The Walking Dead has an incredible list of cast members throughout its run, but some came and went far too quickly before developing as characters.

The Walking Dead was one of the few shows that is more than willing to kill off any character on screen, but some characters deserved to have a greater presence on the show. The Walking Dead first started airing in 2010, and the first season featured a large ensemble cast. However, by the show’s end in 2022, only two characters from the first season were still confirmed to be alive, Carol (Melissa McBride) and Daryl (Norman Reedus). Other characters like Rick and Morgan appeared in the first episode and were confirmed to be alive in spin-off shows, but the cast changes were drastic, with every season seeing dramatic shifts.

Many of the deaths that happen in The Walking Dead are necessary, to move the narrative forward, change the foundational core of the characters, and help to create and enhance tension. However, that wasn’t always the case. Some deaths felt undeserved, sudden, and wasted, especially with characters who could have easily been spared an unjustified death. Others were simply underutilized or disappeared from the show after a brief introduction, never to be seen again.

10 Carl Grimes

Played By Chandler Riggs

Carl Grimes is Rick’s only son and the boy who was in the prime position to take his father’s place as the leader of their group as is established in the comics and all the earlier seasons of The Walking Dead. He is suddenly and shockingly killed off in season 8, episode 9, just a few seasons before the show wraps up. While a character who appeared in the majority of episodes during the first eight seasons certainly had his time in the spotlight, his death was appalling and changed the course of the show in confusing ways that required time jumps to age up his baby sister, and left Rick in a far worse state.

Carl was a guiding light for the group, just, moral, and fair, and his death was a low point for the show. Carl’s death may have inspired Rick to spare Negan, but overall, it wasn’t a fitting end for the character, who likely could have convinced his father to act differently, or inspired the community to make another choice and remove a mentally deteriorating Rick from his position of authority. Not to mention, Chandler Riggs is a highly talented actor who grew into his role perfectly after being cast at such a young age.

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9 Denise Cloyd

Played By Merritt Wever

Denise is introduced and killed off in the middle of season 6. She was a resident of Alexandria and played a vital role in stepping up to serve as the community doctor after Pete was executed. She developed a close romantic relationship with Tara and everything appeared as though she would be a new regular cast member, aiding the core group. However, her character is suddenly wiped off the board mid-sentence while helping Daryl and Rosita when one of the Saviors, Dwight, lands a crossbow straight through the back of her head and out her eye. So much development in the top half of the season, just to kill her off.

8 Beth Greene

Played By Emily Kinney

Beth was Maggie’s younger sister and a character who formed a strong bond with Daryl, who dedicated himself to protecting the young girl. Beth had a hard time coping with her father’s death and the death of multiple boys with whom she formed romantic relationships. She struggled to overcome the feelings of dread that a post-apocalyptic world inspired. However, toward the end of her journey, she appeared to finally find some strength and utility in the Grady Memorial Hospital after being abducted. Just as things started to look up, Beth was accidentally shot in the head by Dawn, putting a sudden end to a bright character that had so much more potential.

7 Georgie

Played By Jayne Atkinson

Georgie appears in The Walking Dead season 8, episode 12, “The Key,” and immediately becomes one of the most intriguing characters of the show. A highly intelligent woman who possessed great knowledge of old technology, agriculture, building, and much more. Georgie was singular in a post-apocalyptic landscape, someone who hoped to instill trust among people and help others for no ulterior reason other than the genuine desire for the betterment of humanity. Her sharing her knowledge with the survivors at Hilltop, led by Maggie, was pivotal in helping them to improve their way of life. Though Maggie makes mention of her a few times, she never appears again.

6 Gareth

Played By Andrew J. West

Gareth was introduced to the show in season 4 and continued into The Walking Dead season 5 as one of the main antagonists. The leader of Terminus and a loathsome cannibal who cruelly tortured and tormented Rick and his group. Gareth was originally a decent man who invited others into Terminus before their group was attacked. As a result, Gareth turned against his better nature and became more animalistic, and cruel. The character was incredibly interesting and, like many of the other antagonists that continued into multiple seasons, it would have been great to see more of Terminus and Gareth.

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5 Theodore “T-Dog” Douglas

Played By IronE Singleton

T-Dog was a part of the core group from the beginning of The Walking Dead until his death early in season 3. For T-Dog, it’s less about the fact that he didn’t appear long enough on the show and more about the fact that he was often hidden in the background. The character is funny, kind, compassionate, and traveled with the core group for a long time, but as a result of the large ensemble cast, he didn’t get enough time to develop as a character. T-Dog had a lot of potential to explore and open up his background, but the creatives didn’t shine a spotlight on his character enough.

4 Axel

Played By Lew Temple

Axel appeared in The Walking Dead season 3 with a small group of people holed up in a prison. When Rick’s group discovers them, they are initially distrustful, but thanks in part to the good nature of Axel, their small group is permitted to live in another cell block of the prison. Over time, Axel opens up with the group, becoming especially close with Carol before he is killed by the Governor just 10 episodes after his introduction. Axel had a great deal of potential to become a part of the core group and a potential romance for Carol early in the series.

3 Edwin Jenner

Played By Noah Emmerich

Edwin Jenner was the virologist who appeared in episodes 5 and 6 of the first season. When he appears in the main series, he has given up on life and his attempts to cure the virus that caused the outbreak, but Jenner still proves to be a highly intelligent and strong person. He committed to his wife’s dying wish to continue trying to fix the virus, and he did so for a long time until the core group met him. Had Rick and the others convinced Edwin to keep trying, or to ignite some hope in him once again, he could have been a key character to the show, but his death did establish a degree of hopelessness.

2 Sophia Peletier

Played By Madison Lintz

Sophia is the daughter of Carol Peletier and one of Carl’s few friends in season 1. At the beginning of season 2, she is separated from the main group when a herd of zombies forces her into the woods. While Rick initially finds her and fights off the zombies, she has disappeared by the time he returns to check on her. It isn’t until several episodes later that her fate is confirmed when she appears again as a zombie.

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Sophia’s death was pivotal to hardening Carol and changing her from the soft-spoken, submissive woman she was at the start, to the hardened survivor she became, but it would have been nice to see more of her and her mother’s relationship. The two share brief moments, but nothing substantial, and Carol’s role is only really given more attention after Sophia’s death. Had the relationship been further explored, Carol’s journey could have been even more impactful.

1 Shane Walsh

Played By Jon Bernthal

Shane used to be Rick’s best friend before the virus. And while he was set up as a rival, and a competing love interest with Rick’s wife, he was also one of the most interesting characters in The Walking Dead. Shane and Rick faced off in the second season after key parts of his life were significantly altered due to Rick’s survival. He loses his best friend, his love interest, his adoptive son, and the leadership of the group. Shane was a survivor and was shown to be a great leader before Rick’s arrival. Had Rick and Shane resolved their differences, Shane would have been an incredible asset for later seasons.