The Walking Dead's violent universe is full of twisted and dark moments, but some characters stand out as the franchise's most dangerous. Since the show began in 2010, the series has been balancing its brutal nature with lighter moments, helping create such iconic characters. While The Walking Dead has feature its more wholesome moments, it is more memorable for its sinister scenes that show how difficult living in a zombie apocalypse can be. Naturally, there are plenty of villains who pose a terrifying threat, but even the show's heroes have showcased how dangerous they are over the years.
After 11 seasons and plenty of spinoffs, The Walking Dead has produced countless characters that have proven to be intimidating, but there are a select few who are more dangerous than the rest. Whether it is down to their combat skills, tenacity, manipulation, or sheer brutality, ten characters stand out as the franchise's most menacing. Some of them have been directly involved in The Walking Dead's goriest deaths, while others are surprisingly ruthless despite their outside demeanor. This has led to these ten characters becoming the most dangerous survivors in The Walking Dead's history.
10 Shane Walsh
Shane's Unhinged Nature Nearly Led To Him Killing The Show's Protagonist
Despite only featuring in the first two seasons, Shane was a survivor ahead of his time, adapting incredibly quickly to the zombie apocalypse. Shane was arguably The Walking Dead's first true villain, largely due to his driven nature to survive by all means necessary. While some central survivors would go on to resemble Shane and his attitude after his death, the former police officer proved throughout his short tenure that he was easily one of the show's most dangerous characters.
Even just a few months into the apocalypse, Shane recognized some people had to be sacrificed. He shot Otis in the leg and left him to be eaten by zombies in order to escape with supplies for the group. He also killed Randall to ensure he didn't threaten the group, emphasizing how ruthless Shane could be. Although Shane's Walking Dead death came as early as season 2, he made a lasting impact by nearly killing Rick while becoming increasingly unhinged, suggesting he could have been the franchise's most menacing character if he survived longer.
9 Maggie Rhee
Maggie's Determination & Leadership Skills Makes Her A Quietly Dangerous Character
Although Maggie started as a fairly innocent character, she grew into a strong leader, who isn't afraid of making hard choices. Maggie became the Hilltop's leader after proving to be fair and trustworthy, but she has also had her share of morally questionable moments. After the death of her husband, Maggie was determined to get revenge on Negan, and while she ultimately never got it, she was willing to defy Rick and go against her own group in her pursuit of justice.
Given Maggie is one of The Walking Dead's longest-surviving characters, it is no surprise she has a more savage side, showcasing what it takes to survive in the new world. After giving the Hilltop's leader, Gregory, several chances to reform, Maggie executed him in front of the community. She also shot dead several unarmed members of the villainous Reapers group, proving that despite being one of the show's heroes, she is determined to get justice at all costs, making her a deceivingly dangerous survivor.
8 Beta
Beta's Lack Of Empathy Made Him A Terrifying Threat
The Walking Dead has had all different kinds of villains, but Beta is easily the least empathetic. He was second in command to Alpha in the Whisperers, who proved to be one of the most unique villain groups in the entire franchise. While Alpha was dangerous and merciless in her own right, Beta was even worse. Beta's sole purpose seemed to be devoting himself to Alpha, meaning that anyone who posed a threat to her and the Whisperers' goals became a target.
He even killed members of the Whisperers as a warning for other members to fall in line. After Alpha's death, he grew even more out of control and looked to get revenge on the show's main characters. Although Beta didn't have the same kill count as other Walking Dead characters, he was a huge physical presence who proved to be incredibly durable. His combat skills, unhinged nature, and single-minded goal make Beta one of the franchise's biggest-ever threats and a truly terrifying villain.
7 Daryl Dixon
Daryl Is One Of The Walking Dead's Most Capable Fighters
Daryl may have started as a fairly toxic character with a bad temper, but he quickly became a fan favorite with plenty of admirable traits. Surprisingly, Daryl is one of the more composed characters in the franchise these days, but his expert survival skills still make him incredibly dangerous. Despite Daryl being repeatedly captured in The Walking Dead, he always found a way to escape and survive, leading to the character appearing in more episodes of the show than anyone else.
His spinoff revealed that he had once again developed a slightly darker side as he tortured one of his enemies and killed another after using him for information. Alongside this, Daryl has been a great hand-to-hand combatant, an expert with a crossbow, and has survived numerous near-death scenarios. He may not be as blinded by rage and revenge compared to some of the show's other characters, but he is still a capable killer who can cause serious problems for those who cross him and will go to extreme lengths to protect his loved ones.
6 Morgan Jones
Morgan's Vengeful Side Makes Him Completely Unpredictable
Morgan's Walking Dead journey has been full of ups and downs, and while the character may be in a more peaceful phase, he has proven to be incredibly menacing during certain character arcs. His personality has altered multiple times throughout the show, and while at some points he has been a peaceful pacifist, on other occasions he has been a cold-blooded killer. Morgan's moral dilemmas have defined his character, but during his darkest moments, there are very few characters more dangerous than him.
His time off-screen makes it unclear how many people he has killed, but he has over 30 on-screen kills in the main series alone. This includes choking people to death, shooting them without remorse, and stabbing them with his bo staff. After Fear The Walking Dead, Morgan seems to have found some balance in his life, but if he happens to suffer another traumatic event in the future, there is no denying he could become a terrifying survivor once again who rivals any of The Walking Dead's most dangerous characters.
5 Michonne Hawthorne
Michonne Has Proven She Isn't Afraid Of Danger
After The Ones Who Live's ending, it is clear there are few more tenacious survivors than Michonne. Her mysterious introduction and dark past suggested she could be one of the coldest characters in The Walking Dead. However, as the series progressed, Michonne displayed her more humorous and softer side, while still maintaining her badass demeanor. Her katana skills revealed that she was an impressive fighter, but Michonne's unwavering loyalty is what makes her truly dangerous.
Her recent spinoff showed that she was willing to give up years of her life to reunite with Rick and bring him home. In the process, she helped take down the franchise's most intimidating villains, showing there is almost nothing that can stop her. Michonne's history suggests that those who oppose her friends and family will likely end up dead, as there is seemingly nothing that will get in her way when it comes to fighting for her loved ones.
4 Carol Peletier
Carol Has A Surprisingly Ruthless Side
When The Walking Dead first started, Carol had a relatively timid and passive personality, but by the time the finale rolled around, she was one of the franchise's most savage survivors. The apocalypse arguably changed Carol more than anyone as she became more independent and confident, but with this came an incredibly dangerous side. Not only was she key to saving the rest of the group from Terminus, but she also made some extremely tough decisions during her time on the show.
After two survivors got sick during season 4, Carol made the ruthless decision to kill them and burn their bodies to try and stop the infection from being spread. She even killed 12-year-old Lizzie after it became clear she wasn't cut out for the apocalyptic world, showing that Carol is willing to make cold decisions for what she feels is the greater good. Alongside this, Carol has often shown little mercy when it comes to her enemies, proving that her warm exterior doesn't reflect just how brutal she can be.
3 Negan
Negan Is Arguably The Most Powerful Leader The Walking Dead Has Ever Seen
Negan's iconic debut is still one of The Walking Dead's most shocking moments and proves how deadly he can be. Having the show's main survivors at his mercy and beating two of them to death with his baseball bat showcased straight away how dangerous he was. While Negan has matured and developed more of a conscience, he is still more than capable of holding his own and causing serious issues for his enemies.
Despite his complicated relationship with Alpha, he still chose to kill her due to the threat she posed to the main group. In his spinoff, Dead City, he also made a performance out of killing someone in New York to intimidate those pursuing him. He may have tried to turn a new leaf in the later seasons, but given he led one of The Walking Dead's scariest factions and was responsible for some of the show's most gruesome deaths, there is no denying how menacing Negan can be when challenged.
2 The Governor
The Governor's Merciless Nature Highlighted How Dangerous He Was
Shane may have been the franchise's first real villain, but The Governor quickly replaced him and was so much worse. Like Negan, The Governor led a thriving community, but he was all too willing to sacrifice his own people. On the surface, Woodbury seemed peaceful, but it had some dark secrets like the fight pit, where residents fought in a pit with chained zombies for the crowd's entertainment. Once things started to fall apart in Woodbury, The Governor even massacred his own people, highlighting his twisted nature.
His sinister personality is one thing, but he also had the qualities to back up being one of The Walking Dead's most dangerous characters. He kidnapped several of the show's central characters, manipulated multiple Woodbury residents into becoming loyal soldiers, and even used a tank to destroy the main group's home. All of this led to the execution of Hershel Greene in front of his daughters, emphasizing how heartless he was and if he had survived past season 4, there is no doubt he may have become the franchise's most intimidating survivor.
1 Rick Grimes
Rick Grimes Is The Most Dangerous Survivor In The Walking Dead Universe
Despite Rick Grimes being the heart and soul of The Walking Dead, he is also the franchise's most dangerous character. While some protagonists are often the underdogs of their stories, Rick Grimes doesn't lack the ability to take down his enemies in gruesome ways. His charismatic leadership skills have inspired his fellow survivors to fight against the odds time and time again, and this trait alone makes him a problem. However, his commitment to his loved ones has made him do some of the most disturbing things the franchise has ever seen.
Like many other characters, Rick has shown little mercy when it comes to killing certain enemies, confidently shooting them without a second thought. However, some of his individual kills have been incredibly brutal. He struck Gareth in the head with a machete, ran over a defenseless cop with a car, and even bit Joe's throat, ripping out his jugular, indicating how far Rick would go when pushed. He has also defeated some of The Walking Dead's greatest villains like The Governor, Negan, and the CRM, proving there is no survivor more dangerous than Rick Grimes.
