Daryl Dixon (TV Series)

Daryl Dixon, the younger brother of Merle Dixon, is one of the Atlanta survivors. After failing in saving his brother Merle in Atlanta, he remains with the other Atlanta survivors. He is not as tough as his brother, but is just as violent, has a hair triggered temper, and will quickly resort to violence in a threatening situation. He also is slightly more level-headed and rational. He is an expert hunter, having deadly accuracy with his crossbow.

Season 1
Daryl is encountered in the woods with some fresh meat after his hunting trip and is disappointed that a zombie found his deer, that he had been stalking it for days waiting for a perfect kill. After Dale decapitates the zombie, the head continues to growl only to be permanently silenced by a bolt from Daryl's crossbow.

At the camp, Rick Grimes and the others break the news that Merle was insane and a threat back in the city, so he was left behind, prompting Daryl to snap. Rick and Shane restrains him as T-Dog reassures Daryl that Merle is ok, having locked the roof door for Merle's safety. Daryl heads to the department store to rescue Merle with Rick, T-Dog, and Glenn. When they reach the rooftop of the department store they find that the only thing remaining is the handcuffs, a hacksaw, and Merles hand.

Daryl points his crossbow at T-Dog, blaming him for it but gives in after Rick holds a gun to his head. Daryl wraps Merle's hand in a cloth and puts it into Glenn's backpack, then they begin to follow the blood trail left by Merle. The trail leads them into a room with two dead zombies where all but Daryl are astonished that Merle was able to kill both with just one hand. In the same room they find a an iron steak weight covered in skin. Later they find window with a hole in it, possibly meaning Merle has escaped.

When Daryl decides to go search for Merle on the streets, T-Dog reminds him that they need to get the guns first. Glenn makes a plan to get the guns: Daryl must look after Glenn from the store's alley while Rick and T-bone wait in an alley two blocks away. While Glenn retrieves the guns, another survivor, Miguel, runs into Daryl from the back of the same alley, to which Daryl rationally asks him about his brother and begins to beat him with his crossbow. Miguel screams, alerting Rick, T-Dog, and two other survivors: Jorge and Felipe. Jorge and Felipe arrive first and beat up Daryl until they spot Glenn with the bag of guns. They tackle Glenn who drops the guns and Rick's hat, which gives Daryl enough time to aim his crossbow and fire an arrow into Felipe's butt. A car arrives at the scene, and Jorge and Felipe grab Glenn and get into the car, leaving Miguel behind. When Rick and T-Dog get there they see Daryl closing the gate to the alley to stop the zombies from entering. After which he aims his crossbow at Miguel, to which Rick convinces him to stop. Later Daryl threatens Miguel and shows him Merle's hand, bluffing and threatening that it was an enemy of his. Daryl, T-Dog and Rick then enter the gang's hideout and since the negotiations failed, threats of bloodshed are issued, before an elderly woman enters the room and they find out the truth behind the gang.

Daryl and his crew return to the camp just as zombies attack. Despite the high number of casualties, Daryl and the rest of the survivors are able to kill all of the invading zombies.

The next morning Daryl helps in the clean up of the zombie carcasses and the bodies of the fallen campers. He and T-Dog drag the body of a man towards the bonfire but Glenn stops him, demanding that the dead be buried properly. Daryl hesitates but eventually agrees. As Daryl impales each corpse with a pickaxe to prevent zombification, Carol stops him as he is about to hit Ed, saying that she should impale her husband's head. When the survivors find out that Jim has been bitten, he wants to take him out now, but is stopped by Rick. After the funeral and parting ways with Morales' family, Daryl and the group head to the Center for Disease Control. Along the way, the RV breaks down, so Shane and T-Dog scout out the gas station ahead for parts, while a dying Jim is perched against a tree as everyone says their goodbye to him. Daryl looks at Jim, and after a moment gives him a nod, before turning back to his car. Daryl and the survivors reach the C.D.C. complex to find it locked, but the doors open at the last minute.

Daryl and the rest of his group are admitted into the C.D.C. by Dr. Jenner after going through a blood test to ensure none of them are infected. He is introduced to the luxuries the facility has to offer, including hot water and real beds. He enjoys dinner and wine with everyone and learns about TS-19 and Dr. Jenner's work, and the fall of the C.D.C.'s infrastructure. After Dr. Jenner reveals the purpose of the countdown timer and shuts the control room's door, he is enraged and tries break through the glass door that traps everyone. He is about to swing an axe at the scientist's head but is stopped as the others try to convince the doctor to open the door. As the survivors finally get Edwin to open the door for their escape, they all reach the lobby to find the doors permanently locked and the windows bulletproof. However, Daryl and the others are able to escape to their caravan after Rick's grenade explodes a window pane. He drives off in his pick up truck, away from the complex as the ruins burn.

Trivia

 * Daryl does not appear in the comics (yet), although in an interview with Robert Kirkman, he said he was going to put him in the comic.
 * Daryl Dixon is played by Norman Reedus, who stars in the popular film series "The Boondock Saints".
 * It is unknown whether or not Daryl is racist like Merle, but unlikely, as none of his insults to T-Dog were racist like Merle's. However, when the argument over who would tell him Merle was left behind came into question, Glenn said the news might sound better coming from a white guy, implying that Daryl may be a bit racist. If he is, he is not as racist as Merle. He does tell Glenn that he has "got a lot of balls for a chinaman" even though Glenn is Korean, but Daryl does seem upset when Glenn is captured. Furthermore, in Season 2 "What Lies Ahead," Daryl risks his own life during a zombie herd to save a severly bleeding T-Dog from pursuing zombies. It should however be noted that on Daryls motorcycle one can see the nazi SS symbol painted onto it