7. Daryl - The Walking Dead
Characters on The Walking Dead aren't exactly the most permanent of fixtures -- they die with the frequency of Spinal Tap drummers. So it's even more impressive that Daryl has managed to flourish on the show and become a fan favorite. After all, he wasn't even in the original comics. Out of all the main characters that started the show, he was the only one that hadn't appeared in the massively popular Robert Kirkman graphic novels. So you'd think, knowing the general temperament of comic book fans, that fact alone would make him vulnerable to nerd rage from the audience. But instead, he's managed to win over pretty much everyone. The rough around the edges redneck is a natural survivor in the event of a zombie apocalypse, and even his abrasive personality comes off as charming once you get to know him. Daryl goes from being a character that didn't even exist in The Walking Dead's original form to one of the most beloved people on a hit TV show. And to think, when the show first started, a lot of people just saw him as the slightly less annoying version of his racist brother. Now look how far he's come. Makes you feel pretty crappy about your own accomplishments over the past five years, doesn't it?