5. Melissa McBride (Carol Peletier)
In many ways, what Melissa McBride did with Carol is the opposite of what Laurie Holden did with Andrea. Originally a woman who was defined by her relationship with a violent and domineering man, Carol grew out of her role as a meek follower to become an active presence with a developed personality of her own, a journey which McBride embraced enthusiastically when finally given the opportunity. Once so submissive a character that it was difficult to imagine her surviving very long without Rick and Shane, her first real spark of spirit came when she beat in her dead husband's head with a pickaxe to prevent him from becoming a Walker. She then spent most of Season 2 either (understandably) in tears over the loss of Sophia or (frustratingly) doing the zombie apocalypse equivalent of housework. In Season 3, however, McBride was able to show some range. No longer defined by an abusive husband or missing daughter, Carol becomes handy with a rifle, practices C-sections on female Walkers, uses a very fresh corpse as a body shield, and dispenses bedroom advice that culminates less in
la petit mort and more in
la finale mort. Melissa McBride is able to take these new elements and add them to the existing character, creating in Carol a woman evolved rather than rewritten.
MVP Moment: Carol sees Sophia emerge from Hershel's barn, bitten on the shoulder and clearly having been dead for days.