These 5 characters from The Walking Dead are the most underrated

The Walking Dead ran for 11 seasons from October 31, 2010 to November 20, 2022. The popularity of the original series spawned several spin-off shows as well.

As a long running show, The Walking Dead definitely had characters that emerged as fan favorites, and some characters were given more importance than others. However, there were a number of underrated characters as well, who, despite not getting what they deserved, left a mark, both on the show and on the minds of the viewers.

Let us now explore some of the most underrated characters from The Walking Dead who deserve more appreciation and acknowledgement.

Disclaimer: The article is based on the author’s opinions.

5 Most underrated characters from The Walking Dead

1) Merle

Michael Rooker as Merle (Image via Netflix)

While Merle was portrayed as a person simply disliked by other characters in The Walking Dead, he deserved better treatment and a redemption arc because of how he eventually made one great sacrifice to save Michonne.

Not only did Merle not give Michonne up to the governor, but also fought the villain. Despite the fact that he knew he would be outnumbered, he put up a fight, showing that even a brutal survivalist like him could engage in selfless actions.

2) Abraham Ford

Michael Cudlitz as Abraham Ford ( Image via Netflix)

A character who should have been explored in more depth but was killed way too soon is Abraham Ford. He could have added more value to Rick’s team since, prior to the apocalypse, he was a military sergeant and was good at what he did.

Ford’s sense of humor was another charming quality of his. Unfortunately, not only was he killed off too soon, his death was overpowered by that of Glenn’s as it was meticulously portrayed, with the help of graphic scenes.

3) Jim

While Jim was part of The Walking Dead only for five episodes, his character had a great impact on both the characters and the viewers. Jim was the first among the group who fought for his life after being bitten by one of the walkers.

While Amy was the first person in the group to die, Jim happened to be the first one who showed how painful it was to fight the infection that had no cure. Him getting left behind because nothing else was possible to do with him left a great impact on other members of the team while also setting the tone for what was going to come in the show.

4) Kelly

Angel Theory as Kelly (Image via Netflix)

Another strong character who should have gotten more screen time is Kelly, Connie's sister. Since she was portrayed as a character who was protective of her sister and also helped with her sign language, she is often remembered by only those attributes, even though she showed a lot of strength and resilience.

Kelly was quite young when things went astray with the apocalypse hitting and thus, she always had to act ahead of her age. She was also quite intelligent and had great survival instincts — things that should have gotten her more limelight but didn’t.

5) Lydia

Another underrated strong female character in the world of The Walking Dead was Lydia and her primary identity was being Alpha’s daughter. However, it should be remembered that she was much more than that as she had to change the very way she survived.

Lydia’s character was introduced during the fight with the Whisperers. As a girl who did not want to grow up to become a woman like her mother, Lydia struggled with and eventually succeeded in carving out her life in a way that she wanted.

The Walking Dead can be streamed on Netflix.