One of the most-watched cable dramas of the 2020 season, AMC’s The Walking Dead boasts a large ensemble of talented cast members that play an array of beloved and complex characters, many of whom are made by the props and settings around them. Over the course of the past ten years, some of the accouterments the characters carry have practically become characters of their own.
Daryl wouldn’t be the same Daryl Dixon without his crossbow or his motorcycle. Michonne’s sword has a complicated history, and Rick’s gun has stayed in the family despite once being lost. Would Negan have been half as confident or intimidating as a Big Bad without his barbed wire-covered bat? In a dystopian world where weapons and vehicles mean the difference between life and death, props can play almost as vital a role as the characters that use them.
Rick's Gun
Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) is known for a few things - his hat, his badge, and his Colt Python. A .357 Magnum caliber revolver, the Colt Python is sometimes also known as a "Combat Magnum". Rick's signature weapon, it is more specific to the television show than to the comics.
Though Rick had his favorite gun with him at the time of his supposed death in season 9, Michonne (Danai Gurira) later found the cherished weapon in the river. It has since been wielded by little Judith Grimes (Cailey Fleming), though in real life, a child her size would probably not have an easy time using this type of gun.
Michonne's Katana
Michonne's sword comes with a long history that is both heroic and sordid. Usually used to slice and dice aggressive Walker, it is also responsible for the death of Hershel Greene (Scott Wilson), while in the hands of the Governor (David Morrissey).
Her signature weapon featured heavily in both the comics and the television series, it is a traditional Japanese sword known as a Katana. It is distinguished by its curved blade, and long, wrapped hilt (known as a "handle cord"), ideal for two-handed combat.
Daryl's Motorcycle
One of Daryl's most iconic symbols is his motorcycle. Though he originally rode a bike that had been owned by his late brother, Merle (Michael Rooker), he finally managed to put together his own out of spare parts in season 5.
Custom-built behind the scenes by Classified Moto in 2014, Daryl's motorcycle started as the base of a 1992 Honda CB750 Nighthawk. Other parts such as the front of the bike, a tire, and its brakes came from a Yamaha YZF-R6. Later, it was fitted with a new battery, a specially upholstered leather seat, a custom exhaust, and a rack built specifically to hold his crossbow.
Morgan's Staff
Over the course of the show, many characters have adopted a weapon that is distinctly theirs, and for Morgan Jones (Lennie James), it is his staff. Used to both bludgeon and stab, Morgan has used similar weapons in both The Walking Dead and in Fear The Walking Dead.
Ideal for him during the times that he insisted on never killing, the sharp end is used on the dead, while the blunt end is used for self-defense against the living. The staff is eventually broken and reconstructed in various ways, but is still his weapon of choice.
The Whisperer's Masks
The chilling main antagonists of seasons 9 and 10, The Whisperers were known for wearing Walker skin masks and shuffling along with hordes of the dead. Animalistic and functioning similar to a wolf pack, their leader went by the name of Alpha (Samantha Morton), other members following in line based on rank.
The highly detailed masks were made by executive producer and brilliant special effects artist, Greg Nicotero. "For me, there's something really creepy and spooky about a creature that has no remorse and no compassion or emotion in its face [...] For the look, we really spent a lot of time fine-tuning the shape of the eye, fine-tuning the shape of the mouth."
Daryl's Vest
Daryl has been seen in his classic winged vest from early in the series, but recently, that worn and torn piece of clothing has received a much-needed and adorable upgrade. One of the wings ruined, Judith Grimes painted on a new one for her favorite Uncle Daryl and made it good as new as a surprise.
Even better, actress Cailey Fleming is the one that actually painted the wing on his vest to fix up Daryl's favorite piece of outerwear.
Hershel's Head
A cherished patriarch of the group introduced back in season 2, fans were heartbroken at the sudden and brutal death of Hershel Greene in season 4. Tragically beheaded by the Governor using Michonne's katana, Hershel's life was ended needlessly, but it did make for some very cool special effects.
Made by Greg Nicotero, the model of Hershel's head is currently on display with a few other classic props from The Walking Dead at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
Daryl's Crossbow
Daryl's crossbow is as much a part of him as his motorcycle, his winged vest, and his love for Carol (Melissa McBride). It just doesn't seem right when any one of those things aren't in their right place, and sometimes it even has terrible consequences, such as when Dwight kills Denise with the crossbow in season 6.
The model that Daryl originally used was a Horton Scout HD 125. The weapon is eventually lost and replaced with the considerably more powerful and long-range accurate, Stryker StrykeZone 380.
Merle's Arm Rig
The elder Dixon was a nasty piece of work for the most part, but he did have a unique and fun prop for most of his time in the series. Merle lost his hand in season 1 after sawing it off himself to get free of a pair of handcuffs. Merle was not about to go without a weapon just because he was missing a hand.
The next time he is seen in the show, his wrist has been fitted with a metal rig with a knife belted to the front. Merle's arm rig is one of the props presently on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
Negan's Bat "Lucille"
Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is known for his foul mouth, his leather jacket, and his barbed wire-covered bat that he named after his late wife, Lucille (Hilarie Burton Morgan). Rarely seen without it until late into the series, Negan has an intense bond with the weapon and has used it to bludgeon many a Walker and beloved fan-favorite into a pulp.
The type of bat appears to be a Louisville Slugger (though it is possibly a Rawlings), and in "Here's Negan", it was revealed that he was given the bat by Laura, a future member of the Saviors. Lucille also made a cameo in another of Jeffrey Dean Morgan's shows, Supernatural, when Jensen Ackles walks into a scene with Lucille in hand and comically exclaims, "dad loved this thing."