15 of The Walking Dead’s most vile villains ranked

10. Merle Dixon

Who is he: He’s a racist, sexist jerk. Honestly, we don’t blame Rick for leaving him on that roof even if he meant to save him. While Merle progressed to be more of a situational anti-hero, he still tangoed with the Governor and helped the Governor construct a series of events that forced Rick and his group to move homes. He also bolstered the grudge the Governor had with Rick, and he indirectly forced Rick’s group through some hefty trust issues that led to some altercations with the original management of Alexandria. Regardless, Merle has been a big proponent of doing whatever you have to do to survive the apocalypse (or just life in general). It was a selfish approach, but it mostly worked for him, but it also got him caught up in a lot of bad deeds.

Worst act of villainy: Honestly, there’s a lot of bad in Merle’s blood. After aligning with the Governor, he did a lot of nasty tasks for him that hurt Rick and company. However, the worst thing Merle’s ever done was nearly beating T-Dog to death in the first season, all because Merle is a racist POS.

Weakness: Merle’s brotherly bond was ultimately his downfall. Given his life philosophy and innate antagonistic undertones, it was easy for him to join the Governor and flourish in his villainy. After Merle found out that Daryl was still alive and well, he revolted against the Governor and tried to kill him. We all know what happened next: Daryl’s sorrowful reaction to seeing a walker version of Merle roaming around.

Redeeming qualities: He was a lot more tolerable as a person when he was around his brother, Daryl. Perhaps it was their divergent personalities that helped balance Merle’s innately antagonistic proclivities. Regardless, we’re still not sure how they’re both so different. Merle is a selfish villain or anti-hero (depending on the day and scenario). Meanwhile, Daryl is a selfless hero who goes out of his way to help people, often those he doesn’t even know. Merle truly cares for his brother, which makes sense why Daryl would also bring out the best version of him.

First appearance: “Guts” (season 1, episode 2)

Last appearance: “This Sorrowful Life” (season 3, episode 15)

Death: Zombification in front of his brother, Daryl, no less. The Governor shot him in the chest, and he left him to turn into a walker.