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Someone Wicked This Way Comes: 'The Walking Dead' Fans Vote for the Show's No. 1 Villain

The votes are in and the polls are closed, so, just who is the ultimate villain of The Walking Dead?

By Tom ChapmanPublished 6 years ago 3 min read
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'The Walking Dead' [Credit: AMC]

Everybody loves to hate somebody, and fans of #AMC's #TheWalkingDead are no different. As we head into the popular show's eighth season and the brink of "All Out War," it is hard to imagine a time when Rick Grimes and co. haven't been battling some nefarious menace that wasn't the rotting walkers.

There have been some pretty formidable villains over the years and also some pretty lackluster ones. Whether it be the kindly cannibal Mary and her wimpy son Gareth from Terminus, the blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance of the Wolves, or the riddle talking Jadis and her dire haircut, the show sure knows how to drop the ball. However, for every bad bad guy, there have been some shining examples of true villainy. The votes are in and the polls are closed, so, just who is the ultimate villain of The Walking Dead?

Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Walking Dead.

Bad to the Bone

Tens of thousands of viewers voted, and the top 16 foes of the show have now been revealed. In a move that may shock many, the coveted No. 1 spot goes to none other than #JonBernthal's Shane Walsh. While he may be currently "punishing" us elsewhere, Shane served as the first real enemy of our survivors.

We watched as the former cop's morals unravelled when his partner miraculously woke from a coma and returned to his family. The chemistry between Bernthal and #AndrewLincoln's Rick Grimes reached boiling point and led to a shocking demise for Shane during the tail end of Season 2.

The poll saw the cast of bastards take each other on in knockout rounds, where Shane easily flounced the likes of creepy officer Gordman and the bowl-cutted Jadis. However, it was a third round victory over Negan that shocked many, followed by an impressive 88% smashing of the Governor to claim first place.

It's Good to Be Bad

We may currently be caught in the barbed wire of #Negan and his baseball bat, but let us never forget David Morrissey's appearance as the mad eye-patched Governor. Sure, Negan has no problem offing our favorite cast members, but Guv was a whole different level of unhinged. For some, (myself included) the Governor is the ultimate TWD devil.

However, you can also see why fans may have gone for Shane. The true antihero of the piece, Shane's underhand tactics led to him taking over Rick's role as the father of his family. Just like in The Walking Dead #comicbook, three's a crowd and it was never going to last. While Shane outlived his counterpart from the page and was highly involved in the maligned second season of the show as the main antagonist, his death still packed one hell of a punch and also involved the reveal that everyone is already infected.

Shane may be sitting pretty for now, but given the fact that Negan walked away with the award for Best Villain at the MTV Movie and TV Awards, he could have some stiff competition on his hands. Readers of the comics usually see Negan as the ultimate villain of the piece, while the main criticism of #RobertKirman's TV show is that #JeffreyDeanMorgan is just too nice as the leather-wearing leader of the Saviors. Also, fans of the comics will know that there are "whispers" of another Big Bad coming our way soon, so look out Shane, the times they are a changin'.

(Source: TheWalkingDead.com)

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About the Creator

Tom Chapman

Tom is a Manchester-based writer with square eyes and the love of a good pun. Raised on a diet of Jurassic Park, this ’90s boy has VHS flowing in his blood. No topic is too big for this freelancer by day, crime-fighting vigilante by night.

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