The characters on The Walking Dead have all been hardened by the apocalypse. Having survived it for years by now, the faces which take over AMC on Sunday nights in the fall know a thing or two about dispatching threats.
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To make it in Rick Grimes‘ new world, people have to be equipped with proper survival skills. Most characters are more than ready to do whatever it takes on a solitary basis. For example, Carol is such a killing machine that the body count has begun to take its toll on her mentality, seeing as she is responsible for so many kills regardless of how necessary they may have been.
Then, there’s Daryl Dixon, who from the earliest days of the apocalypse was a loner who preferred to block himself off of any sort of emotional attachment or social engagement with the people around him. Similar to him is Rosita, a character who does what is necessary to protect herself or earn protection from the more equipped people around her.
Some of these people in the apocalypse, however, are even more of a force to be reckoned with when they are not working a lone. Some of the Alexandria survivors are more lethal and productive when paired with similar or, in some instances, completely different characters.
The Walking Dead has some power couples, that’s for sure.
Daryl and Carol
The first person to break down Daryl Dixon and see the person hidden within his hardened exterior was Carol Pelettier.
By comparison to their earliest days in the apocalypse, both Carol and Daryl have evolved into almost entirely different characters. Daryl learned about loyalty and opening up while Carol learned how to defend herself and the people she cares about. It all came with tremendous loss.
Carol and Daryl are a perfect balance for one another. While Daryl is quick to kill and seek revenge, Carol thinks more rationally, though she packs the proper skills to fend off threats. Together, Daryl and Carol are both reluctant to trust new faces but provide pillars for one another to lean on. They are one of the most powerful duos on The Walking Dead with an unbreakable bond with one another only making them more of a force to be reckoned with.
Carol and Morgan
Another great tag team partner for Carol is her counterpart of Morgan Jones.
Morgan, a character who has been with the AMC series since its earliest episode, matches Carol’s desire to avoid killing. It’s a rare trait in the world of The Walking Dead. While most others are trigger happy and ready to dispose of threats with little though, Morgan and Carol thoroughly consider other options before shooting.
Their reasoning is vastly different, however. Carol’s desire to stop killing is a result of how many people she has already killed. The guilt is starting to add up. Morgan, on the other hand, believes all life is precious and everyone can change. Carol certainly doesn’t see that change coming in any of the groups’ enemies.
Together, however, Morgan and Carol are soldiers. Throughout Season 7, the two characters spent a considerable amount of time exploring their own psyche’s and coming to the conclusion that the Saviors need to die, often attempting to spare others from treacherous horrors.
Rick and Morgan
Having met in the first episode of The Walking Dead, Rick and Morgan have a unique understanding and bond. Morgan explained this new, apocalyptic world to Rick and Rick has forever felt grateful towards the Atlanta man who spared his life in the beginning.
For multiple reasons, Morgan understands how to get through to Rick in ways which others do not. When Rick wants to rally an army and attack, Morgan slows him down to contemplate other options. When Rick wants to execute a man for his crimes against the community, Morgan is on hand to suggest jailing him instead.
Throughout the apocalypse, Rick has adopted a kill-to-survive mentality. Morgan, on the otherhand, has adopted a spare-to-survive approach. The two characters together provide the group with a checks and balances system, plus a bunch of cool weapons to kill enemies whenever necessary.
Rick and Negan
Right now, Rick and Negan are bitter enemies. There is a mountain between the two characters and any potential friendship.
However, if the two characters can come to an agreement on how this post-apocalyptic world can be run, they would have no problem keeping threats at bay and rebuilding civilization together. Rick Grimes has already shown his ability to create a democratic world in which survivors can prosper. Negan is a different story.
While Negan’s world thrives on a less-than-desirable points system and a leader who can kill people somewhat spontaneously with a twisted sense of joy, the Saviors leader has proven he can turn people into loyal followers. He enforces a strict code on the people of his community and protects everyone who chooses to call the Sanctuary home, should they follow it. If we remove the “wives” bit from the equation, Negan is not drastically different from Rick in his leadership style.
In The Walking Dead comics, Rick and Negan have shown their impressive ability to work together.
More Walking Dead
MORE WALKING DEAD: TWD Season 8 Trailer Details Revealed / Why FTWD Is So Good Now / Dayton Callie Explains Jeremiah’s Complexity / Ross Marquand Promises A Massive TWD Season 8 / Negan’s Complete Backstory Coming In October / Madison Clark Is Officially FTWD’s Rick Grimes
Fear the Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 pm ET on AMC. The Walking Dead will return for its eighth season in October of 2017. The first trailer is expected to arrive at San Diego Comic Con in July. For complete coverage and insider info all off-season long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.
