The Walking Dead is full of heartbreaking “what if” scenarios, but one of the biggest questions fans still debate is: What if Rick Grimes never made it out of the hospital?

If Rick had died alone in that abandoned hospital, he never would have reunited with Lori and Carl. Instead, Shane Walsh—Rick’s best friend and eventual rival—would have been Carl’s only father figure. But would that have been a good thing? Would Carl have grown into a stronger survivor under Shane’s guidance, or would his path have been even darker?

Let’s break down what might have happened if Rick never made it back and Shane had been the only one raising Carl in the apocalypse.

Shane’s Early Relationship with Carl—A Protector at Heart

Before Rick’s return, Shane stepped up as the de facto leader of their small survivor group. More importantly, he became Carl’s protector, filling the role of a father figure when the world collapsed.

From the very start, Shane cared deeply for Carl. He taught him how to survive, shielded him from danger, and tried to keep life as normal as possible. Even after Rick returned, Shane continued to show a fierce protectiveness over Carl, often treating him as if he were his own son.

But Shane’s version of “fatherhood” was very different from Rick’s. While Rick believed in hope, morality, and keeping their humanity intact, Shane saw survival as black-and-white: kill or be killed.

If Rick had never come back, would Shane’s brutal approach to survival have shaped Carl into something completely different?

Would Shane Have Been a Better Father Figure?

Let’s break it down.

✅ Shane Was More Willing to Do Whatever It Took
Shane never hesitated to make hard choices. While Rick struggled with morality, Shane acted instantly—even if it meant crossing the line. He would have taught Carl to be ruthless, to kill without hesitation, and to put survival above all else.

🚨 But That Ruthlessness Would Have Come at a Cost
Without Rick’s influence, Carl might have lost his innocence much faster. We saw glimpses of this in Season 3, when Carl coldly executed a surrendering Woodbury soldier. Under Shane’s full-time guidance, Carl might have grown into a version of himself that didn’t just survive—but thrived in the darkness.

✅ Shane Deeply Loved Carl
Despite his flaws, Shane truly cared for Carl. He wanted to protect him at all costs, even if it meant fighting Rick. Unlike Rick, who sometimes had to balance leadership with fatherhood, Shane might have focused entirely on keeping Carl safe.

🚨 But Shane Was Unstable
The biggest issue? Shane’s mental state. As the apocalypse wore on, he became more aggressive, paranoid, and violent. If Rick had never returned, how long before Shane’s protective nature turned into something dangerous? Would he have become so obsessed with keeping Carl and Lori safe that he’d do something unforgivable?

Carl’s Alternate Fate—What Would He Have Become?

If Shane had raised Carl without Rick’s influence, Carl would have been a very different person. Here’s what might have changed:

🔥 More Like Shane, Less Like Rick
Carl would have learned to be a killer much sooner. Instead of struggling with morality, he would have followed Shane’s philosophy: eliminate threats first, ask questions later.

🔥 A Stronger but Colder Leader
By the time Carl was a teenager, he might have taken control of his own group—much like how Shane tried to take over from Rick. But would he have led with compassion, or would he have ruled with fear?

🔥 No Judith, No Future for the Grimes Family
If Shane had raised Carl, Rick and Lori’s daughter, Judith, might never have existed. Without Rick’s return, Lori and Shane’s relationship would have continued—but could they have lasted in the apocalypse?

Would Shane Have Survived?

One final twist to consider: If Rick had never returned, would Shane have even survived long enough to keep raising Carl?

Shane was reckless. His aggressive nature led to dangerous decisions that ultimately got him killed. Without Rick as a moral counterbalance, Shane might have spiraled even faster—putting Carl at risk rather than protecting him.

Final Verdict—Better or Worse for Carl?

So, would Carl have been better off if Shane had been his only father figure? The answer isn’t so simple.

✅ Carl would have become a stronger, more ruthless survivor much earlier.
✅ He wouldn’t have struggled as much with morality and hesitation.
🚨 But he would have lost his humanity much faster.
🚨 He might have grown up too fast, without hope for a better world.
🚨 Shane’s unstable nature could have eventually put Carl in danger.

At the end of the day, Rick’s return gave Carl something Shane never could: balance. Rick taught Carl that survival mattered, but so did compassion. That’s what made Carl a true leader in the apocalypse—not just a killer, but someone who still believed in building something better.