Shipping wars aren’t anything new. They’ve lurked in early Internet forums and caused bitter words among friends for decades. Social media has just made it easier to load the cannons, fire the arrows, and do whatever other cheesy war metaphor suits your fancy. The Walking Dead might not come to mind when talking romance, but it’s joined the conversation nonetheless. A shipping war rages between Caryl and Richonne fans, and The Ones Who Live‘s upcoming release has only furthered the tension.
The most superficial argument is The Walking Dead isn’t about romance. However, that would be a dirty lie. The Walking Dead is about the complexity of people. The zombies just amplify the drama. Friendships are stronger. Disagreements have larger consequences, and clinging to that special someone becomes almost as crucial to apocalyptic survival as finding food. When it comes to Caryl and Richonne, favoring one over the other isn’t criminal. It’s shooting those hate-filled arrows that is the problem in this ship war. Seriously, Walking Dead fans, knock that crap off!
Richonne & Caryl Couldn’t Be More Different
After eleven seasons of The Walking Dead and a handful of spinoffs, Caryl and Richonne remain the leading ships (sorry, Neggie people). What’s funny is the two have vastly different canon statuses. Rick and Michonne remain in a committed romantic relationship despite actors Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira departing the flagship series in Season 9 and Season 10, respectively. In the opposite corner, there is Carol (Melissa McBride) and Daryl (Norman Reedus), two self-proclaimed best friends who haven’t even kissed yet.
Just because Rick and Michonne are together doesn’t mean they “won.” The joy of shipping doesn’t solely belong to established couples—and thank goodness. Think about how boring that would be. Shipping is for canonical and hopeful couples alike. Just look to the Law & Order fans who’ve dedicated over two decades to Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler.
Comparing Richonne and Caryl is a bit like comparing apples and oranges. In this case, there is no right or wrong, no better or worse. People are more likely to root for ships that align with their favorite tropes. And while all those zombies can be distracting, The Walking Dead‘s relationships are littered with them.
Caryl & Richonne Satisfy Different Romance Tropes
“What your Walking Dead ship says about you” sounds an awful lot like a BuzzFeed quiz (maybe it even is one), but there’s some truth to it. Flashback to Season 3, and Rick and Michonne start in loose enemies-to-friends-to-lovers territory. Remember when he held a gun to her head? That tension is relatively short-lived, and it’s not long before the two discover that they click. Seeing their mutual respect and trust doesn’t take a magnifying glass. Rick declared Michonne his family long before they became lovers. Showrunner and writer Scott Gimple (EW) said it best: they’re kindred spirits. If anything, Rick and Michonne were robbed of time, resulting in their official coupling feeling “sudden” for some fans.
Carol and Daryl have the opposite problem. They’re the epitome of slow-burn with some serious friends-to-lovers potential. They’ve never kissed, but they’ve exchanged “I love yous,” resulting in something a little messier and uncategorizable. With The Walking Dead: The Book of Carol on the horizon, a Carol and Daryl romance has more potential than ever, although they could very well stay friends. If you have a thing for emotionally unavailable characters who clearly love each other but can’t decide if romance is right, then you’re probably waving the Caryl flag. Just be careful not to swing it around too violently.
Love Isn’t a Competition
After breaking it down, maybe the whole apples and oranges thing isn’t entirely accurate here. It’s more like comparing varieties of apples… a Red Delicious to a Granny Smith if you will. Michonne and Rick might gravitate toward leadership roles, while Carol and Daryl prefer to operate in the shadows, but they aren’t that dissimilar. Their core values are the same. Both ships are built on trust, respect, and acceptance of the other person despite their flaws. Michonne risked it all to search for Rick the same way Carol set off to find Daryl without a second thought. And if you like the “touch her/him, you die” trope, either ship will check that box.
Pointing out these similarities doesn’t mean the fandom needs to sit around and hold hands. Shipping is something to celebrate and to analyze, to meme, and to discuss. However, toxicity should have no part in it. It’s gotten to the point where fans who don’t go gaga for Richonne are often labeled racists with no supporting evidence. (If they actually are, there’s the door.) Even Melissa McBride’s departure from The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon resulted in fan backlash and harassment toward Norman Reedus. These are the types of behavior that give fandom a bad name. You don’t have to love the same ship as every Walking Dead fan, but it’s important to remember that we all love the same show. That should unite us, not tear us apart, whether you’re Team Caryl, Team Richonne, or Team I Don’t Care About Any of Them.
