Top 20 Times Daryl Went Beast Mode on The Walking Dead

#20: Killing Beta

“A Certain Doom”

Although the Whisperers arc begins with Alpha as their leader, by season 10, it’s Beta who emerges as the real face of fear. He and Daryl had already clashed before – more on that later – but the latter wasn’t taking any chances by their final showdown. Hungry for revenge, the Whisperers’ leader is on the warpath with Negan in his sights. But just as he goes for the kill, he finds himself blindsided by Daryl – literally, in this case. It’s brutal and unsavory even by “The Walking Dead”’s standards, but Daryl’s far past the point of mercy. And while Negan is stunned by the revelation of Beta’s true identity, Daryl makes his feelings crystal clear.

#19: Attacking the Sanctuary

“Time for After”

Considering how much he endured under Negan and the Saviors, we get why the path of forgiveness wasn’t exactly an *ahem* easy street for Daryl. So, when Rick plans to give the Sanctuary’s residents a chance to escape a horde of walkers, Daryl comes up with a much more ruthless idea of his own. Despite an entire herd of zombies in his way, he jumps on a truck and bulldozes it straight through the Sanctuary’s walls. It’s no surprise that he escapes unscathed – it is Daryl Dixon, after all – but his actions do more harm than good. Instead of ending the war, Daryl’s recklessness causes the conflict to spill out in worse ways than even he could’ve anticipated.

#18: Putting Down Merle

“This Sorrowful Life”

Despite clashing worldviews and personalities, Daryl’s loyalty to Merle was without question, stretching as far back as the first season. Sadly, the pair never got the chance for a proper goodbye. By the end of season three, Merle has a change of heart, turning against The Governor’s tyranny at the cost of his life. Coming across his reanimated brother, Daryl has a raw moment of catharsis, unleashing all the grief and rage that he’d bottled up. As devastating as it is brutal, it’s a heartbreaking moment that tragically ends the Dixon brothers’ story. Even the coolest characters love their families. And no matter how badass Daryl is, putting his undead brother down tears him apart.

#17: Ending a Bitten Dale

“Judge, Jury, Executioner”

Even after two seasons, Daryl didn’t truly earn his place in the group until this scene. Having shown his depth during his search for Sophia, we see another side of him when least expected. As the only one voicing compassion in an unforgiving world, Dale’s speech strikes a chord. Too bad for him, he’s mortally wounded soon after, leaving the group with the uncomfortable decision to end his misery. With no one willing to act, Daryl steps up for the job, apologizing to his fallen friend before pulling the trigger. Haunted by his failure to save Sophia, this marks the moment Daryl accepts the harsh reality of the apocalypse.

#16: Staying Alive in the Wolf Trap Full Of Walkers

“Conquer”

Who needs Ghost Rider when you’ve got Daryl Dixon on your squad? Never one to back down from a fight, Daryl takes a page out of the Marvel superhero’s book in this episode. While venturing outside Alexandra’s walls, he and Aaron stumble upon a food truck. Of course, there’s always a catch whenever things seem too good to be true. Before they know it, the pair is ambushed by a “truckload” of walkers. But does he fold and accept his fate when things look bleak? Nope. Daryl spins around a chain in ways that would make even Johnny Blaze proud, instead. It doesn’t solve their problems, but Daryl’s improv buys them enough time for a second surge soon after.

#15: Escaping the Saviors

“Hearts Still Beating”

Negan storms into the show by bashing Glenn and Abraham out of it. So, it’s only fair that Daryl serves up some measure of payback. After he’s mysteriously freed from his cell, Daryl wastes no time escaping the Sanctuary. It almost goes without a hitch – until Fat Joey happens to walk by. Despite promising to stay quiet, Joey signed his own death warrant the moment he showed up. Much like Negan made an example out of Glenn, Daryl beats a lesson down on Joey as a message to the Saviors. Whether Joey deserved such a brutal retribution is a matter of debate. But does Daryl care? Not even a little.

#14: Threatening Bob

“Indifference”

Rick may be the leader, but don’t ever question Daryl’s status as an alpha. We’re reminded with complete clarity when Bob makes the mistake of getting on his bad side. Ironically, Daryl is initially shown consoling him, sympathizing with Bob’s survivor’s guilt and alcohol use disorder. But when his issues put them in danger, Daryl decides to establish his dominance. He doesn’t need to get his hands dirty to prove his point – his icy glare is enough to frighten Bob into submission. Cold fury and a deadly promise leave no question that when Daryl says he means business, he absolutely does.

#13: Taking Officer Dawn Down Permanently

“Coda”

After the prison falls, Daryl and Beth find themselves together. What begins as an unlikely pairing blossoms into a heartwarming dynamic, as Daryl reveals a softer side that fans hadn’t seen before. As expected, he’s front and center at Grady Memorial Hospital when the group rescues Beth from Dawn Lerner’s tyrannical clutches. But, as most things go in “The Walking Dead,” this exchange ends in tragedy when Beth is killed. It may have been an accident, but all Daryl cares about is swift vengeance. And a single bullet is all it takes to end Dawn’s threat for good. He walks away like the badass that he is. But the hope and trust he found with Beth? That sadly dies with her.

#12: Fighting Variant Walkers

“Coming Home”

Unlike the flagship series, the “Daryl Dixon” spin-off leaves a lot more room for action scenes to breathe. And so, we get an extended showdown with Daryl in a gladiator-themed deathmatch. Thrown into a pit against impossible odds, Daryl faces an enhanced variant that makes every walker before it look like child’s play. But even with just a medieval axe and flagpole-turned-spear, he refuses to back down. Things kick into overdrive when he and Quinn are chained up together to battle even more walkers, but for Daryl, it’s just another walk in the park. Although isolated and far from home, Daryl proves himself to be the real apex predator in that arena.

#11: The Subway

“Acheron: Part II”

Norman Reedus officially joined the “John Wick” universe with 2025’s “Ballerina.” But as far as “The Walking Dead” fans are concerned, he went full “John Wick” as Daryl several years before. Separated from his group and lost in a subway tunnel filled with walkers? Doesn’t matter. Armed with a mace and with his trusty dog by his side, Daryl makes quick work of every zombie in his path. But the action truly begins once he acquires Roy’s weaponry, mowing down walkers in a relentless barrage that’s as violent as it is mesmerizing. Thanks to some excellent camerawork and stellar direction, Daryl’s rampage transforms a fight for survival into one of the coolest scenes in the show’s history.

#10: Fighting His Way Out of a Funeral Home "Alone"

After Daryl and Beth take refuge in a funeral home, they’re visited by a small herd of walkers. They’re then forced to go separate ways to survive. While Beth escapes the house, Daryl voluntarily distracts the undead. Although he gets cornered, he stays alive by creating a barrier with gurneys and fighting his way out with medical tools. Daryl's eventually able to slip out of his predicament and take out a few more walkers along the way. Despite his best efforts, Beth still gets kidnapped by outside force. But she might not have survived at all if Daryl didn’t volunteer to take on the walkers solo.

#9: Protecting an Injured Aaron

"The Bridge"

While Daryl is working at a logging site, a herd of walkers approaches him. He impressively dispatches a few with just a piece of wood. But the situation gets more dire when his friend Aaron gets his arm trapped under a heavy log. After taking care of walkers that got too close with his trusty dual knives, Daryl helps lift the log off his friend. He doesn't leave Aaron’s side until backup arrives. After making sure his friend gets medical attention, Daryl beat up the person responsible for letting the herd get to the logging site in the first place. Neither Walkers or humans can mess with Daryl's friends without facing severe consequences.

#8: Interrogating Randall

“Judge, Jury, Executioner” You know how we were just saying that messing with Daryl’s friends was a terrible idea? Well, a survivor named Randall learned this lesson in the worst way. Randall was a part of a crew that tried to shoot Rick and his friends. After he keeps secrets from the good guys, Daryl is sent in to see what this survivor really knows. He subjects Randall to a ton of pain and is willing to go even further if that’s what it takes to get information. It’s frightening to see Daryl in such a brutal and angry state. In the end, his willingness to put Randall through the ringer successfully gets the group all the information they could ask for.

#7: Saving a Family of Strangers "Home"

The Dixon brothers were walking alone when they suddenly spotted a family on a bridge being attacked by walkers. While Merle didn't want to help, Daryl rushed into battle to save the innocent people. He single-handedly takes down ten walkers in a variety of cool ways that include slamming a car trunk down on one and kicking another off a bridge. And when Merle tries to take advantage of these heroics to rob the liberated family, Daryl threatens his brother. This incident on the bridge showed exactly how courageous and selfless our favorite archer is. Not only is he willing to defeat walkers in awesome ways at a moment’s notice, but he’ll also stand up to his family to keep strangers safe.

#6: Throwing a Grenade Into a Tank "Too Far Gone"

When the Governor comes to wage war against Rick's group, he brings along a tank. The military vehicle seemed unstoppable until Daryl got involved. After fighting off armed enemies and walkers at the same time, he turns attention to the tank. Daryl charges forward with a grenade and throws it down the vehicle's barrel. A few moments later, its interior is hit with a satisfying explosion. He made sure to seal his victory by taking out the vicious man who used the tank against his friends. While the group ultimately loses this battle, Daryl is still a winner in our eyes for giving us this explosive action scene.

#5: Rebounding From an Almost Fatal Fall "Chupacabra"

A spooked horse accidentally throws Daryl down a steep hill. To make matters worse, he discovers that he fell on one of his arrows on the way down. When the wounded Daryl tries to climb up the hill, he tumbles again and passes out. It’s then that he decides to activate his beast mode. Daryl takes out a walker with a stick, removes the arrow from his body and uses it to take down another walker. After catching his breath, he climbs the hill and makes it back to camp... only to be shot at when he's mistaken for a walker. Fortunately, he's up and making threats shortly after the incident. Only Daryl is tough enough to survive a hellish experience like this.

#4: Explosively Ending Saviors

"No Way Out"

As soon as an armed group of Saviors sees Darryl’s truck, they immediately want what's inside. After taking his weapons, an intimidating savior follows him to the back of the vehicle. Sasha and Abraham are left at the mercy of this thieving group. But right as they're about to be attacked, Daryl blows the saviors away with an RPG. Before we were finished praising his awesome save, we found out he also defeated an armed villain with his bare hands. The only injury he suffers in this explosive incident is a cut on his back. The saviors might’ve walked away from this too if they hadn't incurred the wrath of a badass like Daryl.

#3: Distracting & Defeating Invading Walkers

"No Way Out"

Daryl arrives home to Alexandria to find that it's been overrun with a massive horde of walkers. Luckily, he has a ridiculously cool and clever idea. After pouring fuel into Alexandria's lake, he lights it on fire with his latest go-to weapon, an RPG. The resulting flames distract the Walkers and give his friends a fighting chance. Not content with creating a distraction, Daryl jumps into the battle and takes on the horde himself. Thanks to his contributions and quick thinking, Alexandria got a huge advantage in their fight and were eventually able to win. Maybe all the town’s residents would be safer if Daryl just stuck around the neighborhood full time.

#2: Beating Beta & His Sidekicks

"Chokepoint”

To prevent Lydia from returning to the wild Whisperer group, the good guys have to defeat the 6 foot 4 inch tall warrior Beta and his allies. Daryl takes out two whisperers with little issue before facing the biggest threat. Beta’s size, strength and skill with weapons made him insanely tough to beat. But Daryl didn’t back down. Instead of attacking head on, he takes advantage of his surroundings to hide himself. When Beta least expects it, Daryl shoves the villain into an elevator shaft. Although this wasn't the end of their rivalry, there was still plenty to celebrate. Daryl gave Lydia a chance to live away from the Whisperers by beating one of the toughest opponents his crew has ever faced.

#1: Surviving After Ambushing Alpha

"Stalker"

Shortly after Daryl ambushes and takes down several whisperers, Alpha gives him an injury that makes it hard for him to see. He’s forced to fight off walkers and the whisperer leader with limited eyesight. Things get worse when Alpha leaves a knife in Daryl’s leg. While recovering, she sends three more walkers after him. Daryl is able to take two down with improvised weapons. But when the third gets too close, he’s forced to remove the blade from his body and use it as a weapon. The severity of his injuries and stress of his insane battle leave him clinging to life. Fortunately, Lydia was there to patch him up so he could give us more beast mode scenes like this in the future.

Can you think of any other “Walking Dead” character who went BEAST mode? Let us know in the comments.