With The Walking Dead coming to an end following the back-half of its 11th season, and the group facing a formidable new foe in Lance Hornsby, fans are wondering how some of their favorite friendships and pairings will wrap up the series.
While the show has had its share of villains through the seasons, at its heart, The Walking Dead is about people from all walks of life coming together and doing what needs to be done to survive. The initial group of survivors included an eclectic mix of people representing America. As new characters have been introduced and others died, more friendships have developed. And some of these pairs remain the most memorable and heartwarming.
Maggie And Jesus
Jesus has been gone so long that it’s easy to forget that he and Maggie were actually quite close. After she took over leadership of The Kingdom, he served as her number-two. It was a post he was happy to take as he had no desire to be a leader. But he was more than willing to do as Maggie asked and help her in any way she needed because he respected and admired her.
Maggie is the only person Jesus really opened up to, telling her about his past. Meanwhile, he was arguably the only person Maggie truly trusted within the group to have her back, no matter what. Maggie had a knack for reading people and she knew Jesus was one of the good ones. Their friendship was one of the more unexpected on the show, but they really came together in a sibling-like way.
Aaron And Gabriel
There’s no bigger test of friendship than a twisted game of chicken with two guns, each with a bullet somewhere in the chamber. When it’s clear Aaron’s next trigger pull might actually shoot a bullet, he is presented with the option to continue pointing it at his own head or at Gabriel’s. Would he risk losing his own life to save his friend?
It was one of the most intense scenes of the show that solidified a newly brewing friendship between the two members of the group who had been traveling with one another in search of food. In the end, Aaron was ready and willing to kill himself instead of Gabriel, a testament to not only his character but also how much he cared for his bud. Their friendship is so solid, their characters are among ones fans would like to see in a spin-off of The Walking Dead, according to Reddit.
Eugene And Rosita
Eugene and Rosita had an interesting friendship. Eugene was always the third wheel once Abraham and Rosita began a romantic relationship. He also secretly, then not-so-secretly, pined for Rosita for some time.
However, in season 11, it’s clear that despite the sometimes awkwardness between them, Rosita would always be there for Eugene in his time of need and he for her. The most prominent evidence of this was their heart-to-heart after Eugene was duped by the woman pretending to be Stephanie. Rosita reinforced to her long-time friend that he could come to her with anything and she would always be a shoulder to cry on.
Ezekiel And Jerry
While everyone in The Kingdom looked up to Ezekiel and appreciated his leadership, especially thanks to his dominating personality and with Shiva by his side, none was as loyal and serving as Jerry. As Ezekiel’s right-hand man, Jerry would have given his life for his leader and friend.
But what really solidified how strong their bond was, was when Ezekiel lost Shiva, the Kingdom was in shambles, and he was showing his true self, without an air of bravado. Even then, Jerry stood by Ezekiel, helping him realize that it was indeed him all along, not the character he was trying to be, that gave everyone hope and confidence to go on. Leader or not, Kingdom or no Kingdom, Jerry was Ezekiel’s number-two through it all.
Connie And Kelly
Connie and Kelly – one of the side characters on The Walking Dead with main character energy – are not just sisters, they are best friends. Both deaf, since Kelly could hear some sounds, she often served as a guide for Connie, helping her communicate and stay out of harm’s way. Though, as Connie proved in the season 11 episode centered around her character, she could do just fine on her own as well.
Nonetheless, both women were inseparable and loved one another unconditionally, which made it even more heartwrenching when Kelly believed Connie to be dead. When she realized her sister was likely still alive, Kelly stopped at nothing to find her, willing to risk her own life to save her sister.
Daryl And Connie
Daryl and Connie might not have had a romantic relationship but their close friendship has often been joined by subtle flirtations. Nonetheless, as friends, they are one of the best on the show. The typically surly, non-communicative Daryl made an effort to learn some sign language so he could communicate with Connie. They also cutely communicate with one another through notepad written messages.
Connie was able to pull something out of Daryl that no other character could, in some ways softening him to show a more vulnerable side. It seemed Daryl’s heart skipped a beat whenever Connie was around, and vice versa. Even if they never act on their feelings, as platonic friends, they clearly watch out for one another.
Andrea And Michonne
Way back when, it was Andrea – one of the more irritating characters in The Walking Dead, according to Ranker – who came across Michonne and served as a catalyst to introduce the character to the show. They grew to become close friends, there for one another when neither of them had anyone else to rely on.
While Andrea made a critical error when she chose to get into a relationship with the Governor, which eventually led to her death, they were sisters for a long time who would do anything for one another. They came into one another’s lives exactly when they needed someone, which makes their friendship seem like it was destined to be.
Negan And Judith
It would take a very strong person to convince others to have faith in and trust Negan, and he found that person in Judith. It began with her speaking to him through a vent while she did her homework on the steps above where he was being imprisoned in Alexandria.
Over time, however, they began to talk about other things. Negan saved Judith on numerous occasions, but their friendship is really about how she saved him. He might not have made it through lock-up without his occasional conversations with the young girl, and it was people like her who helped convince him to turn things around and become a better person. Negan is one of the main characters on The Walking Dead with the best growth.
Rick And Daryl
Daryl was Rick’s number-two and learned to both respect and love the man who became as close to him as a brother. So much so, in fact, that when Rick was believed to be dead, Daryl set out on his own, unable to stick with the group while he grieved and dealt with his anger.
Rick, meanwhile, found an ally in Rick that he, at one point, might have wished he could have found in Shane. Daryl might have been the type of person Rick would have arrested as police chief prior to the apocalypse while Daryl would never have broken bread with Rick. But in the circumstances and getting to know one another, they became beyond friends and more like brothers.
Daryl And Carol
The friendship that fans have loved the most from the very beginning of the show has been between Daryl and Carol, which makes the news of Melissa McBride’s exit from the spin-off series disappointing to many who wanted to see it continue. It all began when Carol’s daughter Sophia went missing and Daryl was the one to go out of his way to try and find her while also consoling Carol.
Through the seasons, they have grown closer and closer, both having dealt with their own hardships in life that make them able to relate to one another, despite one having been a suburban housewife and the other a criminal redneck. Even though fans have wanted the pair to get together romantically for years, as friends, they are effectively soulmates.
