In The Walking Dead television series, almost every single main character from the comic book series the show is based on has appeared. However, there's one character, Daryl Dixon, who's never appeared in the comics. But why did the fan-favorite character never show up in the comics?
Norman Reedus' Daryl Dixon became the television series' breakout character, after originally being introduced as Merle's brother. After being a small part of the core survivors, Daryl's motorcycle-riding hero would evolve over time into one of the most badass, caring people in the group. After Andrew Lincoln left the show in season nine, Reedus became the show's main character - which is sort of wild to think about considering he's one of the few characters who are completely original to the popular zombie show.
So, why didn't Daryl make the crossover into The Walking Dead comic book series? In the comic's recently completed 193-issue run, Daryl isn't even mentioned. But, that seemed quite intentional on the part of the series co-creator Robert Kirkman. While Kirkman has joked (via Comicbook.com) that Daryl doesn't exist in the comic due to "Norman Reedus likeness rights and stuff," he's also said that the lack of the character in the comics makes things more appealing.
Norman Reedus likeness rights and stuff, Kirkman said. I love the fact that there is something, if you read the comics, there would be an absence of Daryl and I feel like that adds to the mystery of the comic and makes it more appealing.
A couple of years after The Walking Dead first appeared on television, Kirkman said he'd considered adding the character to the comics and that Reedus himself "is always pestering him about it." He'd go onto tease a potential appearance from Daryl that never came to fruition. In 2014, Kirkman said that he liked "the separation" between the TV show and comics and that the series benefited from not having in the comics and vice versa. While he admitted it would "be cool if he was in the comic, but I don't really have plans on doing that."
Ultimately, once The Walking Dead reached its surprise comic conclusion this year, Daryl never appeared in the comics. As Kirkman mentioned, that's probably for the best. Reedus has made Daryl completely his own and to see his randomly shoe-horned into an already ongoing series would have been a tad weird - even if it would have provided some serious fanservice. Part of what makes the TV series great is how it's adapted storylines and characters in new and interesting ways - Daryl included.
