How Well Do You Know The Walking Dead

Robert Kirkman, the creator of The Walking Dead, revealed (in documentaries The Image Revolution from 2013 and the recent Robert Kirkman's Secret History Of Comics on AMC) that he had to tell a pretty big lie in order to get Image Comics to publish the comic way back in 2003. The publisher feared there was no longevity to a zombie comic book, and there had never been a successful one in comics history. So, as a way to make them think there was a larger plan behind his zombie apocalypse, he lied and said it was all actually a big setup for an alien invasion. Thankfully, once he admitted to the publisher that there were actually no aliens planned for the story, the comic was already a roaring success and nobody got too mad at him!

It's insane to think that the multimedia franchise behemoth that is The Walking Dead started with a fairly unknown comics writer lying to his publisher, and it's interesting to imagine what would have happened had Kirkman not been willing to do anything that was necessary to get his comic off the ground. Thankfully, though, he did do it, and now the world has 170+ issues of the comic and eight seasons of a massively popular television show to enjoy, not to mention the games!

This quiz will test any diehard fan of the TV show, and features questions from all across the length and breadth of the show's 100+ episodes.

How well do you know The Walking Dead? Let's find out!

Question 1

Why was Rick Grimes in a coma at the beginning of the series?

Rick Grimes, played by British actor Andrew Lincoln (Love Actually), has been the main protagonist of The Walking Dead since day one of the TV show (and the original comic book). Rick was a former sheriff's deputy, who was badly injured in the line of duty and fell into a coma. When he woke up in his hospital bed, he was horrified to discover that the world he knew had gone to hell; the undead were everywhere and his family (wife Lori and son Carl) were nowhere to be seen. Bad day.

Question 2

What is Daryl Dixon's iconic weapon of choice?

Arguably the most popular character on The Walking Dead, redneck-with-a-heart-of-gold Daryl Dixon has become an integral part of the show. Played by Norman Reedus (Blade II), Daryl first appeared when he was searching for his older brother Merle, an insane, offensive, and racist man who had been left behind by Rick's group in Atlanta. Daryl initially tried to attack Rick for leaving his brother seemingly to die, but he wound up becoming a trusted and vitally important member of the group going forward. But what weapon does Daryl favour?

Question 3

What is the name of Lori's baby, born during season 3?

From the moment Lori discovered she was pregnant, questions arose about the parentage of the baby inside her. Was the biological father her husband Rick, who had been in a coma when the outbreak happened? Or was it Shane's (Rick's best friend who had started a relationship with Lori while Rick was out of commission)? In the end, it feasibly could have been either man's child, and Rick adopted the baby as his own after Lori died of bloodloss during the birth, by emergency C-section.

Question 4

What type of animal is Shiva, King Ezekiel's ferocious companion?

'King' Ezekiel, played by Khary Payton (Teen Titans Go!), was introduced to the show in season seven. A charismatic man with a tendancy toward dramatics and flamboyancy, this sets him apart from many of the people in the grim world of The Walking Dead. It's easy to see how he could have become the leader of 'The Kingdom', a community of survivors, especially when we see him separate himself from everyone else by speaking in an almost-Shakespearean dialect and walking around with a vicious wild animal as a pet...

Question 5

How did Carl lose his eye?

Carl (or 'Carrhhlll' as it sometimes sounds through Rick's hoarse growl) has quite literally grown up on screen in front of the world's eyes. In season one, he is a 12-year-old child, and over the course of seven seasons we have seen him go from wide-eyed innocence to a hardened steely resolve, forged by the awful circumstances he has grown up around. In the ninth episode of the sixth season, the show recreated an extremely harrowing moment from the comics when Carl shockingly lost his eye...

Question 6

What does Negan call his trusty baseball bat?

Jeffrey Dean Morgan, an actor who is no stranger to comic book adaptations (having starred in Watchmen, The Losers, and Batman V Superman to name a few), first appeared as iconic villain Negan in the brutal season six finale. Negan exhibits a certain level of charm and charisma, but is also a complete sociopath, with a very dark sense of humor. He is a true villain, a manipulative and violent man, who doesn't think twice about killing anyone who gets in his way. He usually accomplishes this by bludgeoning them to death with his trusty baseball bat...

Question 7

What was the name of Hershel's ranch hand who accidentally shot Carl?

In season two, Rick and his group settled at a farm owned by Hershel Greene and his family. Of course, this being The Walking Dead, they didn't just find the farm with no drama. Instead, one of Hershel's ranch hands tried to shoot a deer, but the bullet passed straight through and hit poor Carl! He rushed Carl back to the farm, and then went with Shane on a run to a local abandoned high school to scavenge for medical supplies. When the two men were overrun by walkers, Shane shot him and left him behind while he escaped...

Question 8

The two walkers that Michonne kept chained behind her were revealed to be her...?

Michonne, played by Danai Gurira (Black Panther), is one of the few characters that can rival Daryl in terms of popularity. Initially depicted as a dark, ruthless survivor who didn't play well with others, she eventually became assimilated into Rick's group. She bonded with Carl and formed a romantic relationship with Rick. Her character development has been a high point of the show, as the person she is now is a far cry (emotionally) from the frightening woman who showed up brandishing two swords, with two walkers chained behind her, arms and lower jaws missing...

Question 9

How did Rick kill Shane?

'I'm a better father than you, Rick. I'm better for Lori than you, man. It's 'cause I'm a better man than you, Rick...You come back here and you just destroy everything...You ain't got the first clue on how to fix it.' These strong, venomous words were aimed at Rick during he and Shane's final confrontation. Shane felt he had what it took to do all that was necessary to survive, even if it meant cold-blooded murder, and Rick didn't. But Rick unexpectedly showed him he had what it took too!

Question 10

How did Merle escape after being handcuffed and left for dead on a roof in Atlanta?

Merle Dixon, played with gusto by Michael Rooker (Guardians Of The Galaxy), was a stereotypical Southern redneck upon his introduction to the show. He was racist, bad-tempered and sexist, and seemed to get joy out of mentally toying with others, including his younger brother Daryl. He wound up being left on a rooftop in Atlanta by Rick's group, handcuffed and sure to be killed by walkers. When Daryl found out, he insisted they go back to find Merle, but he wasn't there anymore...

Question 11

Which characters refer to each other as husband and wife, even though we never saw an official wedding?

In a world where everything is trying to kill you at all times, whether it's the ravenous walkers that are everywhere or human survivors from other groups that are desperate to survive at all costs, there's not a lot of time for romance. And yet, several couples have formed over the course of the show, giving them (and viewers) a small amount of happiness in the incredibly grim world they live in. Between seasons three and four, one of the couples began referring to themselves as husband and wife, even though a wedding was never shown...

Question 12

What was The Governor's fortified town called?

In season three, 'The Governor' (played by David Morrissey) was introduced and became the most imposing threat Rick's group had faced up to that point. On the surface, he was polite and charming, and seemed to have the best interests at heart of all the people living in his fortified township. But beneath the surface, he was a depraved sociopath capable of acts of sickening brutality. He kept his own zombified daughter chained up in a closet, and had fish tanks filled with human and walker heads...

Question 13

Who does Andrea punish for taking her own choice away from her when she wanted to die?

Actress Laurie Holden (The Shield) played Andrea, who was introduced along with her younger sister Amy in season one. Amy unfortunately died when walkers attacked the group's camp. Andrea was then forced to kill her own sister when she reanimated into a walker. This caused her to have suicidal thoughts, and at the end of season one, she wanted to stay in a building that was about to blow up, as she didn't see any reason to keep living. But one of the group talked her out of it, which Andrea punished him for in season two...

Question 14

The occupants of Terminus were revealed to be...?

There are rarely any happy endings in The Walking Dead, so anytime Rick's group finds another group of survivors or a new location they think they can call home, you can be damn sure something horrible is about to happen. This was certainly the case with 'Terminus', a possible safe haven that was mentioned over a radio broadcast. There was also a sign on the train tracks that said 'Sanctuary for all. Community for all. Those who arrive survive.' But what was revealed about the occupants of Terminus when Rick's group arrived?

Question 15

What did CDC scientist Edwin Jenner whisper in Rick's ear at the end of season 1?

At the end of season one, our heroes arrive at the Center For Disease Control and meet scientist Edwin Jenner, who was played by Noah Emmerich (The Truman Show). He was the last surviving employee of the CDC and took refuge in the building while the outbreak raged. Jenner believed the walkers were this world's extinction event, and tried to trap Rick's group in the building while it was set to self-destruct. He believed he was offering them a peaceful escape from the horrors of the world, and he whispered something in Rick's ear that shocked him to his core...

Question 16

Why did Dale disagree with Rick before he died?

'Don't you see that if we do this, the people that we were, the world that we knew is dead? And this new world is ugly, it's harsh, it's survival of the fittest! And that's a world I don't want to live in.' One of the most interesting philosophical debates in The Walking Dead is whether the ends always justify the means and whether abandoning the old rules of the civilised world is the only way to survive. Dale didn't want the group to abandon its humanity, and made an impassioned plea to Rick before he died...

Question 17

Where did Hershel keep his friends and family members that had turned into Walkers?

Hershel Greene, played by Scott Wilson (The OA), was a man of unflinching morals and genuine compassion. A devout man, Hershel owned a farm in rural Georgia and was also a veterinarian, and it is on his farm that Rick's group end up living in season two. He wise nature meant that he eventually became something of an advisor to Rick, even though they disagreed about certain fundamental things, including his initial belief that the walkers were simply sick, not undead abominations that were no longer the people he used to know.

Question 18

What did Eugene tell people was his profession in order to make himself seem important?

'I will survive. It's in my biological imperative. It's all I know how to do.' Eugene Porter was first introduced in season four, as part of Abraham and Rosita's group that intersected with Glenn and Tara as they tried to reunite with Rick and company. Eugene was aloof and eccentric, with his high intelligence seemingly contradicting his image (which included a bizarre mullet haircut). Eugene told people he was important to the future of the world, as he knew what caused the outbreak, and even let several people sacrifice themselves under this (ultimately false) belief...

Question 19

What was the name of the disturbed young girl that Carol was forced to kill?

In season four, a young girl was introduced to the cast who struggled to fully come to terms with the cruel world around her. She and her sister wound up in the care of Carol, after their father Ryan died, and though she tried to be a normal, happy child, her dark tendencies had a habit of shining through. She was obsessed with walkers, and saw them as her friends, even going so far as to name them and say she could hear them talking to her. When she murdered her own sister, Carol had to take action...

Question 20

Which two group members did Negan brutally kill at the end of season 6/start of season 7?

The introduction of Negan in the last episode of season six quickly became one of the most famous scenes in modern television history. With all of our heroes bound and on their knees in front of him, as he paced back and forth with his barbed wire covered baseball bat, fans became nervous about which of their favourite characters was about to meet a grisly fate. In the end, Negan beat two of them to death in an incredibly shocking and gory assault; one before the end of the episode, then another in the opening moments of season seven...

Question 21

Who does Maggie become an assistant to in the Alexandria Safe-Zone?

By season five of The Walking Dead, the characters had been through the ringer. This took a toll on Maggie, whose personality became noticeably colder due to the traumatizing events she had experienced. She told Father Gabriel that she was no longer religious, and after the death of her sister Beth, she said she didn't know whether she wanted to go on living. However, after entering the Alexandria Safe-Zone and becoming assistant to their leader, Maggie seemed to rediscover some of her old self again, believing she needed to make a life in this terrible world, rather than simply survive.

Question 22

What did Father Gabriel do during the outbreak that left him traumatized?

Speaking of being traumatized, Father Gabriel (played by Seth Gilliam from The Wire) exhibited signs of this whenever the group first met him in season five. He seemed to struggle to reconcile his deeply religious beliefs with the awful state of the world, and it was soon revealed that he was severely damaged by a decision he made when the outbreak was happening. It caused him to believe he was a bad person and Rick's group had been sent by God to punish him!

Question 23

What part of Bob's body did the Terminus members eat?

Bob Stookey was played by Lawrence Gilliard Jr, who is best known for his roles in The Wire and The Deuce. He was a former army medic and we first met him at the prison in season four, where Rick's group had set up a safe haven. He says he had been the sole survivor of two previous groups before he met Rick, and he became dependant on alcohol to cope with his experiences. Bob then met a disturbing end in season five, when he was partly cannibalised by the Terminants and had to be mercy killed by Tyreese...

Question 24

What relation were Tyreese and Sasha?

Tyreese and Sasha (played by Chad Coleman and Sonequa Martin-Green respectively) were first introduced in season three, and went on to become two of the most important members of the cast. Tyreese's hulking physique and compassionate, protective nature made him naturally heroic, and Sasha's fiercely pragmatic decision-making and handiness with firearms made her a force to be reckoned with as well. Tyreese had a more positive outlook than Sasha, and often tried to prevent bloodshed, whereas she was much more cynical and didn't believe in avoiding the harsh reality of the world.

Question 25

Which member of Alexandria did Glenn try to summon the will to kill, but ultimately spare?

When Rick's group was being integrated with the Alexandria community, Glenn was sent out on supply runs with them. One of the Alexandrian's repeatedly disagreed with Glenn and placed others in danger because of it. He was responsible for the death of one of his fellow survivors, and when Glenn called him a coward who should not have lived, he tried to get revenge by shooting Glenn. After taking a shoulder wound, a furious Glenn could have killed him, but spared his life, as he believed he had the potential to be a better person.

Question 26

Why did Rick exile Carol from the group in season three?

One of the benefits of storytelling in a post-apocalyptic world, especially in long-running television shows or comic books, is that the writers and audiences can follow characters as they become very different people over time. Carol is one of those characters. In season one, she is a meek, scared woman who is abused by her husband, but as the series has progressed she has become one of the most cunning, resourceful, and emotionally hardened of all the survivors. In season three, in fact, she did something so cold that even Rick felt it was morally questionable and exiled her...

Question 27

Which character beat up Carol's abusive husband Ed?

Ed Peletier only appeared in a handful of episodes during season one, but was such a distasteful character that he was somehow even more disgusting than the walkers. An abusive husband, he was physically and verbally abusive to his wife Carol, and paid very little attention to his daughter Sophia (although it was hinted that he may have sexually abused her). When he hit Carol in front of the group, however, one of the men savagely beat the hell out of him, warning that if he ever hit another woman he would beat him to death.

Question 28

What was the name of The Governor's scientist/researcher in Woodbury?

When Rick's group first arrived in Woodbury, the Governor gave Michonne's two 'pet' walkers over to his resident scientist, as he was conducting experiments in an attempt to figure out the behavioural patterns of the undead. Eventually, he turned against the Governor, whose tactics had become too brutal, saying that he knew him before the outbreak and that man is still in there somewhere. The Governor then stabbed him to death and left him to reanimate in a locked room with Andrea. So, yeah, maybe he didn't know the Governor so well after all!

Question 29

Who saves Rick's life in Atlanta when he is trapped in a tank surrounded by walkers?

In the very first episode of the show, Rick Grimes arrived in Atlanta on horseback to find an overrun military blockade. A horde of walkers swarmed him, tearing apart and eating his horse, forcing Rick to hide under a nearby tank. He contemplated shooting himself in the head to avoid a worse fate, but then noticed a hatch in the bottom of the tank and so crawled inside. A voice then came over the radio, calling Rick a 'dumbass'. In episode two, we found out it was someone we would grow to know very well who was saving Rick's life...

Question 30

Which two characters from the show DO NOT appear in the comic books?

The Walking Dead comic book, published by Image Comics and created by writer Robert Kirkman and artist Tony Moore, debuted in 2003. Sales were initially modest, but over the years it developed a huge following that exploded into a genuine phenomenon when the TV series came along in 2010. There have always been a number of differences between the comic and the show, as Kirkman never wanted comics readers to think they knew exactly what was going to happen on the show. Fittingly, two very big characters from the show never even appeared in the comic at all...

Question 31

Who killed Hershel?

Easily one of the most upsetting deaths in The Walking Dead, Hershel's demise left fans reeling. When a villainous group stormed Rick's prison stronghold, the whole group had to fight for their lives and a bloody battle ensued. The invaders wanted to kill Rick and his friends and take the prison for themselves, so they could live there safely. Hershel and Michonne were taken hostage, while Rick pleaded for diplomacy; there had to be a way everyone could live peacefully together at the prison. Sadly, Hershel was then partially decapitated, ending any hope of peace.

Question 32

Whose life does T-Dog heroically save when he sacrifices himself?

Theodore Douglas, played by Irone Singleton (The Blind Side), was better known to fans as T-Dog. He was one of the original members of Rick's group, and was the target of Merle's racism. In fact, it was T-Dog who left Merle on the roof in Atlanta (though he locked the door to the roof, hoping that would slow the walkers down and give Merle a chance to survive). Later in the series, he did something truly heroic, when he saved a fellow group member's life when walkers were overrunning the prison, but died horrifically in the process...

Question 33

How did Sasha kill herself while in the casket?

'One way or another, he's going to use me to hurt my friends. Our friends. And there is nothing I can do about it except make sure I'm not alive to give him the chance...I have to die. It's the only way.' Sasha made this impassioned plea to Eugene, who had betrayed the group and become a member of Negan's crew. He then slipped her the means to kill herself while she was in the casket that Negan was using to transport her to a meeting with Rick and his group...

Question 34

Who did Tara form a romantic relationship with in Alexandria?

Tara Chambler was originally a supporter of The Governor, after he lied to her and her family about his true nature and promised to protect them. She even took part in the storming of the prison that led to Hershel's death. She later became a part of Rick's group, and experienced terrible guilt over her involvement in the attack. Later, in Alexandria, she became romantically involved with the town's doctor, who was soon tragically killed by Dwight, who had been intending to kill Daryl...

Question 35

What was the name of the hospital where Beth was held captive and was eventually killed?

Beth Greene was Hershel's youngest daughter and Maggie's sister. She was played by Emily Kinney (The Flash) and had begun to develop some sort of relationship with Daryl when she was abruptly kidnapped in a black car with a white cross on the back windshield. She was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was told she 'owed' the people there for saving her life and was forced to do tasks for them. Eventually Carol was also brought to the hospital against her will, and Beth was accidentally killed during a hostage exchange with Rick's group.

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