5 Characters in The Walking Dead That Somehow Survived

Characters in The Walking Dead have led one discussion or debate after another for over a decade. There’s no denying that the show deviated wildly from the comics at some point. Many fans hated this, while others simply let it go without comment. The general idea is that a movie or TV show won’t follow its source material one hundred percent. 

This show didn’t deviate so much as to become a different entity, but it did differ in a few ways. Some individuals didn’t die in the comics who were killed off early in the show. Then some survived that should have died. 

Many people feel that certain characters shouldn’t have made it to the end. In all honesty, it does feel as though certain deaths would have made the show a little better. The Walking Dead was a favored show during the first few seasons. But after certain deaths did or didn’t occur, fans started to take notice. 

It sounds petty to let the success of a show rest on who lives and who dies. But this is how fans tend to think sometimes. 

Here are five characters from The Walking Dead that somehow survived. 

5. Lydia

There’s a reason for putting Lydia at the end of this list since many fans like her. But as one of the Whisperers, it feels that only her age and potential saved her. No one in this show ever wantonly killed children. That might have taken things too far.

Granted, some children were killed, as Carol’s daughter Sophia is a good example. But Lydia’s case was a bit different. She was a part of the Whisperer clan but was also uncertain of her path. 

It does feel that Lydia was ready to give up at some points, but others were adamant about saving her. 

4. Eugene

At one time, Eugene was one of the characters that many felt should have died. He was brought into the story as a fake and a phony and nearly incurred Abraham’s wrath several times. Claiming to have a cure for the zombie virus was a grand and foolish proclamation. 

Somehow though, Eugene eventually became useful over time, which is likely what saved him. If not for his ability to craft ammunition and figure out how to work a radio, Eugene might not have lasted much longer. There’s luck, and then there’s dumb luck. 

Eugene appears to depend heavily on the latter. 

3. Gabriel

Gabriel is a character who did die in the comics, and sadly it did come after his redemption. He didn’t start as a good character. His deeds were rather heinous, as he initially locked people out of his church. Plus, he did doublecross Rick and his group more than once. 

This character’s redemptive arc felt like a game of Candyland quite often. He would ascend and gain trust only to backslide more than once somehow. At some point, he did end up showing that he was a worthwhile character. But all the same, it does feel as though fans were cheated when he survived. 

It’s good that he survived since Coco needed someone after Rosita died. But still, Gabriel felt like he was living on borrowed time. 

2. Aaron

There isn’t really a good reason to say why Aaron should have died except to say that it would have caused a great deal of turmoil. Now and then, every story needs a tragic death to move forward. Aaron was a great character, there’s no other way to say it. But this could have doomed him at some point. 

The strongest characters in a story are those that will often endure the worst tests. Aaron endured quite a bit throughout his time on the show. Like many others, he lost people he cared about. He lost a hand, and he was often more than a little intense. 

It’s an odd comparison, but Aaron’s death would have been akin to Superman’s. It wouldn’t have been as dramatic, but it would still have a serious impact. 

1. Carol

Carol did die in the comics, and she died early on. The Carol seen in the comics was far weaker than the woman depicted in the show. Many have stated that she and Andrea switched spots, and they’re not wrong. Instead of being the strong and capable individual that Andrea became, Carol initially killed herself by letting a walker chomp on her.