I'm Worried The Walking Dead Is Getting Ready to Butcher 1 of the Franchise's Best New Characters

Season 3 of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon is set to be released on September 7, 2025, and the trailers have hinted at an exciting journey for Daryl and Carol that results in them being involved in a conflict regarding survivors in Spain. These trailers have made a couple of key details clear before viewers engage in the new installment, such as the location, clarifying that a decent amount of time has passed between Season 2 and Season 3. Unfortunately, one of the other aspects the trailers have clarified is that the previous side characters introduced in the first two installments will likely have no involvement in the upcoming storyline.

Though many viewers were excited to learn that Carol Peletier would return to the franchise in Season 2 of the spin-off, there has been a lot of negativity surrounding the spin-off now that it seems the show will focus on the two long-running characters and take away from the unique European storyline. One of the biggest concerns fans have is the purpose of these new series, which have added to the main characters' plots but have failed to incorporate other characters that have a significant purpose other than to benefit these already lengthy character arcs. Sadly, all the characters introduced in Daryl Dixon Season 1 and 2 have been killed off or shelved, leaving viewers concerned that their new favorite side characters were a waste of their commitment.

Stephane Codron Had an Exceptional Redemption Arc

Stephane Codron was the first antagonist in the spin-off and became a recurring character, appearing in most episodes of Daryl Dixon. At the beginning of the narrative, he's a soldier for Pouvoir des Vivants who goes looking for a couple of his men, one of whom is his brother. The first impression the audience had of Codron is when he questions a couple of thieves on the road, inevitably killing one of them to figure out what happened to his brother, suggesting he's a particularly violent and cruel person.

The surviving thief was a woman who tricked Daryl and stole his gear, later lying to Codron and telling him that Daryl had killed his brother and the other soldier, resulting in Codron seeking revenge for his lost loved one. He causes a lot of harm and death in Season 1, hunting Daryl, Laurent, and Isabelle across France. Though he receives orders from Genet to target the group, giving the people of Paris hope for the future, his actions are driven by a personal vendetta and a desire to avenge his brother rather than out of loyalty to Pouvoir.

However, his perspective changes toward the end of Season 1 when he is ordered by Genet to kill Laurent, who wants to see the boy dead because he represents something that could damage her control over the French survivors. When given the opportunity to kill Daryl and avenge his brother, Codron chooses to kill his own men and allow Daryl to escape because the alternative would have resulted in Laurent's death, whom he sees as an innocent child. This action changed his reputation for many Walking Dead fans, who now recognized him as an honorable man who became entangled with a ruthless organization.

Stephane Became a Hero In Daryl Dixon Season 2

When Codron appears again in Daryl Dixon Season 2, he is a prisoner of Pouvoir and badly injured after being beaten and tortured in an attempt to get information on the Union of Hope's location. Though he breaks down under extreme duress and is used as a taunt to Losang and his organization, his storyline is not remembered as a weak soldier who was unable to pick a side. Instead of deciding which side of the conflict is most deserving of his skill set, Codron chooses to stand beside Laurent, working with Daryl and Isabelle to ensure the boy remains safe from all who seek to harm him.

In a memorable moment in Season 2, Laurent tells Codron that he has forgiven the soldier for his previous actions and that God loves him, which was a turning point for the now lost and lonely man. After he saves Laurent from Losang's attack on the rooftop community, he earns the trust of Daryl and accompanies the group on a mission to return to Carol's friend, Ash, and his plane. He plays a crucial role in the final showdown between Losang and Jacinta, working alongside Fallou to ensure Ash and Laurent are able to escape on the plane heading back to the U.S.

By the conclusion of the second season of the spin-off, Codron is not only recognized as a redeemed villain but an exceptional addition to The Walking Dead universe. Viewers have praised his redemption arc and his realistic morality, representing a violent soldier who is still capable of recognizing the lines he will not cross, even when faced with torture and death. The viewers also got to see a bit more of Codron's personality beyond his stoic and serious demeanor, such as the emotional scene when Daryl reveals he was not the one who killed Michel, Codron's brother, and they bond over their shared trauma of losing their brothers and needing to find a way to go on after losing that crucial person in their lives.

Stephane's Storyline Was Left Incomplete

Unfortunately, Daryl Dixon Season 2 left many questions unanswered, including the fate of a few key characters in the previously praised spin-off. In the finale, Codron volunteered to journey with Carol and Daryl into the Chunnel and aid their travel into England from France. However, due to the hallucinogenic bat guano, they all have a negative experience going through the tunnel, experiencing hallucinations and acting out violently when faced with the trauma of their past.

In Codron's case, he hallucinated that a walker was his brother, and lashed out when Daryl killed the walker to save the man from being bitten. After he fights with Daryl, he once again hallucinates that he's seeing his brother, running down the tunnel by himself, and disappearing. This is the last time Codron is seen in Season 2, leaving his fate unknown and making viewers question if he even survived his hallucinations or if he fell victim to a walker while he was in a vulnerable state.

Since his exit in the Season 2 finale, fans have been curious if Codron will make another appearance in the upcoming Season 3. However, based on the location being Spain and his lack of appearance in the trailers for the new installment, it seems unlikely that Codron will return to Daryl Dixon. This is infuriating for viewers, not just because of his popularity after becoming a subtle Walking Dead hero, but because his conclusion in the previous season was quick and confusing, leaving his fate entirely unknown.

The Walking Dead Continues to Make the Same Fatal Mistake

 

In both active Walking Dead shows in the franchise, Daryl Dixon and The Walking Dead: Dead City, the storylines revolve around original characters who played significant roles in the flagship series. Though fans were initially excited to see these fan-favorite characters continue their storylines in new and exciting adventures, viewers have now become worried about The Walking Dead characters and how their dragged-out narratives will influence their reputation in the universe. In addition to the complicated representation of long-running characters, viewers have become increasingly frustrated by the treatment of new characters.

In Daryl Dixon, viewers were not only upset to see the creators kill off Isabelle, but also annoyed that they would likely not see lovable characters Ash and Laurent in the upcoming installments. Instead of providing these new characters with arcs that complement the narrative of the main characters, they are being shelved in favor of providing long-running characters with a journey that doesn't require a significant focus on other people. This is making the cast of The Walking Dead less influential as the viewers care less and less about new inclusions, relying far too heavily on well-known personalities to keep the storyline engaging.

The Walking Dead continues to make this fatal mistake when it comes to new characters in the active spin-offs, killing them off or writing them off. Whether this is an attempt to focus heavily on the main characters or a way to avoid having to develop fresh, engaging character arcs, it's a problem fans have been vocal about for several years. Some side characters have reasonably short appearances, serving their purpose in the overall plot, but popular and well-rounded individuals like Codron are additions to the franchise that keep viewers interested in the expanding world of the undead.