Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3, episode 3, “El Sacrificio”.Ever since The Walking Dead concluded, Daryl Dixon has been on an unplanned adventure around Europe as he attempts to find his way home, and even he seems confused about his conclusion in the main show. The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon spinoff has certainly been unique, as it has introduced fresh locations and other cultures, a welcome change to the zombie franchise.
Alongside exploring the UK’s fall in The Walking Dead universe, Daryl Dixon has also highlighted the strange traditions that have arisen in Spain alongside the power struggle in France, which feels like a huge change of pace compared to America’s factions. As a result, the series has provided frequent entertainment, but it has also exposed a major problem with Daryl’s story.
During The Walking Dead season 11’s ending, Daryl decides to leave the Commonwealth to explore the world and see what’s out there. However, upon reflection, this decision seemed pretty random and didn’t have a lot of logic or build behind it, with Daryl himself now sounding unsure about what motivated him to leave all his friends behind.
Even Daryl Dixon Isn’t Sure Why He Left At The End Of The Walking Dead Season 11
Leaving the Commonwealth was a massive decision, especially since he chose to do it solo, meaning it must’ve been something Daryl thought long and hard about. However, his spinoff is starting to cast doubt on this choice, with The Walking Dead veteran sounding uncertain about why he opted to exit a safe community full of loved ones to go exploring.
It was Maggie who requested Daryl go on this scouting mission, and while it’s unclear how long it was supposed to last or what exactly he was looking for, he happily accepted. His farewell to the group also seemed like a semi-permanent one, indicating that his journey was intended to span several months at the least, if not longer.
All of this pointed towards Daryl being all in on this mission, yet his conversation with Roberto suggests otherwise. With the Spanish native desperate to leave for America with Daryl, he told the protagonist, “I know why I’m leaving. Maybe you’re still trying to figure out why you did,” to which Daryl responded, “Ain’t that the truth.”
As a result, it seems like he never quite figured out what drove him to leave everything behind, making his actions all the more peculiar. Additionally, Daryl has wanted to leave Spain ever since arriving in the country and wasn’t exactly sold on France either, despite making new allies, which makes his Walking Dead ending feel very confusing.
Daryl Leaving In The Walking Dead Season 11’s Ending Certainly Felt Odd
Considering Daryl has been part of the franchise ever since season 1, it felt strange that one of The Walking Dead’s most popular characters ended the main series by leaving on his own. While he was more of a lone wolf in the show’s earlier stages, he developed into a caring survivor who found family among the main group.
Additionally, Daryl’s friendship with Carol in The Walking Dead was given a heavy emphasis in the later seasons, and he essentially stepped up as the main protagonist, even forming a close bond with Rick’s daughter, Judith. Therefore, finally settling in a safe community felt like a deserved ending for the survival expert, rather than randomly going on a solo journey.
Had he at least taken a small team with him or traveled with someone else, it could’ve been presented as a short-term objective for the sake of the community. Instead, Daryl’s exit felt like a poorly explained reason to set up his spinoff show, which still hasn’t been justified almost three years later.
Daryl Will Feel Even Worse About Leaving When He Gets Home
It already looks like Daryl is having some major regrets about leaving the Commonwealth, especially after ending up so far from home, but he’ll regret it even more when he eventually gets back. Despite how much drama Daryl has faced trying to return to the US, it seems inevitable that he’ll make it home to America at some point.
Unfortunately, with Rick finally returning after years of being MIA, the decision to leave will only hurt Daryl even more. Although there haven’t been any major character deaths since the finale, not being there to see Rick emerge with his family after almost a decade of uncertainty will feel like a blow after that initial happiness of catching up with him wears off.
Daryl and Rick’s Walking Dead reunion is something fans have been craving for a long time, and while it’ll still be a huge moment when it does eventually happen, it’s hard to imagine Daryl not feeling at least a little bit of regret about leaving, since he looks destined to miss out on this heartwarming, emotional return.
Laurent Should Be Daryl’s Way Of Justifying His Disastrous European Tour
Going to Europe has felt like one disaster after the other for Daryl, but Laurent’s survival is the perfect way to justify his time abroad. His stop in the UK was rather pointless in the grand scheme of things, and it’s too early to judge his Spanish trip, although he may at least help put an end to El Alcazar’s cruel tradition.
However, France is where his journey really finds meaning, as Daryl’s Walking Dead romance with Isabelle briefly saw him find love, while he helped take down some sinister factions. Most importantly though, he allowed Laurent to escape a country that was using him for political and religious beliefs, which almost led to the young child being killed numerous times.
Thankfully, Daryl’s intervention gave Laurent the chance at freedom as he and Ash were last seen flying to America in Daryl Dixon season 2, where he will get a chance at a new life. Therefore, Daryl providing Laurent with the chance to be a normal kid makes his exhausting European trip worthwhile, no matter how much it costs him.