12 Best Character Arcs In The Walking Dead

One of The Walking Dead's most underrated main characters, Aaron came into the show during its fifth season, unprepared for the harsh reality of life outside his community, Alexandria, and as of yet unbent and unbroken by the world around him. He was responsible for bringing Rick, Daryl Dixon, Maggie Greene, and the rest of the group to Alexandria.

As the show progressed, Aaron became a core member of the main gang and formed an unlikely friendship with Daryl. He learned how to fight and face the outside world, and during the war against Negan he was forced to watch his boyfriend, Eric, die. From there, Aaron started to go quite dark.

Adopting a child Rick made an orphan during the war, Aaron's optimistic, wholesome facade began to crack, and after losing his arm in season nine and getting deeply involved in the Whisperer War, he became angrier and more bitter. He has since emerged as one of the show's most compelling characters, good at heart but with a hard edge, and a future that will either bring him a happy end, or more tragedy than ever.