Based on the latest The Walking Dead spoilers, Daryl Dixon’s death in Season 6 may seem unlikely, but if The Walking Dead Season 7 focuses on the Saviors and a new villain named Negan then Norman Reedus may be riding that motorcycle off into the sunset by the end of 2016. Of course, this Walking Dead rumor assumes there will be a convergence between the TV series and Robert Kirkman’s grahic novels, and that Glenn’s death by Lucille is replaced with Daryl’s death.
In a related report by the Inquisitr , the last time we saw Glenn, he was stuck in a pit of zombies. Nicholas had just killed himself, and we saw Glenn’s horrified face as zombies began munching down on someone’s guts. We never actually saw Glenn die directly, and Nicholas’ body did land on top of him, so there has been a lot of speculation about a potential escape.
Still, it is possible he truly died since Steven Yeun’s name was removed from the opening credits for the first time since the pilot aired so many years ago, although some speculate that the producers are messing with the fans.
Glenn can’t be dead yet. He still has an appointment with Negan. #TheWalkingDead pic.twitter.com/kvpbZIulnR
— Soberly Intoxicated (@SIDrunks) November 2, 2015
When it comes to The Walking Dead spoilers, Daryl Dixon’s death has long been the subject of rumors generated directly by Robert Kirkman. The comic writer and TV executive producer seems to find morbid joy in toying with Normal Reedus fans.
For example, while discussing the premiere episode of The Walking Dead Season 5, Kirkman point-blank said that “Daryl dies” while describing the people of Terminus. Obviously, that did not happen, but the threat still lingers.
Shortly after the TWD character Beth Greene was killed off, Kirkman once again hinted during an interview that Daryl Dixon dies some time in a future season .
“No, no one is safe, definitely not. Looking at you Norman Reedus.”
The teasing mostly stopped in 2015 with The Walking Dead Season 6, but the new AMC show Ride With Norman Reedus resurrected the idea. Cinema Blend speculates that Kirkman may actually pull the trigger on Daryl’s death if Reedus fans are distracted.
“[P]remiering a show that headlines Reedus completely separate from The Walking Dead makes one wonder if the network may finally be working up the courage to take DIxon out of the equation. Having Reedus in a new series could serve to ease the blow on those who tune in weekly to specifically see his character. Then again, they could simply be trying to achieve maximum exposure for a beloved actor on their network. It’s anyone’s guess at this stage.”
Of course, Reedus could juggle two shows without too much trouble. The first season of Ride With Norman Reedus will be released in 2016 and it only has six one-hour episodes. The basic concept is that Reedus and a guest star ride their motorcycles to various locations considered interesting to bikers and motorcycle enthusiasts. While Reedus fans will eat that up, it does not seem a legit reason to kill Daryl.
If Daryl dies we riot If Glenn dies we riot If michonne dies we riot If Rick dies we riot If Carl dies we riot So don’t mess with us #TWD — liv (@bvdbutera) October 30, 2015
At the same time, Steven Yuen once commented on the idea that fans should be worrying about the survival of their favorite characters.
“We talk in terms of ‘are you afraid to get killed off?’ And for me, if it serves the story, I’m game for anything,” Yuen said, according to Vanity Fair . “I hope people can watch the show in that same regard. Stop watching it to see if your favorite character is still alive. That’s kind of been on my mind lately because you notice a lot of fans saying ‘we want you to live, or we want this person to die’ and it’s like, that’s not what the show’s about.”
Who else can’t wait for NEGAN???????? #TheWalkingDead ? pic.twitter.com/nPYg9RlKlr
— Ryan The Lion™ (@HerculesHandy) October 27, 2015
Daryl Dixon’s Death Possible In The Walking Dead Season 7?
AMC has already announced that TWD Season 7 will premiere in the fall of 2016, but the question remains if the TV series will start to follow the overall path set by the graphic novel. Part of the reason that Daryl’s death is up in the air is because Daryl does not exist at all in the comics. Reedus’ character was created specifically for the TV series after he auditioned for being Merle.
The investigation into Glenn’s death actually gave us hints about where the TV show may go next. It seems likely that Paul “Jesus” Monroe will be showing up in The Walking Dead Season 6 based upon photos from the set. The Jesus character results in Alexandria being connected with other Washington D.C. communities like Hilltop, but it also causes Rick Grimes and his merry band to run into a nasty bunch calling themselves The Saviors. This group is led by a “fun-loving sociopath” named Negan.
According to Cinema Blend , AMC likely put out the casting call for Negan already. Although AMC did not advertise Negan directly by name, they did say this “killer of men” needed to be “smart” and display a talent as a “brilliant strategist” based upon a “practical and emotional intelligence.” The description also made it likely that we may see Negan in the Walking Dead Season 6 finale, which may show all the major character kneeling before Negan in fear of their death.
In the comic version, Negan kills Glenn using a weapon he calls Lucille – a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire. This brutal death was quite shocking in the comics, but a popular fan theory holds that Daryl Dixon’s death will act as a substitute.
After all, many a memorable death have been transferred in the past. Hershel suffered the fate originally reserved for Tyreese. In addition, Dale’s “tainted meat” death happened with Bob. Assuming that Glenn did die in The Walking Dead Season 6 already, then it’s possible another transfer may coming in the future in order to set up certain character development.
In the comics, a pregnant Maggie becomes the leader of Hilltop partially due to the death of Glenn. Carol also died very early on in the comics, but it’s possible the TV series may make Carol into Hilltop’s leader instead. Considering the connection shared between Daryl and Carol, it may be Daryl’s death by Negan which also triggers these mirror world events.
Assuming these fan theories are true, the only questions remaining is if Daryl dies at the end of TWD Season 6, or at the beginning of TWD Season 7. The smart move would be to make Daryl seem like he is in peril during the TWD Season 6 finale, which should cause the viewer numbers to spike for the Season 7 premiere. Even if Kirkman does not carry out his old threat, and Normal Reedus’ character is spared, it is likely that the threat of death will be enough to get the fans itching to see what happens next.
Do you think Daryl Dixon should die?
If Daryl dies, we riot. He lives, we don’t. #MakeADeal #FearTheWalkingDead @HashtagAfterDrk pic.twitter.com/W2Kf8hU9dH — Lisa Nicole (@KatanaDiva) October 26, 2015
#TWD @WalkingDead_AMC Question of the day: Who will Negan kill first? pic.twitter.com/f9J4BxNJKT
— Chris C Dailey (@chriscdailey) October 22, 2015
[Image via Twitter/AMC]