I'm So Glad The Walking Dead Is Keeping Daryl Dixon's Awesome Crossbow Replacement

Daryl Dixon’s signature weapon in The Walking Dead has always been his trusty crossbow, but the trailer for The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol confirms that he’s officially replaced it. The trailer shows that the second season of Daryl’s spin-off will reunite him with Carol as she recruits a pilot to fly her across the Atlantic Ocean to find him in France. Daryl has settled into his new French lifestyle, but he’s eager to return to the United States.

The first season of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon followed a Lone Wolf and Cub-esque storyline as Daryl is tasked with taking the messianic Laurent under his wing. It was a relatively standalone entry in The Walking Dead franchise, telling its own story. But the second season, dubbed The Book of Carol, will connect more to the larger universe as it brings one of the flagship series’ most iconic duos back together. The Book of Carol will premiere on AMC on September 29, 2024.

Daryl Still Has The Flail As A Signature Weapon In Daryl Dixon Season 2

Daryl's crossbow replacement is here to stay

Ever since he debuted in The Walking Dead season 1, Daryl’s signature weapon has been his crossbow. He’s used it to kill countless walkers (and, in some cases, living, breathing humans). The crossbow is just as intrinsically tied to the Daryl iconography as his leather jacket or his motorcycle. But in the first season of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, Daryl swapped out his crossbow for a different medieval weapon: a flail. The trailer for The Book of Carol confirms that the flail is here to stay as Daryl’s crossbow replacement.

The flail is ideal for close-quarters hand-to-hand combat with walkers. The way to kill a walker is to destroy its brain, and there’s no quicker way to destroy a walker’s brain than by swinging a metal ball into the side of its head. It’s probably even more ideal for Daryl than the crossbow. The crossbow requires ammo, which is hard to come by in the post-apocalyptic wasteland, whereas the flail is just a blunt instrument of death.

The Crossbow Is Still Part Of Daryl's Arsenal In The Walking Dead

Carol is seen carrying Daryl's famous crossbow

Daryl’s crossbow isn’t gone for good. Carol is seen wielding his famous crossbow in the trailer for The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol, suggesting that she’ll eventually reunite him with the bow. Alternatively, Daryl might be happy with his flail and turn down his returned crossbow. Maybe Carol will get the hang of using the crossbow and keep it for herself. Either way, audiences will still see plenty of crossbow bolts flying into walkers’ heads when Daryl’s spin-off returns.