‘The Walking Dead’ Scene Reveals Leadership in Rick’s Absence

A fan of The Walking Dead may have pinpointed a scene which indicates who might step up in Rick’s absence.

The scene above, from The Walking Dead‘s third season, sees the group at the prison in the aftermath of T-Dog and Lori’s death. At the same time, baby Judith has just been born. With Rick suffering from an emotional overload, his mind is not in a place to lead, prompting Daryl Dixon to step up to the plate. Quickly, he commands the group and puts together a squad to head out for baby formula, also assigning Beth to look after Carl.

With rumors of Norman Reedus filling the void for Andrew Lincoln following his departure in Season Nine, it seems possible this version of Daryl comes out more often.

Still, there are other characters who can be leaders on the AMC series in Rick’s absence — be it following his death, disappearance, or other departure from Alexandria.

For example, Michonne is a character many rely on in Alexandria, though none have leaned on her more than Rick. When the leader of Alexandria is weak, his closest ally has always been a pillar to bring him back to a proper state of mind. In fact, Michonne has been a strong example for all of Alexandria and its surrounding community’s survivors, often making level-headed decisions (with the exception of that time she helped Daryl and his garbage truck plan at the Sancutary) with the group’s best interest in mind. She has an impressive ability to act without having emotion influence her moves.

Maggie would be a viable candidate but she is not expected to be around very long when The Walking Dead returns for Season Nine, leaving characters like King Ezekiel, Aaron, or Jesus as other possible contenders to be leaders in the absence of the top-ranking characters.

Who do you think should step up to lead The Walking Dead in Rick’s absence after Andrew Lincoln makes his Season Nine exit from the AMC series? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Fear the Walking Dead returns for the back half of its fourth season on August 12th at 9 pm ET on AMC. The Walking Dead returns for its ninth season on October 7th. For more updates and insider info all year long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter!