Every Walking Dead Villain Ranked Worst To Best
6. Merle Dixon
Merle Dixon was Daryl's redneck older brother and one of the original group of Atlanta survivors. He was a foul mouthed, drug addled racist who constantly bullied other survivors as well as his brother. After being left for dead and forced to cut off his own hand, Merle reappeared in Season 3 as one of the Governor's top lieutenants.
Merle's relationship with his brother was a constant reminder of what Daryl could have become, a brutal and sadistic loner that would survive at all costs. He was an abusive villain that had a cruel smile and raging temper. Audiences never knew where his loyalties lay and that made him dangerous and unpredictable.
Despite him having a small redemption arc toward the end of his story, Merle caused several issues for the Atlanta survivors and provided some of the most cold killings and beatings.
Some fans still don't forgive him for the beatings he dealt out on T-Dog, Glenn, Maggie and Michonne. But the emotional and ethical impact he had on the group and Daryl provided some of the most interesting storylines from the third season.