When The Walking Dead aired on AMC in 2010, who knew it would become the juggernaut that would consume pop culture? More to the point, who knew that one of the only characters to not appear in the source material would become one of the most popular?

Apart from grizzled sheriff’s deputy, Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) is the undisputed favorite of the zombie series. After a shaky introduction in season 1 as a confrontational side character, Daryl’s edges became softer, and he turned out to be one of the central leaders of Rick’s group. Along with hardened fighter and best friend, Carol (Melissa McBride), Daryl is one of the only surviving members of the original group. His success as a character has spun him off into his own The Walking Dead television series, making some wonder, exactly how long can they keep this going? Daryl may be popular, but The Walking Dead has been a franchise for over a decade. At his age, how much more can this man take?

How old is Daryl Dixon?

After almost a decade and a half and two television shows, Daryl shows no sign of slowing down. He endured some of the worst treatment at the hands of Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and suffered the loss of his brother-in-arms, Rick. It makes one wonder how old was he when the show started. In his first appearance, he is the picture of vitality. Enraged that a walker has eaten the deer he rightfully hunted, he becomes even more incensed to learn that a cop is the reason his brother, Merle (Michael Rooker) was abandoned on a rooftop.

So it may be surprising to learn that Reedus was already in his early 40s by the time The Walking Dead premiered. As for Daryl, there is no specific confirmation of his age. But with his demeanor and Reedus’ age taken into account, it’s safe to assume that Daryl was in his late 30s or early 40s during season 1 of The Walking Dead. This consideration would also put him close in age to his contemporary, Rick, who should be in his mid to late 30s, judging from poor dead Carl’s (Chandler Riggs) age at the start of the series.

Daryl has survived and thrived throughout the series against all odds. So much so that he has a new set of obstacles in his show, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. As of this writing, ahead of the second season of the series, Reedus is in his mid-50s. And if the immortal words of Danny Glover in Lethal Weapon are any indication, Daryl is getting too old for this… stuff.

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