Ones Who Live don’t do this nearly as well, and the other spinoffs are mostly separate from the main show, proving Daryl Dixon thrives in this area and plays a key part in The Walking Dead‘s world-building.
6Daryl Dixon Has More Emotional Deaths
Character Deaths Have Much More Weight Behind Them In Daryl Dixon
Although Daryl Dixon‘s major deaths take place within just six episodes, they still have a lot more emotion than the other spinoffs. Both Dead City and The Ones Who Live focus far too much on their protagonists to make other deaths feel overly important, whereas Daryl’s spinoff spends more time building its characters. FTWD and World Beyond do have some pretty powerful exits to their credit, but Fear somewhat ruined this by having so many characters return despite seemingly dying, hurting their impact as the show went on.
In contrast, Daryl Dixon made the likes of Quinn and Azlan’s death pack a punch despite spending limited time with them. Quinn looked as though he’d be a major antagonist and still felt morally dubious even during his demise, yet his sacrifice served the plot well and made his departure more emotional. Azlan only featured in two episodes, yet his wisdom and genuine kindness were built up throughout “Deux Amours”, making his unexpected murder a huge surprise which added to the weight of each death in the spinoff.
5Daryl Dixon Is The Least Predictable Walking Dead Spinoff
It’s Hard To Predict Exactly Where The Story Is Going
Compared to the franchise’s other spinoffs, Daryl Dixon is much harder to predict. While the show seems like it will inevitably conclude with Daryl and Carol returning to America, season 1’s ending threw this into question and the events that happen in France and Spain are difficult to foresee. Having the majority of the first episode take place in a nunnery would have been a bold prediction given The Walking Dead‘s history, and it would have been even harder to anticipate the location being turned into a battleground.
The series has kept audiences guessing throughout its first season
Each character also delivers plenty of surprises, as Quinn’s act of sacrifice comes as a genuine surprise and Daryl Dixon seems to be redeeming Codron in season 2, despite him initially being a central antagonist. Carol’s arrival only raises more questions, as it’s unclear how she’ll find Daryl or whether they will have a friendly reunion, showing how much excitement each survivor brings. As a result, the series has kept audiences guessing throughout its first season, and its unpredictability is easily one of its greatest attributes.
4Daryl Dixon Introduces Completely New Character Dynamics
The Walking Dead’s Other Spinoffs Utilize The Same Character Relationships From The Main Show
Character dynamics are a big part of The Walking Dead universe, since the franchise is defined by its survivors, and Daryl Dixon offers plenty of new relationships. While Dead City and TOWL both continued the same sort of dynamics audiences had already seen, Daryl Dixon went in a different direction by having Daryl interact with an entirely new set of people. The protagonist had previous experience being a father figure to Judith, but stepping up to protect Laurent and forming a genuine bond with him is the closest he has come to feeling like a real parent since the outbreak.
The spinoff even references how Daryl’s father was absent and abusive, making him more driven to treat Laurent as if he were his own son. His friendship with Isabelle also had some romantic sparks which have rarely been seen throughout his Walking Dead history, proving the show added something fresh. Despite the audience being very familiar with Daryl, it’s still exciting to see him cross paths with people who bring out a new side of him, which the spinoff did perfectly, adding to how memorable it is.
3Daryl Dixon Utilizes Zombie Variants Better Than Any Other Spinoff
Variants Have A Constant Presence In Daryl Dixo
Zombie variants became a crucial part of The Walking Dead season 11, but it only scratched the surface of their full potential, which Daryl Dixon explored more. The show introduced burners – a type of zombie with acidic skin – and they had to be dealt with much more carefully. Additionally, Daryl also came across fast and strong variants during his time in France, leading to many intense encounters with new types of walkers.
During the finale, there was even a scene with two zombies fighting one another, showing there is still so much more the franchise can do with the undead. Given that walkers have slowly become more and more obsolete in the universe, it’s fun to see variants becoming more prominent, and Daryl’s show utilized them way better than the other spinoffs. Given Daryl Dixon season 2 also teased glowing variants, it doesn’t seem like the series plans on slowing down with its use of unique zombies, which helps add to how creative it is.
2Daryl Dixon Has A Very Different Visual Style Compared To Other Walking Dead Shows
The French Location Adds Brand New Environments To The Walking Dead Universe
With Daryl Dixon being the first time one of The Walking Dead‘s main shows has taken place outside Europe, it’s no surprise it has a completely different visual style to the other shows. Most of the other spinoffs still have interesting locations that add depth to the story, but Daryl Dixon is far superior in this sense. The architecture, cinematography, and props all bring a totally fresh vibe to the franchise and help emphasize how different France is, which adds a distinct charm to the series.
While the spinoff used some iconic real-life locations such as Mont Saint-Michel, Daryl Dixon also applied some smart filming tricks by shooting the American flashback scenes in France, showing how versatile the country can be. The move to Spain will likely only add to how much the show stands out compared to The Walking Dead‘s other projects, proving that the impressive visuals are a massive part of Daryl Dixon‘s identity.
1Daryl Dixon Gives More Prominence To New Characters
Daryl Dixon’s New Additions Are Much More Important Compared To The Other Spinoffs
Despite having a variety of key strengths, Daryl Dixon‘s greatest feature is its ability to make new characters a pivotal part of the plot. The other spinoffs set after the main show have struggled with this by killing off the majority of its new additions, but the likes of Laurent, Isabelle, Sylvie, Genet, and Codron all feel like they could be a major part of the story for years to come. Each character feels genuinely important and serves more than a simple supporting role, which is a problem other Walking Dead shows haven’t been able to overcome.
Although Daryl is still the star of the show, other survivors are given compelling arcs that add to why the protagonist would want to stay in France. Season 2 will likely continue fleshing out these characters and help make the audience even more invested in them, proving why they are so crucial. Thankfully, most of these new introductions have interesting personalities and understandable goals, which elevate the overall premise and prove why Daryl Dixon is such a well-executed spinoff.
