‘The Walking Dead’: Norman Reedus Will Soon Pass Andrew Lincoln for Most Episode Appearances

The Walking Dead star Norman Reedus’ Daryl Dixon will soon overtake Andrew Lincoln’s Rick [...]

The Walking Dead star Norman Reedus' Daryl Dixon will soon overtake Andrew Lincoln's Rick Grimes for most episode appearances when the zombie drama returns for the second half of Season Nine.

Reddit user SomeKrazyGuyUKnow, posting to the site's unofficial Walking Dead subreddit, shared data detailing each major character's number of appearances throughout the series' first nine-and-a-half seasons.

Rick, whose last episode aired in November, appeared in a total of 103 out of 123 episodes. Daryl, who first appeared in the third episode of the inaugural season, has appeared in 99 episodes, six of which are denoted as "cameo appearances."

[Spoilers] 'The Walking Dead' main character appearances in total, up to Episode 9.08 from r/thewalkingdead

Reedus now has top billing on the series and is expected to continue on in the Walking Dead Universe for at least the next three years after inking a multi-year franchise deal with AMC.

Though the mothership series continues to be an ensemble, the departure of Lincoln — whose Rick was sent off in a helicopter in 905, to reappear later in a Rick-led trilogy of television movies — has resulted in even beefier roles for the main trio of Reedus, Michonne star Danai Gurira and Carol star Melissa McBride.

In the remaining half of the season, resuming February 10, Daryl looks to step up in a major way when dealing with the newly emerged threat that is the Whisperers.

Though the spotlight-avoiding Daryl won't shift into an outright leader, show runner Angela Kang previously teased the bowman will be looked to "in certain situations" when navigating dangerous new territory.

"I think part of the evolution of his character is he is not a man of many words usually, but across time he has built these very close relationships with certain characters who he's very loyal to. Daryl and Rick look at each other like brothers. That can be a complicated relationship, but he is developing ways of being more open about what he feels. That's part of his growth as a character," Kang told Rotten Tomatoes.

"He's growing up, and he's able to express these things that used to sometimes come out as rage, and he's able to talk about it and form a plan while still very much being the Daryl that we know and love."

Daryl, who retreated to the woods and remained there for six years following Rick's apparent death, is starting to be pulled back into the group following a reunion with Carol and Henry (Matt Lintz).

He led the search party that rescued a missing Eugene (Josh McDermitt) in a mission that left Jesus (Tom Payne) a victim of the Whisperers, and as evidenced by the season 9B trailer, Daryl will be at the forefront of the ensuing conflict with the typically masked enemies.

"It's part of his arc for the season, as people look to him more and more as a leader in certain situations. It's something he struggles with, because he doesn't feel like he's a person who likes to give speeches. He's a person who likes to be out there on the road, in action," Kang said.

"But that in and of itself is a different type of leadership. He's going to find what it is that he's comfortable with and go forward with that."

The Walking Dead Season Nine returns with new episodes Sunday, February 10 on AMC.

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