19 Best Episodes of Daryl in The Walking Dead

Now that the smash hit zombie TV series The Walking Dead has concluded, fans are eagerly awaiting the announced spin-off shows currently in development. With planned shows centering on Michone and Rick as well as Maggie and Negan, there is plenty for fans to look forward to.

One of these upcoming series’ is going to be completely focused on a fan-favorite character, Daryl. It will see the character washing up on the shores of France where he will struggle to survive in Paris as he pieces together his recent past.

Although we can get excited to see more of Daryl Dixon, it is always fun to look back at some of his finest moments in the original show. Here we will break down, in our opinion, the best episodes of Daryl in The Walking Dead. You can stream them all on Netflix or AMC.

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19. “Next World” (Season 6, Episode 10)

Season 6 has several amazing episodes, with many being some of the best episodes of Daryl in The Walking Dead. One such episode is the tenth that is set weeks after the walker invasion where Rick and Daryl, who are looking for supplies that they’re short on, cross paths with Jesus, a mysterious man with many secrets.

The truck that the duo find that are full of supplies are then stolen by this figure, yet they find him down the road with a flat tire.

IMDb Score – 8.3

18. “The Obligated” (Season 9, Episode 4)

Rick’s past sins are coming up to haunt him as they remain unavenged and unforgiven, therefore his vision for a civilized future is threatened.

We see Daryl giving his witty, no-bs attitude towards Rick several times, one of the many reasons why he’s a favorite character within the show.

IMDb Score – 8

17. “Find Me” (Season 10, Episode 18)

Daryl and Carol are one of my favorite duos in television, as they are so incredibly sweet and true to one another, even when on strenuous paths. One episode that shows this is “Find Me” in season 10.

Daryl and Carol find an old cabin that takes Daryl back to his years away from the group after Rick disappeared. Daryl relives the painful memory of meeting a reticent survivor and the toxic events that amplified his relationship with Dog.

IMDb Score – 6.2

16. “Diverged” (Season 10, Episode 21)

And once again, another amazing episode featuring both the adorable survivors, Daryl and Carol. When the two characters reach a fork in the road, they both head their separate ways, sending them both into survivor mode.

Soon, what seems like the easiest challenges become so much harder. While this is not one of the most liked episodes in general, it’s still one of the best episodes of Daryl in The Walking Dead.

IMDb Score – 4.1

15. “Rest in Peace” (Season 11, Episode 24)

One of the biggest themes in the show is not only surviving from the Walking Dead but surviving against the living. In most apocalyptic shows and movies, a lot of the living turn into worse monsters than the creatures.

In this episode, viewers witness survivors trying to save their kids and commonwealth, with Daryl being one of the many voicing his concerns with protecting his own.

IMDb Score – 8.3

14. “Wrath” (Season 8, Episode 16)

“Wrath” shows the communities joining together as a last stand against the Saviors as an all-out war unfolds.

And of course, while this isn’t a Daryl focused episode, there is a lot of him that we see, which creates some of the best episodes of Daryl in The Walking Dead.

IMDb Score – 7.6

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13. “Always Accountable” (Season 6, Episode 6)

Daryl is separated from Abraham and Sasha after leaving the herd of walkers. Daryl is captured by a group formed by a man and two women while Sasha and Abraham hide themselves in a house.

Daryl succeeds to escape, but when the trio that captured him are in danger, he returns to rescue them.

IMDb Score – 7.6

12. “Coda” (Season 5, Episode 8)

Another episode that is not entirely Daryl focused but has him featured often enough to make it on the list is “Coda”, which follows Rick who hunts down Officer Bob Lamson, all the while Father Gabriel is being chased by a horde of walkers and forces Michonne and Carl to open the front door of the church, compromising the whole place.

IMDb Score – 8.7

11. “A” (Season 4, Episode 16)

One of the highest scoring The Walking Dead episodes is “A”, which has Rick, Carl and Michonne cross paths with the Claimers once again on the way to Terminus, as the so-called sanctuary begins to reveal its true face.

Even with Daryl’s help to explain that they’re not a threat, chaos ensues, and we see the characters get violent to ensure that their family is protected.

IMDb Score – 9.1

10. “Monsters” (Season 8, Episode 3)

Monsters features a turning point for Daryl as a character, which shocked fans and showed the ways in which his challenges started to affect him.

When Rick is held at gunpoint by Morales, Daryl does not hesitate to kill him, which led many to question whether this unflinching brutality was something Daryl was now willing to exact going forward. Well, in this very same episode, Daryl murders a savior who was set to be spared, cementing a shift in his character from this point onwards. 

IMDb Score – 6.4

9. “Time for After” (Season 8, Episode 7)

A few episodes later in Season 8, Daryl decides to leave the group, which throws them into a conflict in the process.

He plows a truck straight through the base’s wall and stirs the anger of a different group of survivors. This episode shows how Daryl’s actions can have devastating consequences and explores his importance as a series staple. 

IMDb Score – 6.5

8. “The Cell” (Season 7, Episode 3)

Although Daryl faces plenty of challenges throughout The Walking Dead, this episode is his greatest test yet. He finds himself enduring a rough regime as a prisoner.

By showing us the hardships Daryl experiences within the cell, it makes it all the more satisfying when he inevitably attempts an escape. 

IMDb Score – 7.0

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7. “Still” (Season 4, Episode 12)

Following the death of Hershel, the survivors must learn to cope with this tragedy. Daryl focuses on his daughter Beth and we see that she has turned to alcohol to process the loss.

This is an emotional episode for Daryl since he expresses his guilt over Hershel’s death. This TV moment tugs at the heartstrings and shows another side of his character. 

IMDb Score – 7.3 

6. “Cherokee Rose” (Season 2, Episode 4)

Speaking of the emotional side of Daryl, we actually do get a glimpse of it back in season 2.

When the survivors head out to search for Carol’s daughter, Sophia, and are unable to find her, Daryl presents Carol with a Cherokee Rose instead. This sweet gesture sows yet another seed for the blossoming relationship between the pair. 

IMDb Score – 7.5 

5. “The Suicide King” (Season 3, Episode 9)

One of the most memorable openings of any episode of the show thrusts Daryl and Merle into a fight to the death.

Despite friction between the pair, we see the brothers’ relationship put to the test when it starts to create a conflict between the group. 

IMDb Score – 8.0

4. “Chupacabra” (Season 2, Episode 5)

After Daryl is knocked out while on a search for Maggie, he hallucinates about Merle who accuses him of spending more time searching for Sophia rather than his own brother.

This gives an insight into the mind of the character as well as showcasing his more hardened side when he kills walkers and cuts off their ears. 

IMDb Score – 8.0

3. “Tell It to the Frogs” (Season 1, Episode 3)

No list of Daryl’s best moments would be complete without his debut episode. When a mysterious, badass character shows up, fans were instantly captivated by Norman Reedus’ performance.

We see the iconic crossbow in action for the first time, setting up his survivalist nature that he carries throughout the show. 

IMDb Score – 8.2

2. “This Sorrowful Life” (Season 3, Episode 15)

We have already featured some episodes which explore Daryl’s relationship with his brother Merle. They reach a devastating climax in this classic episode from season three. It first presents the two characters showcasing the different paths that they have followed as people.

When Merle shows up as a walker, Daryl must be the one to put him down in a gut wrenching scene. The photo above is just a sneak peak at the raw emotions in this episode.

IMDb Score – 8.8 

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1. “No Way Out” (Season 6, Episode 9)

“No Way Out” is a fan favorite Daryl episode for good reason since he is fully unleashed and kicking ass the whole way through.

These moments see Daryl firing a rocket launcher at some saviors, setting fire to a pond by dumping fuel into it with a tanker, and luring the walkers to their death. Action packed, exciting and visually spectacular, “No Way Out” is the pinnacle of Daryl’s moments in the series. The IMDb score agrees that this is one of the best episodes of Daryl in The Walking Dead.

 IMDb Score – 9.6