They may be new to the Walking Dead universe, but they’ve already become favorites!
The Walking Dead universe is constantly expanding. Following the debut of the original series in 2010, the first spin-off, Fear the Walking Dead, premiered five years later in 2015. Since then, there have been others, including Walking Dead: World Beyond and Tales of the Walking Dead. The most recent new series include The Walking Dead: Dead City, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, and The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live.
Central to these three new spin-offs are fan favorite characters from the original. The Walking Dead: Dead City, centers around Maggie and Negan. The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon is about the title character (and, it has been revealed for season 2, Carol as well), while The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live chronicles Rick and Michonne’s journey. But with each new series in the universe comes exciting new characters as well, a handful of which already stand out.
10 The Dama
Show: ‘The Walking Dead: Dead City’
The Dama, as she is known, is only in a couple scenes towards the end of The Walking Dead: Dead City. But she makes an impression and is poised to be the primary antagonist of the already confirmed season 2. While it’s initially believed that the man known as “The Croat” is the mastermind evil villain, it turns out he is merely the errand boy for The Dama. She is the real leader, and she wants to appoint Negan as her number-one.
She is calm, cool, and collected, but also calculating and cruel. She proves this when she presents Negan with Hershel’s amputated toe as a warning of what might happen if he doesn’t comply with her demands. Played convincingly by Lisa Emery, known for her equally villainous role in Ozark, there will likely be much more to see of The Dama.
9 Major General Beale
Show: ‘The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live’
Major General Beale instantly stood out on the show not only for his authoritative position within the CRM, but also because the character is played by LOST’s brilliant Terry O’Quinn. Presented as one of several antagonists in the first season of the series, he is far more subtle and quiet in his villainy. But this is precisely what makes him so dangerous and compelling.
In one scene, he sits on a park bench to chat with Rick Grimes, cleverly finding a way to ask if Donald Okafor is up to something behind his back. He asks in such a casual way as if to imply that he wouldn’t bring terrifying pain to Okafor if he were to betray him. Fans are excited to see more of Beale, how he rules, and his justification for making the decisions he makes.
8 Stéphane Codron
Show: ‘The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’
On The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, Stéphane Codron is the first antagonist fans see, infiltrating a camp where Daryl, a fan favorite character from the original series, has been captured (or saved?) Following the death of his brother, he holds a personal vendetta against Daryl. It’s his quest to find the American man that leads to the convent being overrun and most of the nuns inside being killed.
A complex man, it’s later learned that he’s working for a much bigger villain. He puts his life on the line in the end to save Daryl, mainly because he refuses to kill a young child. Fans are excited to see where the story takes Stéphane in season 2 now that he has directly disobeyed orders that resulted in Daryl surviving and escaping. Whether he becomes an ally, a foe once again, or doesn’t even make it much longer, Stéphane is one example that, despite the apocalypse going on now for more than a decade, some people still have a sense of humanity left.
7 Donald Okafor
Show: ‘The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live’
Fans were disappointed that Donald Okafor didn’t last beyond the first episode of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live. It was tough to get a read on the character, the rigid lieutenant colonel for the CRM who kept urging Rick to join him. It was revealed that he did so because he felt that both Rick and Pearl possessed qualities that could help him in his secret quest to change the CRM from the inside.
Before his story got to develop further, however, Okafor was killed when their plane was shot down by Nat. It’s unclear if Donald would have been an enemy or an ally to Rick, and if his presence might have made it even more difficult for Rick to leave (or want to). Nonetheless, he was an early fan favorite gone too soon.
6 Pearl Thorne
Show: ‘The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live’
Pearl is the perfect foil for Rick, another member of the city who moves up the ranks along with him. She is just as hardened as him, even having tried to escape herself before, causing the scar on Okafor’s forehead. She is able to talk sense into Rick when he tries to escape, warning him that it isn’t a good idea and why.
Pearl might come across like someone who doesn’t care, but it’s clear she has a soft spot for Rick. She’s tough, fearless, and could potentially be positioning herself to try and escape down the line as well. Whether she has truly submitted to the CRM or has bigger plans is the looming question that makes her one of the most exciting characters.
5 The Croat
Show: ‘The Walking Dead: Dead City’
The Croat is a villain from The Walking Dead universe who was teased prior to the debut of The Walking Dead: Dead City. He comes across as deeply disturbed, but it’s only when Negan explains his history that fans truly see how awful he is. When even Negan banishes someone, that says a lot. The reason was for his willingness and actions in killing a child. Even Negan won’t go that far.
Despite giving off an air of confidence and leadership, it becomes apparent, seeing him cower to The Dama that The Croat is merely a puppet for her desires. A highly intelligent man, however, his knowledge has determined how to turn the dead into a source of fuel. But even The Croat recognizes that he can only follow orders, not give them. He’s hostile, unpredictable, and will likely go toe to toe with Negan again in season two.
4 Perlie Armstrong
Show: ‘The Walking Dead: Dead City’
Perlie is the epitome of a “good cop.” The marshal is determined to uphold the law, no exceptions, even despite the nastiness of the new world. Even when he feels sympathy for Negan, he refuses to let up on his mission to arrest the man for murdering others during a fight. He doesn’t even flinch when Negan saves his life, still wanting to fulfill his duties. While Perlie initially seems like he would be no match for Negan, when he’s trapped and caged, he proves that he has a vicious side: there’s more to Perlie than meets the eye.
Fans are curious to see how Perlie navigates the situation, now having doubts about his job. With the New Babylon Federation selfishly going after Manhattan for The Dama and her natural resources, he is questioning which side he should really be on. Fans learn a bit about Perlie’s backstory in the first season, but there’s so much more to tell. Fans want to see if he continues to be a foe or becomes an ally to Negan.
3 Nat
Show: ‘The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live’
It’s rare that a character comes and goes so quickly and makes such an impact, but Nat did just that. He is a survivor that Michonne comes upon in the second episode of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live after saving two of his people. When she expresses distaste for their community’s belief that saving one is not worth risking many, Nat decides that he agrees. He not only provides her with everything she needs to continue her journey to find Rick, he also decides to go along with her.
Obsessed with fire and growing up with a destructive mindset due to bullying, he opens up to Michonne about his stepfather, only to realize through his conversation that the man actually loved him and was trying to help him channel his destructive nature into something positive. He did that through encouraging Nat to build and create skills that came in handy in the apocalypse. Sweet, charming, and funny, Michonne spent a year with Nat as they both recovered from chlorine gas inhalation injuries. To see him die so tragically after he helped Michonne reunite with her husband was the most heartbreaking moment of the series thus far.
2 Laurent
Show: ‘The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’
Soft-spoken, intelligent, and mature for his age, since he grew up surrounded only by adults, there’s something different about Laurent. It’s no wonder the nuns believe him to be a Messiah, sent to lead a new world order. Mostly, his aunt Isabelle believes this because he was born from his mother after she turned old, indicating he was a “miracle baby” and could possibly have immunity from the virus, or hold a cure.
Laurent is sweet, kind, and curious. He manages to break through to Daryl, with the hardened survivor growing a soft spot for the young boy. Despite his innocent nature, Laurent yearns, like any other child, to be with peers, as is seen when he begs to stay at the school they encounter along the way. But he is also realistic and pragmatic, such as when he kills Quinn after learning the man is his biological father, then rationalizes it with himself because Quinn was no longer his true self anymore, having already turned. Laurent may not be the Messiah everyone thinks he is, but he does bring hope and a belief that there’s something better on the other side, which is more important than the truth.
1 Isabelle Carriere
Show: ‘The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’
One of the fan favorite characters of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, Isabelle is also the best new character of all three of the new The Walking Dead series. One of the more layered characters, she initially appears as a meek nun who has sacrificed the safety of her convent to help Daryl heal. In fact, she swept in and saved him from almost certain death.
But in her backstory, it’s revealed that there’s a lot more to Isabelle than meets the eye. Prior to the world falling, she was a skilled thief, pickpocket, and con woman who was into partying, drinking, and drugs. The safe haven of the convent helped her and her pregnant sister and being there turned Isabelle’s life around. She joined and changed her ways. But based on actions, there’s still some of the old Isabelle lurking inside. She’s strong, determined, and willing to do anything to protect the ones she loves. While fans don’t love the idea of someone else taking Carol’s place, they could see the two women getting along swimmingly as Daryl’s confidantes should they ever cross paths in the second season.
