Series truyện tranh

Cốt truyện khởi đầu (2003–2004)

Trước khải huyền xác sống, Rick từng là một sĩ quan cảnh sát ở Cynthiana, Kentucky. Trong một vụ đấu súng chống lại lũ tội phạm tẩu thoát cùng với đồng nghiệp người cũng là bạn thân của anh, Shane Walsh, Rick bị thương và tỉnh dậy một thời gian sau đó trong bệnh viện không người. Sau khi Duane Jones nhầm Rick với một xác sống và đánh anh vào đầu với một cái xẻng, cha của Duane là Morgan đã nhận giúp đỡ Rick và cho anh biết những gì đã xảy ra khi anh ở trong cơn hôn mê.[5] Muốn tìm kiếm vợ Lori và con trai Carl, Rick hướng tới Atlanta, nơi được đồn đại là một trại tị nạn có sự bảo vệ tốt. Xe Rick bị hết xăng và anh dừng ở một trang trại. Rick tìm ra rằng những người chủ ở đó tự sát trong nhà. Rick chạy ra ngoài và nôn rồi tìm kiếm trong nhà kho của họ nơi anh tìm được một con ngựa. Khi đến nơi, Rick được giải cứu khỏi một đám xác sống lớn bởi một người sống sót tên Glenn, người đã đưa anh tới khu trại nơi Rick đoàn tụ với vợ Lori và con trai Carl, cũng như Shane.[6] Sự căng thẳng giữa Rick và Shane về khả năng lãnh đạo nhóm và về tình cảm của Lori đã dẫn đến một cuộc chạm trán mà có kết thúc là Carl bắn Shane để bảo vệ cha mình.[7] Sau đó, Rick dẫn dắt nhóm đi khỏi Atlanta, cố gắng tìm nơi trú ẩn an toàn khỏi "những thứ đã chết mà chưa chết".[8] Kế hoạch dàn xếp định cư trước đó của Rick đổ bể khi cộng đồng mà anh tưởng là an toàn đã bị xác sống xâm chiếm, dẫn đến cái chết của một người trong nhóm.[9] Lori Grimes, vợ Rick, hổ thẹn thừa nhận với Rick cô đang mang bầu (được cho là con của Shane), nhưng Rick vẫn có ý định chăm sóc cho đứa bé [10][11] Carl Grimes, con trai Rick, bị bắn vào lưng bởi một người đàn ông tên Otis, người đã hộ tống Rick và Tyreese, một thành viên mới tham gia vào nhóm Rick tới nông trại của Hershel Greene và gia đình ông.[12] Nhóm ở lại đó một khoảng thời gian ngắn trước khi Rick bị đứng trước nòng súng của Hershel và bị ép phải rời khỏi nông trại. Khi đang du hành trên đường một lần nữa, hai thành viên trong nhóm đã phát hiện ra một nhà tù, nơi họ làm thành khu trú ẩn và định cư.[13]

Cốt truyện tại nhà tù (2004–2008)

Rick và nhóm ổn định ở nhà tù nơi họ gặp những tù nhân cũ không trốn thoát được. Rick và Dale sớm quyết định là có càng nhiều người càng tốt tại nơi ở mới này, và thuyết phục Hershel và gia đình ông rời trang trại và tới ở với anh tại nhà tù, khi mà trang trại đang ngày càng trở nên không an toàn. Khái niệm "nhà tù là một nơi trú ẩn an toàn" nhanh chóng biến mất khi Rick và Tyreese tìm ra rằng con gái Tyreese, Julie, chết trong một cuộc tự sát chung bất thành với bạn trai của cô. Julie trở dậy và biến thành một xác sống, điều làm lộ ra sự thật rằng tất cả mọi người đã bị nhiễm bệnh với loại virus bí ẩn kia, dù bị cắn hay không.[14] Sau sự việc này, các tù nhân cố gắng hòa nhập với nhóm Rick, nhưng hầu hết chỉ gây ra những kết quả kinh khủng.[15] Điều này dẫn Rick tới lần giết người đầu tiên của anh, nạn nhân là Dexter, trong một cuộc xung đột có vũ trang với những tù nhân khác.[16] Vài tuần sau cuộc xung đột, Rick, Glenn và một người phụ nữ bí ẩn biết sử dụng kiếm katana tên là Michonne, tìm kiếm một máy bay trực thăng đã rơi gần đó[17], nó đã dẫn họ tới một thị trấn mang tên Woodbury, Georgia.[18] Ở đây họ gặp một người đàn ông có biệt hiệu là Thống đốc (The Governor), người đã dẫn dắt Woodbury bằng việc thao túng họ một cách tàn nhẫn cùng những thủ đoạn khôn lường. Bị lừa bởi sự hiếu khách giả dối giống như những cư dân khác ở Woodbury, Rick cuối cùng bị chặt rời bàn tay phải trong khi bị tra hỏi vị trí của nhà tù.[19] Khi Thống đốc thấy rằng Rick sẽ không bán đứng gia đình mình, hắn quyết định tra tấn Glenn và Michonne thay vào đó, nhưng vẫn thất bại trong việc tìm địa điểm nhà tù.[20] Rick trốn thoát khỏi thị trấn cùng với nhóm của anh và một đồng minh mới là người ở Woodbury, tên Alice Warren,[21] sau khi Michonne trả thù Thống đốc bằng cách hành hạ và "cắt xẻo" hắn.[22] Rick vui sướng đoàn tụ với gia đình sau sự giam hãm tại Woodbury. Alice cũng cập nhật cho Lori về tình hình mang thai của cô.[23] Alice đỡ đẻ cho Lori và đứa bé được đặt tên là "Judith".[24] Tuy nhiên, hạnh phúc chưa được bao lâu thì Thống đốc tìm ra được nhà tù và bắt giữ Tyreese và Michonne. Hắn nói với những người đi theo hắn rằng nhóm Rick là những kẻ xấu.[25] Trong cuộc tấn công vào nhà tù lần cuối cùng, Tyreese bị xử tử trước mặt nhóm như một hành động để dụ họ bước ra khỏi nhà tù,[25] sau đó cả hai bên đều chịu tổn thất nặng nề. Lori và Judith bị giết hại khi họ cố gắng chạy thoát.[26]

Cốt truyện sau nhà tù (2008–2009)

Carl giận dữ và đổ lỗi cho Rick, cho rằng anh là người chịu trách nhiệm cho những mất mát của họ. Rick cũng bắt đầu có những ảo giác về vợ mình.[26] Rick, Michonne và Carl là những người sống sót sau vụ tấn công nhà tù, trở lại trang trại của Hershel và đoàn tụ với những người còn lại của nhóm đã rời đi trước vụ tấn công. Họ gặp một nhóm những người sống sót đang trên đường đến Washington, D.C, bao gồm Abraham Ford (thủ lĩnh), Eugene Porter (một người đàn ông tự nhận bản thân có hiểu biết về phương thuốc chữa) và Rosita Espinosa (bạn gái của Abraham).[27] Trên đường đi tới D.C, nhóm gặp nhiều mối nguy hiểm. Khi Rick và Abraham đi bằng đường cao tốc liên bang tới quê nhà của Rick, họ chạm trán một toán cướp, chúng đe dọa họ và đã cố tấn công tình dục Carl. Rick, bị làm mờ bởi sự giận dữ, cắn nát họng của một trong số những tên cướp, làm xao nhãng những tên còn lại.[28] Abraham bắn tên cướp đang dí súng vào đầu mình và an ủi Carl trong khi Rick đâm tên cướp còn lại cho đến chết.[28] Rick sau đó gặp lại Morgan ở thị trấn quê nhà của ông. Morgan đã trở nên bất ổn định sau cái chết của con trai ông. Rick, Abraham, Morgan và Carl gặp phải một bầy xác sống lớn, chúng đã đi theo họ về khu trại.[29] Sau khi đã phải chịu đựng một vài tổn thất, nhóm gặp gỡ một cha xứ tên Gabriel Stokes và chạm trán một nhóm những thợ săn ăn thịt người.[30]

Alexandria (2009–2011)

Trên đường đến thủ đô, họ tìm ra rằng nhiệm vụ của họ là bất khả thi vì Eugene Porter đã nói dối với họ về phương thuốc. Họ quyết định vẫn tiến tới D.C bởi vì khoảng cách gần, và họ khám phá ra thủ đô đã bị xâm chiếm giống như các thành phố lớn khác.[31] Tuy nhiên, mặc cho tất cả những cản trở đó, họ được tuyển mộ bởi Aaron để tới ở tại một thị trấn cô lập và an toàn ở rìa Washington, được gọi là Alexandria Safe-Zone.[32][33] Mỗi người cố gắng tìm kiếm lại sự cân bằng của cuộc sống thực, nhưng Rick không tin tưởng người lãnh đạo của thị trấn, nghị sĩ Mĩ đương thời Douglas Monroe.[34] Rick sớm trở thành một viên cảnh sát ở Khu vực an toàn, cố gắng giữ sự yên bình cho thị trấn, nhưng rốt cuộc cuối cùng cũng bị ép buộc phải giết Peter Anderson, một người đàn ông bạc đãi vợ và con, hắn cũng là người giết Regina Monroe, vợ của Douglas, trong một cuộc ám sát nhằm vào Rick.[35] Rick vì đã trải qua rất nhiều sóng gió từ ngày còn sống ở nhà tù, dần dần lấy lại vai trò lãnh đạo cho đến khi anh hoàn toàn trở thành người đứng đầu Khu vực an toàn Alexandria, sau khi Douglas mất đi

On the way to the capital, they find out that their mission is bogus as Eugene Porter has been lying to them about the cure. They decide to still push on to D.C. because of their close proximity, and they find out that the capital is as infested just as the other major cities.[31] However, despite these set backs, they are recruited by Aaron to stay in a secluded and secure township on the outskirts of Washington, called the Alexandria Safe-Zone.[32][33] Each person tries to find a semblance of real life, but Rick doesn't trust the leader of the town, former U.S. Congressman Douglas Monroe.[34] Rick soon becomes the Constable of the Safe Zone, attempting to keep the peace in the town, but is eventually forced to kill Peter Anderson, a man who was abusing his wife and child and soon murdered Regina Monroe, Douglas' wife, during an assassination attempt on Rick's life.[35] Rick having been through so much since the prison, slowly starts resuming more leadership-like roles until finally Rick assumes leadership of the Alexandria Safe-Zone, after Douglas soon finds himself losing his grip on life, and his leadership position exacerbating as a result of this.[36] The town becomes endangered after a scavenging group's attack attracts a nearby horde of walkers that quickly breach the town's defensive walls. Morgan and Jessie, are two of several casualties in the distress of the situation.[37] As the survivors fight for their lives, several people are killed and Rick's son is grievously wounded by a gunshot to the head.[38] Using the combined strength of all of those remaining in the community, the survivors fend off the horde and Rick tends to Carl, whose condition is very dire. Following the attack, however, Rick concludes that the undead can be beaten if the survivors put their differences aside and work together. Rick mentions that this is the first time in a very long time that he has hope for the future.[39] Rick's mindset on survival changes and he gradually develops an optimistic outlook on the community and its true potential. Later, Carl wakes up from his coma, initially with minor amnesia.[40] Rick worries that the son he knew is gone, as he shows no grief over Lori's loss.[41] A small insurrection is later formed, but the situation is defused without bloodshed and Rick forgives the transgressors.[42] Rick and Andrea continue to bond and become very close concerning Carl in his coma. Andrea develops feelings for Rick.[43] However, Rick resists out of fear of what might happen to him in the event of her death.[44]

Networking communities (2011–2012)

Paul Monroe, an ambassador from a community of two-hundred survivors called the Hilltop Colony, visits Alexandria to start a trading network with Rick's community.[44][45][46] After some mistrust, Rick agrees to go to the Hilltop Colony and starts the trading network. At the Hilltop, Paul Monroe admits that the Hilltop Colony have enemies, and explain of the infamous Negan, who some speculate may not even be a person. The group learn of the Saviors, the Hilltop's rivalling community, who frequently terrorize them and threaten to damage their community if they are not brought half of their supplies. Rick agrees to defuse their conflict in exchange for half of their supplies.[47] Rick's group are ambushed by a group of the Saviors after they leave the Hilltop Colony. Rick's group retaliates, killing them. He sends the lone survivor back to Negan with a warning to stop terrorizing the residents of Hilltop and that Negan and his men can pay them half of everything they have in exchange for his protection. Rick and Andrea return to the Safe Zone to discover Abraham has been murdered and Eugene is being held hostage. Residents of the Safe Zone discover the Saviors are outside of the walls, as they quickly respond by killing them.[48][49] Rick and several others including Glenn and Maggie decide to go back to the Hilltop Colony where Glenn and Maggie plan to live.[50] However, Negan makes his appearance to the survivors surrounded by his men, taunting the survivors before brutally beating Glenn to death. Rick and the others watch on in horror and Maggie and Sophia later leave Rick to go to the Hilltop.[51][52] Now realizing the full scale of Negan's army, Rick intentionally gives in, allowing Negan to take all of Alexandria's supplies.[53][54]

War against Negan (2012–2014)

Rick remains at conflict with Negan and the Saviors. Carl reveals to his father that the Saviors live in a factory. Paul Monroe tells Rick that they should see Ezekiel, the leader of the Kingdom. Ezekiel, residing in a high school, greets Paul Monroe and welcomes Rick to his community. He agrees to work with Rick, and explains that he has another visitor, Dwight, a Savior secretly working against Negan. Rick, initially angry with Dwight's appearance, eventually forms an alliance with him, but remains wary of whether to trust Dwight or not.[55] During the war, the Alexandria Safe Zone, the Kingdom and the Sanctuary suffer many losses.[56] Rick rescues Andrea and Carl when the Alexandria Safe Zone is bombed by the Saviors.[57] Maggie, now the de facto leader of the Hilltop Colony, relocates the residents to the Hilltop, where all three communities unite.[58] Negan arrives at the Hilltop Colony as the Saviors break down the front gates and swarm the community. Rick orders the survivors to open fire, destroying the truck that smashed through, killing several Saviors in the process. During the firefight, Rick takes Nicholas and Aaron to box in the attackers. While they take cover, Rick unknowingly leaves himself vulnerable from behind. Negan, who separates from the other Saviors with Dwight, finds Rick at a close distance and demands that Dwight shoot him with his infected crossbow. Dwight shows some hesitation, but is ultimately forced to shoot Rick.[59] An arrow pierces Rick's side, taking him down, but Dwight's loyalties are revealed to be on Rick's side as he has not succumbed to the infection.[60] He confronts Negan, showing his perspective, and Negan finally understands Rick's view of rebuilding society. In response, Rick slashes Negan's throat before Negan breaks his leg.[61] Negan passes out, before he is saved by a doctor. Rick chooses to imprison Negan, believing that watching the regrowth of civilization from behind a cell is a better punishment than killing him. Dwight takes over as leader of the Saviors, supporting Rick and the war is won.[62]

Post-war/time skip (2014–nay)

An indefinite number of years later, Rick and the others have rebuilt Alexandria into a thriving sanctuary. He welcomes newcomers, Magna and her group[63] who are initially wary of the safe haven,[64] but eventually come to understand the running of the community.[65] Carl convinces his father to let him relocate to the Hilltop Colony to become a blacksmith apprentice, which Rick agrees on.[64] Rick reunites with Maggie Greene and her adoptive daughter Sophia as he brings Carl to the Hilltop.[65] Rick leaves Carl under Maggie's care.[65] Unaware that his son has joined Alpha and the Whisperers, a tribe of thousands who disguise themselves as walkers, Rick reunites with Michonne as a ship arrives revealing her presence. He is concerned by her behaviour, telling her to sort out her issues and move on after the loss of her daughters.[66] Later, as Michonne and Rick go to Alexandria to attend a fair that has been planned months in advance, they discover Carl is missing and decide to go after him, along with Andrea. Alpha, however, confronts them, and points a gun at Rick's head as she marches him up to an unknown building where he sees thousands of Whisperers. Michonne's sword is also smeared with blood.[67] Alpha decides to leave her daughter Lydia, who has feelings for Carl, with Rick, believing her to be a weakness. She criticizes Rick's leadership and trying to re-establish society as it had been, before telling him she has marked a border. As Rick reaches the border, he is horrified to find many civilians from each of the four communities decapitated, including Ezekiel and the pregnant Rosita. Michonne begins to cry as Andrea solemnly asks him what they do next.[68] Rick decides to tell the communities, who take it terribly. He is attacked by two of the citizens. One man made it out alive, the other, Morton Rose, the husband of one of the decapitated victims, did not. He starts training the people of the joined communities to fight against walkers as well as the Whisperers.

Television series

The Walking Dead

Season 1

In the series premiere, "Days Gone Bye", before the outbreak, Rick and his best friend, Shane Walsh (Jon Bernthal), respond to escaped convicts fleeing from other police officers. Rick is shot and wounded during a gun battle with the band of escaped convicts, and left in a coma for months while the zombie apocalypse began. After awakening alone in the hospital, he walks through a local neighborhood but is mistaken for a walker and hit over the head with a shovel by a child, Duane Jones (Adrian Kali Turner). Duane's father Morgan (Lennie James) takes Rick in and explains the sickness to him. Rick sets off in search of his wife, Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies), and young son, Carl (Chandler Riggs), and along the way discovers what has happened to the world. While searching in downtown Atlanta, he is attacked by a horde of walkers and hides inside a tank. In the episode "Guts", a young man named Glenn Rhee (Steven Yeun) rescues him from the tank and leads him to a group of survivors scavenging for supplies in a building. The building is attacked by walkers and the group flees the city, forced to leave subdued and chained group member, Merle Dixon (Michael Rooker) behind. In the episode "Tell It to the Frogs", the survivors lead Rick to their campsite where he happily reunites with Lori and Carl, as well as Shane. Merle's brother Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus), however, demands that a group return to the city to find him; Rick also wants to retrieve a bag of guns. They discover that Merle cut off his hand to escape. In the episode "Vatos", they return to the campsite just in time to save the remaining survivors as a group of walkers overrun the camp. In the episode "Wildfire", after many losses, the group leaves the insecure campsite and ventures to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in the hope of finding a cure. In the season finale, "TS-19", the group is hoping for a new home, but unfortunately finds no answers at the CDC. The last remaining employee there, a medical doctor and researcher named Edwin Jenner (Noah Emmerich), reveals that the building will soon self-destruct, and whispers something in Rick's ear before the group escapes the doomed facility.

Season 2

In the second-season premiere, "What Lies Ahead", Carl is accidentally shot during the group's search for Sophia Peletier (Madison Lintz), Carol's (Melissa McBride) daughter, who was chased away by walkers during the group's escape from Atlanta. In the episode "Bloodletting", the shooter, Otis, takes them to an isolated farm occupied by Hershel Greene (Scott Wilson), a veterinarian who works to save Carl's life by using a transfusion of Rick's blood. Carl recovers with Shane's help in the episode "Cherokee Rose". In the episode "Secrets", Lori tells Rick that she is pregnant and reveals that she and Shane had been together after she believed he died. In the mid-season finale, "Pretty Much Dead Already", the group discovers that Hershel has kept walkers in the barn, including his family, believing that he can save them. Despite Rick's refusal, Shane opens the barn and kills the walkers inside, until one is revealed to be Sophia. Left with no other choice, Rick shoots Sophia dead. In the mid-season premiere, "Nebraska", Rick is forced to kill two men in a bar to protect the group, but takes one of their group members, Randall Culver (Michael Zegen), as a prisoner in the episode "Triggerfinger". In the episode "Better Angels", Rick decides to keep the prisoner alive. Shane ultimately kills Randall, and then tries to kill Rick, who stabs him in the heart in self-defense. Shane comes back to life as a walker, but Carl kills him. In the season finale, "Beside the Dying Fire", a walker horde overruns the farm. Rick reveals to the escaped group that Jenner had told him that everyone is infected. He tells Lori he killed Shane to protect himself as well as the group, but she recoils from him, horrified. Rick then coldly dares any would-be traitors to abandon the safety of the group.

Season 3

In the season premiere, "Seed", eight months have passed and Rick and Lori's relationship has deteriorated. The group finds an overrun prison facility and decide to settle there. When exploring the building's interior, they encounter some prisoners, who try to assassinate Rick and then unleash walkers into the facility, causing Lori's death. Rick falls into a downward spiral and begins hallucinating, imagining a series of phone calls and seeing visions of Lori in the prison courtyard. He comes into conflict with The Governor (David Morrissey), the leader of a small town called Woodbury, after Michonne (Danai Gurira), a mysterious katana-wielding survivor arrives at the prison to reveal Glenn and Maggie Greene (Lauren Cohan) have been kidnapped (in order to gain information on the location of the prison, a more secure environment than Woodbury). Rick follows Michonne while somewhat distrustful of her in the episode "Made to Suffer" and retrieves the couple by killing several soldiers and consequently causing a firefight in the streets. The Governor launches an assault on the prison in the episode "Home" in retaliation. A former member of Rick's group, Andrea (Laurie Holden), now a Woodbury citizen and The Governor's lover, unsuccessfully tries to negotiate terms of peace with the two conflicting communities in the episodes "I Ain't a Judas" and "Arrow on the Doorpost". In the episode "Clear", Rick and Michonne form a stronger bond on a journey to retrieve guns after the assault, where they meet the mentally unbalanced Morgan, who has lost his son. Rick refuses to give Michonne over to The Governor in the episode "This Sorrowful Life", asking Merle, The Governor's former ally, to do so. Merle ultimately sacrifices himself. In the season finale, "Welcome to the Tombs", Rick, Daryl and Michonne go out to confront The Governor after he fails to take the prison and massacres his own troops. They discover a bitten Andrea in The Governor's torture chamber. Rick reaffirms her as a group member before she uses his revolver to commit suicide to avoid turning. Rick brings the surviving residents of Woodbury - including Tyreese (Chad L. Coleman) and his sister, Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) - to the prison. He also confiscates Carl's pistol after hearing that his son killed a boy from Woodbury whom he believed to be a threat. Rick stops seeing visions of Lori, realizing his ruthlessness was the reason for her appearances.

Season 4

In the season premiere, "30 Days Without an Accident", having relinquished leadership, Rick tries to live a quieter, peaceful life as a farmer, growing crops and raising livestock for the community. However, his new life is disrupted by the threat of an illness breaking out, in "Infected" Rick is seen for the first time with Carl taking care of the pigs and Carl asks for his gun, but the police asks him to focus on his work, suddenly the block D is attacked and Rick and Carl go to help the residents of the block D, after the attack Rick, Hershel and Dr. Subramanian examine Patrick's corpse and discard that the cause of death is an illness, shortly after Rick goes with Maggie to secure the prison fences, before a crowd of walkers trying to tear it down, the walkers begin to crush the fence, but a thinking Rick sacrifices the pigs to lure the walkers away from the prison with the help of Daryl, then he analyzes a boar that died from that same flu in The one that killed her sow Violet, Rick begins to burn the enclosure of the pigs to avoid any possibility that the possible virus continues to exist. At the same time, he returns Carl's weapon and takes out his Colt Python for protection.[69] In the episode "Isolation", Carol admits that she killed two infected people to spare others from getting infected; Rick exiles her, Rick then burns his shirt in the fire in the following episode, "Indifference". In the episode "Internment", he resolves problems with walkers carving through the fences as the illness dies out with Hershel's medical assistance. In the mid-season finale, "Too Far Gone", The Governor returns with a militia to take over the prison and decapitates his hostage, Hershel, calling Rick a liar for proposing they can live together in the community. The Governor's men drive a tank through the fences, destroying Rick's home and causing a battle between the two sides. The Governor tries to strangle a badly wounded Rick to death, but Michonne stabs him through the chest. Rick discovers Judith's empty cradle and believes that she has been killed by walkers; heartbroken, he escapes with Carl. After reuniting with Michonne in the episode "Claimed", Rick escapes from a dangerous group called the Claimers, before travelling towards Terminus, a supposed sanctuary, in "Us" Rick is seen with Carl and Michonne, walking along the train tracks, heading to Terminus. In the season finale, "A", Rick re-encounters the Claimers, who try to kill him, as well as sexually assault Michonne and Carl, but an enraged Rick bites the leader Joe (Jeff Kober) in the neck as Michonne and the reunited Daryl (who had joined the Claimers) kill the others. The four head to Terminus, but become suspicious as they discover the inhabitants wearing the clothes belonging to the survivors they knew. The citizens of Terminus trap the group in a boxcar, where they find Glenn, Maggie, Sasha and Bob Stookey (Lawrence Gilliard, Jr.) and new allies Tara Chambler (Alanna Masterson), whom Rick recognizes from the prison invasion, Sergeant Abraham Ford (Michael Cudlitz), Eugene Porter (Josh McDermitt), and Rosita Espinosa (Christian Serratos).

Season 5

In the season premiere, "No Sanctuary", Rick's group escapes Terminus as an explosion set off by Carol destroys the compound and infests it with walkers. He reunites with his daughter, Judith and graciously thanks Carol, who resettles into the group. In the episode "Strangers", the group meets Father Gabriel Stokes (Seth Gilliam) who brings them to his church to stay before going to Washington, DC in hopes of a cure. In the episode "Four Walls and a Roof", Gareth and five other Terminus survivors hunt down the group, capture a bitten Bob, eat his leg and leave him as bait, before the group lure them into the church to be trapped and slaughtered. In the episode "Crossed", a rescue mission in Atlanta for Beth Greene (Emily Kinney) ensues as Daryl informs the others of her whereabouts at Grady Memorial Hospital with escapee, Noah (Tyler James Williams). A rather peaceful resolution is ultimately decided with a hostage exchange, as the group captures several police officers for the exchange. In the mid-season finale, "Coda", leading officer Dawn Lerner (Christine Woods) demands Noah back as her ward after Beth's departure, fuelling Beth to try to kill her but she is reflexively shot in the head. Dawn is immediately killed by Daryl and a stand-off is defused by Officer Shepherd. In the mid-season premiere, "What Happened and What's Going On", Rick's group travels to Virginia where Noah's community is and eventually strive for Washington despite the cure being outed as false, in hopes of finding a safe haven, but suffer one more loss with Tyreese. In the episode "The Distance", the mournful group is encountered by a stranger named Aaron (Ross Marquand), claiming to be a recruiter for a community named Alexandria. While distrustful, they follow him as well as his boyfriend, Eric and discover he is telling the truth. In the episode "Remember", Deanna Monroe (Tovah Feldshuh), a former congressperson from Ohio and leader of Alexandria interviews the group and assigns Rick as a constable in the community along with Michonne. In the episode "Try", Rick has a confrontation with Jessie's abusive husband Pete (Cory Brill), forcing Michonne to knock him unconscious. In the season finale, "Conquer", Deanna holds a meeting to potentially exile Rick, but Rick proves he is trying to ensure the community's protection from the living and the dead, before Pete shows up and tries to assassinate Rick with Michonne's katana, accidentally killing Deanna's husband in the process. With Deanna's approval, Rick shoots Pete in public as Morgan Jones arrives at the scene.

Season 6

In the season premiere, "First Time Again", while getting reacquainted with Morgan, Rick discovers a quarry filled with hundreds of walkers held in by a barricade that is about to fail. He takes de facto command of Alexandria with Deanna's approval and recruits the native Alexandrians to help lure the herd away. In "Thank You" Rick and the rest of the groups follow the horn of the truck hurriedly and it separates of Glenn and Michonne, but when it tries to drive its vehicle it is attacked by a group of wolves to which Morgan let them go ahead but Rick he manages to knock down all the wolves that tried to kill him, while trying to restart the RV to go home, he discovers that the engine had been turned off, thanks to a shot fired by the blond wolf. Each failed attempt to light the RV sends Rick into a state of increasing panic, before he hears the pack's moans as they emerge from the forest beside him. The plan goes awry at several points and Rick returns to Alexandria pursued by half of the herd in the episode "Now". Deanna realizes she is no longer fit to lead the community, and officially makes him leader of Alexandria, n the same night, Rick shared with Jessie her fears about the daunting scenario but she encouraged him by talking about the possibility of a better future, and then the two ended up getting lost in a passionate kiss, the next morning in "Heads Up", Rick continued guarding the premises of Alexandria to make sure that the situation was not complicated and also met with Morgan to reproach him for letting the wolves escape that eventually frustrated his plan to drive away the walkers and despite having received the command of the community, Rick continued with the idea that alexandrinos were not ready to survive in the new world and for this reason he scolded Tara hard when he risked his life to save Spencer, since he felt that the effort was not worth it, later, while looking at the balloons that Glenn and Enid had released in the sky as a sign that they were still alive, Rick and all the residents of the community witnessed how the watchtower that was outside Alexandria collapsed on the walls and allowed the entry of the horde of walkers. In the mid-season finale, "Start to Finish", the herd breaches Alexandria's walls and Rick takes shelter with Carl, Michonne, Gabriel, Deanna, Jessie, and her sons Ron and Sam in Jessie's house. Deanna is revealed to have been bitten and asks Rick to look out for the native Alexandrians as he does his own pre-Alexandria group before she dies. Rick prepares ponchos covered in walker innards for the group to sneak through the herd to safety.

Sam suffers a mental breakdown in the mid-season premiere "No Way Out". Sam is killed, followed by his mother, and Ron shoots Carl in the eye before being killed by Michonne. While Dr. Denise Cloyd treats Carl, an enraged Rick leads nearly all of Alexandria in battling and defeating the herd. Rick tells a comatose Carl that he now has hope for the future again and plans to rebuild the town, two months later, in the episode "The Next World", Rick and Daryl meet Paul "Jesus" Rovia on a supply run and after take him back to Alexandria. He later begins a relationship with Michonne. In the episode "Knots Untie", Jesus takes Rick to the Hilltop Colony, and when he learns they live in fear of Negan and his Saviors, offers to assassinate him in exchange for a trade of supplies. After a successful raid on the Saviors in the episode "Not Tomorrow Yet", Rick believes the threat of the Saviors to have been vanquished, only to be proven wrong when Denise is killed in the episode "Twice as Far". Rick makes preparations for an attack from the Saviors in the episode "East", but in the season finale "Last Day on Earth" when Maggie has complications in her pregnancy, leads a team to seek Dr. Carson's aid at Hilltop. The group is herded into a trap by the Saviors, and Rick watches helplessly as Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) kills two (unseen) members of the group.

Season 7

In the season premiere, "The Day Will Come When You Won't Be", it is revealed that Negan's two victims were Abraham and Glenn. Negan torments Rick, saying that their deaths were his fault for crossing the Saviors, and threatens to kill them all unless Rick submits. In "Service", Rick is forced to abide by Negan's rules and the opposition of Spencer, whom he threatens. In "Go Getters" Rick plans an expedition to go find more supplies, knowing that the saviors will return for more offerings and Aaron offers to accompany him. Carl looks at his father reluctantly to see him too submissive to Negan's orders and began to treat him with indifference, rejecting even his offer to accompany him on the way out. Michonne gave him an intense kiss goodbye as a sign of support. In "Hearts Still Beating", Rick and Aaron return from a supply run to Negan killing Spencer. Negan explains that Spencer asked him to kill Rick so he could take over. With some prodding from Michonne, Rick agrees to stand up and fight, and goes to the Hilltop.

In "Rock in the Road", Rick attempts to gather an army to fight Negan; when Rick fails to rally enough people in Hilltop, Jesus brings them to a community known as the Kingdom. There, Rick meets with their leader King Ezekiel (Khary Payton), who decides not to fight. Rick and the group are able to procure wired explosives left by the Saviors. Later, Rick and the others are surrounded by a new junkyard group. In ""New Best Friends", Rick negotiates with the leader Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh), and she agrees on one-third of supplies once the war is over, but they need a large quantity of guns to make a formal alliance. In "Say Yes", Rick and Michonne look for guns. They bond, have sex, and have a deep conversation about whether he will die in the war, asking her to take over if he does. Jadis is dissatisfied with their offering, but Rick manages to convince her to let them keep some of the guns while they find more.

In "Something They Need", Tara leads Rick to Oceanside where they have guns, having kept it a secret. They huddle the community at gunpoint, but promise they will return them later. They fail to convince Oceanside to fight, however. In "The First Day of the Rest of Your Life", Negan's former lieutenant Dwight (Austin Amelio) offers to help Rick and delays Negan's arrival, while Rick brings Jadis and the Scavengers to Alexandria to prepare for an attack. It backfires when it is revealed Jadis was already working with Negan. Negan threatens to kill Sasha, and Rick asks to see her. Sasha, having committed suicide to prevent herself from being used as bait, reanimates as a walker and attacks Negan, buying the Alexandrians a chance to open fire against the Scavengers and Saviors. Rick is shot by Jadis after he tries to re-negotiate, and later soldiers from the Kingdom and the Hilltop arrive to save the day. This prompts Negan to retreat. The episode and season ends with Rick, Maggie and Ezekiel uniting the three communities together.

Season 8

In the season premiere, "Mercy", Rick stands before the assembled forces of the Kingdom, Alexandria and the Hilltop and declares the world to be theirs. He leads a large convoy of survivors with armored vehicles to the Sanctuary to confront the Saviors. Rick offers the Saviors the chance to surrender, but states that Negan has to die. The group then opens fire, ravaging the Sanctuary before a massive herd of walkers (led by Daryl) arrives. Rick uses an explosive-laden RV to blow open the gates. As walkers flood into the Sanctuary, Rick spots Negan taking cover and attempts to shoot him, but Gabriel stops him. In the episode "The Damned", Rick and Daryl lead a group of survivors to take control of a Savior compound with the added goal of capturing a stash of guns housed inside. Rick finds where he believes them to be housed, but only gains access after killing a Savior in a brutal fight. He opens the door to find a nursery with a baby inside, forcing Rick to question the morality of his plan. This is compounded when he is confronted by former Atlanta survivor Morales (Juan Pareja), now a Savior, who informs him that reinforcements are on the way. "Monsters" opens with Rick talking to Morales, trying to convince him of Negan's evil to no effect. Their conversation is cut short when Daryl kills Morales from behind, despite Rick's protests. He is further disturbed when Daryl executes a Savior who Rick had promised to let go in exchange for information. In "Some Guy" Rick and Daryl chase a savior named Iago and another escaping rescue partner, while they make a hasty pursuit with weapons on their backs, one of the men of the saviors begins to shoot the two, making Daryl deviate From the road, Rick stays in his way, Iago evades the walkers on the road, pulling the other savior's target and causing him to stumble, When he regains his position and continues shooting at the other truck, Rick veers off to the side, allowing that Daryl, who reached the persecution, open fire against the savior, shoots it several times and manages to shoot down one. Rick manages to reach Iago's truck and jumps on board, stabs him in the stomach and pushes him out of the vehicle before crashing into the side of the road, Daryl arrives at the scene and meets Rick while both contemplate the condition of 50-caliber machine guns approach the truck to check the remaining savior. By "The Big Scary U" Rick and Daryl who go to a dying lago to know what happened but this reveals before he dies that all the militia of the Kingdom died with the exception of King Ezekiel, Jerry and Carol finally die and Rick avoids their resuscitation, shortly after they observe the weapons aboard a vanished Salvador's truck that prevented him from returning to the Sanctuary. They enter into a discussion about what to do with weapons, Daryl believes that they should use them against the Saviors, while Rick sees a more humane solution. The argument turns into a fist fight, which inadvertently results in a dynamite bag thrown at the truck, destroying it along with the weapons, Daryl goes on his motorcycle back to Alexandria, a resentful Rick heads off to another course. For "The King, The Widow and Rick" in the days after the start of the war against Negan and the saviors, Rick, Maggie and Carol correspond to each other to report their victories and casualties and organize a strategy to launch the next assault in a few days, Rick travels to the scavenger base to meet Jadis, showing him the Polaroid photos of his victories and offers to deal with them in his war despite his altercations; Jadis refuses the negotiation, no doubt, Rick is taken inside a shipping container in captive quality, and left in his underwear. In the episode "Time for After" Rick tries to negotiate his release with Jadis, but she refuses again, they remove Rick from the storage container, force him to kneel and Jadis brings him a slightly armed walker to execute him, able to dominate Jadis, Rick threatens to let him go or die; she lets him go. Rick then makes a deal to allow the scavengers to share the savior's supplies if they join him, but Jadis demands to see the situation in the sanctuary before she or her people commit to Rick's plan, the scavengers are guided by Rick to the outer perimeter of the enclosure, upon entering, Rick finds one of his snipers dead, being devoured by walkers, unable to eliminate the other snipers, Rick climbs a tower and watches the area from a higher ground, looking at the Sanctuary, Rick looks horrified at the Sanctuary yard, completely devoid of walkers, only to see an abandoned garbage truck and an open door with a giant hole in the wall of the complex, alarmed by it. In the final mid season "How It's Gotta Be" Rick marches with the scavengers that take them to the Sanctuary, they are ambushed and the scavengers flee, leaving Rick behind. Carol and Jerry come in a car and pick up Rick. As they move away, the three decide to separate. Later in the night, Rick finds an Alexandria on fire which forces him to confront again with the rescuers, when he arrives at his house, his house, he finds Negan and the two fight. Negan tries to hit him with Lucille, but Rick manages to escape multiple blows. Negan accuses Rick of not raising Carl in the right way and that he will "fix" him, which will make him one of his best players in a few years and will express that he will not kill Rick soon and will make sure that he does not. challenge again, Rick starts hitting Negan and goes for his gun. Negan then pushes Rick out the window and the officer escapes, he finds Michonne killing a Savior to death and he stops her, she takes him to the sewer where they all hide, Judith and Carl are safe there with all the In addition to Alexandria, Rick finds Dwight among his people, resting against a wall, although Rick seems surprised to see him, continues without saying a word, is also surprised to find Siddiq in the sewers with the rest of the survivors. Carl reveals that he brought Siddiq there, then Carl reveals Rick, Michonne and the rest of the people who were bitten by a walker.[70]

In the mid-season premiere episode "Honor" Rick and Michonne organize an escape plan with the others, while Alexandria is bombed, Michonne and Rick manage to hide helping to bring a dying man Carl who previously revealed his bite, when he managed to hide Carl as a last will asks his father to make peace with Negan and the saviors that there is a future that can work together and also in his honor asks him to leave it to Siddiq in the community, then to its scant moments of life, before committing suicide, Carl gives Rick a letter in which he urges his father to make peace with Negan, leaving a devastated Rick with a strong emotional damage.

As Rick mourns Carl's death, he contemplates making his son's peaceful vision of the future a reality. Rick decides to embrace Carl's vision by ending the war without killing Negan, imprisoning him instead.[71]

Season 9

RRick begins the season as the de facto leader of all the communities, with Maggie in charge of Hilltop, Daryl in charge of the Saviors, and Ezekiel in charge of the Kingdom. Rick strives for prosperity and cooperation among the communities, assuring the future that Carl had wished for. However, his choice to spare Negan has cost him his relationship with Maggie and Daryl, who both want Negan dead. Tensions rise between the groups and a small insurrection occurs, led by a small group of Saviors who oppose Rick's rule. This causes an even further rift between the communities, and ideologies clash as Maggie and Daryl begin to oppose Rick's leadership and vision of cooperation.

Rick learns that Maggie is going to kill Negan, and rides with Daryl to try and stop her; however, this results in a fight between the two in which they fall into a chasm, and have to fight their way out to avoid being swarmed by two incoming herds of walkers. Rick tries to salvage the bridge between the two communities, he is thrown from his horse and impaled on a rebar pipe. Crying in agony, Rick is left on the side of the road while he passes out, as hundreds of walkers approach him.

Seriously injured, Rick manages to free himself from the rebar and leads the herd away using his horse, haunted by hallucinations of his dead friends. Finding the camp overrun, Rick leads the massive combined herd onto the bridge, which he believes would collapse under the weight of the herd, but it holds. With his friends desperately trying to save him, Rick shoots fallen dynamite, blowing the bridge up and apparently killing himself in the process. Unknown to anyone else, however, Rick survives the explosion and is found by Jadis on the riverbank. Jadis convinces her allies in the helicopter to take Rick to safety and treat his injuries. Rick later awakens on the helicopter with Jadis, who assures him that he is being taken to a safe place.

Fear the Walking Dead

Season 4

Rick also appears in the fourth season premiere of the companion series Fear the Walking Dead with his appearance chronologically following the events of The Walking Dead season 8 finale. In the episode, Rick tries to convince Morgan Jones to come back with him before Morgan ultimately decides to go off on his own.[72]