Spoilers for The Walking Dead series!In The Walking Dead, main protagonist Rick Grimes has been through the wringer in his attempts at surviving and thriving in a world full of the undead, with series creator Robert Kirkman attributing Rick's changing appearance to the iconic Star Wars hero, Luke Skywalker!
Lasting for well over a decade into the zombie apocalypse before getting turned into a member of the undead horde, Rick Grimes has always had a visual look that not only acted as a way to show time passing in-universe but also for another, far more interesting Star Wars-related reason too.
From looking clean-cut and presentable to long-haired and bushy-bearded to shaved-headed and facial hair-trimmed depending on the story arc in question, Rick’s appearance has mimicked the flow of Luke Skywalker’s journey as a decades-old character both visually and symbolically, a fact that Kirkman wanted to make sure he abided by when creating his zombie epic.
Rick Grimes Takes After Luke Skywalker's Always Changing Appearance
Slipping in a reference to Luke in the “Letter Hacks” page of The Walking Dead Deluxe #61, by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, and Dave McCaig, Kirkman brings this Jedi Master to readers’ attention after being asked a question about Rick’s “old man” appearance seen deep into The Walking Dead's almost two hundred issues. Posed the question, “Why did you decide to have a shaved old man Rick?” Kirkman responds by saying, “Different visual looks are important to a character. Think of all the various Luke Skywalkers you can picture off the top of your head. It’s important to have each era have a visual representation,” succinctly telling fans how Luke informed Rick’s ever-changing design!
Taking after the different versions of Luke Skywalker that marked his progression from a fresh-faced moisture farmer on the desert planet of Tatooine to a budding Force user with daddy issues to an older, bearded Jedi Master with more than a few pupils under his care, each era of Luke’s life marked a different look for this iconic hero that Rick’s own journey from humble policeman to successful community leader matches up with well. Noted by Kirkman as being an integral element for any story, the evolution of a fictional character as a person is one thing for a writer to figure out, but when effectively coupled with the appropriate changes made to their visual designs, all the struggles, victories, sacrifices, and growth of said character can be reinforced even more so, hammering home the real lives these made up characters have lived in more ways than one.
So while Rick and Luke will unfortunately never get another change in their visual appearance again after their untimely deaths in their respective franchises, knowing that Robert Kirkman purposely gave Rick differing designs just like how Luke did is a fun fact for fans of both series to know about. Rick Grimes and Luke Skywalker might not have much in common outside their leadership roles and shared love of a good haircut (or lack thereof), but with dozens of issues of The Walking Dead Deluxe still left to release, there’s always more unexpected trivia to learn about!