Rick Grimes

Rick Grimes is a fictional character and the protagonist in the comic book series The Walking Dead and in the television series of the same name, portrayed by Andrew Lincoln. Created by writer Robert Kirkman and artist Tony Moore, the character made his debut in The Walking Dead #1 in 2003. Rick Grimes is a small town sheriff's deputy who shares a son, Carl Grimes, with wife Lori Grimes. He awakens from a coma to find the world overrun with zombies, and a fight for survival ensues.

In the comic book series, Rick remains the longest-living survivor, followed closely behind by his son, Andrea (a friend and lover), the orphan Sophia, and Sophia's adoptive mother, Maggie Greene. In both mediums, Rick awakens from a coma into the apocalypse and searches for Lori and Carl and finds them in the Atlanta camp with his best friend, Shane, and becomes the group's leader. Although Rick quickly adapts to the notion of killing walkers, he retains his morality, which puts him at odds with Shane, whose own morality has diminished. Shane has turned into a survivalist, and his infatuation with Lori, spurred on by an affair with her in Rick's absence, makes him jealous of Rick. Rick's morality is constantly tested to protect his family and friends. Over time, he becomes colder and more brutal, which puts him at odds with the other survivors who adopt the same mindset. As Rick desires to retain his son's innocence, his brutality is further tested by his own group when encountering non-group members who the group believes should join them. Rick manages to regain his morality when staying at communities, and is able to be a father once more, but antagonists seeking to exploit his group force him to remain hardened.