How Well Do You Know The Walking Dead's Daryl Dixon?

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From the awesomeness of his crossbow to the human tears he sheds, there's a reason why Daryl Dixon has become the face of The Walking Dead over the past seven years.

Originally introduced as a canon foreigner who was not a member of the comic book that began in 2003 - neither was his brother, Merle, for the record - Daryl has gone from an anti-hero to, as Maggie Greene recently called him, "one of the good things in this world." Fans love his badassery, his no-nonsense attitude, and his motorcycle. Granted, the guy does drive some pretty sweet choppers...

But after all this time of watching and thinking that you know Daryl, how well do you really know him? Yeah, anyone can tell you that he uses a crossbow or that he's been around since the beginning, but when did Daryl officially become a mainstay on the show? How did the mentally-damaged and trauma-stricken archer become so broken?

Today, we're going to see how well you know Daryl Dixon, complete with questions from the first seven seasons. As you can imagine, there are some spoilers regarding season 7 in this quiz, so if you're not all caught up and have yet to watch the season finale, 'The First Day Of The Rest Of Your Life', stop reading and go watch that episode. Now.

If you are all caught up or you're willing to take risks, then grab your angel vest, rev up your bike, and prepare to go hunting because it's time for a quiz!

Question 1

Who plays Daryl Dixon?

Originally cast as a recurring character for season one of The Walking Dead, Georgian redneck Daryl Dixon has become both the face of the show and the franchise over the past seven years. With a gruff personality and deadly aim with his trademark crossbow, no one dares to mess with Daryl Dixon - and those who do, as some of the show's big bads have learned, will suffer for it. Which American actor has helped bring Daryl to life with an outstanding performance year in and year out?

Question 2

Though Daryl debuted in season one, he was not promoted to the opening credits until season...

For all of his fame and fortune now, it's easy to forget that Norman Reedus was not among the original starring cast when The Walking Dead first debuted in 2010. While Daryl was in the final four episodes of the season and had a starring role in the fourth episode, 'Vatos', Reedus joined Melissa McBride (Carol), IronE Singleton (T-Dog), and Michael Rooker (Merle) as members of the supporting cast who would eventually become major players in the show's universe. Which season saw Reedus be promoted to the opening credits?

Question 3

Daryl has never encountered this villain

When it comes to bad guys in The Walking Dead, Daryl has...a bit of a mixed record. While he's landed some hard hits on a major antagonist or three and even killed a couple through the end of season 7, Daryl has also missed out on encounters with some of the show's major antagonists as a result of dealing with other business. Through the first 99 episodes of The Walking Dead, which of the show's main villains (one-episode-villains not counting) has Daryl not met?

Question 4

Where did Daryl obtain his scars?

Do scars make the man? Not always, but from Rick's physical scar at the hands of his season 1 shooting to the mental scars that Carol is still dealing with after all of her killing, scars have become a common motif through the show's history. As one of the few characters to have both severe physical and mental scars, Daryl has become the perfect representation not only for the damage a man can take, but how one can survive them. Daryl's most noteworthy scars are the one on his back first revealed in season one, which are a byproduct of...

Question 5

What is Daryl's father's name?

While it's unknown as of this point if Daryl's mother (more on her later) contributed to Daryl's scars, we do know that his father was heavily responsible. Abusive to both Daryl and Merle - who explained in season 3 that if Merle hadn't left the house when he did, then he'd would have killed him - the show implies that their father was an alcoholic and it's outright said that he didn't care when Daryl went missing for over a week. What was the elder Dixon's name?

Question 6

The video game that starred Daryl (and Merle) was titled...

Those who knew William Dixon's name likely remembered it from the first-person shooter game that featured Daryl and Merle in the beginning of the apocalypse, where Will is torn apart by a walker and put down by Jess, his step-brother. Released in 2013 as a way of combating the Telltale series, Activision and Terminal Reality came up with the idea of creating a game that starred Daryl traversing the Georgia countryside en route to making a run for Atlanta. What was the game called?

Question 7

This season did not see Daryl taken hostage

And, for as dangerous as Daryl can be when it comes to taking the baddies on, his recklessness and stubbornness also makes it easy for him to get captured and used as a hostage. As the group came into more conflicts, Daryl fighting on the frontlines meant that he was a target, even more so when opposing factions realized how key he was to Team Family's effort. Of the four seasons listed below, when was Daryl not held against his will by an opposing group?

Question 8

Before splitting up, the Dixon brothers were planning on...

We love Merle (at least, a fair number of us still do) and we love Daryl, but there was a time when both came off as jerkasses - Merle much more so than Daryl, of course. Because of their treatment from the group and a survivalist mentality that Daryl carried well into season two, the two feuded with Shane and friends. If not for the chain of events that began with Rick's arrival to Atlanta, what were the Dixon brothers planning on doing?

Question 9

Prior to the apocalypse, Daryl was a...

We love backstory, especially in a post-apocalyptic story where jobs of the past seemingly lose their meaningfulness if they don't help contribute to survival. For a time, Daryl's backstory and what he did leading up to the apocalypse was a hot topic among fans, with some claiming that he dealt drugs and others thinking he was more law-abiding than he let on. When Daryl finally explained in season 4 what his pre-apocalypse occupation was, viewers learned that their crossbow-donning favorite was a....

Question 10

Before taking Merle's bike, Daryl's vehicle of choice was a...

Along with the crossbow and the angel vest, Daryl Dixon's motorcycles have become a staple of both the character and the show. People will easily forget that Daryl's first bike, used from season 1-4, was actually Merle's, but even more people will forget that Daryl didn't show up to the quarry outside Atlanta on that bike. In fact, Daryl drove something else, one that...well, we won't spoil it. Can you try to remember what Daryl was driving before adopting Merle's chopper?

Question 11

Daryl has not blamed himself for the death of this character

Whether it's because of Daryl's abusive history or because of how loving he is to his family, living in a world where death becomes commonplace has taken its toll on the redneck hunter. As the losses have piled up and only a handful remain from the Atlanta group, Daryl has become more closed off and taken to blaming himself when a character dies - especially one killed by a human. Of these characters, which has Daryl NOT blamed himself for after the death has happened?

Question 12

Daryl was not in the comics, meaning he replaced this comic character as Rick's right-hand man

We've already talked about Daryl being a canon foreigner completely along with Merle, but what gets forgotten in that is the impact Daryl has had on the group as Rick's right-hand man. Following Shane's death in season 2, Daryl officially took up the reins as Rick's second-in-command, even taking unofficial charge of the group at times With Daryl not around in the comics, someone else had to fill this role after Shane's death. Can you tell who, in essence, Daryl replaced?

Question 13

How did Daryl's mother die?

We've talked a lot about Daryl's father, who abused both of his sons and died early on in the apocalypse. Daryl's mother, however, is a bit of a different story; A chainsmoker who raised Daryl when Will wasn't around, Miss Dixon passed when he was only 12 (roughly the same age that Carl is around the time the show starts), a story he tells Carl after the latter has to shoot Lori in season 3. How did Daryl's mom die, you ask? You tell me.

Question 14

This animal is closely associated with Daryl

Think back to your middle school literature class when they start telling you to find motifs and symbolism in stories. As every good tale does, The Walking Dead is big on symbolism from clocks to shading to even how certain characters go out. While it'd be easy to call Daryl and his crossbow a form of symbolism (it represents his simpleness), there's an animal that is often tied to Daryl as a motif. Do you remember which animal we're talking about?

Question 15

Daryl's first on-screen murder of a living human came in season...

With a show that sees society break comes a show that sees murder become commonplace, especially when groups and people come into conflict. From The Governor to Negan, Team Family has engaged in plenty of murder - some in times of self-defense and others in what they called 'self-defense.' Daryl is no stranger to killing both the living and the dead, though he wasn't the first on the show to kill another human. When he did, though, when exactly was that?

Question 16

After Judith's birth, the following event causes Daryl to turn away

For a time in the show, Rick Grimes went crazy after Lori died early in season 3. Put down by Carl in the fourth episode, Lori's death sent Rick off the edge in a time when his newborn daughter, Judith, entered the world. With the group in need of formula and baby supplies for their newest member, Daryl and Maggie traveled the countryside, though Daryl nearly had a breakdown at one point. Do you remember what it was that nearly made our favorite archer cry?

Question 17

Daryl is not present at this character's death

Through the end of seven seasons, a common complaint among The Walking Dead fans is how Daryl has become much more quiet and reserved. But after losing so much, can you really blame the guy? From some of the group's first deaths to their most recent, Daryl's been around for a good chunk, even committing a mercy killing for a valued member of the group in Dale. Of these characters, which was Daryl NOT around for when the character in question died.

Question 18

Daryl has saved most of the cast. This character has yet to save Daryl.

Former New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter was lovingly called Captain Clutch by fans for his ability to save the day and make key hits. Daryl may not be the group's captain, but he's certainly done that over the show's seven seasons, using everything from his crossbow to a rocket launcher to save his friends. Sometimes, though, Daryl will be caught on the opposing end and need saving himself. As of season 7, who did not save Daryl from certain doom?

Question 19

Daryl has had his crossbow stolen a total of...

When something is as iconic as Daryl's crossbow is to him, you'd hate to see it taken away from him. However, unlike Batman's mask, Daryl's crossbow has a penchant for being stripped from him, both before and after he got a new one in season 3. From hostile groups to strangers he's encountered, Daryl has lost his crossbow more than a couple times in the show's seven seasons. How many times has someone snagged that legendary crossbow of his in hopes of pulling the same badassery off?

Question 20

True or False: Daryl has never voluntarily joined an antagonistic group

When you're down on your luck and you lose everything around you, it's easy to join up with the wrong crowd in a zombie apocalypse. From The Governor to Negan, Daryl and Team Family have encountered their share of antagonistic groups, including one that wanted to eat them whole. Daryl has had the opportunity to join some of these groups, but more often than not will stay with Rick and friends. Was there a moment in time, though, when Daryl was on the wrong side?

Question 21

As of season seven's finale, Daryl keeps this character's knife as a memento

When people die - and I'd have to think even more so in a zombie apocalypse - it makes sense that we'd want to keep a memory or memento of them to remember them by. For Daryl, he's tried to honor the passing of a character close to him earlier in the series by keeping their hunting knife around, even if his crossbow is the weapon that gets the action. While we won't ask you to name the model of the knife, we will ask whose knife it was.

Question 22

When playing 'I never' with Beth, Daryl does not use this as an example

Obviously, Daryl Dixon cares about Beth Greene - and no, we're not talking about the romantic ship because Bethyl is non-existent. Daryl mourned Beth's death because of her innocence and he felt he failed Hershel. Stop writing Bethyl! Anyways, the two are stuck together after the prison's fall and decide to play a drinking game, one that results in Daryl blowing up in anger at one point. During a tirade he goes on, which of these does Daryl not mention in their game of 'I never' in season 4?

Question 23

When in the woods, Daryl claims to have seen a...

From LSD trips in the desert to fishing trips involving a lot of alcohol, trips to nature can result in some interesting discoveries. During the season two hunt for Sophia, Daryl and the rest of the group go over potential spots and T-Dog (hey, remember him?) mentions that maybe the archer will spot something he'd mentioned seeing when he was younger. Apparently, the zombie apocalypse reminds Daryl of a squirrel hunting trip when he encountered something...we'll call it strange. What would you call it?

Question 24

When Rick and friends take over the prison, Daryl refuses to sleep in a cell, calling it a...

After nearly a year on the road, the group finally finds shelter at the start of season three in the form of the West Georgia Correctional Facility - better known as the prison. Yay! Unfortunately, once the first cell block is cleared out and the group starts taking cells as rooms, Daryl is hesitant and refuses to claim one for his own. His reasoning may sound weird at first, but it makes some sense. Do you remember his reasoning in the season three premiere?

Question 25

The relationship between Daryl and Rick is referred to as...

Considering how things began in season 1 with a fistfight and Rick pointing a gun at Daryl's head, the two have certainly come a long way in the past six seasons. Sure, they'll have disagreements and Rick has certainly looked to Michonne as more of a confidant since their arrival at Alexandria, but Rick and Daryl are brothers in all but blood. The fandom likes coming up with names for stuff and thangs, so it's no surprise they came up with one for Rick and Daryl's bond. What is it?

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