The Walking Dead: 10 Times Carol Was The Villain Of The Story

With the impending ending of the final season of The Walking Dead, there are several spinoffs in the works dedicated to the original cast. However, Melissa McBride, who plays Carol Peletier, will not be returning for another series.

Though Carol is one of the most beloved characters in the Walking Dead universe, she has also made some of the most controversial decisions. Carol’s actions often have to do with how she protects her loved ones. These actions can often be vile, resulting in her appearing more villainous than normal.

Blaming Rick For Sophia

Carol is far different from the woman she was in the first couple of seasons. However, despite her weaker persona, she made some questionable decisions that made some wonder if she could be a trusted ally.

When Sophia runs from a walker into the woods and Rick loses her while trying to lure the dead away, Carol blames him for her daughter’s disappearance. Though she was clearly distraught and grieving, her wanting to blame others for her misfortunes created tension within the group and led to several group members questioning their safety following Rick.

Killing Karen And David

Carol is one of the most loyal characters, but she’s also proven she’s most loyal to those she’s closest to. She makes this clear when she kills and burns Karen and David at the prison while attempting to prevent the spread of an illness.

Some fans think her actions were justified since she was attempting to protect others through this heinous decision. However, she still killed people without consulting the council at the prison and made it clear she would do anything, even the vilest acts, to protect those she loves.

Not Caring About Ana And Sam

In the episode in which Rick sends Carol away after killing Karen and David, the two run into a couple of young people, Ana and Sam. After she urges them to help her and Rick search for supplies, she seems too unconcerned when they find Ana dead and Sam goes missing.

This action is one of the reasons some fans have an unpopular opinion that Carol shouldn’t have come back from her banishment. By urging these two people, who were both injured, to help them search a potentially dangerous area, Carol proved she had little regard for other people’s lives.

Killing Lizzie

Many fans consider Carol’s decision to kill Lizzie one of her best. This death seemed justified considering Lizzie had killed her sister Mika and proven she was willing to kill other people so that they could turn into walkers.

However, this action also proved there are no limits to Carol’s ability to kill. Though Lizzie was a disturbed child, Carol had also cared for her and promised Lizzie and Mika’s father she would protect them. After killing a child, it’s clear Carol is willing to do anything she deems has worthy reasoning.

Leaving Mary For The Walkers

The cannibals of Terminus were clearly extremely disturbed individuals that needed to pay for all the horrible things they’d done. However, after Mary in Terminus confesses they were good until they were attacked and suffered considerably, Carol still shoots her in the leg and allows the woman to be eaten by walkers.

Carol wasn’t a villain in this scene because she chose to kill Mary, but because of the way in which she did so. While the death did seem a bit ironic considering the Terminus people were cannibals, Mary’s sad backstory could have warranted a slight act of mercy by making her death less painful.

Scaring Sam

When a young boy, Sam, catches Carol stealing guns at Alexandria, she threatens him into keeping her secrets. This was particularly disturbing since she knew how vulnerable and scared the child was to begin with.

This is another situation in which Carol made a decision she thought would lead to her protecting her people. However, by scaring Sam, she made him even more fearful and less prepared for the harsh realities of the world. It was this fear of the dead that inevitably led to Sam’s death when Alexandria is overrun by walkers.

Almost Killing Morgan

When the Wolves attack Alexandria, Carol is one of the fiercest fighters. However, this determination turns toxic when she finds out Morgan is hiding an injured member of the Wolves. She goes as far as to attempt to kill Morgan to get to this enemy.

At this point, Carol is finally beginning to realize how her determination to kill any possible threats to her loved ones pushes her to do villainous acts. She’s not only willing to kill but willing to kill even those that are there to protect those she cares about.

Killing Paula

After Carol realizes she has killed too much, she makes multiple attempts to avoid causing more bloodshed. Despite these efforts, she kills one of the Saviors, Paula, quite brutally after she and Maggie are held captive.

She commits this kill by pushing Paula into a spike and then letting her get bitten by a walker. Even when she wishes to avoid killing, she allows someone to die in a brutal way and then leaves the woman to turn into one of the undead.

Causing Connie’s Entrapment

Carol is so obsessed with getting back at Alpha for killing her son Henry that she leads her group into a trap that surrounds them with walkers inside a cave. After she accidentally drops dynamite into the cave, most of the group barely escapes, and Connie and Magna get trapped in the underground cave.

Though Connie escapes this danger, Carol still needs to resolve the situation she put Connie in by making amends and apologizing. Carol was suffering from grief at this point and allowed her own emotions to seriously endanger several people she cared about.

Working For Hornsby

Carol has made many questionable decisions in an effort to protect those close to her. This includes her decision to work with Lance Hornsby, so he’ll help Ezekiel get the treatment he needs at the Commonwealth to survive.

Though most of her decisions are in an effort to protect those she cares about, these decisions often come at a dangerous cost. Allying with Hornsby, even while still being dedicated to her people, blurs the lines about who are the good and bad guys.

Next: 8 Memes That Perfectly Sum Up Carol Peletier’s Character