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This article is about Rick and Michonne's son. You may be looking for his Comic Series, Road to Survival, or Telltale Series counterparts. For other pages with the same name, see: Rick

It's nuts how much he looks like you. Save the light brown skin, it's hard to tell I had anything to do with it. Oh but he does have my eyes. (...) He does have your good, kind heart, though. That's what reminds me the most of you.
Michonne telling Rick about R.J..[src]

Rick Grimes Jr., nicknamed R.J., is a survivor of the outbreak in AMC's The Walking Dead. He is the son of Rick Grimes and Michonne Grimes, the half-brother of the late Carl Grimes and Andre Anthony, and the adoptive brother of Judith Grimes. He resided at the Alexandria Safe-Zone with his family.

When Michonne leaves to go find R.J. and Judith's father, the kids' uncle, Daryl Dixon, becomes their guardian. Following the war against the Whisperers and the fall of Alexandria, R.J. relocates to the Commonwealth alongside Judith and Daryl.

Overview[]

R.J. is a cheerful, amiable, innocent, and benevolent child. After the disappearance of his father, Rick Grimes, R.J. can be seen as part of his legacy that lives on. He is shown to get along with the rest of the kids well, often seen playing with them. He is apparently extremely bright as Sebastian Milton mentions that R.J. has recently jumped two grades in school.

According to Michonne, R.J. has inherited both of his parents' stubbornness and Rick's kind heart which is the trait in her son that reminds Michonne the most of her husband. Michonne tells Rick that R.J. and Judith would tell each other the story of what their father did and R.J. nicknamed Rick "The Brave Man" and himself "Little Brave Man" as a result.

Post-Apocalypse[]

Rick Grimes Jr., nicknamed R.J., was born in December 2014 to Rick and Michonne Grimes in Alexandria, Virginia. R.J. was named after his father, who was kidnapped by the Civic Republic Military in March 2014 shortly after he was conceived. R.J. was raised by Michonne alongside his older adoptive sister, Judith.

Season 9[]

"Who Are You Now?"[]

Six years after the disappearance of his father, a 5-year-old R.J. is now living with Michonne and Judith in their home in Alexandria.

As Magna sneaks around outside of their house with a knife, she opens a back door slightly but sees Michonne pick up and hug R.J., which prompts her to leave.

Later, after Michonne and Judith's conversation, R.J. runs up to Michonne and asks for food, as she picks him up and hugs him once again.

"Guardians"[]

In Alexandria, R.J. sleeps in his bed as Michonne watches from his bedroom door.

"Scars"[]

In Alexandria, R.J. plays with Judith and Gracie on the community streets when Michonne comes out of her house and orders Judith to keep her brother safe as she goes over to the guard post.

At night, R.J. has dinner with his family and watches as his sister leaves.

"The Storm"[]

In Alexandria, R.J. takes shelter from the storm with the residents in the church. Later, Judith pulls a blanket over herself and her brother to keep them warm, before Gabriel decides they're moving to Aaron's house. They all tie a rope around themselves and head out into the blizzard.

The next day, after the storm is over, R.J. crawls by the snow when Michonne and the others return to Alexandria. He then plays with the group in a snowball fight.

Season 10[]

"Lines We Cross"[]

R.J. is brought alongside some children to see the beach for the first at Oceanside while the militia trains. Later on, R.J. and Judith play with some shells that R.J. found. As they dump out their seashells in the sand, a Whisperer mask falls out. Judith gets scared and informs the rest of the group.

A while later, Judith tells R.J. the story about Rick blowing the bridge to save his friends. "He died and went to heaven," Judith tells R.J. about "the brave man" in her story. Michonne walks up to hug them, telling them she'd do anything to protect them. Suddenly, an explosion rings out and everyone looks up to witness streaks of fire cascading from the sky. R.J. then stays at the camp alongside his sister.

"Ghosts"[]

While the Alexandria residents face against waves of walkers pouring onto the community gates over the next 49 hours, R.J. sleeps at his home and is looked after by his sister.

The next day, Judith keeps looking after her brother when Michonne arrives to rest with them. As they lay together in bed, R.J. cuddles next to his mother and sister.

"Silence the Whisperers"[]

R.J. and his family dine together and share a laugh as they are joined by Daryl. The following morning, R.J. is left under the care of Daryl as Michonne and Judith head out to Hilltop and later on to Oceanside.

"The World Before"[]

R.J. attends the funeral service for Siddiq and listens to Gabriel's religious remarks. He is then carried away by Daryl.

"Stalker"[]

When Beta attacks Alexandria and searches for Mary in the Grimes' house, R.J. remains under Judith's and Rosita's protection and watches scared as his sister shoots at him through the door of a bedroom where they are hiding with Mary. The next day, he and his sister are among the group that departs towards Hilltop in wagons.

"Morning Star"[]

When the Alexandrians arrive at Hilltop, R.J. can be seen exiting the makeshift vehicle.

When its clear that the Whisperers are about to attack Hilltop, Aaron points out that they need to focus on getting the children to safety. Daryl agrees and instructs the others to pack up and regroup at Oceanside. As the children climb into the wagon, R.J. can be seen wearing his father's hat and Daryl's vest. However, the caravan doesn't make it far before they hit a roadblock and discover that the scouts they sent earlier are dead. Daryl identifies this as one of Negan's tactics and concludes that all the other roads will be blocked, too, making a retreat impossible. R.J. is returned to Hilltop and evacuated into the building for safety.

"Walk With Us"[]

R.J., along with the other children, are rushed to safety by Ezekiel, before stopping and suddenly realizing that Judith is missing. Sometime during the fight, Earl takes over watching the kids.

When Daryl, Ezekiel, and Jerry approach the cabin, they are relieved to find all of the kids alive. R.J. goes and hugs Daryl.

"What We Become"[]

When Michonne radios Judith, R.J. joins in on the call to say hello to his mother. He is then instructed by Judith to use codenames for security, so R.J. chooses "Little Brave Man" as his codename, much to Michonne's delight. When Michonne asks R.J. how long he had been with his sister, he just says that "Tia Rosita" brought him, and leaves Judith and Michonne to continue talking.

"A Certain Doom"[]

R.J. tells Gabriel that he is scared because the Whisperers are surrounding the Tower. He holds on to Gracie's hand for comfort as he listens to Gabriel explain why they shouldn't be afraid.

After the evacuation of the Tower, R.J. can be seen alongside Judith greeting Maggie.

Season 11[]

"Acheron: Part I"[]

R.J. runs over to greet Daryl when he returns to Alexandria.

"Hunted"[]

R.J. plays cards with Judith, Gracie, and Hershel. During the game, Hershel asks Judith if she's ever afraid when her mother goes away but Judith replies that their mother always comes back, to which R.J. agrees.

Later that day, R.J. can be seen playing a game of rock-paper-scissors with Hershel, while he waits for Judith to bring in the horsemeat to eat. However, R.J. is reluctant to eat it.

"Out of the Ashes"[]

R.J. listens to Judith's instructions as she teaches the children how to wield a sword.

Later that day, R.J. can be seen playing a game with Gracie, but is interrupted when Judith accuses Vincent of breaking her keepsake. R.J. goes over and offers his help, along with Gracie and Hershel, to fix her broken handprints.

"For Blood"[]

R.J. huddles with the other children while the storm rages in Alexandria, he confesses to Judith that he wishes that his mother was there. When it is time to evacuate upstairs, he goes with Hershel.

"No Other Way"[]

R.J. will appear in this episode.

"New Haunts"[]

Daryl, Judith, and R.J. creep down a dark hallway lined with caged walkers. A walker comes at them but backs off after Daryl sends it away. It's just an actor, and they are in a Haunted Maze.

Daryl, Judith, and R.J. exit the Haunted Maze and mingle at the Commonwealth's Halloween carnival. It is day 30 of their new life in the Commonwealth.

"The Rotten Core"[]

Sebastian Milton threatens Judith, R.J. and Coco in order to get Daryl and Rosita to perform his heist. Sebastian mentions that R.J. has just jumped two grades in school.

"Trust"[]

Carol drops Judith and R.J. off at school. Ezekiel joins her and thanks her for pulling strings to move up his surgery. He asks to show her a new project he's been working on, but Carol says she's busy with work that he is better off not knowing about.

"Lockdown"[]

In their apartment, Carol is taking care of Judith, R.J., and Gracie while Daryl and Aaron are away. She looks at pictures of Sebastian trying to blend and go unnoticed, taken by Kelly. Judith tells Carol that the blueberry pancakes are burning, so she takes them off the fire. Judith asks what the pictures are for and Carol says they for learning about this place. Judith then asks when Aaron and Daryl are coming back and Carol makes a joke, saying she probably likes their cooking better. Judith chuckles, saying Daryl has no idea what he's doing, while Gracie compliments her father's cooking. Carol looks outside to see the protests and notices Shira and Calhoun walking over to their apartment. She tells the kids they are going to play the quiet game and they all hide. Shira and Calhoun enter the apartment and find it empty. They search around and Shira asks if Hornsby said anything else, but Calhoun says Dixon was the only name that came through. Calhoun then sees a photo of Daryl with Judith and R.J. and takes it as a reference. Shira looks out the window and fails to notice Carol hugging the wall outside. As Calhoun looks at the photo, it's revealed the kids are hiding in the kitchen cabinets. Shira suggests they check the school and they leave.

"A New Deal"[]

At their apartment, Daryl is finishing packing up. He puts on his signature vest and walks to the living room where R.J. is reading a comic book. Daryl asks R.J. where Judith is, but R.J. says he's not supposed to say. Daryl sees that her bag isn't packed. He asks where she went, but R.J. doesn't budge and pretends to not know. Daryl goes out to look for her. He meets up with Carol who says they'll find her. He comments that he's not a very good parent and asks what Rick would do. Carol says when Sophia was born, she had no idea what she was doing except that she loved her. Carol reassures Daryl he'll figure it all out eventually.

"What's Been Lost"[]

While unseen, R.J. is abducted on Pamela Milton's orders, alongside the other children and every other Alexandria, Hilltop, and Riverbend resident living at the Commonwealth.

"Family"[]

In a reclaimed Alexandria, as Judith recovers her weapons and looks at the Coalition charter and a drawing that she made, as R.J. joins her. Judith keeps thinking about something that Michonne had told her, a secret saying that Michonne had used to share with Rick that was like a good luck charm, one that is for Judith and R.J. too. Recognizing that it was one of many things that she was afraid to say out loud, Judith muses that they didn't know when they started this, that this would be the day that everything changed forever. Judith gives her little brother her hat, the same way that Carl had passed it down to her before his death.

As everyone prepares to leave to go after Pamela Milton, Daryl promises R.J. that they will be back soon and orders him to look after Judith. However, Judith tells Daryl and Carol that she's coming too over Daryl's objections. Judith reminds her friends that this isn't the future that Carl wanted and it's not what Rick and Michonne fought for, not yet at least. What they're doing could help everyone, maybe everybody everywhere, not just them. Judith wants to be a part of making what her family believed in real. Carol recognizes that while everyone else has been focused on the present for a long time, Judith has been thinking about the future which is a good thing and something that they could all do a little more of. Daryl agrees on the condition that Judith stays right with him, and he leaves R.J. in Nabila's care while they're gone.

"Rest in Peace"[]

After the Commonwealth is saved, R.J. joins everyone else in a celebration in Alexandria.

A year later, Daryl and Carol, who is now wearing her hair short again as she did before Rick's disappearance, look at the old memorial wall of the people that the community had lost. Alexandria has been fully rebuilt and is thriving again with the residents enjoying everyday life together. Aaron, Gabriel, Coco, and Gracie greet Lydia, Elijah, Judith, and R.J. and Lydia gives Gabriel a package from Father Grant and his old congregation. Daryl and Carol join them while Jerry and Nabila, walking through town as their daughters play outside, smile at them. Aaron admits that he never thought that they'd get back to any of this, although he had hope. Aaron calls them all very lucky, but Gabriel corrects Aaron that it's effort rather than luck. They have a lot to be proud of in their family, community, and future.

The group from the Commonwealth next visits a rebuilt and thriving Hilltop where Maggie and Hershel watch as Adam plays. Carol asks Maggie what she had wanted to talk about, and Maggie reveals that she wants to talk about the future. "There's a lot out there to find out about. And I think it's time we did."

At the side of the road, Judith, R.J. and Ezekiel join Daryl and Carol as he prepares to depart on his motorcycle. Daryl hugs the kids and R.J. promises him that he will be good while Judith promises to keep an eye on Dog for him. Daryl asks Judith to keep an eye on Carol and promises her that if he sees or hears anything about Rick and Michonne while he's out there, he will find them both and bring them home. Calling him Uncle Daryl, Judith states that Daryl deserves a happy ending too and Daryl promises to come back. Daryl hugs Ezekiel goodbye and he leads the kids to the top of the wall to watch Daryl's departure. Daryl and Carol hug and admit that they love each other before Daryl drives off on his motorcycle through the Commonwealth gate, setting off through the countryside on his new journey.

Looking out over the fields of the Commonwealth, Judith tells her brother that "we get to start over. We're the ones who live."

Relationships[]

For a more in-depth look at R.J.'s relationships, read here: Rick Grimes Jr. (TV Series)/Relationships

Allies[]

Enemies[]

Appearances[]

Episodes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
Season 6
Season 7
Season 8
Season 9 👁 👁
Season 10 👁 👁 👁 👁 👁
Season 11 👁 👁 👁
Appears Voice is heard
👁 Appears with no lines Appears in a flashback
Appears as a walker 🖼 Appears in a photograph/video
Appears as a corpse Appears in a hallucination/dream

Episodes 1 2 3 4 5 6
Season 1
Appears Voice is heard
👁 Appears with no lines Appears in a flashback
Appears as a walker 🖼 Appears in a photograph/video
Appears as a corpse Appears in a hallucination/dream

Gallery[]

For more images of Rick "R.J." Grimes Jr., please visit Rick Grimes Jr. (TV Series)/Gallery.

Trivia[]

  • R.J. is the sixth known child in the TV Series to be born into the apocalypse, the first being his sister Judith Grimes, the second and third being two unnamed infants living at the Kingdom, the fourth being Gracie, and the fifth being Hershel Rhee, the seventh being Ezra, the eighth being Aliyah, and the ninth being Mariam.
  • R.J. is the only member of the Grimes Family who did not have his own Comic Series counterpart.
  • R.J. is Rick's only known living blood relative in the series. From his older half-brother Carl's death in "Honor" until his revealed birth in "Who Are You Now?", Rick had no known living blood relatives.
  • R.J. and Judith are the first adoptive siblings to appear on the show.
  • R.J.'s codename is "Little Brave Man".
  • In "A New Deal", R.J. is seen reading Invincible, Robert Kirkman's other comic series.
    • This is also a reference to when his older half-brother, Carl, was also reading Invincible in "The Next World".
  • As of "Family", R.J. is the only member of the Grimes family to not have been shot.
  • The original ending of the show had a time-skip of at least 10 years, and an adult R.J. was shown driving in a van with Judith, Gracie, Socorro and Ezra searching for other survivors to bring back to their community. In this deleted scene, R.J. refers to himself as "Rick Grimes", and is portrayed by Roland Buck III.[2]
  • In "Deux Amours" of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, Daryl lists R.J. as one of his friends that he misses in America when Laurent asks Daryl about his friends. Laurent later names R.J. in his prayers since Daryl doesn't pray.

International Dubbers[]

Language Dubber Other Characters Voiced
Czech N/A N/A
French Karl-Line Heller Ashley
German N/A N/A
Hungarian N/A N/A
Italian N/A N/A
Japanese N/A N/A
Portuguese N/A N/A
Spanish (Latin America) N/A N/A
Spanish (Spain) N/A N/A

References[]

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