“The only way to survive in a mad world, is to embrace the madness.”

On the heels of the massively successful series The Walking Dead, AMC followed it up in 2015 with Fear the Walking Dead, the first of what would become many spinoffs following survivors in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. Initially set in Los Angeles at the start of the zombie outbreak, Fear the Walking Dead followed the survivors as they navigate an instantly changed and dangerous world, trying to find some sense of normalcy as the dead roam the Earth. While the original series was an adaptation of the comic series, Fear told a new story as it explored the world before, and immediately after, the outbreak of the Wildfire Virus and the devastating effect it had on the human race. The series ended its run in 2023 after eight seasons.

Like its predecessor, Fear the Walking Dead featured a large ensemble cast of survivors and villains alike, starting with the Clark family in the early seasons and expanding to include others they met along the way, from likable personalities just trying to survive to crossover characters looking for new beginnings. Some were more compelling than others, with difficult pasts and questionable motives, and the best of them made the show that much more fun to watch.

10Dwight

Potrayed by Austin Amelio

Dwight first appeared in The Walking Dead, where he served as a high-ranking member of Negan’s Saviors and was permanently disfigured after Negan burned part of Dwight’s face as punishment. After spending some time in Alexandria, Dwight was exiled by Daryl and crossed over to Fear in Season 4. He was reunited with his wife, Sherry, and the couple planned to return to the Sanctuary at the end of the series.

Dwight was devoted to Sherry, despite their frequent ups and downs as a couple. The two had been through a lot together, most notably, the trauma they experienced at the hands of Negan prior to the events of Fear; and it occasionally led to some dark, troubling moments for both characters. Dwight often seemed haunted by his past but was looking for forgiveness and redemption, and he worked towards it by turning into a force for good.

9Sarah Rabinowitz

Potrayed by Mo Collins

Sarah, an ex-Marine, was first introduced in Season 4 alongside her adoptive brother, Wendell, when they met Morgan and were brewing their own beer. As Victor took control of the tower, the siblings were separated, with Sarah staying with Alicia and Wendell safe inside the tower, something Sarah was willing to accept. After cult leader Teddy detonates a nuclear bomb in Season 7, Sarah and Wendell are last seen attempting to escape via raft.

Sarah’s sense of humor and quick wit made her fun to watch, and the siblings’ home-brewed beer enterprise was a more lighthearted approach to the apocalypse and the future. But what made Sarah such a good character was her devotion to and care for Wendell. Whenever they were separated, she was determined to find him. Unfortunately, Sarah faded into the background near the end of the series and didn’t reappear for the final season, leaving her fate, and Wendell’s, unclear.

8Daniel Salazar

Potrayed by Rubén Blades

Prior to the outbreak, Daniel served in the Salvadorian Civil War, worked as an operative for the CIA, and, later, settled down as a barber shop owner in Los Angeles. Later on, after reunited with Victor Strand, Daniel embarked on a search for his daughter, Ofelia, and was often accompanied by his cat, Skidmark. Although Daniel and Ofelia were reunited eventually, she was ultimately bitten by a walker and put down by Daniel. Later in the series, Daniel struggled with memory loss, and he trained and led a group of parents determined to get their children back from PADRE.

Daniel was a devoted, loving father to Ofelia, so much so that he was ruthless and willing to do anything to find her. He was devastated by her death and later became determined to help other parents reunite with their children. Due to his background, he was intelligent and cunning, with a skillset that made him a great companion during the apocalypse. He ensured his survival by playing up his memory loss when he was with Virginia, proving that no matter what sort of decline he was experiencing, he was still sharp in other ways.

“When civilization ends, it ends fast.”

7June

Potrayed by Jenna Elfman

June was first introduced in Season 4 as a survivor named Naomi and was initially known as Laura to her partner, John Dorie, and the two eventually married as the series progressed. Previously, she worked as an ICU nurse. She spent some time at PADRE, where she was forced to experiment on walkers. She was traumatized by her experiences and spent some time on her own before working to dismantle the organization, even going so far as to keep the fingers of PADRE members as gruesome souvenirs.

Although June was initially dishonest about who she was, she ultimately proved herself to be an asset to the other survivors. Her medical background made her an asset to others after the outbreak, and she was always willing to use her skills to help people, but she was also sometimes forced to use those skills for more nefarious purposes and for the series’ villains. And although she was a loving, devoted wife to John, she also had a brutal side to her, demonstrated by her collection of PADRE fingers.

6Al

Potrayed by Maggie Grace

Image Via AMC

Althea was introduced in Season 4 and was better known as Al for short. She had previously worked as a journalist and used that experience and interest in people to document her fellow survivors’ stories in a series of taped interviews. She eventually discovered the existence of the mysterious CRM and fell in love with one of its members, Isabelle. Al eventually split from the rest of the group, in part to ensure Isabelle was safe, and the two were reunited in Al’s final appearance of Season 7.

Al’s interest in people made her an interesting character as she was driven and determined, no matter what she was doing or where her focus was. She was a devoted partner to Isabelle, desperate to know she was safe and help keep it that way, despite initially promising she wouldn’t look for her. While her story remained open-ended, one would hope she and Isabelle were able to live a quiet, peaceful life together, away from the CRM.

5Victor Strand

Potrayed by Colman Domingo

Image via AMC

Prior to the outbreak, Victor spent his life as a con-man and had expensive tastes, and he had been aiming to reunite with his lover, Thomas, in Mexico. He eventually became the dictatorial leader of the Tower, and after its destruction, he was rescued and given a second chance by Alicia. He then took on the assumed name Anton as part of an attempt to start over with a clean slate and new life.

Victor’s questionable moral compass made him one of the most interesting characters in Fear the Walking Dead, and Domingo was always fantastic to watch, no matter what the character was doing. Whether he was working with his fellow survivors or becoming one of their foes, Strand was always a little unpredictable and arrogant, especially when he had even the smallest degree of power and even more so as a villain, but also always remained loyal to Alicia and Madison.

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4Madison Clark

Potrayed by Kim Dickens

Image via AMC

When Fear the Walking Dead began, it centered around Madison and her blended family, including her kids, Alicia and Nick. At the start of the series prior to the outbreak, Madison worked as a high-school guidance counselor. She was presumed dead in Season 4, when the stadium where she and other survivors had been living was overrun with walkers. She returned at the end of Season 7 as a member of PADRE, an organization which kidnapped children to raise in its own community, but ultimately helped take it down.

Madison was fierce, willing to go to great lengths to protect her family, even sacrificing herself as her apparent death was an attempt to buy the others, including her children, time to escape. She was also likable, at least for most of her time on the series. After her return, she was definitely changed and even had a brief villainous run in her work with PADRE, but she ultimately redeemed herself by contributing to its destruction.

3Morgan Jones

Potrayed by Lennie James

Via  Lauren “Lo” Smith/AMC

Of the characters who crossed over from The Walking Dead to Fear, Morgan was the most notable. He was first introduced in the original series as the first survivor Rick met, and Morgan gave Rick valuable information and advice on navigating the post-apocalyptic world. Although the two parted ways, Morgan reappeared later in the series and helped Rick’s group battle Negan and the Saviors, and after their success, he left for Fear. He and his partner, Grace, were the adoptive parents of baby Mo, whose biological parents died.

Morgan had a strong sense of morals, which was a common theme throughout Fear. Like many other characters in the universe, Morgan experienced tremendous loss, first, his wife and son, then Grace and briefly Mo, after she was taken by the sketchy organization PADRE, which led to a mental breakdown. Morgan was notable for being a pacifist opposed to killing, and his time on Fear in particular was marked by his dedication to helping others.

2Alicia Clark

Potrayed by Alycia Debnam-Carey

Image via AMC

Alicia was the daughter of Madison, the series’ main character in its early seasons, as well as Nick’s younger sister. By Season 5, she was the only member of the Clark family left, until Madison reappeared for the final season. Alicia left the show in Season 7 to isolate herself from the others after being bitten by a walker. She returned briefly in Season 8 and reunited with Madison, and the two set out to return to Los Angeles.

Alicia was a fan-favorite character and one of the most popular on Fear the Walking Dead. She was also one of the most compelling characters, as she was tough yet caring. She was determined to help people and improve their brutal world, and she was so successful that she built a reputation and had other women following in her footsteps who even dressed like her, even though, like many other characters in the franchise, she’d experienced a lot of trauma and loss.

1John Dorie

Potrayed by Garret Dillahunt

Image via AMC

John Dorie was introduced in Season 4 as a former cop who had isolated himself after fatally shooting a suspect. When audiences first met him, he was looking for his wife, Laura, ultimately revealed to be June. He was shot by Dakota in Season 6 after she realized he knew she had killed Cameron, and his wife, June, found his reanimated corpse and killed it.

John was one of Fear’s best, most interesting characters and was always fascinating to watch and easy to like. Despite his tough demeanor, he was really a softie with a kind heart who was devoted to June, and he was smart on top of it. His death was shocking and devastating, not just because of how it played out, but also because John was such a great character who made the series that much better.