The Walking Dead: 5 Characters That Don’t Exist In The Comics (& 5 That Don’t In The Show)

While popular AMC series The Walking Dead is based on the comic series of the same name by Robert Kirkman, there are a number of characters that only exist in only one of the two mediums. This is understandable since adaptations tend to differ from the source material all the time.

The characters that only appear in the comics were mostly left out due to decisions in the writing room. But for the characters that only appear in the show, some were created on the go to make the storyline better or to fit specific actors. Here are characters that appear either solely in the comics or the TV show.

10 Not In The Comics: Mary

Adam’s aunt and Frances’ sister Mary, AKA “Gamma,” was written for the TV series. After proving herself to Alpha, she was made third-in-command. She later ditched the Whisperers and joined the Coalition after finding out about Alpha’s betrayal.

The comic character that must have inspired her is Whisperer 6, who became the leader of the Whisperers after Alpha and Beta passed away. But that comic character never switched sides.

9 Not In The Show: Julie And Chris

First appearing in Issue 7, Julie was Tyreese’s daughter while Chris was her reserved boyfriend. The lovebirds came up with the conclusion that a world of zombies was too much for them so they made a suicide pact.

They pointed guns at each other but Chris fired before Julie could, so she died first. Tyreese came in and as he held her lifeless body, she turned into a zombie and tried to bite him. Chris was thus forced to shoot her again. An angry Tyreese then strangled Chris to death.

8 Not In The Comics: Daryl

Daryl has been one of the key characters in The Walking Dead universe for a long time. First appearing in Season 1’s thirteenth episode titled “Tell It to the Frogs,” he has survived everything to become the longest living character. But not only did the character not appear in the comics, he also wasn’t meant to appear in the series.

When Norman Reedus auditioned for the role of Merle Dixon, the producers liked his performance so much that they decided to create a different character just for him. Ass a result, Daryl Dixon was born.

7 Not In The Show: Scavenger Derek

In the comics, Derek is a leader of a group known as the Scavengers that lives in a junkyard. Members of the group often raids survivors and take whatever they want.

Derek was first introduced in Issue 75 and was later killed by Andrea after he tried to force his way into Alexandria. However, in the show, the Scavengers are led by a woman named Jadis. Also, in the comics, Derek was the only Scavenger with a name, while in the show, all Scavengers have names.

6 Not In The Comics: Sasha

While Tyreese had a daughter in the comics, his only family member in the show was his sister Sasha. She was a former firefighter who was shown to be suffering from PTSD. She was also known for her marksmanship and strong morals.

Just like Daryl, Sasha wasn’t planned for the AMC series. But after actress Sonequa Martin-Green gave a brilliant performance while auditioning for the role of Michonne, the producers decided to create the character of Sasha just for her. She would go on to appear from Season 3 to Season 10.

5 Not In The Show: Hershel’s Twins

Hershel has two daughters on the show, but in the comics there are four. The other two are the twin daughters Rachel and Susie. After the initial outbreak, the two get decapitated in a barbershop by an inmate named Thomas Richards.

However, after the decapitations, they turn into zombies and begin causing havoc. They are eventually shot dead by Glenn. The twins first appeared in issue 10 and were last seen in issue 16.

4 Not In The Comics: Deanna

For Deanna, it was a case of the producers deciding a character would be better off as female. Deanna was inspired by the comic character Douglas Monroe, who was the leader of Alexandria.

Douglas had a wife called Regina and a son named Spencer. In the AMC series, Deanna was introduced as a former congresswoman who ended up being in charge of Alexandria. Her husband was called Reg, which is a tweak to Regina in the comics. Deanna was also more fierce and courageous than Douglas. And she never killed a living person.

3 Not In The Show: Sheriff Kapoor

Kapoor is the sheriff of the Commonwealth in the Post-Apocalypse. He is first introduced in Issue 193. He is of Indian-American heritage. He also has a son named Aditya who is the same age as Andrea.

Sheriff Kapoor was first seen in the comics when he went to Carl’s house to summon him to a hearing the next day. This was because Carl had killed one of Hershel’s walkers. Carl tried to protest, but Kapoor didn’t want to hear it.

2 Not In The Comics: Merle Dixon

Merle was the first original main character in the series to die. He was killed by The Governor after choosing not to hand Michonne over to him.

Just like his brother Daryl, he was not in The Walking Dead comics. During the 2014 Walker Stalker Con in Chicago, Director Gregory Nicotero stated that Merle’s death was also not planned. The idea only came up in the final minutes before shooting for the Season 3 episode “This Sorrowful Life” began.

1 Not In The Show: Anthony Keith

First appearing in Issue 183, Anthony Keith was a resident of the Commonwealth. He was the first person to die since the Commonwealth community was established.

After learning that his wife was having an affair, he asked around for information about the man she was sleeping with. He found out it was one of the officers so he attacked him. Unfortunately, Jerome showed up with other officers and brutally beat Anthony up. He later succumbed to his injuries.

About The Author

Philip Etemesi
(1212 Articles Published)

Philip Etemesi is an author, journalist, screenwriter and film critic based in Nairobi. Kenya. As a child, he preferred watching movies like The Goodfellas instead of Home Alone. His girlfriend constantly has to pull him from the front of the TV but he just keeps returning. Stubborn dude! An animal lover, Philip also has a pet giraffe called Refu.

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