Fans Can Forgive TWD: Daryl Dixon Anything – Even Ripping Off The Last of Us
There is no way The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon is just a blatant copy. Or is there?
The genre of post-apocalyptic drama has been dominated by The Walking Dead for more than a decade. However, new players stepped in, with most prominent being HBO's The Last of Us, an adaptation of a 2013 video game developed by Naughty Dog.
Not only did The Last of Us manage to steal the spotlight, but it also had people drawing comparisons with the latest spinoff of The Walking Dead.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon focuses on the beloved Daryl Dixon, played by Norman Reedus, who finds himself in France. He's caught up in local issues and is on a mission to escort a special child, Laurent, across a zombie-ridden landscape.
This plot might ring a bell for fans of The Last of Us, where Joel (played by Pedro Pascal ) has a similar task of escorting Ellie (Bella Ramsey) across the U.S. Both critics and viewers found this similarity too obvious not to catch it.
However, Daryl Dixon's producer, Greg Nicotero, has been quick to dismiss these comparisons. In an interview to Entertainment Weekly, he mentioned that they were deep into the production of the spinoff when The Last of Us was released.
Nicotero also emphasized that while there might be surface-level similarities, the core of Daryl's story is different. Daryl's main goal isn't just to escort the child; he's trying to get back to his family — Judith, Carol, and others at the Commonwealth.
Despite these comparisons, fans on Reddit aren’t rushing to blast Daryl Dixon. While some feel the "child is the chosen one" trope is overused, drawing parallels with The Last of Us, most of the fans believe that the child isn't genuinely "chosen," but adults in the story have built that narrative.
However, a significant portion of fans is just excited to see more of Daryl's adventures, regardless of any similarities with other stories. Some fans expressed that they're tired of the trope but are willing to give it a chance if executed well.
Luckily, with two episodes out, the spinoff hasn't let fans down yet. The next episode is set to come out on September 24, airing on AMC and AMC+.