When a TV show or movie has source material to work from, it is often easy to just follow it to a tee as the story is already laid out. But, going off the beaten path can sometimes prove to be the correct choice to make for a more compelling show. This was the case for The Walking Dead as it was already a popular comic book series before it ever graced our TV screens in 2010.
Although it did stick to the comics for its basic structure, many characters were changed and some were even created specifically for the TV show. This is good news for anyone that has seen the show and wants to read the comics as you won’t just be reading a comic book version of the show, and vice versa. Here are the biggest differences between The Walking Dead TV show and the comics.
Daryl Dixon Doesn’t Exist In The Walking Dead Comic Books
Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) is one of the most popular characters in The Walking Dead TV show, becoming second in command alongside Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln). His popularity makes it more surprising that he doesn’t even exist in the comics. The character of Daryl was created exclusively for the TV show and he doesn’t have a character in the comics that could be compared to him. When Norman Reedus saw the script for the pilot episode he was so impressed that he asked to read for any role available and was given a chance to read for Merle Dixon (Michael Rooker), which confused him as Michael Rooker had already been given the part. After impressing the producers they created Daryl Dixon just so Reedus could be included in the show.
Carol Helps Fill The Void Andrea’s Death Creates In the TV Show
Ever since she first appeared in the third episode of The Walking Dead, Carol (Melissa McBride) has been a mainstay and often seen as the mother of the group, and she’s not afraid to be a badass when the time calls for it. This is a stark contrast to her comic counterpart who commits suicide by Walker while in the prison. Andrea’s (Laurie Holden) character in the comic is closer to the Carol that we see on screen. There are also more notable differences in The Walking Dead comics and TV show, including Andrea becoming Rick’s wife instead of Michonne (Danai Gurira), who also takes on the role of badass mother in the show. Unfortunately, Andrea dies when Beta (Ryan Hurst) unleashes a horde of Walkers that head to Alexandria, at least Carol didn’t get killed off in The Walking Dead and there’s still room for her return one day in a spin-off.
The TV Show Did Not Recreate Rosita’s Brutal Death From The Comics
One of the most shocking scenes in The Walking Dead was the pike deaths, which saw the Whisperers decapitate the heads of many of the survivors and put them on spikes as they reanimate for the rest of the survivors to see. The most tragic of these was Henry (Macsen Lintz/Matt Lintz), a young boy who Carol and Ezekiel (Khary Payton) had adopted and were raising as their own son, as he had just begun to establish himself as a main character in the show. 9 other characters were killed too including Enid (Katelyn Nacon) and Tara (Alanna Masterson).
When it comes to the comics it is an even more tragic scene. One of the deaths was Ezekiel, which removed a key character from the group as he was the leader of The Kingdom. But, the most tragic was the death of Rosita (Christian Serratos), who had her head cut off and placed on a spike while she was pregnant. Thankfully in the TV show, she escaped this fate and was able to become a mother until she meets her demise in the finale of The Walking Dead TV show.
Negan Became a Hermit in The Walking Dead Comic Books
When Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) first appeared on screen and in the comics he was the menacing and ruthless leader of the Saviors who had no problem taking a life with his barbed wire-wrapped baseball he named Lucille. After the fall of the Saviors, he became a different man and eventually became a good guy, although many within the community were understandably weary of having Negan live alongside them. By the time the TV show ended, Negan had a new wife called Annie (Medina Senghore) and had integrated himself into the Commonwealth, and he is also set to star in a new spin-off show alongside Maggie (Lauren Cohan). However, in the comics, he never becomes part of the Commonwealth and instead lives alone outside of the community as a hermit, a very sad end to such a polarizing figure.
Rick Grimes Was Killed In The Comics
The Walking Dead centered around Rick Grimes and his story from the very first episode. This made for quite a shock when he went missing following the destruction of a bridge that swept him down the river. After 9 seasons, Rick was gone from The Walking Dead but he did reappear in the finale which indicated he was still alive and to help set up a spin-off show featuring Rick and Michonne.
When it comes to The Walking Dead comics, things played out a little differently. Rick survived all the way until the penultimate issue of the comic before being killed by Sabastian Milton (Teo Rapp-Olsson), the son of Pamela Milton (Laila Robins) who is the leader of the Commonwealth. It does feel like a rather lackluster way for the main character of the series to die, but it did then allow for the final entry on this list to take place.
The Old Man Carl Theory Was Correct
For many years it was theorized by fans that The Walking Dead would end with Carl Grimes (Chandler Riggs) as an old man telling the stories of the apocalypse to his children. It turned out that this theory was correct, or Robert Kirkman thought it was a good idea and used it. Although Carl dies in season 8 of The Walking Dead TV show, he survives until the end of the comics.
In the final issue of The Walking Dead comic, it flash-forwards 25 years after Rick’s death and Carl is remembering his father. During the issue, he kills a loose Walker that was meant to be used as part of a circus act and is summoned to court to pay for his crimes as it is now a criminal offense to kill a Walker as it is seen as property. Although some of these details in the final issue of the comic book series are a bit odd, having Carl survive would have been the better option for The Walking Dead TV show.
