Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Walking DeadThe Walking Dead has become one of the most compelling media franchises of the 21st century, spanning over five TV shows and introducing audiences to some of the best characters television has to offer. The premise of the franchise is set in the immediate aftermath of an apocalyptic event, where "walkers" (undead humans) now roam the Earth. Many of The Walking Dead's characters may initially may seem moral, but then descend quickly into darkness, a theme that makes The Walking Dead so compelling.
In The Walking Dead universe, the line between hero and villain is constantly blurred. Characters who are introduced to the audience as friendly, later becoming significant Walking Dead villains, are just ordinary people doing whatever it takes to survive. This thematic narrative is woven throughout the franchise, driving the storyline forward and constantly allowing viewers to second guess the introduction of any new character, keeping them on the edge of their seats at all times.
10 Losang
More Evil Than Meets The Eye
When Losang (Joel de la Fuente) is introduced in the first season of Daryl Dixon, he appears friendly enough. As the leader of the Union of Hope, he is sympathetic to Daryl's (Norman Reedus) cause and believes that Laurent (Louis Puech Scigliuzzi) is the key to humanity's survival. However, in the trailer for Daryl Dixon: The Book of Carol, it is heavily implied that Losang's intentions may be more villainous than meets the eye.
The Nest is already a very mysterious place with a shady hierarchy, but it appears that Losang has more to hide than the average member of this community. In one scene in the trailer in particular, Losang appears to be having a private conversation with other members of the Nest, saying that "we will do everything we can, with caution". Now, this may just be a red herring, but given The Walking Dead's long history of turning heroes into villains, it is more than possible that Losang, and indeed the rest of the Nest, may be set up to be the antagonists of The Book of Carol.
9 Nicholas
Villainous Acts Of Cowardice
One of the most frustrating characters ever introduced by The Walking Dead is Nicholas, played by Michael Traynor. He first appears in season 5 of the show, where he is one of the first people to greet Rick Grimes and his group of survivors at the gates of Alexandria. While he is certainly a real stick in the mud when it comes to accepting Rick's group, he never comes across to the audience as particularly threatening or evil until later in the season.
While he is certainly a real stick in the mud when it comes to accepting Rick's group, he never comes across to the audience as particularly threatening or evil until later in the season.
While out on a scouting mission with Glenn (Steven Yeun), Aiden (Daniel Bonjour), and Noah (Tyler James Williams), an exploding grenade causes Aiden to be impaled on a shelf. Nicholas initially tries to help Aiden with Glenn, but runs off, leaving Aiden for dead. To make matters worse, Nicholas then traps Noah in a revolving glass door, where he is horrifically eaten alive by walkers. The cherry on top is that Nicholas then lies to the Alexandrians about what actually happened. He may not be the most evil character, but his descent to villainy is still hard to watch.
8 Morales
A Sympathetic Villainous Arc
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Morales (Juan Gabriel Pareja) is one of the first characters ever introduced in The Walking Dead. He appears in the first season with the initial group of survivors, and is portrayed as a kindly family man. He chooses not to stay with Rick and the rest of the group following a walker attack on their camp, instead deciding to take his wife and child to Alabama instead.
After this point, Morales is not seen or heard from until The Walking Dead's eighth season. He encounters Rick at an outpost of the Saviors, where he reveals that his family have died, and he has turned to Negan as a result. He calls Rick a monster and calls in more Saviors to try and capture him, but is instantly shot and killed by Daryl's crossbow. Morales is a key example of the impact the apocalypse has on even the most good-hearted people, especially when they lose people close to them.
7 Gareth
Believed That Cannibalism Was Justified
When audiences are first introduced to Gareth (Andrew J. West) at the end of The Walking Dead season 4, he is presented as the calm and collected leader of Terminus. Terminus had been teased as the ultimate sanctuary for most of the season, promising safety, hope, and cooperation for any survivors. However, despite their warm welcome, Gareth, and the rest of the Terminus community had been lying from the start, and they had taken extreme measures to survive.
Gareth's evil demeanor after the big reveal is in stark contrast to the warm figure audiences meet at the end of Season 4, and it comes as a satisfying relief to audiences when Rick eventually makes good on his promise, and kills Gareth with the aforementioned red-handled machete.
It is quickly revealed that Terminus' Gareth is a cannibal in The Walking Dead, and uses the signs to lure in survivors to kill and eat them. His twisted vision of pragmatism has taken him to the very depths of human depravity, embracing cannibalism as a means of survival. Gareth's evil demeanor after the big reveal is in stark contrast to the warm figure audiences meet at the end of season 4, and it comes as a satisfying relief to audiences when Rick eventually makes good on his promise, and kills Gareth with the aforementioned red-handled machete.
6 Dante
A Traitorous Doctor
Dante (Juan Javier Cardenas) is introduced as a member of the Alexandria community during season 10. He is depicted to audiences initially as a friendly doctor, offering his medical expertise to those in need. His skills as a doctor are certainly required when, during the season, many members of the community begin falling sick for no apparent reason.
It is eventually revealed that Dante has been a villain all along, acting as a spy for the Whisperers. He sabotages Alexandria's water supply, causing many people to fall ill, and is eventually confronted about his treachery by Siddiq (Avi Nash). Dante's true villainy is then revealed, as he brutally chokes Walking Dead's Siddiq to death in a harrowing moment of pure violence. This solidifies Dante's villainy in the eyes of the audience, and puts them on edge for the rest of the show, as infiltration is evidently very easy to do in the apocalypse.
5 Lizzie
Sororicide At A Very Young Age
One of the more shocking descents into villainy depicted in The Walking Dead comes from Lizzie (Brighton Sharbino). She is a girl of around middle-school age introduced in the show's fourth season during and after the fall of the prison community. From the outset, she is depicted as being slightly odd, viewing the walkers in a way that is different than the rest of the survivors, and often downright dangerous. Lizzie believes that the walkers are just people, and are not a threat.
While this opinion may be slightly odd, it's not harmful in any way, in fact, it's quite empathetic. However, as the season progresses, she descends slowly into more and more darker thoughts. In the climax of her villainy, she kills her sister, Mika in The Walking Dead season 4, and attempts to kill Rick's baby, Judith, in an effort to prove to Carol and Tyrese that the walkers are no different to humans. It's a truly shocking moment, and leads to Carol having no choice but to shoot Lizzie in the back of the head to protect herself, Judith, and Tyrese.
4 Gregory
A Coward And A Traitor
Gregory (Xander Berkeley), introduced in season 6 of The Walking Dead, is depicted to audiences as the leader of the Hilltop community. While initially he just seems like an arrogant man who doesn't like to have his position of power threatened by the arrival of Rick's group, it soon becomes apparent that Gregory is capable of more villainy than audiences are led to believe. He is a self-serving, power-hungry coward who is willing to do anything to protect his life, even if that means sacrificing some of the people he is meant to protect.
He is a self-serving, power-hungry coward who is willing to do anything to protect his life, even if that means sacrificing some of the people he is meant to protect.
His relationship with Maggie (Lauren Cohan) forms the crux of his cowardice and treachery. After his position as leader of Hilltop is threatened by her, Gregory attempts to hand her over to the Saviors, a deed which is eventually forgiven. However, in Season 9, he attempts to have Maggie killed, a true act of treachery. Maggie then uses Hilltop's newly built gallows to execute Gregory, in a punishment that fits the crime. Gregory died how he lived, attempting to plea for his life by any means necessary.
3 The Governor
From Tragedy To Villainy
When The Walking Dead first introduced The Governor (David Morrissey) in season 3, he appeared to be a truly benevolent leader in a world that had fallen into chaos. The community that he led, Woodbury, seemed to offer sanctuary and order for Michonne and Andrea to enjoy. For a brief moment, very brief, The Governor was a likable, almost charming individual who had worked tirelessly to protect civilization in a world overrun by walkers.
However, the mask soon slipped, revealing The Governor as potentially the most evil villain The Walking Dead franchise has ever seen. His descent into villainy was a result of losing his family to the apocalypse, and he will stop at nothing in his crazed assault on Rick's group at the prison. He murders Hershel and Andrea in cold blood, refuses Rick's offer to live together, and has gone down in history as one of the most iconic villains in TV.
2 Shane Walsh
Rick's Former Partner Became The First Villain
Shane (Jon Bernthal) is one of the earliest characters introduced in The Walking Dead, appearing in the very first episode as Rick's partner before the apocalypse hit. He is a loyal and dedicated friend who, despite sleeping with Rick's wife, keeps his family safe and was responsible for saving Rick's life in the hospital when he was in a coma. However, when Rick returns to the group, his descent into villainy begins, and provides audiences with one of the most compelling arcs of the entire show.
Across the first and second seasons of The Walking Dead, Shane was an ever-present symbol of violence. He constantly urges violence against the walkers and is distrustful of Hershel's pacifism. His villainy reaches a boiling point when he cruelly leaves Otis for dead during a scouting mission for medical supplies, finally revealing his true twisted nature to audiences. By the end of season 2, he attempts to kill Rick, but the latter is too quick for him. It's a surprisingly heartbreaking scene, as Rick kills his former friend, turned enemy.
1 Rick Grimes
TWD's Leading Man Is Also Its Biggest Villain
This may be a controversial pick, but the primary protagonist for the first nine seasons of The Walking Dead, Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), is actually one of The Walking Dead's biggest villains. His journey is marked by a slow, subtle descent into cruelty and paranoia, going from the so-called "Officer Friendly" in season one to a cold-blooded killer by the time he departs the show. Of course, The Walking Dead is primarily from Rick's perspective, but it is impossible to deny that the actions that he takes as he goes deeper into the apocalypse are truly villainous.
Of course, many of the evil things he does are for the sake of his, and his group's survival, such as biting the throat out of the leader of the Claimers, but there are various unjustifiable actions that Rick takes as well.
Of course, many of the evil things he does are for the sake of his, and his group's survival, such as biting the throat out of the leader of the Claimers, but there are various unjustifiable actions that Rick takes as well. In particular, there is a harrowing scene where Rick pleads with his captors to be freed and promises to help them kill walkers. They agree, and are promptly butchered as soon as Rick is free of his chains. Rick is the embodiment of one of the core themes of The Walking Dead, that the apocalypse can dehumanize anyone.
