Unpopular Walking Dead character deaths that wrecked us

Throughout its eleven-season run, AMC's The Walking Dead features numerous brutal and emotional deaths. The most devastating were those of fan favorite characters that viewers weren't prepared to lose. Among these deaths were several of unpopular characters, but the circumstances of their deaths evoked strong emotions in fans.

The series is set in an undead apocalypse so death is expected. And losing your favorite character will set you back emotionally, sometimes forever. But what is truly unexpected is experiencing the same emotional overload for a character you can't stand.

Below are some of the disliked characters whose deaths wreaked fans of The Walking Dead.

Lori Grimes, portrayed by Sarah Wayne Callies, was one of the least favorite characters in the series. She pitted her husband, Rick (Andrew Lincoln), and his best friend, Shane (Jon Bernthal), against each other, never took care of her son, Carl (Chandler Riggs), and caused all sorts of other issues among the group. Despite how you felt about Lori, one thing is certain: her death caused an overload of emotions.

In episode 304, "Killer Within," Lori dies giving birth to Judith in a horrific death witnessed by her son. When Lori goes into labor, during a skirmish at the prison, Maggie (Lauren Cohan) readies her for birth. When Lori begins to hemorrhage, Maggie knows the only way to save the baby is via c-section, a procedure that will most assuredly kill the mother. This is heartbreaking news, but the real emotions come when Lori says her goodbyes to Carl telling him “You’re the best thing I ever did.” Cue the water works. Then to add to the emotion of the scene, Carl is the one who puts his mother down after his sister is safely brought into the world.

Merle Dixon, brother of Daryl (Norman Reedus), was portrayed by Michael Rooker. The racist, sexist, redneck didn't have a lot of love from the fans or the people in Rick's group. He committed numerous awful acts that couldn't be forgiven.

During episode 315, "This Sorrowful Life," Merle attempted to redeem himself by allowing Michonne (Danai Gurira) to go free instead of giving her to the Governor (David Morrissey), who wanted to torture and/or kill her. Merle waited for the leader of Woodbury with plans to kill him, but the Governor got the upper hand and shot Merle in the chest, allowing him to reanimate. His death, after he tried to the right thing made fans emotional, but the true emotion came when Daryl found his brother, now reanimated, and had to put him down.

Dale Horvath was portrayed by veteran actor Jeffrey DeMunn in seasons 1 and 2 of the series. Often considered a busybody, Dale wasn't a favorite of many viewers. Dale was a man who held onto his humanity despite the state of the world.

During the eleventh episode of season 2, "Judge, Jury, and Executioner," Dale is attacked by a walker that Carl had earlier encountered but told no one. Dale walks alone, contemplating the situation with Randall (Michael Zegen), a captive of the group, when he hears cow moaning in the field. As he inspects the gutted cow a walker comes upon him and rips open his abdomen. The other hear his screams, with Daryl the first arrive. They all look on in horror, knowing there is no saving the man. Rick tries to put him down but can't, so Daryl looks at Dale and says "Sorry, brother," before firing his weapon.

Andrea Harrison, portrayed by Laurie Holden, was the older sister to Amy (Emma Bell) and the girls were saved by Dale soon after the outbreak. Andrea was a courageous woman who was far too meddlesome to actually be helpful. She was quite the marksman but showed poor judgement when she entered into a relationship with the Governor.

In the season 3 finale, "Welcome to the Tombs," Andrea is captured by her former lover and placed in his torture chamber. He orders his man, Milton (Dallas Roberts) to kill her, but when he refuses, the Governor stabs him several times, tell him now he will turn and tear the flesh from Andrea's bones. She is able to break her bonds but by that time Milton has turned, a fight breaks out, and then silence. Michonne discovers her dear friend who was bitten by Milton's walker. The two woman experienced a lot during their time together and it is quite an emotional moment. Andrea volunteers to end things herself telling Rick "I know how the safety works," a throw back to the pilot episode when they first met. They walk out, leaving Andrea alone, and hear the gunshot.