Many of the characters introduced to us in season one of The Walking Dead are no longer alive. Some main characters were not able to survive, and only five characters from the first season are still with us, that includes Rick, Carl, Carol, Daryl, and Glenn. These five have been huge assets to the group and have grown in many ways.
Carol – When we were first introduced to Carol, she was a quiet and weak character. She had an abusive husband who did not allow her to express herself. She also had a daughter she very much cared for. But when she lost both of them after two seasons, Carol changed completely. She finally came out of her shell and became her own person. She grew into the physically and mentally tough, caring person we know today. She has become the type that puts the group’s interests first. A good example of that was when she killed Karen to prevent her illness from spreading to the rest of the group.
Carl – When the apocalypse took place, Carl was just a young child. However, his character is one that has developed so much in seasons past. Carl started out as a whiny, annoying young kid, but he has since transformed into a strong, young leader who’s an excellent shot. In season two, he saved his father from zombie Shane by shooting Shane in the head. In season three, he killed his own mother after she gave birth to a child. He also helped Tyreese’s group with zombies at the tombs when they first entered the prison. In season 4, he protected a weak and beaten Rick after the group was split from the aftermath of The Governor’s attack. Carl has certainly become an important part of the group and has helped his father push through the apocalypse. He does still have his bratty moments, but that’s only because he is still a young, teenage kid.
Glenn – A former pizza boy, Glenn has always been Rick’s “go-to-town expert,” but he has been much more than that of late. He is the one who saved Rick’s life in the early episodes of season one, but he used to be a bit afraid of walkers early on. After his relationship with Maggie, he became more of a man. In season 3, when Rick was going through a crisis and detaching himself from the group, Glenn stepped in as a vocal leader. He and Maggie also singlehandedly scared The Governor’s militia out of the prison. He has become an intelligently potent leader and fighter. From an anemic pizza boy to a resilient, brave man, Glenn has come a long way.
Daryl – The outrageous redneck that Daryl once was does not exist anymore. He used to be a stubborn, out of control person, but, in season 2, he proved to be an important asset to the group as he took a ton of interest in finding Carol’s lost daughter, Sophia. He has since turned into a caring and loving member of the group. He is a courageous warrior and Rick’s right hand man. Daryl has earned Rick’s respect so much over the years that he thinks of Daryl as a brother. Daryl is the group’s best trooper as he took out three members of The Governor’s group and a tank all by himself during season four’s midseason finale. Without him, the group would be significantly weaker on the combat front. He is an irreplaceable character and has turned into a huge fan favorite.
Rick – The group’s leader for most of the series has been through so much. As the leader, Rick has had plenty of responsibilities, and his character has been through the ups and downs. In season 1, when he finally reunited with his family and former partner, Shane, Rick shared leadership responsibilities with Shane. However, that did not go too well as Shane slowly started to question Rick’s decision-making, and his love interest for Lori forced Rick to murder him, his own best friend. Afterward, Rick enforced “Ricktatorship” over the group. He led them into the prison where he lost his wife, something that really hurt him emotionally. While hurting over the loss of his wife, Rick had to deal with The Governor, an evil man who was eager to terminate Rick’s group. In season 4, Rick gave up the Ricktatorship and became a farmer, one who refused to take part in battles. For the most part of season 4, Rick was soft and weak. He did not enhance the group with his leadership qualities anymore, thus leading to the destruction of the prison. However, in the final episode of season 4, Rick exploded when he had an encounter with Joe’s crew, a group of five lunatic men who were trying to kill Rick, Michonne, Daryl, and Carl. He bit Joe’s neck and tore out his jugular vein and stabbed another member of Joe’s group to death. Suddenly, the leadership qualities that we once saw from Rick were spilling out. He led Daryl, Carl, and Michonne to Terminus and quickly figured out that the people there were malicious, and now Rick will have to lead the group past Gareth and his untrustworthy crew in Terminus. Will he succeed? Stay tuned.
These five characters have come a long way and have been through their ups and downs. We will see if they will continue to survive through the horrors of the apocalypse, including the new threat of Gareth’s troops. Will they survive? That question will be answered in a couple of days when The Walking Dead returns with an all new season.