The Walking Dead: 10 Times Rick Was Really The Villain

There’s no doubt that Merle Dixon was a bad apple. Within minutes of meeting him we all learned he was not only a trigger-happy loudmouth whose ill-informed actions could easily get people killed but that he was a racist, sexist bastard too.

So Rick overpowering and punching him on that Atlanta rooftop was a very satisfying moment, but handcuffing him to a pipe may have been a step too far. While it was been T-Dog’s clumsiness that led to the loss of the handcuff key and Merle getting marooned there, it was Rick’s choice to handcuff him in the first place that set it all in motion and resulted in Merle sawing off his own hand to escape the advancing walker horde.

Rick did later feel guilt over leaving Merle stranded and recognised his own actions as villainous and wrong no matter how much of a fool Merle was. He even returned to the overrun Atlanta to get him but, of course, all that was left of Merle by that point was his severed hand.

But regardless of his eventual remorse, this was the first hint that Rick was capable of a level of ruthlessness not compatible with the wholesome hero he first appeared to be.