Rick Grimes

Rick Grimes is a fictional character and the protagonist in the comic book series The Walking Dead and 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 has a son, Carl, with wife Lori. He awakens from a coma after a life-threatening gun shot wound to find the world overrun by zombies, or "walkers" as they're referred to within the story.

In the comic book series, Rick remains the longest-living survivor, followed closely behind by Carl, Carl's friend Sophia Peletier, and Sophia's adoptive mother, Maggie Greene. In both media, 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 Walsh, and becomes the group's leader. Although Rick quickly adapts to the notion of killing walkers, he retains his morality towards the living, which puts him at odds with Shane. Rick's morality is constantly tested to protect his family and friends. Over time, his morals slowly diminish after multiple conflicts with other survivors and becomes "colder" towards his enemies. Rick struggles to keep his humanity intact throughout the series. His moral compass is further tested by his own group when encountering non-group members who the group believe should join their community. Rick manages to regain his morality when agreeing to join them and is able to be a father once more, but antagonists seeking to exploit his group force him to remain hardened.

Rick Grimes has been described as an everyman character who emphasizes moral codes and values. Lincoln obtained the role in April 2010; Kirkman felt he was an "amazing find". In preparation for the role, Lincoln sought inspiration from Gary Cooper in his work in the American western film High Noon (1952), as well as the television drama series Breaking Bad. Lincoln has been well-received for his portrayal of the character, and has been nominated for several awards, winning a Saturn Award for Best Actor on Television in 2015.