Daryl Dixon (The Walking Dead)
Daryl Dixon is a fictional character from the horror drama television series The Walking Dead, which airs on AMC in the United States and is based on the comic book series of the same name. The character, which does not appear in the original comic books, was created for the television series by writers Frank Darabont, Charles H. Eglee and Jack LoGiudice specifically for Norman Reedus; they liked his audition for Merle Dixon so much that they created an additional character for him. The character was introduced in the first season as a southern, expert tracker who constantly lives in the shadow of his older brother, Merle. Despite his ill temper and volatility, he is tolerated by the core group of survivors due to his skills in hunting animals, and fearless efficiency in killing walkers.
After Merle's disappearance, Daryl begins to shed his aloof personality and starts to bond with the group, particularly Carol Peletier after her daughter's disappearance, and Beth Greene after the two are split off together in season 4. The character eventually becomes the cooperative right-hand man and protector of protagonist Rick Grimes and leads several supply runs. He is one of the longest-surviving characters of the television series, and one of the characters that does not have a counterpart in the comics. His origin is explored in the 2013 video game, The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct.
