10 things to recap before you watch The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, explored

AMC's The Walking Dead universe premiered its fifth spin-off show, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, based on the most popular character Norman Reedus' Daryl Dixon.

The spin-off show debuted in September 2023 with Season 1 and in July 2023 with Season 2. While it is a standalone show that can be enjoyed even if you have not watched TWD, there might be some references and past storylines that would not make sense if you are unfamiliar with the universe.

While watching eleven seasons of the original show is no joke, you can always start with The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, a standalone show now that it is renewed for Season 3. But here is some context about the protagonist, his world, and notable relations from TWD.

Here are 10 things you should know before watching The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon.

10 things to recap before watching The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon

1) The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon is set right after the events of the original show

In TWD Season 1, it is hinted that France might be the origin place where the virus broke, which made all the humans turn into dead walkers, i.e., zombies. Taking this plotline from TWD Season 1, Daryl is given his own mission, where his spin-off series takes him to France.

After the ending of the original series, he had little hope left after his best friend Rick is assumed dead, so he is assigned by Maggie to go to France and uncover the truth about the virus' origins.

2) Daryl spent a considerable time searching for Rick Grimes before The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon

Rick Grimes, Daryl's best friend and the leader of his group, was assumed dead at the end of The Walking Dead, but Daryl was adamant about finding his friend's body, so he spent a considerable amount of time in the woods, searching for Rick.

As The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live established that Rick was captured and taken to Philadelphia, Daryl's instincts were right that his friend was out there. But his dead-end search took him further away from his friend.

3) Daryl left the safe zone of Alexandria to start an adventure in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon

Since TWD is set years after a zombie apocalypse, only a few safe societies are left that can be deemed fit for civilization. One such community was the Alexandria Safe Zone.

This Virginian-walled community was a former quarantine zone, which was made a haven for civilization's rebirth after the zombie apocalypse. But in the TWD finale, Daryl leaves this community on his motorcycle for an adventure in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon.

4) Exploring Daryl Dixon's skills in The Walking Dead

Daryl Dixon is one of the most valuable fighters in Rick Grimes' group. Growing up in the Georgian wilderness pre-apocalypse, he spent most of his childhood in the wilderness, where he developed a lot of skills that came in handy in survival during the apocalypse.

Among his many talents, Daryl is most equipped with his weapon, a Stryker crossbow. His use of a crossbow has resulted in triumph for the group many times. In addition, he is also an excellent hunter, as seen in TWD, where he has hunted down animals, zombies, and even people. Expect these skills to be displayed in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon.

5) Exploring Daryl's childhood before watching The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon

While fans of TWD know all about the protagonist of the spin-off, new viewers might need a lesson. Daryl grew up with an abusive father, and he escaped with his brother Merle, and the two settled in Northern Georgia.

While Daryl is an excellent survivalist, as seen in TWD, he is not a person who has traveled much. He has spent most of his life living off with his brother in Georgia. This makes his adventure in France in his spin-off show even more dangerous and exciting for the fans.

6) Daryl was an important part of Rick's group in The Walking Dead

Now that his childhood and skills are established, it is important to understand the various roles he took in TWD before he went on to his separate adventure. The lone figure we see in the spin-off show is because of the many leadership roles he took on in TWD.

He was the hunter of the Atlanta camp and a recruiter for Alexandria. Later, he was also made a Member of the Militia and the leader of the Saviours because of all he accomplished with his skills.

7) Zombie variants introduced in The Walking Dead

While The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon is Daryl's spin-off show, it is primarily a survival show with the zombie apocalypse at its core. Before heading into the show, it is important to understand the zombie variants in the show's universe.

In TWD, the zombies are referred to as the 'Walkers', who are infected with the Wildfire Virus. They are living corpses with little human intelligence left and the virus slows down the decomposition process in their body, which makes them dead-walk.

The only way to take a walker out is to destroy their brain, i.e., shoot them in the head.

8) Daryl's notable romantic relationship

Daryl has survived the post-apocalyptic world with his brother and other members of Rick's groups. Many fans of the show suspected that the character might be aromantic because he had no romantic partners.

In addition, he was also an introvert and socially shy (what social relations would you form in a post-apocalyptic world?)

Daryl was introduced to Leah, a member of the Leapers, who was shown to have a romantic relationship with Daryl. Tragically, Daryl was forced to kill his only lover in the show, but still, it proves that he is not romantic, as many fans have predicted before.

9) Daryl shares a deep bond with Carol

Daryl is constantly shipped with Carol throughout TWD, as the characters share a deep bond. Fans of the show wanted Daryl to have a romantic relationship because he has been a lone adventurer since Season 1. While the show's creators revealed that Daryl and Carol are platonic friends, fans still ship them.

Understanding Daryl's relationship with Carol is important because she appears in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon titled Book of Carol. Carol tries her best to reach to her friend after he is trapped in France.

10) Daryl is a loving father figure

While many new viewers think that Daryl is a cold-blooded person with no sympathy for others, that is untrue. Behind his rocky exterior and his fierce hunting skills, he has a warm heart, especially for his friends and children.

Being subjected to a difficult and traumatic childhood, Daryl is especially sympathetic and loving towards children, as evident in his relationship with Rick's children, as he was often their surrogate father figure during Rick's absence. He also protected and cared for his brother in their formative years.

Well, since now you are up to date with Daryl Dixon and his story as seen in TWD, now is the perfect time to binge The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Seasons 1 and 2, till Season 3 arrives in 2025.