Rick's Hat (TV Series)

Rick's police hat is a piece of clothing that is important to the Grimes family. It was the hat that Rick Grimes wore as a police officer. While many people would see it just as a stupid hat, the characters in the show, as well as fans of the show, see it as something special.

We first see the hat being worn by Rick after the outbreak in "Days Gone Bye" when He, Morgan & Duane leave the King County Sheriff's Department. After travelling into Atlanta, Rick gets overrun by walkers & is forced off of his horse, as he barely escapes with his life by temporarily hiding inside a tank, Rick leaves behind his Bag Of Guns & his Hat. In "Vatos" Rick, Daryl, Glenn, and T-Dog go back to Atlanta to find Merle and retrieve the bag of guns, as Glenn is picking up the bag, he sees the hat but passes it by, only to come back a second later & pick it up.

Rick would be seen wearing the hat throughout the rest of Season 1 and the first few episodes of Season 2. In "What Lies Ahead", Carl is shot by Otis and brought to Hershel's farm to heal. In "Cherokee Rose", Rick is resting at Carl's bedside as Carl reminds him of the fact that they have both been shot, Rick replies with "Since you're in the club now, you get to wear the hat". This brings great pleasure to Carl & remarks with "Won't you miss it?" Rick says "Maybe You'll let me borrow it from time to time". Carl then goes to sleep & Rick retires his Sheriff's Deputy Uniform, stained with his son's blood.

While Rick would still be claimed the official owner of the hat, the hat would become the symbol and trademark of Rick's son, Carl Grimes, who would always wear it until his death in "Honor". As Carl said goodbye to his little sister, Judith Grimes, Carl would hand down his beloved hat to her to continue on the legacy in one of the most emotional scenes in the show.

While Carl, Rick, and Judith are the primary wearers of the beloved hat, other people within their group has worn the hat. During a flashback of happier times at the prison in the episode A, Rick took the hat off of Carl, saying he should get a farming hat. He then placed the hat over Beth Greene's head, claiming that, "There's a new Sheriff in town", which garners laughter by everyone including Hershel, Carl, and Beth, showing that despite their situation of being in a world filled with Walkers and people gone, they could still live a happy life together.

After the murders of Abraham and Glenn in The Day Will Come When You Won't Be, Rick has a "Happy Ever After" flash dream, in which everyone is having a Thanksgiving dinner in Alexandria, which includes a very much alive Abraham and Glenn. When the camera goes through all the main characters looking happy together, we see that Judith is wearing the hat.

As of "Honor", Judith Grimes is now the new owner of the hat, given to her by her dying brother.

Trivia

 * The Hat is one of the only pieces of clothing that has stayed with the main characters since the beginning of the series. It has never been replaced by other clothing, discarded or destroyed. This means that the hat is one of the longest lasting pieces of clothing seen on the show, the others being Rick's Police Belt & his Cowboy Boots as seen in "Days Gone Bye"

Owners

 * Rick Grimes (official)
 * Carl Grimes (former - deceased)
 * Judith Grimes (current)

Notable Wearers

 * Beth Greene

Gallery
Appearances

TV Series

Season 1 Season 3