The Walking Dead: 5 Characters Better In The TV Show (And 5 Who Were Worse!)

Adapting a comic book into a TV series is never going to be an easy task, but making changes from the source material is sometimes necessary to make the adaptation possible, or to improve on issues of the original story.

The Walking Dead started out as a very faithful adaptation, but as the series has progressed it has gotten further and further from the original vision seen in the comic series. Some of these changes are great: as many people know, Daryl doesn't feature in the comics, and he has gone on to be one of the most recognisable characters of the entire show.

Other characters, such as Carol, are unrecognisable when compared to their comic counter-parts as well. It's good to keep things fresh for the comic readers, and exploring alternate story arcs can allow for the characters to grow in interesting ways. The Grove is one of the best episodes of The Walking Dead, and we wouldn't of gotten it without Carol's character being changed.

Sadly, not all character changes are good. Sometime the writers stumble and just accidentally end up making them less likeable, or they make them make poor decisions that don't feel right for what that character is supposed to be. With The Walking Dead, it's usually a flip of a coin.

In the comics Gabriel is by no means a bad character, playing a crucial role in demonstrating just how far gone Rick and the group have become after the traumatic events of the prison battle. But sadly he fell to the background too often in the comics, whereas his television counterpart played a much more consistent and prevalent role through the years.

Gabriel in the show quickly assimilates to the peaceful lifestyle of Alexandria but does not forget how much he owes the group regarding his survival. While he initially betrays Rick and the group, he quickly corrects his mistakes and learns to take things into his own hands, even going as far to kill another human at the Sanctuary base. His constant determination to prove himself to Rick as well as tussling with his own faith led to him leaving Season 5 a changed man.

Gabriel became the new moral compass of the group and eventually was able to re-earn their trust. This in itself was a great arc for the character, but Gabriel gained further depth when he became blind for a short while, which eventually resulted in his right eye staying that way permanently. This further challenged his faith and gave his character even more layers compared to the version we saw in the comics.