The Walking Dead: 25 Most Powerful Characters, Ranked By Fighting Ability

King Ezekiel was a ruler, and a lover, more than he was a fighter. He was first seen leading his own community with a pet tiger by his side. He also helped build his community a worthwhile army of fighters, proving that Ezekiel might rather lead than fight, but he could fight when needed. He proved himself over the show as well, as he killed dozens of Saviors and even took the fight to the Commonwealth soldiers. There are several of the best fighters on The Walking Dead who are stronger than him, but Ezekiel lived to the end, and he didn't do it sitting on his throne.

21Carl Grimes

Chandler Riggs

Carl Grimes was a child when he first appeared in season 1 of The Walking Dead, but by the time he died in the season 8 episode "Honor", he'd proved himself as one of its most dangerous fighters. Carl Grimes was a polarizing figure as for most of his tenure on The Walking Dead, fans online seemed to hate him. He often made the worst decisions and put his dad, Rick, and the other survivors in danger more times than he helped them.

However, as he got older - and especially after he lost his eye - Carl began to grow up, and became a much better fighter along the way. He even impressed Negan with his courage. By the time Carl died, fans had come over to his side, and the complaints about his death were almost as loud as those about his prior mistakes. He developed into one of the strongest Walking Dead characters before his death and could hold his own against almost anyone.

20Tyreese

Played By Chad Coleman

Introduced in season 3 and dead by the end of season 5, Chad Coleman's Tyreese wasn't present in for long compared to many other characters, but he still remains known as one of the best fighters ever to appear on The Walking Dead. Not many wanted to tangle with Tyreese when he was alive, and it's easy to see why. Not only was Tyreese very large and physically capable, but he was also a natural fighter who wasn't afraid to jump into harms way.

Despite his imposing appearance, Tyreese was a gentle person at heart, and he never lost sight of the value of holding human life as sacred. When the time came to fight, however, Tyreese was a bull in the middle of a charge, and those who got in his way either lived to regret it or died too fast to notice. One thing that holds him back is that his comic book counterpart was one of the strongest survivors of them all, but the Tyreese in AMC's on-screen adaptation was a little too passive to be higher placed on the best fighters in The Walking Dead.

19Glenn Rhee

Played By Steven Yuen

While he may be known more for his skills as a scout and explorer, and his tragic and brutal death at the hands of Negan, Glenn is still one of the strongest fighters in The Walking Dead too. Glenn was a major fan favorite due to his fun personality and loving nature, and he proved to be one of the moral linchpins of the series for a long time. He was the everyday guy who would rather be enjoying life instead of fighting for it, and often helped Rick and the other survivors avoid decisions that would compromise their humanity.

However, as the series moved forward, Glenn became a capable fighter who never lost touch with the good man inside. Before the apocalypse, Glenn was a pizza delivery boy just starting out on the steps of adulthood, and that meant little-to-no combat experience. However, with time, patience, and training, he became a decent strategist and a formidable combatant, lacking only in physical strength.

18Carol

Played By Melissa McBride

What Carol lacks in size and strength, she makes up for with conviction and dedication. Of the entire group, she's perhaps the only one willing to go to any lengths to protect those she cares about. Unfortunately, that has forced her to pursue a lot of painful decisions which have taken a toll on her gentle mind. As a result, Carol has lost much of her empathy or at least buried it deep down. This allows her to focus herself in combat, only feeling the effects after the bullets have stopped flying.

However, Carol's intellect is also a key reason she's one of the best fighters in The Walking Dead She's also good at misdirecting her opponents during a fight and capitalizing on her own stereotypes in order to fool them. Carol proved over time that she would do anything to stop evil people and protect the survivors. She murdered countless people with explosives and guns, and she even drove one child to death by pushing him too far with her threats. She might not be one of the physically strongest Walking Dead characters, but due to her willpower and determination she is someone no one wants to cross in a fight.

17Sasha Williams

Played By Sonequa Martin-Green

Sasha Williams started off her time on The Walking Dead traveling with her brother Tyreese and boyfriend Bob. Of the three, Sasha seemed the most likely to fight when the need comes. Her brother Tyreese was more passive and Bob was about worthless in a fight. With that said, Sasha proved to be a formidable warrior, and she showed that with her company, dating Abraham at one point and even earning Negan's respect.

Sasha proved was able to fight as well as her formidable brother Tyreese, and while she wasn't as strong as others, she never gave up. Sasha even took her own life to give her a better chance to kill Negan when she turned. Not counting numerous walkers, Sasha took several lives in The Walking Dead including a group of Saviors and multiple members of the Governor's militia.

16Shane Walsh

Played By Jon Bernthal

It's little surprise that Shane was one of the best fighters in The Walking Dead given his pre-apocalypse career as a police officer. Much like RIck, Shane was already used to violence and danger long before zombies became an ever-present danger - and while the end of the world psychologically broke him, it wasn't in a way that made him lose his dangerous edge.

Although Shane Walsh was only in The Walking Dead for a few seasons, he quickly established himself as a powerful fighter. He was Rick's best friend, and fellow sheriff's deputy before the apocalypse, and quickly understood that he needed to be ruthless to protect Lori and Carl from both walkers and humans alike. Not only was Shane highly proficient with guns, but he was also a capable hand-to-hand combatant. His unhinged personality and aggressive nature amplified his natural strength, and that made him more unpredictable as the story drove forward.

15Jerry

Played By Cooper Andrews

Jerry began his tenure in The Walking Dead as the loyal protector of the Kingdom's King, Ezekiel. Viewers may have been quick to write him off as a happy-go-lucky side character, but Cooper Andrews slowly ingratiated himself in fans' hearts, appearing on the series all the way through its finale. However, Jerry isn't just a fan-favorite because of his personality. Much like Ezekiel, Jerry is one of the most dangerous fighters on The Walking Dead, and arguably a key reason Ezekiel's Kingdom flourished in its earliest days.

Though Jerry is typically a friendly and jolly individual, one certainly doesn't want to meet the business end of his battleaxe. Ezekiel's loyal right-hand man possessed far more physical strength than many of the show's other characters, even proving able to split a man in half when necessary. As the top fighter in the Kingdom's army, he was easily one of the strongest Walking Dead characters​​​​​​.

14Elijah

Played By Okea Eme-Akwari

Elijah arrived alongside Maggie when she returned to the series after an extended hiatus following The Walking Dead season 9. While he only appeared in The Walking Dead seasons 10 and 11, Elijah made his mark on the show, especially when it came to fighting ability. As one of the few survivors of Maggie's latest community, Elijah is intensely loyal to his leader, who views him as family.

While he may not have an abundance of fight scenes given his relatively low appearance count compared to many other TWD characters fans consider to be among the most dangerous, Elijah is shown to be incredibly skilled with his pair of Japanese kama. Equipped with his twin scythes and his particularly imposing mask, Elijah is easily one of the most formidable fighters in the entire series, one of the strongest Walking Dead characters to be introduced late in the show's run.

13Aaron

Played By Ross Marquand

Aaron started out as a gentle natured man, but over the years since he first appeared in The Walking Dead season 5, he racked up a series of chips on his shoulder that have permanently changed his character. Surviving right through until the TWD finale in season 11, Aaron evolved to become one of the best fighters in the show - and his injury is a key reason why.

The originally mild-mannered character's arc came to an apex when he lost his hand, which forced Aaron to replace it with a mechanical tool that could be used in battle. Since then, Aaron became a very dangerous fighter. His jaded personality has granted him the ability to dispatch enemies without any remorse or pity, and that pays off in a life-or-death encounter. He's a changed man since his debut on the show thanks to losing his lover, but that has only made him one of the strongest Walking Dead characters.

12Rosita Espinosa

Played By Christian Serratos

Although Rosita didn't always get a large percentage of screen time despite being in the show from TWD season 4 through to season 11, it was always clear that she was a capable fighter. Starting out as part of Abraham's group, both he and Rosita took it upon themselves to protect Eugene from threats both great and small. Abraham trusted her to take care of herself and to help complete his mission of delivering Eugene to Washington, D.C.

Later when she became part of Rick's group, she put her fighting skills on the front line against a variety of threats, including Negan's Saviors. She made it to the finale, and while she didn't survive, she proved her worth as one of the strongest Walking Dead characters. Rosita was responsible for multiple deaths in TWD, including dozens of walkers as well as several Commonwealth soldiers, socres of Saviors, and at least one Whisperer.

11Maggie Rhee

Played By Lauren Cohan

Maggie Rhee was a mainstay of The Walking Dead since its second season, becoming a fan-favorite over the course of the following decade. Her romance with Glenn Rhee proved to be one of the show's biggest draws in its early seasons and her storyline after her husband's tragic death has been both emotional and empowering. By the time The Walking Dead concluded, Maggie was inarguably one of the strongest characters, and had killed multiple dangerous adversaries (as well as, tragically, Lori Grimes).

Maggie may not have the physical strength that certain other survivors have, but she can certainly hold her own in a fight. Her sheer determination not to give in lends her an advantage against her opponents, who typically don't fare as well as her. Maggie proved on Walking Dead: Dead City that she became one of the strongest Walking Dead characters, rivaling even the likes of Negan.

10Merle Dixon

Played By Michael Rooker

Just as Shane and Rick were already dangerous and competent fighters thanks to being cops before the zombie apocalypse, Merle Dixon was prepared for life after the end of the world thanks to being a career criminal. Merle Dixon was Daryl's older brother, who found himself on the opposite side of Rick's war with the Governor.

Despite his problematic nature, Merle was a fan-favorite during his time on the series, in part due to his relationship with Daryl, as well as Michael Rooker's charming performance. With a signature prosthetic forearm that consisted of a small blade instead of a hand, Merle was quite formidable in battle. He could easily dispatch any walkers that got too close and even took out plenty of humans along the way as well. His final fight with the Governor was brutal and violent, but Merle was broken down by then, less of a man than he once was.

9Negan

Played By Jeffrey Dean Morgan

Negan wasn't a particularly violent man before the apocalypse broke out, but the trauma of losing his beloved wife after the apocalypse was in full swing was too much. He quickly learned that the world was full of nefarious humans far more dangerous than the undead, and he toughened himself up for what came next. Intimidation tactics are Negan's strongest card, but he's no slouch in a fight, either. Against the undead, he's a wrecking ball, but he's also a capable combatant against the living. Even without his trusty baseball bat Lucille, Negan can best some powerful fighters in hand-to-hand combat, making him a constant threat.

However, Negan is someone who spent so much time having other people fight for him that he lost a step over time. He fell to Rick Grimes in a fight, but Rick allowed him to live. Since that battle, Negan slowly built himself back up and showed how deadly he was when he killed Alpha, although that was a sneak attack. Negan was often evil though he's seen in a better light in Dead City, where he has proven to be as deadly as ever and is once again one of the strongest Walking Dead characters.

8Rick Grimes

Played By Andrew Lincoln

Rick Grimes was a sheriff's deputy who had enough training to survive the apocalypse more than most. However, he was held back by his good nature and adherence to ethics early on, which nearly cost him, and his group their lives. It would take a while before he learned how to strike a proper balance. Though not as physically strong, or well-trained as some others in the Walking Dead universe, Rick was undoubtedly one of the most brutal.

When push came to shove, there was no line he would not cross, and that made him extremely unpredictable in a fight. In one noteworthy episode, Rick gruesomely kills a human by biting his throat out during one of The Walking Dead's most violent battles. While Rick seemed beaten down in The Walking Dead finale, he has never been down for long and proved over the years that he can win any fair fight, and the same was true when he returned for the spinoff The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live.

7Abraham Ford

Played By Michael Cudlitz

Alongside Glenn, Abraham was one of Rick's survivors killed by Negan when the group first crossed paths with the iconic villain. However, despite being killed off around the midway mark of The Walking Dead's run, he remains remembereda s one of the strongest characters in the show. Abraham always favored brute force over tactical fighting techniques, especially when compared to other characters, but it always seemed to work for him.

Abraham was always an imposing presence, whether he was facing humans or walkers, and his strong military mind and training helped him immensely during the apocalypse. His hot temper had its pros and cons, fueling him to go all out in a fight. There were few who could step into the ring with Abraham and expect to walk out victorious, much less with their teeth intact. His only real disadvantage was his large size, which hampered his agility.

6Beta

Played By Ryan Hurst

Every member of the Whisperers is dangerous in their own right, but it's only the muscle-bound giant that is Beta who ranks among the best fighters in The Walking Dead. He may have been the second fiddle to Alpha in The Walking Dead, but Beta represented the brutal hulking force of a man who had nothing to lose, and no connections to hold him back.

As the primary enforcer inside the Whisperers, Beta's job was to carry out Alpha's orders and ensure ultimate loyalty to the ideology they shared. In combat, Beta was always one of the strongest Walking Dead characters. He could shred multiple opponents at a time with a unique combination of incredible strength and combat techniques. Hand-to-hand, Beta was extremely dangerous and could shrug off painful injuries long enough to either strangle or beat his opponents to death.