For years, one of the most famous aspects of The Walking Dead was the brotherly friendship between main characters, Rick Grimes and Daryl Dixon. The relationship between the leading men was one of the most popular and loved ones on the entire show.
This all ended, however, when Rick was "killed off" in The Walking Dead early on in the series' ninth season. Rick's departure changed the show forever, and notably, ended the craze for his close friendship with Daryl. However, was Rick and Daryl's brotherly bond really as perfect as many fans remember it? This dynamic was actually riddled with several flaws that made it quite imperfect and in some cases, problematic.
Rick Made Daryl Choose Between His Brother And The Group
Though Rick's legacy on the show is remembered by other characters as a selfless, heroic one, the former sheriff's deputy has done his share of exceedingly selfish things. Regarding his relationship with his right-hand man, Daryl, Rick's selfishness has affected their dynamic several times.
Notably, in season 3, when Daryl and Merle reunited, Rick would not allow Merle to come back to the prison with them. Though there were good reasons behind this decision, making Daryl choose between the group and his own brother was pretty low, and a better plan could have been worked out.
Daryl Was The Second Choice
From the beginning of The Walking Dead, Shane and Rick's relationship was established as the main brotherly bond on the show. Though a rift was introduced between them early on, it was always portrayed that the sheriff and sheriff's deputy saw each other as equals.
The same can't be said for Rick and Daryl's dynamic - at least not in the beginning. The whole group looked down on the Dixon brothers at first, and it was only when Shane started to unravel that Rick moved on to Daryl.
The "Ricktatorship" And Daryl's Role As A Henchman
Season 2 episode 13 is one of the most well known Walking Dead episodes, mainly for the fact that it marked the birth of the infamous "Ricktatorship". The end of season 2, following Shane's death, saw Rick on the decline as his leadership was called into question by the other survivors.
Rick did not handle this well, and what's disappointing is that Daryl went along with the "Ricktatorship", and thus, became Rick's henchman.
Daryl's Recklessness
Daryl's character has evolved nicely from the beginning of the show, but as the seasons dragged on, some rather unflattering changes to his personality were made. The regression quietly began in season 4, and only got worse with time. Daryl's fall from grace hit its peak when he accidentally caused Glenn's death due to impulsiveness.
When Daryl's behavior began to get out of control, it started to feel as though his dynamics with his friends revolved around them making sure he didn't make any more stupid moves.
Rick's Manipulation
Rick was as manipulative as Daryl was reckless. Though he had his noble moments as a leader and friends, Rick often influenced Daryl by way of manipulation. This makes for an undeniably toxic dynamic and was the root of several of the friends' issues.
There was definitely a power imbalance when it came to Rick and Daryl's relationship as "business" partners, and Rick's manipulation, combined with Daryl's immaturity, played a big role in that.
In The End, They Weren't Good For Each Other
Before Rick's exit from the show in season 9, his relationship with Daryl and their problems were finally addressed in season 8 episode 5, "The Big Scary U." Their difference of opinion on what to do with the Saviours came to a head in an infamous fight scene.
Though the friends make up shortly after this argument, nothing is really fixed between them, and though they don't exactly grow apart, their differences get more prominent, causing them to butt heads often.
Rick Banished Carol
Season 4 introduced a new dynamic among the survivors; one that involved Rick stepping down from his role as the leader, and letting the prison Council (Sasha, Hershel, Carol, Daryl, and Glenn) make the majority of the important decisions.
However, Rick disregarded this when he took it upon himself to banish Carol from the group in episode 4, "Indifference", after discovering that she killed the infamous Karen and David. In season 4's midseason finale, "Too Far Gone", Rick finally tells Daryl what he did to Carol, which of course made Daryl rightfully mad. Not only were Rick's actions extremely selfish and disrespectful toward Carol, they were disrespectful toward Daryl as well since he knew how close the two were.
Their Relationship Dynamic Was Similar to That of Daryl and Merle's
While Rick Grimes was no Merle Dixon, there's no denying the fact that there were indeed a few similarities between the two. In the season 3 episode, "This Sorrowful Life", Rick and Merle have a memorable chat in which Merle tells him, "you're as cold as ice, Officer Friendly".
This sentiment echoes true several times in the series, and the conversation between Rick and Merle is notable when considering Rick and Daryl's relationship, and the fact that maybe, Rick and Merle weren't that different after all.
Rick's Insistence on Forgiving Negan After What He Did To Daryl
Characters on The Walking Dead tend to swing to extremes when it comes to their moral compasses. During his time on the show, Rick famously went through the dilemma of "to kill, or not to kill" countless times.
In making the decision to spare Negan's life in the season 8 finale, Rick insulted several other survivors. Not only did this action belittle the fates of Glenn, Abraham, Sasha, and all the other victims Negan had killed, but letting Negan live after he mercilessly tortured Daryl was a big slap in the face.
Daryl Was Too Dependent On Rick
It's important to note that after Rick's "death", Daryl's character changed for the better. And at the same time, it's significant that Daryl disappeared into the woods for six years after losing Rick. These two facts support the same conclusion; Daryl's dependency on Rick was unhealthy.
Daryl looked to Rick as a brother - an older brother, someone he aimed to please - so when Rick disappeared, Daryl was left in a similar state as he was when Merle died. As the series progressed after Rick's exit, it has allowed Daryl to grow and develop in a way he probably wouldn't have if Rick was still around.