There was a big shift in the system in The Walking Dead in its ninth season after the departure of Rick Grimes. Having always assumed the position of the leader, Rick was the one who directed the show’s route as the characters followed his lead to wherever they were headed to.
Following Rick’s absence, Daryl Dixon has taken over as the de facto leader, being the person who takes charge of the groups that venture into the zombie apocalypse. He was seen in this role a few times during Rick’s presence as well to encourage results. Due to this, it’s worth looking into where either of these two men was at their best and was the better leader.
Daryl: He's Far More Collaborative With Others
Many feel that Daryl can be a very good romantic partner due to him giving attention to what others have to say. Under his leadership, the characters have been far more as a team with everyone involved giving their input.
This wasn’t the case with Rick who was a one-man show and explicitly told those under him that it was no democracy where he was concerned. Daryl is a team player who doesn’t do just what he wants when in charge of a group, as he’s aware that others have skills or knowledge that he doesn’t.
Rick: He Carried All The People In The Community In Tandem
Although Rick might have been aggressive with the people who were under him, he did carry all of them through. This was best seen in the episodes involving Negan, where Rick tried to keep each and everyone alive, even Spencer, who tried to get Rick killed.
Rick tended to keep secrets to the ones he trusted the most, but he didn’t keep the people out of the loop entirely and ensured everyone was accommodated. His final act in the series had been to unite the communities through the bridge.
Daryl: He's Grown As A Person Through Leadership
Daryl’s initial aloofness had to do with his tragic past, as he became insecure that opening up to others might set himself up to be hurt. After being forced into taking a leadership role, Daryl has taken it into stride and changed as a person.
While working under Rick, he had devolved into barely speaking and trusting his own abilities. As a leader, he’s become communicative and open to admitting where he’s wrong, with this seen best when he finally accepted that Negan had changed and made use of his abilities against the Whisperers.
Rick: He Was An Expert Tactician
Coming up with strategies was always one of Rick’s strongest suits, something that enabled him to win against the entire armies of the Governor and the Saviors. He did so by gaining allies in his favor, which was seen when got the Kingdom, the Hilltop, and Oceanside in his favor.
Rick could adapt these tactics into smaller scales and deadlier situations, as his plan to take down the Terminus group worked to perfection by luring them into a trap and beating them into submission.
Daryl: There's A Friendship Feel Amongst Everyone Around His Leadership
Although Rick did have control of the communities in the series, he was never anyone’s “friend” other than those closest to him. Daryl, despite seeming like a person hard to approach, has actually had more friendships and closer bonds in that time.
Whenever he’s been in charge, the ones around him have had a sense of camaraderie, as Daryl is someone who values loyalty. Those he’s looked over have ultimately opened up to him and understood how Daryl works and paving the way for a friendship feel in the group.
Rick: His Methods Suited The Apocalypse World
The brutal ways in The Walking Dead have threatened to jump the shark at times, but they’ve been necessary given the state of the world. Rick has shown his aptitude in adapting to the environment, as he was the one to make Alexandria realize that they weren’t equipped to handle the real world.
When the others were worried about his tactics, Rick laid hard into them to make them learn that no one could survive the apocalypse by having too much of a conscience and that they needed to step up if they wanted to live. It was difficult but Rick had the right idea as the ones that did survive were the ones who adapted under him.
Daryl: The People Are More Daring Under His Influence
While Rick forced people to adapt, he didn’t change them in an intrinsic nature as many like Eugene remained meek and weak. Under Daryl, however, the group has shown a lot more grit and determination, as his methods have empowered them.
Daryl has taught those working with him to survive by themselves, with the likes of Beth, Carol, and Glenn all learning from Daryl’s influence. Being around him has enabled the characters to place faith in their own survival skills after deriving these from Daryl’s methods.
Rick: Leadership Was A Natural Quality That Didn't Need Adjustment
Daryl was thrust into the leadership role after many other characters either died or went missing. He’s never been a natural in this role and has to learn, while Rick didn’t have such problems. Where Rick was considered, this was an inherent trait that anyone around him understood without needing to be explained.
Whatever group or community Rick became a part of eventually saw them accepting him as the leader. This, despite the times that Rick had voluntarily given up leadership as there was a pull toward his charisma and surety of character that made him a natural leader.
Daryl: His Decisions Don't Lead To As Much Collateral Damage
While the fact will always be there that Glenn would have lived had Daryl not attacked Negan, Daryl has generally steered away from causing big losses. His leadership has seen him take smaller routes to victory, specifically targeting the leaders of the antagonists.
Rick had the most collateral damage, as his actions caused Alexandria to be subjugated and later destroyed, the farm overrun with walkers, among other large-scale disasters. Daryl has placed himself in the line of fire first, which has had the effect of shielding most of the others from harm.
Rick: He's Far Less Likely To Abandon His Group
The choices that Rick made for the group are comparable to the decisions made by a parent, as he was something like the head of the household. Rick wasn’t friends with everyone, but he didn’t ditch his people either, as he stood by them as they grew in numbers through thick and thin.
Daryl has wandered off on his own several times, including the half of a decade of exile he put himself through after Rick’s disappearance. He’s also turned his back on the people when he’s become overwhelmed with rage or revenge, having to be convinced to return. Rick went through his own demons, but even then he had stuck around for the group.