T-Dog was taken from us too soon.
Unlike some horror shows and movies, The Walking Dead never kept their Black characters off to the side, or gave into the trope of killing Black characters off first. TWD did quite the opposite during its 11 seasons on AMC, often putting BlPOC characters at the forefront with storylines just as important as Rick Grimes’ (Andrew Lincoln).
From some badass sidekicks to a well-loved King to everyone’s favorite leading lady on her way to starring in her own spin-off, there are plenty of iconic Black characters from The Walking Dead to celebrate this Black History Month.
10Noah
While Noah (Tyler James Williams) didn’t remain on the show very long in Season 5, his presence both in and out of Rick’s group left a mark on everyone when he was first introduced as a janitor held captive in the same hospital as Beth (Emily Kinney).
After befriending Beth but failing to help her escape, Noah teamed up with Daryl (Norman Reedus) to break their friend free, even offering to sacrifice his freedom for hers. After returning to his old community with the help of Rick’s group and learning of its demise, Noah became the unintentional reason behind Tyreese’s (Chad Coleman) death, and later succumbed to a similar fate while helping his new group scavenge.
9Father Gabriel
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When Rick’s group found Father Gabriel (Seth Gilliam), he was a defenseless priest with a church perfect for taking refuge, yet was still not trusted by most of the group. It wasn’t until he proved his loyal during their move to Alexandria that Grabiel became a true member of Rick’s group, and endured the changes that come with it.
After all he had been through, Gabriel burned his collar and ripped up his bible, abandoning the act of priesthood in the post-apocalyptic world in order to become a true fighter and spend his life with Rosita (Christian Serratos) until her final day.
8T-Dog
T-Dog (IronE Singleton) is well-remembered as one of the original members of Rick’s group, who was often on the receiving end of racist remarks from Merle (Michael Rooker), leading to the group ultimately choosing T-Dog over Merle and leaving him behind.
T-Dog was always willing to help the group, whether it was dangerously pulling a water-logged walker from a well or taking out a barn full of walkers. It was in Season 3 that a walker infestation attacked the prison the group was taking refuge in, and T-Dog sacrificed his own life to some hungry walkers in order to save Carol (Melissa McBride).
7Bob Stookey
Bob Stookey (Lawrence Gilliard Jr.) was introduced as a brand new member of the group in Season 4 after being found alone in the woods by Daryl. Bob quickly garnered friendships within Rick’s group, including some growing flirtations with Sasha (Soneque Martin-Green).
Although the character only lasted two seasons before a gruesome death involving a walker bite and having his legs eaten by cannibals, Bob’s legacy lived on for Sasha, who continued wearing his favorite jacket, and for Rick, who memorably remembered his old friend’s words during the Season 6 finale.
6Tyreese Williams
Image via AMC
Although things got off to a rocky start between Tyreese’s group and Rick’s group, they eventually all came together when only Tyreese and his sister Sasha were left of their group and helped Rick’s group take down The Governor.
While Tyreese proved to be good with a hammer when taking out walkers, he had a soft side reserved for human life, never wanting to kill and was devastated by the murder of his girlfriend. The character later led Noah into his old home where he lost a battle with Noah’s zombified younger brother that resulted in a bite and a few ghostly visits from some old friends just before he passed.
5Elijah
Close to Lydia’s (Cassady McClincy) age, the two dated and seemingly fell in love whenever Elijah wasn’t helping Maggie take down The Commonwealth’s leader Pamela (Laila Robins). Even after a few brushes with death, Elijah made it to the end of the series with his girlfriend by his side.
4Sasha Williams
From the moment Sasha came on the scene, she proved to be a badass not willing to take a thing from walkers or humans. After bouncing between groups and ultimately joining Rick’s, Sasha became a trusted member and eventual love interest for the late Abraham (Michael Cudlitz).
In her most heroic moment and a shocker in the series, after being taken by The Saviors and used as leverage, Sasha opted to end her own life in an attempt to turn and attack Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), an unforgettable death that all but killed TWD’s biggest villain.
3Ezekiel
When Ezekiel (Khary Payton) was first introduced as The King of The Kingdom, Carol just about laughed in his face at what a fantasy his community appeared to be compared to the horror truly happening in the world around them, but her attitude only seemed to charm him.
After joining forces with Rick’s group and becoming a beloved member, Ezekiel memorably formed a relationship with Carol, even taking in an orphan son until his devastating death that tore the couple apart and left them as simply best friends until the series’ ended when Ezekiel beat a harmful tumor and later used his leadership skills to become the governor of The Commonwealth.
2Morgan Jones
Morgan Jones (Lennie James) was one of the very first characters introduced in the TWD series premiere, right behind Rick Grimes himself. After saving Rick’s life and befriending the former sheriff, Morgan and Rick part ways and lose touch, a turn of events that ultimately changes Morgan’s life.
In Season 3, Rick finds Morgan again, who is now a loose cannon due to the deaths of his son and wife. It’s not until his Season 6 return that Morgan finds himself again thanks to a good but short lived friendship that teaches him the ways of aikido and that every life is precious just before the character spun off into the world of Fear the Walking Dead for the remainder of its run on AMC.
1Michonne
Image via AMC
Despite not being trusted at the start, Michonne (Danai Gurira) quickly becomes a leading member of Rick’s group, a mother figure to Carl (Chandler Riggs) and Judith (Cailey Flemming), and a long-lasting love interest for Rick. Quick with her katana, Michonne proved a worthy adversary when taking down their long list of rivals.
Michonne spent the majority of her time on the show helping Rick and often saving his life, exactly what she’s expected to do in the upcoming TWD spin-off Rick and Michonne, a 2024 miniseries that is set to give a happy ending to the separated couple.