Throughout The Walking Dead's 14-year television run, there have been countless character deaths across various shows, but despite how many skilled survivors have fallen to the apocalypse, one unlikely candidate is miraculously still alive. The Walking Dead: Daryl has arguably had the best-supporting cast of all the spinoffs, but Ash didn't seem like the type of character who would have much longevity after his introduction. The pilot spent most of the outbreak isolated in his private safe zone before Carol found him, and while he did manage to survive on his own, Ash's death seemed inevitable in Daryl Dixon.
Having been introduced in season 2's premiere, Ash played an important role in the spinoff as he flew Carol from America to Europe. Although he was initially welcoming, the new addition was also cautious and didn't want to be around people after losing his son, but eventually agreed to help Carol, who lied about her daughter being in France. When the truth was eventually revealed, it created animosity between the duo, but Ash still flew Laurent towards the Commonwealth during season 2's finale, with his story ending in the sky, meaning he is still alive against all the odds.
Ash Looked Certain To Die In Daryl Dixon Season 2 (Based On The Walking Dead's Spinoff History)
The Walking Dead Spinoffs Have A Habit Of Killing New Characters
Given how often The Walking Dead spinoffs have killed their new faces, Ash's fate looked sealed the moment he met Carol, making his survival even more impressive. With the protagonists of each show almost guaranteed to survive, the spinoffs have attempted to keep things interesting with frequent supporting character deaths. While this did add higher stakes to each project, The Walking Dead spinoffs have also wasted some characters despite them having huge potential. The Ones Who Live killed practically every meaningful addition, while Dead City only has a handful of new survivors still alive who aren't antagonists.
In contrast, Daryl Dixon season 1 kept most of the supporting cast around, but season 2 was far more ruthless. Sylvie and Isabelle's Walking Dead deaths came as huge surprises, while Anna, Genet, Losang, and Jacinta all met their demise as well, despite being major characters. As a result, it was hard to imagine Ash of all people surviving the brutal conflict in France, especially as he spent most of the season by himself. However, he managed to overcome the franchise's spinoff curse and even had a heroic role in the finale, setting up an important future for the pilot.
Ash Doesn't Even Have Good Survival Skills In The Walking Dead's Post-Outbreak World
Ash's Isolation Means He Has More Limitations Than The Walking Dead's Other Survivors
Ash's lack of survival skills only adds to how baffling it is that he's still alive in The Walking Dead universe. Although he can kill walkers and has the rare skill of knowing how to fly, he isn't the most capable when it comes to the new world. Considering Abraham, Glenn, and Rosita all perished despite having unique survival traits, while the likes of The Governor and Genet were killed even with massive armies behind them, it truly is a miracle that Ash hasn't died. His stronghold was the main thing that kept him alive, but even it had flaws.
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Daryl Dixon Season 2 Ends Happily, But An Overlooked Problem Suggests Laurent & Ash Won't Make It To The Walking Dead's Commonwealth Safely
With Laurent and Ash flying to America in Daryl Dixon season 2, their ending is full of optimism, but their journey could be tougher than expected.
The gates were all electrically operated, meaning a power failure left Ash's home vulnerable like in Daryl Dixon season 2's premiere, and a single lightning strike was capable of causing all sorts of problems. Somehow, this wasn't a major issue before the events of the spinoff, making Ash incredibly lucky. Outside his settlement, Ash isn't the sharpest at dealing with the undead, as he nearly walked straight into a disaster during season 2's finale, with Daryl luckily stopping him. In addition, he was also incapacitated in a car surrounded by zombies, only surviving because of the protagonists.
Still, despite his shortcomings, Ash has undoubtedly been a strong addition to Daryl Dixon season 2's cast, as his pilot skills and selfless personality make him a valuable ally. However, his survival traits are far from the type we're used to seeing in The Walking Dead, making it all the more impressive that he has outlived some of the franchise's most capable characters.
Ash's Survival Is Great For The Walking Dead's Future
The Franchise May Be Putting More Stock In New Characters Going Forward
With The Walking Dead's recent projects continuously discarding its new characters, Ash's survival is a good sign for the future. It's possible he is killed off in season 3 or beyond, but his optimistic ending in Daryl Dixon season 2's finale indicates that Ash could become a part of the larger group alongside Laurent. They'd both add great value to the Commonwealth, and it would be easy for the audience to connect with them considering how difficult their journey has been. Their survival also sets up other projects following suit, making the spinoffs more crucial to the bigger picture.
Ash's Daryl Dixon story is incredibly encouraging for the franchise as a whole, and hopefully, he can continue defying the odds to survive.
If Codron is able to survive season 3, he could also join the main survivors, while Dead City has already teased Ginny joining Hilltop. Perile Armstrong could even become a part of The Walking Dead's central communities, especially as New Babylon looks to have some sinister secrets. Rather than simply featuring these characters for some short-term drama, building them into critical survivors for the future makes more sense, and gives the spinoffs more value. Therefore, Ash's Daryl Dixon story is incredibly encouraging for the franchise as a whole, and hopefully, he can continue defying the odds to survive.
