The Walking Dead: 10 Most Underused Characters

10. Dale Horvath

Dale Horvath was around for just shy of two seasons, playing a key role in the early days of the show as a leading member of the Atlanta camp. He was wise, humble and morally sound, and acted as the voice of reason to a number of the show's more volatile characters.

Now, it's fair to say Dale was doomed for the get-go. He was older than those around him, and his innocent, overly optimist view of the new world continuously put him in danger.

But it should be noted that Dale was meant to have a much larger impact on the show. In the comics, he survives passed the prison arc (season three/four) and suffers the same fate given to Bob Stookey in the show's fifth season.

Dale was bitten in the second season, though, and put down by Daryl before reanimation. Behind the scenes, actor Jeffrey DeMunn was bitter about his close friend and original showrunner Frank Darabont being fired, and called up AMC to be killed off.

It's a tragic development looking back, especially given how important a player he was in the comics and how big he could have become on the show.