The Walking Dead’s Five Most Powerful Women

To survive in the world of The Walking Dead, characters have to be strong. They have to be willing to make difficult choices and execute them in order to protect themselves and those around them.

While Rick Grimes has undeniably been the leader of the popular AMC series, he is surrounded by an onslaught of capable survivors who have, in fact, helped him reach the current point of the series. As the leader readies himself and his surrounding communities for war against Negan and the Saviors, fans are fully aware that he did not reach such a point alone.

By Rick’s side from the beginning have been some of the strongest survivors the apocalypse has offered — many of them, female.

Along the way, however, many strong and intimidating characters have come who wish to see Rick’s demise. Of these characters, several have been female, as well.

Looking at the grand scheme of The Walking Dead, the women of the show are some of the toughest characters the series has to offer. Robert Kirkman’s writing has masterfully crafted some of the largest evolutions and heroics from female characters within the series.

Let’s take a look at five of the toughest ladies The Walking Dead has to offer…

Jadis

Right now, fans are considerably angry towards PollyAnna McIntosh’s Jadis character. The new face came along in Season 7, posing as a potential ally for Rick Grimes, only to betray him in the Season 7 finale. 

The anger, however, is because Jadis was in a position of great power. As weird as her people from the junkyard may be, they are a large bunch with vast capabilities. They may even outnumber Alexandria, each of them loyally following their leader who is not much for dialogue. 

Heading into Season 7, Jadis will be a force to reckoned with. Equipped with no sense of morality and a lot of guns delivered by Rick himself, she has aligned her group with those who appear to have the upper hand on a march to war. 

“I think whatever happens, it’s not gonna be boring,” McIntosh said. “I’m in the showrunner’s hands. I’m like, ‘Write away! Do your stuff!’ It’s always brilliant. As an audience member, weirdly, when she did that in the season finale, I was mad at her, too!”

Maggie

Maggie Rhee has experienced terrible loss. Her father, her sister, her brother, her mother, her husband, and more…

Still, like a phoenix, Maggie rises from the ashes of death and destruction and manages to motivate those around her. The character has adapted to every situation she finds herself in and with the Hilltop proving to have a cowardly, incapable man sitting in charge, the last remaining member of the Greene family is ready to take over. 

Going forward, Maggie will lead the Hilltop army which have already begun to rally around her. The charge against Negan, the Saviors, and Jadis’ group will rely heavily on the Hilltop community which brings numbers and resources to the table behind Maggie’s command. 

Maggie offers skilled survival instinct but also brings a sense of level-headed leadership to the table. To an extent, she serves as an anchor of sorts for Rick, though at times both characters tend to have an appetite which can only be quenched with the blood of their enemies.

Tara

Of the women on the series, many are still working towards unlocking their full potential as toughened survivors. Among the characters in this category is Tara Chambler.

Tara has also experienced great loss as she has lost a pair of girlfriends through four seasons but has not let anything hold her back. In fact, the character has only become more ruthless despite getting a better view of what is the right thing to do. 

Tara manages to keep her cool in all situations. Despite how evil those near her may be or dangerous the scenario, Tara keeps an upbeat attitude and finds the good in people close to her. It’s a valuable trait which helps keep those nearby optimistic.

Still, she is willing to do what is necessary — as evidenced when she helped invade the Oceanside community for their guns despite promising the bunch of women that she would not lead her people to them.

Carol

In the first season of The Walking Dead, Carol was a humbled and beaten housewife. She was a victim of Ed’s rage and helpless in her own life.

The apocalypse, however, has transformed Carol into a survivor with a huge heart, ready to do anything and everything to protect herself and those around her.

Never has Carol’s ability to protect those around her been more evident than the Season 5 premiere of The Walking Dead. When Rick Grimes and his group had been captured by the cannibals of Terminus, Carol came to the rescue. The reason she was not there? She murdered two sick and contagious survivors in the prison in order to prevent their disease from spreading to the rest of the group — a decision no one else was willing to make — putting her in place to use creative thinking and high-powered weapons to save the day.

Carol, like most everyone else on this list, has experienced tragic loss, but uses it all to fuel her survival efforts and help herself and those around her plow through the apocalypse.

Let’s not even get started on the time she almost single-handedly took down the Wolves.

Michonne

Michonne is one of the smartest, most capable survivors in The Walking Dead‘s zombie apocalypse.

First, Michonne taught herself to use a katana — one of the best weapons for the zombie apocalypse as it silently slices through enemies to avoid attention and never runs out of ammo. Now, she is equipping herself with the skills to use a rifle, providing the ability to strike from a distance.

Over her years on the AMC series, Michonne has grown closer and closer with Rick Grimes as he has begun to rebuild civilization starting with the Alexandria Safe-Zone. She has not been silent on the journey. In fact, she has been quite the opposite. When Rick needs council, Michonne is quick to offer it. When Rick needs reassuring, Michonne will help. If Rick is incapable of accomplishing a task, Michonne is often able to help or do it yourself.

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MORE WALKING DEAD: The Walking Dead Season 8 Trailer’s Shocking Twist Explained / Glenn Will Haunt Daryl In Season 8 / Robot Chicken’s The Walking Dead Parody Trailer Released / The Walking Dead Releases New Season 8 Photos / Watch The Walking Dead Star React To The Season 8 Trailer

Fear the Walking Dead returns September 10. The Walking Dead will return for its eighth season on October 22, 2017. For complete coverage and insider info all season long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.