Warning: There are spoilers ahead for "The Walking Dead."
Rick, Daryl, and the "Walking Dead" gang have fought the living and the dead on the hit AMC show since its debut in 2010. From massacring cannibals to hacking away at limbs to save others from turning, most of the crew have done unspeakable things to get to where they are today.
For those who have survived, though grim, the experiences have helped shaped the group into the characters we know and love today.
With season eight upon us, INSIDER is looking back at where some fan favorites started their journeys. Keep reading to see how your favorite characters who have been on "The Walking Dead" the longest have evolved.
At the start of the show, Rick Grimes woke up from a coma to discover a world taken over by the undead. He quickly had to become desensitized to the idea of killing walkers before they could kill him.
Grimes was trying to reunite with his family. After quickly doing that, he became the leader of a small group and tried to navigate balancing right and wrong in a new world.
Rick has shed the sheriff look and traded it in for his signature beard. Rick has gone through several different leadership styles from the domineering Ricktatorship to a more laid-back democracy. As he prepares for "all out war" on season eight, expect to see a no-nonsense Rick come back to the forefront.
Though Rick was beat down and broken a bit last season after meeting Negan, the group's leader is back in action and, it appears, more relentless than ever as he goes after the Saviors.
We would be remiss if we didn't mention that Rick has grown some pretty sweet beards over the course of the show.
Rick's son Carl started out as a young, naive boy who was always finding ways to get out of the line of sight of his mother.
He had to learn how to protect himself and his family.
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