Honestly, Daryl Dixon shouldn't even be here. He wasn't in the comics. When Norman Reedus showed up to audition for the role of Merle and didn't get it, the writers basically invented a brother just to keep him around. Thank god they did. Without him, The Walking Dead would’ve lost its soul somewhere around season four.
He started as a surly, racist-adjacent hothead with a necklace of squirrel ears. By the time he was riding through the French countryside in his own spinoff, he’d become the moral compass of an entire franchise. If you’re looking for The Walking Dead: Best of Daryl, you aren’t just looking for cool crossbow kills—though those are plenty. You're looking for the moments where a guy who was raised to be "white trash" decided to become a hero instead.
The Cherokee Rose and the End of the Loner
Season two was slow. We all remember the endless days on Hershel’s farm. But for Daryl, it was the forge. While everyone else was arguing in the house, he was out in the woods, nearly dying, just to find a little girl he barely knew.
When he brings Carol that Cherokee Rose, everything changes. It’s the first time we see the "pookie" beneath the grime. He tells her the story of the flower blooming for the mothers of the Trail of Tears. It’s quiet. It’s tender. It’s completely at odds with the guy who tried to fight Rick with a handful of squirrels in season one. This wasn't just a nice gesture; it was Daryl Dixon choosing a family over his own blood.
Daryl vs. Beta: A Battle of the Titans
Fast forward a few years. Daryl is no longer the backup; he’s the heavy hitter. The fight against Beta in the abandoned office building is easily one of the most brutal sequences in the entire series.
Beta is a literal giant. Daryl is... not.
Instead of trying to outmuscle a guy who wears a dead man’s face, Daryl uses the environment. He hides in the walls. He uses his speed. Eventually, he pushes Beta down an elevator shaft. It didn't kill the big guy (Beta had serious "horror movie villain" durability), but it proved that Daryl was the smartest fighter in the room. He doesn't just swing a knife; he hunts.
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That Time He Used an RPG on the Saviors
Look, sometimes you just need to see something blow up.
In season six, Daryl, Abraham, and Sasha are cornered by a group of Saviors on motorcycles. The lead Savior is doing that classic "villain monologue" thing, threatening to kill one of them. Daryl just disappears for a second. He comes back with a rocket launcher and turns the entire biker gang into pink mist.
It was a "holy crap" moment for fans. It also signaled a shift in the show’s power scale. The Saviors weren't just another group of bandits; they were a war, and Daryl was bringing the heavy artillery.
The Heartbreak of Merle’s Transformation
You can't talk about The Walking Dead: Best of Daryl without talking about "This Sorrowful Life."
Finding Merle as a walker is arguably Norman Reedus’s best acting in the whole eleven-season run. He doesn't say a word. He just breaks. Seeing this hardened survivalist sob while he has to put down the only person who shared his DNA... it's heavy. He stabs Merle over and over, not just to kill the walker, but because he's venting a lifetime of abuse and complicated love.
That was the moment Daryl truly became his own man. The ghost of his brother was finally gone, even if the scar remained.
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The Evolution of the Weaponry
Most people think of the Horton Scout HD 125 or the Stryker Solution when they think of Daryl. But his real "best" weapon is his adaptability.
- The Morning Star: Remember when he used a mace in the later seasons?
- The Dual Knives: He became a whirlwind of blades during the Whisperer War.
- The Chain: He once took out three walkers at once by swinging a rusty chain like a whip.
The crossbow is iconic, sure. But Daryl is a brawler at heart. He uses whatever is within arm's reach—a gurney in a hospital, a piece of wood, or even his own motorcycle to create a distraction.
Defiance in "The Cell"
Negan tried to break him. He really did. He put him in a dark hole, fed him dog food sandwiches, and blasted "Easy Street" on a loop. Anyone else would have said, "I'm Negan," just to make the music stop.
Daryl didn't.
When Negan asks him "Who are you?" and Daryl just whispers "Daryl," it’s the ultimate middle finger. It showed that his identity wasn't something a guy with a baseball bat could take away. He’d spent too long finding himself to give it up for a warm bed and a clean shirt.
Taking the Lead in the Spinoff
When the main show ended, some people wondered if Daryl could carry a series on his own. The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon answered that pretty quickly. Seeing him navigate France—a place where he doesn't speak the language and doesn't know the rules—brings back that season one "stranger in a strange land" vibe.
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The best part? He’s still the guy who looks out for kids. His bond with Laurent mirrors his old protection of Sophia and Judith. It’s a full-circle moment. He’s no longer the guy who needs to be saved; he’s the guy who does the saving.
What You Should Do Next
If you want to relive these moments without sitting through 177 episodes, check out the Best of Daryl collection on AMC+. It’s a curated set of episodes that tracks his growth from the woods of Georgia to the streets of Paris.
Also, keep an eye on his combat style in the later seasons. Notice how he stops fighting like a frantic animal and starts moving with the calculation of a soldier. It's a subtle bit of character work that makes those "beast mode" moments hit way harder.
Don't just watch for the kills. Watch for the silence. That's where the real Daryl Dixon lives.
Check out the latest season of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon - The Book of Carol to see how his most important relationship finally pays off in the new world. It's the most "human" the franchise has felt in years.