The Walking Dead may be a show about a world crumbling apart in the fallout of a rampant zombie apocalypse, but any diehard fan of the series will be quick to remind critics that it isn't a series about the end of the world as much as it is about what becomes of good people when their world ends. As such, certain characters prove to be even more villainous than the zombies that plague the world.
The character of Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) was the leader of the main group of survivors for nine seasons of The Walking Dead. He went up against his fair share of villainous rivals who would sooner have seen him dead than repent for their misdoings. While Rick faced many threats from the darker side of humanity, there are certain enemies that stand out in Rick's large rogues gallery.
Pete Anderson
Not every villain on the series is as evil and conniving as those that would have Rick and his friends dead. One such character acting as one of The Walking Dead's more low-key villains was Pete Anderson, the wife of Jessie and father to Ron and Sam.
Pete initially seemed like a well-meaning and friendly man, only to later be revealed as a violent drunk that often physically abused his family. Pete's demons proved intolerable to Rick, who had developed some feelings toward Jessie, leading to a bitter rivalry between the two that eventually ended in Rick executing Pete after he accidentally killed another survivor with a sword.
Dawn Lerner
Certain villains become so unintentionally, trading morality for control in an increasingly out of control world. Such was the case with Dawn Lerner, the former police officer that came to run the group surviving in Grady Memorial Hospital. In the show's fifth season, Dawn finds herself on the wrong side of Rick's team of survivors after kidnapping Beth Greene and Carol Peletier.
Though well-meaning, Dawn proves to be one of the most hated characters in the show's history. Her long list of crimes most notably includes fatally shooting Beth in the head in one of The Walking Dead's most shocking moments. Her terrible act was soon avenged, however, as Rick's right-hand man Daryl shot her in turn for her actions.
Merle Dixon
Merle holds a unique spot in the list of Rick's Rogue's Gallery as the very first opponent he came up against in the post-apocalyptic world. The two came to blows quickly, with their first confrontation ending with Rick handcuffing the surly survivor to a rooftop. Since then, Merle fostered a deep and personal hatred for Rick Grimes and anyone that would support him.
After their initial encounter, Merle disappeared from Rick's life for some time, eventually reemerging as a lieutenant of the villainous Governor. While he proved to be a pain in Grimes's side during that time, he did eventually see the light, assisting the group at the prison in orchestrating the Governor's downfall.
Jadis
Jadis and her group of Scavengers were an unusual addition to The Walking Dead's seventh season, with the dumpster-divers being presented as potential allies to Alexandria in their war against the Saviors. However, these survivors of few words were eventually revealed to be in league with Negan's armies, betraying Rick at the first chance they got.
Though Jadis nearly cost Rick the war against the Saviors, she quickly proved not to be as formidable a threat as she may have seemed. The Alexandrians made quick work of the Scavengers, who were subsequently abandoned by the Saviors they had allied themselves with. In the aftermath of the war, Jadis repented of her villainous actions, joining Alexandria and eventually saving Rick's life after he was caught in an explosion upon the community-built bridge.
Gareth
The back half of Season 4 presented a ray of hope after the group's longtime home in the prison was destroyed by the Governor. Each survivor of the prison massacre made their way toward the safe zone of Terminus, believing it to be a safe haven, only for it to be revealed as a community of cannibals, led by the wicked Gareth.
Gareth proved to be a relentless enemy, pursuing Rick's group even after they escaped Terminus and burned it to the ground. Eager to get the Terminus survivors off of his back, Rick orchestrated a trap for the cannibals that ended in them getting their just deserts, as each was savagely slain by those they had once considered their prey.
Joe
Joe was the short-lived leader of the group known as The Claimers in Season 4 of The Walking Dead. He and his men ran afoul of Rick, Carl, and Michonne as they approached Terminus. They would soon become infamous for their fates at the hands of the trio.
Joe and the Claimers became important parts of The Walking Dead's history not because of how their villainy affected the main characters, but because of how they died. After attempting to kill Rick, Carl, and Michonne, the weary threesome slaughtered the group of bandits, with Joe receiving a particularly gruesome death at the hands--or, more accurately, teeth--of Rick Grimes.
Simon
Simon was an integral character during the Savior War. The right-hand man to Negan himself, Simon served as a commander among the Savior armies, enforcing the tributes received from cooperative communities until his death at the end of Season 8.
Simon suffered from an insatiable desire to attain the same level of influence as his boss. He became the face of the Savior organization whenever Negan was absent, and therefore a major nuisance for the main characters. Unfortunately for Simon, he proved to be even more of a problem to Negan himself, who was forced to kill him in order to maintain the proper balance of power among the Saviors.
Shane Walsh
Rick's best friend turned enemy, Shane Walsh is often lauded as one of the greatest and most nuanced villains that the series has ever seen. A core member in the main cast of Season 1, Shane grew envious of Rick's relationship with Lori, as well as his influence over the group, causing him to lash out in an attempt to gain it all for himself.
Unlike many of the villains that Rick would later face in the post-apocalyptic world, Shane's acts changed him forever. In order to survive, Rick had to lay aside his qualms and embrace a darker side than he had ever allowed before. Though Shane failed in his designs on Rick's life, he made certain that his best friend would never be the same.
The Governor
Philip Blake, otherwise known as the Governor, was the leader of Woodbury, a community of survivors that encountered Rick's group in the third season. After a series of battles that led to the fall of Woodbury, the Governor returned with a vengeance, permanently altering Rick's life.
Though Blake didn't succeed in killing Rick, he took away much of what was important to him: his home, his community, and his closest advisor Hershel. Thereby, even in failure, the villain found success. The Governor, for all his villainy, proved to be quite an interesting character in his time on the show, making him a viable candidate to appear in the anthology series Tales of the Walking Dead.
Negan
Though Rick faced many enemies over the course of his nine seasons on the series, none of his rivalries were so iconic as with the Savior leader himself, Negan. At their first meeting in the season six finale, Negan quickly asserted dominance over Rick's group by killing two beloved members, a move that would spark a bitter animosity between the two leaders forever.
Rick would spend the next two seasons of the series battling Negan for control of the new world, a war that would push him to places he never thought imaginable. However, unlike his struggles with other villains, Rick's confrontation with Negan pushed him to be better, embracing a more honorable side of himself. In the end, Rick transformed himself into the leader he was always destined to be, leaving Negan rotting in a cage for his failures.