After 14 years, The Walking Dead fans have noted just as much about the franchise that they hate as they love. Some of the most unpopular tropes in the horror TV series are killing off new characters without giving them a time to shine and reusing tired storylines instead of developing something more original. On the other hand, there is a lot to love about the long-running franchise that keeps viewers coming back with each new installment.

Many of these tropes began early on in The Walking Dead, establishing key themes and aspects of the post-apocalyptic show that worked well. Others developed over time, ensuring the franchise evolved into something that would keep audiences engaged as the flagship series ended and spin-offs such as Daryl Dixon and Dead City began. While not every fan loves these tropes, the way they carry the franchise never gets old.

Plot Armor Is a Necessity of the Franchise’s Longevity

After a main series and several spin-offs, it’s impressive that The Walking Dead has four original characters still living. Though plot armor is an unpopular trope for many fans of the series, there’s no doubt that this trope has been a key factor in its success. New characters shouldn’t be consistently killed off to serve the main characters’ storylines, but these main characters are so intricate to the series that it would be a mistake to kill them off and replace them with new ones.

Some may believe that Daryl Dixon or Rick Grimes should have died a long time ago, but then some of the franchise’s best successes, including the spin-offs Daryl Dixon and The Ones Who Live, would not have kept the horror series alive and thriving. So, despite the controversy surrounding unnecessary minor character demises, plot armor for a select few Walking Dead characters keeps the long-running audience engaged and curious to see what new adventures beloved characters will face.

The Apocalypse Positively Changed Someone’s Personality

It’s hard to consider the apocalypse a good thing. Shows such as this one are enjoyed for the danger and horror that comes with the end of the world. On the other hand, one of the most intriguing aspects of TWD is watching how the zombie outbreak changed the lives of survivors. A harsh reality of this post-apocalyptic world is that everyone has to alter their outlook on life and their purpose for surviving to withstand all the devastation.

However, this wasn’t a bad thing for some of the survivors in The Walking Dead. Carol is well-known for having one of the most epic character arcs, going from a scared and abused woman to a true survivor. Others, such as Eugene and Gabriel, thrived in the dangerous world, growing stronger and kinder when faced with difficult decisions they previously would have been too cowardly to make.

The Deterioration of Infrastructure Offers an Eerie Atmosphere

From the beginning of The Walking Dead to the current spin-offs, the long years of the post-apocalyptic world have done significant damage to infrastructure. In the first few seasons, the setting mainly featured a lot of dust, scattered trash, and damage due to the hectic outbreak. As the years went on, the setting got even more apocalyptic, featuring broken bridges and buildings, deteriorating roads, and a lack of resources such as gas.

This atmosphere is crucial to the authentic representation of the world without the luxuries of modern technology. There are some details that make the post-apocalyptic setting more believable, such as utilizing horses and carriages for transportation. With these small but important world-building details, the broad setting of The Walking Dead succeeds in being eerily realistic.

Rebuilding Civilization Represents Hope

Another evolution within this series is the deterioration of civilization and the rebuilding of a new way of life. There are many underrated episodes in The Walking Dead that outline this change from one way of life to another. As the storyline progressed, the main cast went from trying to find a safe place and surviving on the road to establishing large, stable communities.

These stable communities, such as Alexandria and the Commonwealth, contrast the doom and gloom of the deteriorating infrastructure. While much of the world seems to fall into ruins, the remaining people rebuild and establish their own forms of civilization that provide different resources and social dynamics. This is one of the major symbols of hope in the dreary world, making it one of the most comforting aspects of the franchise.

Deconstructing Previous Social Norms Is Subtle Commentary

At the beginning of The Walking Dead, social norms were held onto, such as women doing much of the domestic labor, men protecting the group from threats, and adults attempting to shield children from the dangers of the world. As time passed, the survivors slowly let go of many traditional values associated with their old civilization. Though some of these changes were negative, many of them made their new communities more equitable.

With the dangers of living enemies and undead walkers to worry about, the characters didn’t concern themselves with social issues. There didn’t seem to be any problems with things such as women and children fighting alongside men and interracial or same-sex relationships. In this way, The Walking Dead made subtle commentary about social and political issues by suggesting arguments about prejudices or biases didn’t have a place in a world in which people had to stand together to survive and thrive.

Villain Redemption Arcs Add Nuance

In any apocalyptic narrative, there are bad people that get in the way of the heroes’ safety and survival. This was a trope established early on in the franchise. Though some seemingly bad people, like Gabriel, proved to have the ability to grow and change, many major villains, such as the Governor and Alpha, were too dangerous and bloodthirsty to change for the better.

Among the most extreme villains in the long-running TV series, Negan has the most interesting story arc. He developed into the most controversial character in The Walking Dead because, despite the terrible things he did as an antagonist, he was still capable of doing heroic deeds. Viewers appreciate when villains have the complexity to evolve because it adds to the nuances of these seemingly “bad” characters, highlighting how different personalities are capable of being both heroes and villains.

Found Family Is Always Endearing

In this world, billions of people have died throughout the years fighting the undead. Many people have lost most of their family, including long-running characters such as Maggie and Rick. Still, these survivors found people they could rely on, and that ensured that they had allies to fight with at the dead and living.

However, the allies in The Walking Dead became more than just companions. Many of them consider their long-time allies dear friends and a family they’ve built through perseverance and tragedy. This is highlighted in relationships like Daryl and Carol but also in more obvious ways, such as Rick and Michonne eventually falling in love and raising their children together. These found families are one of the most endearing aspects of dark, devastating stories, proving that even the most harsh environments can’t suppress the human need for community.

The Question of Human Morality Is Constantly Posed

The moral question has been posed in this series since the first season of the flagship show. Though Rick went back for Merle when they left him on a rooftop in Atlanta, the group soon realized that always doing the moral thing puts themselves at risk. For this reason, the survivors often turn away from people in need and even harm those who don’t pose an obvious threat.

It’s a controversial theme in The Walking Dead that the characters get more brutal and violent as they adapt to the new world order. On the other hand, this goes hand-in-hand with a popular trope. Questioning human morality and the lengths people will go to in order to stay alive is a necessary theme in apocalyptic stories if the franchise strives to represent a realistic reaction to a constantly dangerous and deadly existence.

The Evolution of Walkers Keeps the Major Villain Relevant

The first couple of seasons of the flagship series, and spin-offs such as Fear The Walking Dead and The Walking Dead: World Beyond, focus on The Walking Dead’s walkers and how they function. Understanding these villains on a basic level is relevant to understanding how the dead coming back to life could pose a serious enough threat to end the world.

Despite this, the walkers in the franchise have become less threatening in comparison to the living villains. As humans adapted to the world of the undead, the zombies became less threatening and easier to defeat. To keep the titular antagonists a major theme in the show, the walkers began to evolve, developing abilities with and without human intervention that made them more dangerous to seasoned survivors. It took a long time for this trope to occur in the franchise, but it makes the overarching villain an increasingly intriguing aspect.

The Most Realistic Trope Is Morally Gray Heroes

As previously mentioned, the apocalypse changed everyone who was fortunate enough to stay alive and live for years in the dangerous world. While some of these transformations were positive, many were more complex. Most of the long-running characters in the franchise, including Rick, Michonne, Carol, and Daryl, have had to do terrible things to survive and protect loved ones.

Even beloved characters have done horrendous things, such as Maggie luring Negan into New York City in Dead City in exchange for her son’s safe return. In this type of environment, people are forced to do immortal and despicable things for selfish but understandable reasons, including keeping themselves and others alive. It would be completely unreasonable for everyone to follow an unblemished moral compass in this situation, making morally gray characters the best trope in The Walking Dead.