The likes of Rick Grimes and Daryl Dixon have become some of the most popular TV characters in the last decade; however, while The Walking Dead has introduced some iconic characters, it has also totally wasted others. Having debuted in 2010, the zombie show has cycled through a massive cast of characters, with some still being active since their season 1 introduction, while others lasted just a single episode. This has led to The Walking Dead‘s best characters getting their own spinoff shows and maintaining their relevance today, proving how popular some of the franchise’s survivors are.

On the flip side, not every character got the storylines and screen time they deserved, leading to a lot of wasted potential. Some characters were only ever supposed to have minor roles, but several TV portrayals fell short in comparison to their comic book counterparts, while others were simply killed off too soon. This led to plenty of underused Walking Dead characters who could have had much bigger roles if given the opportunity. Unfortunately, the show never got the best out of them, leading to several characters who were totally wasted by AMC’s hit show.

10

Jessie

Jessie Had The Potential To Be More Than A Love Interest For Rick

Jessie was introduced to the show during the Alexandria arc, and while she was killed off in one of The Walking Dead‘s best episodes, she never got the chance to truly shine. After Rick killed her abusive husband, the two seemed to develop some romantic feelings that may have existed even before Pete’s death. This indicated that Jessie could become a major character, but her sudden death alongside her children denied her the chance to become a truly memorable character, and Rick ended up with Michonne instead.

Although she was a likable character who fit the Alexandria arc well, Jessie never got to show any real survival instincts. Her time on the show was relatively short-lived, and she struggled to become more than a love interest for Rick. Had Jessie survived the fall of Alexandria in “No Way Out”, her character could have developed significantly. Seeing how she coped without her family and how this changed her would have been interesting, but the show opted to kill her off instead, which wasted Jessie’s chance to grow as a survivor.

9

Tyreese

Tyreese Had A Much Smaller Role Compared To His Comic Counterpart

While Tyreese was an important and prominent character during his Walking Dead tenure, he failed to live up to his comic book equivalent. Chad Coleman did a great job of portraying the character as he showed Tyreese’s soft and warm side alongside his rare bursts of aggression. He quickly became a dependable survivor who was loyal to the main group and forgiving of his allies, even in the most extreme of circumstances.

Unfortunately, he only lasted two seasons on the show before being killed off in a disappointing fashion. Tyreese was unexpectedly bitten and, despite his arm being amputated, he passed away in one of the show’s most anti-climactic deaths. In comparison, the comic version of Tyreese was much more dangerous and brutal, yet he was still willing to risk his own life time and time again to save his loved ones. He had a much more badass demise in the source material, and was far more memorable, making his TV run very underwhelming.

8

Jesus

Jesus Didn’t Have Many Iconic Moments

Jesus’ role in The Walking Dead franchise was huge as he appears in the show, comics, and even Telltale’s video game series. However, despite being one of the most recognizable characters in The Walking Dead universe, his time on the TV show felt wasted. Although he was still a central character for several seasons, he rarely got his own arcs or solo moments, instead playing a more supporting role for the main protagonists. Jesus proved to be level-headed and provided some comedic moments at times, but this fizzled out quickly.

Despite his potential to be one of the show’s best characters, Jesus failed to play an overly critical role until his exit. His shock death served as an impressive reveal for the Whisperers and the threat they posed, but this cemented Jesus’ place as an underutilized character. Tom Payne even sympathized with disappointed Walking Dead fans over his time on the show, highlighting that even Jesus’ actor understood more could have been done with the character. Sadly, Jesus’ debut and departure were his biggest highlights as the show struggled to get the best out of him.

7

Dante

Dante Could Have Been A Great Minor Villain

The Walking Dead has had its fair share of great villains, and while Dante had the potential to be a strong antagonist, he never really delivered. Although Dante was responsible for Siddiq’s death, his role as a Whisperer spy could have been so much bigger. His position as a doctor gave him access to plenty of Alexandria’s residents, and while he did murder Siddiq and cause trouble for the community, he wound up being far less problematic than anticipated.

Given he had earned the community’s trust and had expert medical knowledge, Dante could have killed far more people without looking suspicious. His fake personality and relatively innocent exterior should have made him a truly cunning antagonist who could have become one of The Walking Dead‘s best villains. Instead, Dante was outed immediately after the death of Siddiq and was subsequently killed, ending the Whisperer spy story and preventing Dante from becoming a truly menacing threat.

6

Siddiq

Carl’s Death Suggested Siddiq Would Become A Major Character

Siddiq’s introduction came at the expense of Carl’s life, indicating that the character would have a massive role in the franchise. Carl was willing to take a chance on Siddiq, who was a complete stranger, and ultimately wound up being bitten trying to help him. This naturally put a bit of a spotlight on the new addition, and while Siddiq did have relatively solid storylines during his time on the show, he didn’t last nearly long enough to get the best out of his character.

He had a child with Rosita, was forced to watch his allies get murdered by the Whisperers, and ultimately helped expose Dante through his death, all of which proved to be interesting moments for the character. His own personal demons – including the guilt over Carl’s death – also suggested he may become one of the TV show’s most entertaining characters before he was killed. Unfortunately, he only got two seasons to develop, and while his brief tenure was pretty strong, he was written out too quickly, wasting all the potential the show had created.

5

Andrea

Andrea’s Role Didn’t Live Up To Her Comic Book Equivalent

Considering Andrea was one of the most important characters in The Walking Dead comics, her short stay on the show really wasted the character. Andrea’s role in AMC’s series is one of the biggest changes from The Walking Dead TV show and comics as she had a massively different story and reception. While she became Rick’s main love interest in the comics and one of the source material’s main survivors, she wound up being more of a secondary character in the show who didn’t connect with audiences.

Andrea’s decision-making and overall attitude damaged her popularity among fans, and while Laurie Holden did a solid job with the material she was given, her character never looked like becoming a fan favorite. After squandering a great opportunity to kill The Governor, Andrea was instead killed by a zombie in Woodbury as part of one of the antagonist’s sick plans. Although she had a somewhat valiant death, the TV series failed to make Andrea as memorable of a character as she was in the comics which made her involvement in the show an overall disappointment.

4

Noah

Noah Was Introduced & Killed Off In The Same Season

When Noah was introduced during the hospital arc, he looked as though he could become one of the show’s most popular characters, but sadly, Tyler James Williams’ character was killed in the very same season he was introduced. Noah has a selfless and endearing personality, with the character even willing to stay behind in the hospital to allow Beth her freedom. Despite joining the main group of survivors, their survival instincts didn’t rub off on Noah as he suffered one of The Walking Dead‘s most brutal deaths.

While the character at least got a memorable send-off as he was devoured by walkers right in front of Glenn, the show definitely dropped the ball with the character. The Walking Dead had built the character up to be empathetic and relatable yet pulled the trigger in killing him off at seemingly the first opportunity. The show cycled through many great characters during season 5, making Noah’s revolving door death all the more ironic given he was one of several great characters killed too soon, denying him the chance to become a major survivor.

3

Dale

Dale’s Sudden Departure Denied Him A Solid Storyline

Dale was part of the original group of survivors in The Walking Dead, and while many would have expected him to last much longer, he was killed off as early as season 2. His departure was mainly out of the show’s hands as Jeffrey DeMunn requested to leave after showrunner Frank Darabont was fired, but the show still failed to utilize him. Dale had a relatively impactful role in the comics, but in the show, he was relegated to being a moral and wise survivor who wasn’t afraid to call out the likes of Shane.

Had The Walking Dead managed to negotiate with DeMunn, it is possible Dale could have become as popular as Hershel, who seemed to fill this role, but this ultimately never materialized. Instead, Dale was killed less than 20 episodes into the series and had an underwhelming exit. There is no doubt Dale had the right personality and characteristics to become a legendary Walking Dead survivor, but the show never gave him a huge spotlight, and DeMunn’s exit was the nail in the coffin for his character.

2

Heath

Heath’s Mysterious Disappearance Is The Most Memorable Part Of His Walking Dead Tenure

The disappearance of Heath is still one of The Walking Dead’s biggest unsolved mysteries. After being introduced in the season 6 premiere, it seemed like Heath would grow into one of the show’s most prominent characters, but having appeared in just a handful of episodes, he was written out and never seen again. Heath’s return was teased in The Walking Dead spinoff shows as Angela Kang linked his disappearance to the CRM, but with The Ones Who Live and World Beyond wrapped up, it seems like his Walking Dead run is over.

Considering the character survived the comic book story, his lack of involvement in the TV show is a massive shock. Given Corey Hawkins was an in-demand actor during his time on the show, it felt like Heath would be a special character capable of having a huge role, but this never materialized. This led to him being mostly forgettable, having very few memorable moments outside his mysterious departure, which made him one of The Walking Dead‘s most wasted characters.

1

Beth

Beth Was A Fan Favorite Who Deserved To Last Much Longer

Beth was one of the most adored characters on The Walking Dead during her run, and despite having a better arc than anyone else on this list, the show still failed to do her justice. Her sweet and kind personality made her stand out in such a violent show and being paired with Daryl for a large part of season 4 was the perfect contrast. Daryl was already loved by fans, and his friendship with Beth was a change of pace for both characters that made each of them even more admirable.

While the hospital arc is divisive for many fans, it provided Beth with the most character development she’d seen in her entire Walking Dead journey, making her swift death more shocking. After finally being rescued from the hospital, she was killed after standing up to Dawn, throwing away her season 5 development. This arc seemed like it would transform Beth’s character and make her more intriguing, yet she was shot before getting a chance to truly flourish, making it one of The Walking Dead‘s biggest missed opportunities which cemented Beth’s status as the show’s most wasted character.