The Walking Dead: 10 Most Underused Characters
1. Merle Dixon
Merle Dixon was an amazing character, the older and more volatile brother of Daryl and one of the show's most complex antagonists. He was around for a very brief spell in season one, before disappearing for a season and eventually turning up as a vicious ally of The Governor.
In season three, his arc was great. Initially sided with The Governor, he was reunited with his brother and the two decided to live off the land together. When Daryl headed back to the prison, Merle went with him and attempted to integrate himself with the group.
Knowing the group would never accept him, he led a suicidal mission against The Governor's forces, killing many soldiers before being killed and left for Daryl to put down.
Given how compelling and multi-layered he was, and how typically amazing Michael Rooker was in the role, the fact that he only got one full season to strut his stuff and show what kind of man he really was remains the show's most disappointing case of wasted character potential.