Daryl Dixon

Living... in Atlanta after the zombie apocalypse. Though really, it’s more surviving than living. He met up with Shane and Rick’s roaming group of survivors after the walkers showed up and has been an invaluable member of the team as a ruthless walker-killer.

Profession... tracker, zombie assassin, and Rick’s right hand man. He’ll hunt for food and shoot every zombie he runs into along the way with his trusty crossbow. Being able to do that gives you a lot of power in this terrifying new world. It’s not long before people start to look to Daryl as a leader, even if he does everything in his power to avoid that responsibility.

Relationship Status... closest with fellow survivor Carol, though they’re not a couple. They’re just close friends who both come from abuse and have each others’ backs. He’s also extremely close with his racist older brother Merle, even though Merle ran away from home as a teenager and left Daryl to survive alone with their abusive, drunk father. He never thought he’d have to dig up those survivalist instincts again but then the apocalypse happened… 

Challenge... Merle. Merle doesn’t get along with the rest of the group, which initially puts Daryl at odds with Rick (who handcuffed Merle to a roof and left him). The zombies are lethal, but clashes within the group can be just as deadly. They’re able to resolve their issues and lead the group away from danger, but some people in his camp are just waiting for his aloofness to turn to contempt for the group.                                            

Personality... quiet, intense, and deadly. He keeps his distance from the rest of the group, but doesn’t hesitate to risk his life to save them. And after enough close calls with walkers, and enough times playing the hero, he does begin to soften towards the other survivors. They might be able to depend on him, but he’s less sure that they’ll come through for him. At the end of the day, when times get tough, the only thing he’s going to hold close is his crossbow.