Best 5...
5. Merle and Daryl
In a series that has so many characters; it takes some guts to straight away create some key characters that are nowhere to be found in the comics. The best of these were Merle and Daryl Dixon, redneck brothers who look after family first and appear to be uneasy allies to the larger group. While Daryl slowly integrates during the hunt for Sophia, Merle is left on the roof of a shopping mall and when a small band of the survivors go back to get him, we see he has been forced to cut off his own hand. Its a brutal moment that shows just how far Merle is willing to go to survive. We wouldnt see him again until he pops up under the Governors command in season three. From here on out Merle delivers dark humour and action while he pushes people around and seems to enjoy hunting walkers while Daryl becomes arguably, given Ricks mental deterioration, the strongest member of the group. Then, of course, fate pushes the brothers back together in the mid-season finale before the set off together and Merle meets a heart breaking end. The fact that these characters are completely new speaks to the promise for future original characters, no matter which direction the show decides to take.