10 Walking Dead Characters Who Need to Return in Daryl Dixon Season 3 (#1 Is Unquestionable)

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon finally returns for its third and penultimate season on September 7, following Norman Reedus's titular character as he continues his journey through a post-apocalyptic Europe. After the landmark events of Season 2, subtitled "The Book of Carol," which saw Melissa McBride's iconic Walking Dead character cross the Atlantic Ocean to land in France, anything is possible in the final two seasons of Daryl Dixon--including even more exciting cameos from other corners of this dystopian universe.

As Walking Dead fans prepare themselves for the third season of Daryl Dixon, one thought is at the forefront of everyone's mind: what other characters could join Daryl and Carol on their next adventure? There are dozens of iconic personalities from the flagship series whom fans would love to see reunite with Daryl and Carol in some way, shape, or form, but these ten make the most sense for this upcoming season.

Judith Grimes Still Hopes to See Daryl Again

Cailey Fleming Plays Judith Grimes

Judith is the daughter of Rick and Lori Grimes and part of the first generation to grow up entirely during the zombie apocalypse. Over the years, she grew to become a surprisingly strong warrior for her age, thanks in large part to her stepmother Michonne's training. After both Michonne and Rick went missing, Daryl took over custody of Judith and her younger brother RJ, watching over them while her parents were gone. Despite promising that he would always be there for her, Daryl eventually left as well in hopes of finding his lost friends.

Although The Walking Dead has already revisited Judith's story during the events of The Ones Who Live, which also featured the returns of Rick and Michonne, there is one more reunion that needs to take place before the end of Daryl Dixon. While not directly related, Daryl is a part of the Grimes family and a crucial part of Judith's development as a character in the later seasons of The Walking Dead. It would be a shame for Daryl's spinoff series to end before finally giving Daryl and Judith the reunion that they both deserve.

Connie and Daryl May Still Have a Future

Lauren Ridloff Plays Connie

Connie is a survivor who appears following The Walking Dead Season 9's massive time jump. Arriving alongside a group of fellow survivors, Connie quickly proves to be a fierce fighter. As a member of the Deaf community, Connie must fight harder than most other characters in the series to survive the perils of the apocalypse, knowing that it would be easier to be caught unaware by walkers. Nevertheless, she manages to survive through the events of The Walking Dead and forge meaningful relationships with several members of the main cast, including Daryl Dixon.

The later seasons of The Walking Dead hinted at a potential romance between Daryl and Connie, though nothing ever came of their flirtations. Daryl clearly had feelings for Connie, going out of his way to learn American Sign Language to communicate with her. There could still be something between Daryl and Connie, despite the distance that has separated them for the last several years. Connie's return in Daryl Dixon Season 3 would give the couple a chance to pick up where they left off.

Ezekiel Could Offer an Update About Daryl and Carol's Friends Back Home

Khary Payton Plays Ezekiel Sutton

Ezekiel Sutton is the former king of the Kingdom and the current Chancellor of the Commonwealth. A boisterous and enigmatic personality, he stands in direct contrast to the bleak world that he inhabits. Something about this proves attractive to Carol, who marries Ezekiel in The Walking Dead's ninth season. Although their relationship doesn't stand the test of time, Ezekiel and Carol remain good friends to this day.

Ezekiel's return could offer The Walking Dead fans some important information on how the rest of the communities back in the United States are faring after the end of the main series. Both Daryl and Carol have been away from home for some time now and would be sorely missing their friends and family. A cameo from a character like Ezekiel could assure them that everyone back home is doing well. He could even be the one to reveal that Rick and Michonne have finally returned home, perhaps convincing Daryl and Carol to do the same.

Negan Smith Could Connect The Walking Dead's Two Ongoing Spinoffs

Jeffrey Dean Morgan Plays Negan Smith

Negan Smith is hailed as one of the greatest villains in the history of The Walking Dead, but his recent storylines have given the character a surprising redemption arc that leads him to become one of the apocalypse's greatest heroes. Alongside his former enemy, Maggie Rhee, Negan currently stars in The Walking Dead: Dead City, where he navigates a post-apocalyptic New York City on the verge of an all-out war between two equally nefarious communities.

Although Negan is otherwise occupied, writers could find a way for Jeffrey Dean Morgan's iconic character to appear in Daryl Dixon Season 3. Thus far, there have been very few connections between The Walking Dead's various spinoffs, but this could be about to change as the respective shows begin to wind down. Negan would be an excellent character around whom to base a mini-crossover, giving him a chance to parley with two characters who have very little patience for his antics.

The Walking Dead May Have Teased Sophia Peletier's Return

Madison Lintz Plays Sophia Peletier

Sophia Peletier is Carol's young daughter who dies a tragic death early in the apocalypse. After Sophia goes missing in Season 2, Carol's group spends weeks searching for her, using the Greene family farm as a headquarters. In one of The Walking Dead's saddest moments, it is revealed that Sophia was bitten and turned almost immediately after going missing, only to be locked away in the barn as a walker. The tragedy of this loss still follows Carol over a decade later, as do the many other children she has lost along the way.

Daryl Dixon Season 2 hinted at a potential return for Sophia in some shape or form in future episodes. Recent storylines saw Carol suffer hallucinations that brought her back to Sophia's death. This could hint at Madison Lintz's return in Season 3 as Sophia's death comes back to haunt her mother all these years later.

Viewers Never Learned What Happened to Heath in The Walking Dead

Corey Hawkins Played Heath

One of the biggest lingering mysteries from the world of The Walking Dead is the fate of Corey Hawkins's Heath. Introduced in Season 6 as a resident of the Alexandria Safe Zone, Heath frequently takes long trips away from his community in search of supplies and potential new recruits. However, while on a scouting trip with Tara Chambler during Season 7, Heath mysteriously goes missing, never to be seen again. While it was suspected that he would show up in Rick Grimes's spinoff movies, these were ultimately reworked as The Ones Who Live, which features no sign of Heath.

Although Heath hasn't appeared in The Walking Dead for years, fans are still anxious to find out what became of him after his mysterious disappearance. Daryl Dixon could reveal that he, like Daryl and Carol, found himself transported across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe. Season 3 could see the long-lost character make a stunning return as he joins the main duo in a desperate and seemingly impossible quest to get back home.

Cyndie Disappeared Sometime Before The Walking Dead's Finale

Sydney Park Played Cyndie

Cyndie is yet another major lingering mystery left over from the original Walking Dead series. She is first introduced as part of the Oceanside community, a group of survivors under the Saviors' jurisdiction. Cyndie takes over as the leader of Oceanside during the Savior War, but mysteriously disappears from The Walking Dead after Season 9's time jump. Later episodes explain that Cyndie disappeared while on a boating expedition, leaving her final fate a mystery.

Cyndie's disappearance sounds strangely similar to how Daryl Dixon finds himself in France during the first season of his spinoff series. It could be that Cyndie and her crew came across the same smugglers that Daryl did, finding themselves taken against their will across the vast expanse of the Atlantic. Daryl Dixon Season 3 could follow up on Cyndie's fate, giving her a long-awaited reunion with Daryl and Carol--and a chance to make it back home.

Morgan Jones Is Still on a Mission to Find Rick Grimes

Morgan Jones Is Played by Lennie James

Morgan Jones is one of the longest-lasting survivors in the Walking Dead universe. First introduced in the pilot episode of the original series, Morgan undergoes a rigorous and traumatic emotional journey over the years, eventually leading him to go off on his own adventure away from Rick Grimes and his fellow survivors. Morgan is last seen in the final season of Fear the Walking Dead, where he and his young daughter, Mo, set off on a journey to find Rick Grimes.

Morgan is one of several characters on a mission to locate Rick, unaware that he has already returned home to Alexandria. The neatest way to wrap up Morgan's story would be for him and Mo to unite with Daryl and Carol on their shared mission. By the end of the series, the foursome could finally return to the United States, where they will be pleased to discover Rick and the rest of the Grimes family happily reunited.

Merle Dixon Could Appear in Flashbacks

Michael Rooker Played Merle Dixon

Merle Dixon is still one of The Walking Dead's most popular characters, despite dying long before the series reached its conclusion. As Daryl's older brother, Merle shares many of the traits that make Daryl a fan-favorite--though he isn't nearly as kind or as amicable. Nevertheless, Merle proves to have a heart of gold, only to have his flame snuffed out by the villainous Governor at the end of The Walking Dead's third season.

So many years later, Daryl has mostly moved on from the trauma of his brother's death. However, as Daryl's story begins to wind down, it would be interesting to see the Dixon brothers reunited onscreen for the first time in over a decade. Michael Rooker could reprise his role, appearing as a figment of Daryl's imagination. This would not only give The Walking Dead fans some much-needed closure years after Merle's death, but it would also give the series a chance to reiterate just how far Daryl has come as a character since his introduction.

Rick Grimes and Daryl Dixon Desperately Need a Reunion

Andrew Lincoln Plays Rick Grimes

There is one character that fans of The Walking Dead absolutely need to see in future seasons of Daryl Dixon. Andrew Lincoln's Rick Grimes is the centerpiece of the Walking Dead universe and the closest thing that Daryl has to a brother after Merle's death. Rick and Daryl spend years fighting side-by-side, proving to be one of the show's greatest duos. Unfortunately, they are tragically ripped apart after Rick's disappearance in The Walking Dead's ninth season. Hopefully, this extended separation is approaching its end.

The entire premise of Daryl Dixon is built around Daryl's desperate search for his long-lost friend. Though he has become distracted by bigger problems along the way, Daryl is still hopeful that he can locate Rick. Unbeknownst to Daryl, however, Rick has already returned home to Alexandria, leaving him with one more anxiously awaited reunion. The Walking Dead can't end Daryl's story without reuniting him with Rick Grimes. The greatest duo in the history of The Walking Dead will fight side by side again--and fans may not have to wait much longer to finally see it.

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