How did Daryl Dixon get to France? Walking Dead spinoff explained

The Walking Dead spinoff series Daryl Dixon takes place in France, but how exactly does Daryl find himself in Europe during a zombie apocalypse? Here is everything you need to know.

Before Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead was the biggest television show in the world for a brief period, and, in many ways, paved the way for the big-budget productions that have become commonplace throughout the industry.

After eleven seasons spanned over a decade, the flagship Walking Dead series wrapped up in November 2022, with fans who had been with the show mourning the departure of some of their favorite characters.

However, the franchise has continued in multiple directions ever since, with Maggie and Negan, Rick and Michonne, and Daryl returning to screens via their respective spinoff shows.

Despite not being a character from Robert Kirkman’s original comic book series, Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) has become one of the most beloved characters in The Walking Dead.

He is one of the only characters from season one of the flagship series to be still alive, and his spin-off series further cemented his status as one of the most popular figures in the franchise.

Despite spending most of his life in and around Georgia, USA, Daryl’s spin-off series takes place in France. 

But how exactly did Daryl Dixon get to France during a zombie apocalypse? Here’s all you need to know.

How does Daryl Dixon end up in France?

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Daryl is captured and forced onto a ship after getting into a brawl with a fellow survivor.

At the end of The Walking Dead’s flagship series, Daryl chooses to live life as a nomad, traveling across the different communities set up by him and his companions to go on supply runs, complete errands, and the like.

However, the opening scene of Daryl Dixon shows the character washed up on the shores of France. The details of how he got there are slowly but surely revealed throughout the first season, particularly during episode 5.

While exploring other settlements across the US, Daryl travels to Maine, New England, on his iconic motorcycle. In exchange for fuel for his bike, he decides to help out a group of survivors, capturing walkers. 

When helping these survivors out, he discovers that Juno (John Ales) murdered a boy named T.J., someone that Daryl had come to care for.

When Daryl decides to confront Juno about this, the two get into a physical altercation and are taken hostage by Dr. Lafleur, the leader of the group of survivors Daryl meets in Maine. They are forced onto a ship called Puuvoir, which means power in French.

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Daryl washing up on the shore of France is a huge plot point in season one of the spinoff series.

The ship sets sail towards an unknown location, and Daryl and Juno are forced to work together to escape. When the escape takes a turn for the chaotic, as it typically does in The Walking Dead, Daryl manages to jump overboard just in time before the whole ship goes up in flames.

While it is unclear how far away from shore Daryl is after jumping overboard, he is shown to have washed up in France, where he spends the whole of season one.

For season two, named Daryl Dixon: The Book of Carol, we know that Daryl has remained in France since the end of season one, with his longtime companion and fellow fan favorite character Carol Peletier set to join him.

For those eager to find out how Carol managed to get to France, tune in to the season premiere of Daryl Dixon: The Book of Carol on September 29, 2024.