I begin, King Ezekiel. I understand what the show was going for, but his theatrical way of speaking and behaving feels a bit too performative for me, which makes it hard to take him seriously at times.
I also don’t find him very engaging in terms of tension or impact on the story. He feels more like a symbolic, idealized leader than a grounded character with real weight in the narrative.
I think my favorite “villains” in The Walking Dead are Shane and the Governor, but for completely different reasons.
Shane isn’t really a traditional villain, and that’s exactly why I love his character so much. He had such a strong personality and always stayed true to his own beliefs, no matter what anyone else thought. He was willing to go against the group, against Rick, and honestly against morality itself if it meant surviving or getting what he wanted. What makes him so interesting to me is that, in the early stages of the apocalypse, a lot of what he said actually made sense. He felt like a realistic example of what someone could become in that world.
The Governor, on the other hand, is probably my favorite actual villain because he’s the only one who genuinely made me hate him. Not in a bad writing way, but because he was written so well. His manipulation, his fake calm personality, the way he controlled people while slowly showing how broken and cruel he really was… he made my skin crawl. Every time he appeared on screen I felt tense. To me, that’s what makes a great villain.
My least favorite villain is probably Dawn. Not because she was the most evil or the most dangerous, but because her entire arc felt boring to me.
She never really felt like a natural leader compared to characters like the Governor, Negan, or Alpha. Those characters had presence and could completely control a scene whenever they appeared. Dawn always felt insecure and reactive instead of truly intimidating.
To me, the worst villains in The Walking Dead aren’t the ones you hate — they’re the ones that make you feel uninterested, and Dawn is the only major villain who made me feel that way.
I know Glenn’s death is considered one of the saddest moments in the show, but Hershel’s death honestly hurt me more. Glenn was a great character, but Hershel brought warmth, wisdom and stability to the group, so losing him felt heavier emotionally.
I've watched the series 3 times and it always coincides that I start to have a harder time paying attention and find it a little less interesting from 7/8 season onwards. What do you think?
Honestly, I think for me it's not using turn signals 💀