Summary
- The Walking Dead proves that the true danger in an apocalypse lies with the living, as other humans are often more brutal and sadistic than the mindless walkers.
- The Walkers, or zombies, maintain a threatening presence throughout the show and have caused the deaths of many beloved characters.
- The show features various groups of villains, such as The Claimers, The Wolves, The Scavengers, and The Reapers, each presenting unique threats to the main characters.
Despite AMC's The Walking Dead primarily being a zombie show, the undead are surprisingly not the only threat that the living face. Through its long tenure of 11 successful seasons, The Walking Dead proves that the true danger in an apocalypse lies with the Living. Other humans proved to be more brutal, sadistic, and calculating than any mindless walker.
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Villains are often designed to be hated and to make the main characters appear lawful and righteous. However, audiences can still admire their characters, and some of the big bads in the series ended up with cult followings, like Negan. The TV show features many antagonists whom Rick and his group of Survivors must face off against, but here are some of the best villains in The Walking Dead AMC series.
Updated December 28, 2024, by C.M Edwards: The Walking Dead is one of the most successful franchises in the world, crossing over between comic books, television, and even video games. Dominating television with over fifteen years worth of content, including spin-off series, the zombie-killing survivor series has reshaped media for years to come. The Walking Dead has had a spectacular run, having recently completed its main series run and birthing an entire universe of spin-off shows to explore the worldwide effects of the zombie apocalypse. Throughout the many stories put out, there have been constant threats to plague the remaining living beings in the world, both living and dead. Threats come in all shapes and sizes in The Walking Dead, some even come from within the ranks of Rick's most trusted friends. The villainy within the Walking Dead universe shows just how far humanity can fall when society falls with it. With The Walking Dead continuing, the list of villains only grows. Here are some of the best villains in The Walking Dead.
This article contains spoilers for The Walking Dead.
22 Lizzie
Ruled By Her Trauma
- Actress: Brighton Shabrino
- Notable Episodes: Season 4, Episode 14, "The Grove"
In a world where the dead walk among the living and the lines between good and evil blur, it's extremely hard to navigate the morals of the way the world works when, at a moment's notice, the only choices are to kill or be killed.
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The world of The Walking Dead can be extremely difficult for children who have to grow up in the world. Lizzie, who first appeared in the first episode of season four, was a tragic result of the effects that daily killing and carnage can have on a child. With her mind unable to reconcile with the new laws of nature and society, she leads the survivors in the prison into more danger and even goes as far as to kill her own sister to prove that the Walkers are still people.
21 Merle
A Rebel Without A Cause
- Actor: Michael Rooker
- Notable Episodes: Season 1, Episode 2, "Guts", Season 3, Episode 3 "Walk With Me Talk With Me", Season 3, Episode 15 "A Sorrowful Life"
Merle is perhaps the most influential villain in the early days of The Walking Dead. Starting off as a pistol-packing addict with racial issues, to a one-handed menace and, yes, man to the Governor. Merle was always a hard person to be around, even in a zombie apocalypse.
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However, being Daryl's brother earned him a lot of breathing room even after kidnapping Glenn and Maggie. Presented with multiple chances to make the right decision, Merles always pulled toward the opposite direction of anything up until his death in season 3 of The Walking Dead when he turned on the Governor and faced him one-on-one.
20 Tomas
A Dangerous Rule Breaker
- Actor: Nick Gomez
- Notable Episodes: Season 3, Episode 1 "Seed", Season 3, Episode 2 "Sick"
When Rick took hold of the survivors from Herchel's farm, they finally found salvation when they discovered an infested prison. Clearing each cell block one by one, Rick and his allies came across a small group of prisoners protected by the walls that used to house them. Among the group was Tomas, a quick-tempered convict unable to shed his past in the light of the new world that now existed outside the prison. Instally he and Rick clashed as both were top dogs in their own right.
While Tomas' presence was brief in the series, it wasn't before he tried to feed Rick to a crowd of walkers he was helping them clear out. The sinister intent of Thomas could be felt by Rick, Dryl, and even some of his own cellmates, making him a threat that needed to be dealt with immediately.
19 Beta
Ruthless Zealot Who Preferred The Dead Over The Living
- Actor: Ryan Hurst
- Notable Episodes: Season 9, Episode 12 "Guardians', Season 9, Episode 17 "Lockdown"
The whispers were more than just a massive threat as a group. The individualism in the mob could make for truly sinister possibilities when they lead the dead to do their bidding. No other member of the Whispers gave off as much hate as Beta, the secondhand man of Alpha.
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The towering giant could command the dead masterfully and lead an entire army to completely demolish anything in his path. But aside from his numbers, Beta was a force to be reckoned with on his own, having the fighting skill and the strength of someone who cut down dozens of foes in the apocalypse.
18 Mitch Dolgen
Willing To Go To Extremes To Save His Own Skin
- Actor: Kirk Acevedo
- Notable Episodes: Season 4, Episode 7: "Dead Weight," Season 4, Episode 8: "Too Far Gone"
Mitch only appeared in two episodes of the Governor's arc in The Walking Dead, and yet, he stands out as one of the major villains in the show. Though he might have been overshadowed by the Governor, Mitch Dolgen still demonstrated immense greed and callousness in episodes 7 and 8.
He barely grieves his own brother's untimely death and is willing to rob and kill any other Survivors he comes up against just so he can be sure of his own survival. Thankfully, Mitch met his end at the hands of Daryl before he could do even more harm to people just trying to survive.
17 Ed Peletier
An Abusive Father And Husband With No Saving Graces
- Actor: Adam Minarovich
- Notable Episodes: Season 1, Episode 3: "Tell it to the Frogs," Season 1, Episode 4: "Vatos"
Though his stint in The Walking Dead was relatively short, Ed still set himself out as a majorly hated character through his actions. Masterfully portrayed by Adam Minarovich, Ed spends the short amount of screen time he has as a point of friction within the group, constantly harassing and berating his wife and even acting as a menace toward their daughter. Though never explicitly stated or shown, it is even implied he had a predatory relationship with Sophia, which only solidifies his status as one of the worst characters in the show.
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However, Ed soon gets his comeuppance in Vatos, as a group of Walkers infiltrate his tent and devour him, turning him into one of them. For a character as grotesque as he, it sure is a fitting send-off.
16 Pete Anderson
His Kind Demeanor Hides His True Nature
- Actor: Corey Brill
- Notable Episodes: Season 5, Episode 14: "Spend," Season 5, Episode 15: "Try"
Ed isn't the only abusive family man in The Walking Dead, with Pete filling that role in Season 5. Despite acting as the surgeon of Alexandria, his bedside manners certainly need some work as he is prone to drinking and violence.
Though his abuse of his wife Jessie soon comes to light, and he receives his just desserts from a vengeful Rick, he acts friendly and polite at first, which only makes him a more devious villain.
15 The Walkers
The Most Common Threat In The Show
- Key Characters: Sophia, Shane, Hershel, Sasha
- Actors: Madison Lintz, Jon Bernthal, Scott Wilson, Sonequa Martin-Green
- Notable Episodes: Season 6, Episode 1: "First Time Again," Season 6, Episode 9: "No Way Out," Season 11, Episode 23: "Family"
No list of The Walking Dead's many villains would be complete without mentioning the most consistent antagonists of the whole show: the Walkers. Although they can be slow-moving, they have maintained a threatening presence from the first season, especially when grouped up in herds.
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Walkers have gathered a significant kill count throughout the seasons, causing some of the goriest deaths, like Noah being torn apart in front of Glenn. Many of the show's best characters have died at the jaws of a zombie or succumbed to the later infection it spreads like Carl being bitten while helping Siddiq. The final season proves that the undead are still a deadly threat.
14 The Claimers
Take Whatever They Want By Any Means Necessary
- Key Characters: Dan, Billy, Harley, Tony, Joe, Len
- Actors: Keith Brooks, Eric Mendenhall, JD Evermore, Davi Jay, Jeff Kober, Marcus Hester
- Notable Episodes: Season 4, Episode 15: "Us," Season 4, Episode 16: "A"
This notorious motorcycle gang is encountered by Daryl in Season 4 after the group becomes separated following the Governor's attack on the Prison. The group has a strange set of rules: if someone wants something for themselves, they have to yell "claimed." Although the Claimers aren't in the show for very long, they reach a level of depravity and senseless violence that is rarely seen in The Walking Dead.
In the episode titled "A," Rick, Michonne, and Carl are captured by the Claimers while Daryl is beaten up. One of the Claimers was threatening Carl with an assault that was extremely uncomfortable for audiences to watch. This led to Rick committing one of the most violent acts in the show by ripping out his jugular with his teeth, causing blood to splatter across his face and jacket.
13 The Wolves
Relish In Carnage
- Key Characters: Owen, Edward
- Actors: Benedict Samuel, Jesse C Boyd
- Notable Episodes: Season 6, Episode 4: "Here's Not Here," Season 6, Episode 8: "Start to Finish," Season 6, Episode 9: "No Way Out"
Mysterious, primal, and desperate to create an army of the walking dead, The Wolves are an antagonistic group introduced in Season 5 of the show, characterized by a W carved into their foreheads. They relished in the violence of the new world order the zombie apocalypse had created. They used zombies to craft booby traps for anyone unfortunate enough to cross their path.
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Season 6 saw The Wolves make their move against the Alexandria Safe-Zone, attacking it while Rick and other members of the Survivors were away at the Quarry. They crashed a truckload of zombies into the town, causing havoc among its residents. Morgan had a stark dichotomy with the leader of the Wolves, convinced they could be amicable without bloodshed. Although the Wolves' leader turned over a new leaf before he died, his group's senseless lust for violence caused the deaths of many unnamed Alexandrian citizens.