Rick, Daryl, and Shane are powerhouses on their own in The Walking Dead and become even more of an unstoppable force when paired up with other characters. Rick and Daryl work together like a well-oiled machine, and Daryl and Carol have an understanding like no other. Likewise, Rick and Michonne can do anything they set their minds to. Ironically, fans never got to see what a Rick, Daryl, and Shane team-up might’ve looked like, and for good reason. Still, they could’ve made an awesome force against Walkers.

Rick, Daryl, and Shane were on vastly different paths in the first two seasons of The Walking Dead, which kept the trio from truly joining together. Daryl was still an outcast in the group, and Rick and Shane conflicted over how to best protect their people and who would have Lori. Similarly, Rick and Daryl really only grew close after Shane’s death. But if Shane’s run wasn’t cut short in Season 2, this trio would’ve been unstoppable if they got along with each other.

Shane’s Death Changed Everything for Rick and Daryl

The first two seasons of The Walking Dead mainly focused on the conflict between Rick and Shane, which came to a head in Season 2, Episode 12, “Better Angels.” Rick had enough of Shane questioning his leadership, and Shane was going off the deep end to prove that he could take Rick’s place at the top of the group. Their rocky friendship met its ill-fate when Rick stabbed Shane in the field of Hershel’s farm after a tense standoff. This changed Rick’s entire mindset about the lengths he would go to protect his people and how he handled his leadership role in the group of survivors.

Rick Grimes: I’m keeping this group together, alive. I’ve been doing that all along, no matter what. I didn’t ask for this. I killed my best friend for you people, for Christ’s sake!

Without killing Shane, it’s hard to imagine if Rick would’ve ever become the hardened leader fans know and love. Killing the part of himself that existed before society collapsed — his friendship with Shane — is what made him take full control over the group and acclimated him to being capable of taking a human life. Rick’s character took a necessary turn the night that Shane died. If Shane hadn’t died that night he would’ve still been gunning for Rick’s spot and maybe even taken his life. Dale saw for himself that Shane was contemplating it when he pointed a gun to Rick’s head while his back was turned.

Shane’s death allowed Rick to take the top spot in the group and gave Daryl new purpose. After the revelation that Sophia had turned into a walker and was kept in the barn the whole time while the group was searching for her, Daryl was drifting aimlessly. He isolated himself from the group, physically and emotionally, by setting up camp away from the farm house and closing himself off to Carol’s comfort. But after the harsh winter that the group endured that led to them finding the prison, Daryl started to flourish.

His character became more developed, and he integrated into the group as an appreciated and trusted member.

With Shane gone, Daryl took his spot as Rick’s right-hand man. The two formed a deep brotherhood born out of how well they work together and a mutual trust. Daryl was always ready to back up Rick, until they disagreed over what to do about Negan and the Saviors in Season 8, but they still kept a level of respect for each other, which was something Shane wasn’t capable of. Shane’s death was a leading factor in the bond that grew between Rick and Daryl, but would it still have happened if Shane didn’t die?

What Would The Walking Dead Look Like If Shane Lived?

By the end of Season 2, Shane became a volatile character who would’ve been detrimental to the group’s survival. He made it clear that he saw Rick as his opposition, and convinced himself that he had to go to keep Lori and the group safe. In this context, Shane most likely would’ve killed Rick and the group would’ve fallen apart after his betrayal, or he could’ve forced them to fall in line with him during the power-hungry mental state he was in. In order for a Rick/Daryl/Shane trio to exist, Shane would’ve had to undergo a major character change.

Imagine a world where Shane never got obsessive over having Lori to himself or undermined Rick for doing his best to protect the group. In this world, he and Rick would be an unstoppable duo, and Daryl could’ve joined their ranks. Despite all his faults, Shane is capable of being a good leader. He made the judgment call to board up Rick’s hospital room and saved him from the Walker attack that happened while Rick was comatose. He’s also the one who got the group together in the first place. After witnessing Atlanta being bombed while stuck on the side of the highway, Shane brought everyone together and led them to the quarry, where they remained safe for almost two months before Rick showed up.

Shane is a skilled fighter and led the initiative to train the group on how to shoot guns to defend themselves. While his methods definitely weren’t the best, he did have the group’s safety in mind for the most part when making calls to take out the Walkers in the barn and not letting Randall go free. A lot of fans agree that the actions Shane was villainized or called rash for are actions the group would’ve taken and did similarly do in later seasons. In Season 7, Rick would never agree to live right next to Walkers like he did in Season 2. In certain ways, Shane was just two steps ahead of everyone else in terms of his survival mentality.

In an alternate universe where there was no animosity between Rick and Shane, they could’ve grown to be a powerful leadership duo. Shane has no trouble with making the tough decisions, and Rick would balance him out with his more optimistic outlook on surviving the apocalypse. They have no trouble taking down Walkers together, as seen in “18 Miles Out” when they take down a school bus filled with Walkers in the middle of a heated fight between the two. Rick and Shane would be even stronger when working together on good terms. But with this duo taking over, Daryl could be left in the background.

If Rick and Shane kept their friendship, then Daryl wouldn’t be Rick’s right-hand man. He would still respect Rick and go along with his plans, but Shane would overshadow Daryl as who Rick would turn to for help. Rick and Shane have been friends since they were teenagers. Daryl had only known them for a few months by Season 2. He was also a hothead in the first two seasons and often butted heads with Shane, which didn’t help any kind of bond to form there. In a world where Shane lives, Daryl most likely would’ve been relegated to a side character, with a status similar to Glenn, and where Rick and Shane only reach out for his help with a task that requires a sharpshooter or tracking someone.

Rick, Daryl, and Shane Could’ve Been the Ultimate Trio

Rick, Daryl, and Shane would be a potent force if they came together under the right circumstances. Rick has a knack for getting people to follow his lead, Shane can see how to navigate difficult situations, and Daryl has a survival skillset that’s unmatched. If given time for their characters to flesh out alongside each other, they would be the ultimate trio of The Walking Dead.

Taking on threats like the Governor, the cannibals at Terminus, and the Saviors would’ve gone much differently if this trio existed. Shane definitely wouldn’t have put up with Negan and probably would get himself killed during the infamous lineup in The Walking Dead Season 7 premiere. However, if he had survived it, Shane would’ve been instrumental in taking down Negan. The Rick/Daryl/Shane trio could’ve led the group to greatness much faster. Each of these men is well-equipped to handle the apocalypse in their own right, but their skills put together would be a force to be reckoned with.

Still, Shane would need a huge attitude adjustment for this to happen, Daryl would need something else to prompt him out of his shell, and Rick would need to come to terms with cordially living alongside the man he knows slept with his wife and fathered Judith. All of these circumstances would completely change the show and lead it down a path that rewrites fans’ favorite parts of The Walking Dead — for better or worse.