"The Walking Dead" was a pretty bleak show, one that constantly killed off characters in brutal, gruesome ways. It was a show filled with monologues about how humanity is doomed to suffer. But there was one constant source of hope throughout the series that a lot of fans took for granted: trusty young Carl (Chandler Riggs), who represented a new generation of survivors who would grow up and take charge.

Whereas Rick's generation grew up in comfort only to be tossed suddenly into hell, Carl's generation was growing up in hell and would live to see society rebuild itself. While most of the other young characters on the show went mad and/or died tragically, Carl managed to keep his wits about for nearly eight whole seasons. As bad as things got, even as the group stumbled across cannibals and dictators, Carl's development into a tough, courageous young man offered...