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7 Characters Who Can't Die On 'The Walking Dead' -- But Should

It's time for these folks to look at the flowers.

by Amanda Bell

So, who's going to make the "In Memoriam" segment on this season of "The Walking Dead?"

Well, if the epic season opener was any indication, we are due for one helluva bloody romp this go-round. Which is good, because last season things were a little too tame and death-proof for our pack of survivors -- with a few notable exceptions, of course. (So long Psycho Lizzie, Mika, and Sir Gov'na). Word on the street is the major character body count will skyrocket this year, so now we are officially excited to see what goes down.

In the past, "TWD" has spared some and slaughtered more (RIP Hershel, sadface) without much ceremony, so we know none of the major players are ever really safe. But there are a few characters they just can't kill -- yet -- but maybe should anyway. Let's list 'em out, shall we? Spoilers below, natch:

1. Rick Grimes

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Why They Can’t Kill Him Off: This one's kind of a no-brainer. The show just would not, could not be the same without our slightly unbalanced, six-shooter-totin' sheriff to rally up the troops with his inspirational speeches and such. He's literally the poster boy for the zombie apocalypse. Besides, let's face it: no one's got Colossal Flip-Out Mode on lock quite like Andrew Lincoln.

Why They Maybe Should: Rick's been campaigning for Mayor of CuckooTown for a while now, and his vicious run-in with Daryl's pals Joe & co. won't help him restore those loose screws anytime soon. If he got offed by a walker or, say, whatever new Big Bad emerges this season (or one of his own crew, 'cause drama/shocker/ratings), there'd finally be room for one of the more stable members of the gang to step up and lead -- think Glenn, Michonne, or even Tyreese. Hey, somebody's gotta get this crazy train back on the rails, and no one's gonna best Rick for the conductor chair while he's still around.

2. Daryl Dixon

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Why They Can’t Kill Him Off: Punch "If Daryl Dies We Riot" into your search engine right quick, and you'll find just about all you need to know about why they can't take out the fierce, crossbow-wielding, only-dude-who-can-actually-pull-off-a-mullet Daryl Dixon. He's just too popular to get rid of right now. Not only that, but he's also the savviest slaughterer in the human herd. They'd all be way more S.O.L. than they already are without him around.

Why They Maybe Should: Just imagine the all-out, balls to the wall blaze of glory it would involve to actually take Daryl down. It would be amaaaaazing TV. Plus, it would really cement the idea that this is a world where the dead outnumber the living a million-fold, where no one is safe. Not even the fan-fave.

3. Michonne

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Why They Can’t Kill Her Off: There's still so much to learn about how Michonne was sculpted into a super-slayer -- this season simply cannot be her last. Also, like Daryl she's pretty much a must-have for the hit squad right about now.

Why They Maybe Should: Motherless Carl is a major liability, and so long as Michonne is around to act as a pseudo-mama figure to him, he's pretty much going to stay planted on his rocker. But imagine if both father and son could become fully committed to their inner crazy. It would be entertaining, at least (though not nearly as much so as watching Michonne maim a gaggle of walkers with one swipe of her samurai sword).

4. Tyreese

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Why They Can’t Kill Him Off: Muscle is in short supply for Rick and his rag-tag team, so there’s that. And don’t forget that even despite her recent exercise in heroism, the list of truly Team Carol members is still pretty spare ‘cause secrets. She’s got some ‘splaining to do about Mika and Lizzie, and she’s going to need Tyreese to back her up on this one. (Bonus: Tyreese kind of wore his Crazy Pants during the premiere, so we could definitely do with more of that.)

Why They Maybe Should: The death of Tyreese would leave the group pretty vulnerable, and they’d definitely have to start reevaluating all of their terrible decisions. Plus, it would be fun to see who emerges as Judith’s protector figure while Father of the Year is off doing Rick things all the time.

5. Beth

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Why They Can’t Kill Her Off: Daryl seemed to be getting pretty sweet on her before she got scooped up, so we need to see what happens there. Besides, if the rumor mill has it right, Glenn might be one who finds himself on the chopping block for season five (a theory which does sync up with the comics), which means that poor sweet Maggie will have lost yet another major person in her life. Bummer-sauce. So, unless we want Maggie to go to the dark side (wait, do we?), Beth's just got to survive her kidnapping.

Why They Maybe Should: Apart from providing a bit of live music around the campfire or an extra pair of hands to help with Judith, Beth hasn't had much to do on "The Walking Dead" so far. But kill her off, and things get mighty interesting with both Maggie and Daryl.

6. Carl

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Why They Can’t Kill Him Off: Rick pretty much needs Junior around to justify his continued effort to make it in this death-rattled version of America. Plus, they've probably already killed off enough kids on this show for a while, yes?

Why They Maybe Should: Shooting skills notwithstanding, Carl is still a major point of weakness for the group. He's slow, he makes pretty terrible decisions on the regular, and Rick's judgment is especially compromised when he's around. Basically, he's the lowest common denominator much of the time.

7. Judith

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Why They Can’t Kill Her Off: 'Cause killing babies is twisted, duh.

Why They Maybe Should: 'Cause she's even more of a liability than Carl to the group – c'mon, she's basically a two-foot-long walker magnet.

Anyone you’d like to add? Hit the comments and let ‘er rip like a decayed zombie jaw on a stick.

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