The Walking Dead Mid-Season Finale threw our character Power Rankings for a loop. See how Negan’s attack, Ezekiel’s last stand, and Carl’s walker bite shaped our list for Week Eight.
1. Negan (+1)
Negan kicked ass and took names this episode. He nearly destroyed all of Alexandria and forced any survivors into hiding. Not only that, but his people bullied Maggie, took over The Kingdom, and asserted their dominance in the region once again. Like it or not, Negan is finally back.
2. Rick (-1)
Unfortunately, Rick wasn’t in Alexandria at the time of Negan’s attack. If he was maybe it would have saved the town, but it wouldn’t have saved Carl. Despite that, Rick did show up in enough time to beat the hell out of Negan and make it to Carl before he bit it. Because Rick’s plans were foiled and he arrived late to everything, we had to move him down.
3. Maggie
Maggie was a true leader this episode. Sure, she got ambushed on the road, but she made a solid deal with Simon, killed a Savior, fortified The Hilltop, and even threw shade at ol’ Gregory.
4. Daryl
Next to Michonne Daryl is Rick’s second-in-command in Alexandria. Although that very town is on fire, Daryl still helped take out a group of Saviors, which allowed his people and friends time to hide in the sewers.
5. Michonne (+2)
It was great to see Michonne back in action this episode. Although she couldn’t ultimately stop Carl, she still helped gather weapons, kill Saviors, and make it into the sewers at the end. Carl’s inevitable demise will be hard on Michonne, but if anyone has the strength to move on it’s her.
6. Simon (+9)
Now that he’s free from The Sanctuary Simon got to spread his wings and terrorize again. That included capturing Jerry, intimidating Maggie, and ensuring his people should still be feared.
7. Ezekiel (+3)
Ezekiel went from zero to hero in this week’s episode. Sure, he’s basically a prisoner within his own Kingdom, but he overcame the sunken place and helped fight back to protect his people. For that, he gets to finally move up.
8. Dwight (+1)
Dwight gets a bump for leading a huge chunk of the Saviors away from Alexandria and into their deaths. However, Laura shot him in the arm and got away – meaning it wasn’t a total success. Still, points for trying.
9. Jesus (-1)
Jesus was his usual level-headed self this episode. As the second most powerful person at The Hilltop, we’re fine with keeping him in the Top 10.
10. Carol (-4)
Carol did her best this episode but because she couldn’t save Ezekiel (and because other characters had to move up in this list) we’re moving her down. Don’t worry, she’ll have plenty of room to move up in the second half.
11. Tara (+1)
Tara has been a force this season. In this episode she helped distract and kill over a dozen Saviors that were threatening Alexandria. Thankfully, you can expect more of this in the next half of the season.
12. Morgan (+1)
Morgan was mostly quiet this episode; we really only saw him outside of The Kingdom listening to Gavin threaten Ezekiel. But a vengeful Morgan is a dangerous Morgan, so stay tuned…
13. Eugene (+1)
Eugene may not be so bad after all. I mean sure, he miraculously concocted a way for Negan and the Saviors to escape The Sanctuary, but he also created an escape plan for Father Gabriel and Dr Carson. Does this forgive his sins as a Negan loyalist? No, but it’s a start.
14. Rosita (+3)
Rosita has come out of nowhere this season and proven her worth to the cause. Respect.
15. Jadis (-10)
Jadis proved how much of a garbage person she was this episode when she bailed after 3 seconds of action. For that, we’re kicking her all the way down.
16. Jerry (-6)
Jerry deserves to rise in the rankings just for the spectacular note he left Ezekiel, but unfortunately his plan to “watch them win” got foiled when he was blindsided and captured by The Saviors. Thankfully, his life was spared. But until he returns alongside Ezekiel we’re keeping him low on the list.
17. Enid (+2)
Enid made two major power moves this episode: detouring to Oceanside and then killing its leader. Sure, they may not have been the wisest decisions, but it showed more initiative than Aaron.
18. Aaron
Damn it, Aaron – you’re supposed to be leading this mini-mission. How did things go south so quickly?
19. Father Gabriel (+1)
Father Gabriel still looked rough this episode, but that’s mostly because Eugene scared the living hell out of him in his sleep. In typical Gabriel fashion, he offered Eugene an olive branch to return to Rick’s group whenever he wanted. Although Eugene may never take him up on it, fans should be hopeful that Gabe is looking better than has has this season.
20. Carl (-4)
Carl remains on the list because he’s technically not dead yet. What he did this episode should skyrocket him up to the top 10, but because of his walker bite he plummets to the bottom.
21. Gregory
Which character could be lower on the list than a guy on the verge of death? Gregory.
What do YOU think of our character Power Rankings after this emotional Mid-Season Finale? Tell us in the comments and check back in February when our Power Rankings resume. In the meantime, make sure to check out our Comic Power Rankings, which we release every month!
