The Walking Dead Season 10: Reason Merle Dixon Killed Off ...

The Walking Dead: Dramatic trailer for second half of season 10

The Walking Dead is quick to create enemies throughout the story. During the first season - which originally aired back in 2010 - Rick Grimes (played by Andrew Lincoln) was the main protagonist. When he wasn’t taking on the hordes of undead at his door, he was battling with a number of enemies, such as Merle Dixon (Michael Rooker).

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Merle, and his brother Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus), caused some havoc in the show’s first camp.

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But while Daryl went on to stick around in the show until this day, Merle was lost in season one after a brutal confrontation. 

He wasn't gone for long, though, as he went on to cut his hand off during his capture by Rick, he came back in later episodes with a new crew.

But Merle was eventually killed off by The Governor (David Morrissey) in season three.

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READ MORE: The Walking Dead: Why did Michael Traynor really leave the series?

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The Walking Dead season 10: Merle Dixon's death came in season 3 (Image: AMC)

The Walking Dead season 10: The character was killed off after disappearing for some time (Image: AMC)

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Although it looked like his story came to a natural end for the story, Merle actor Michael Rooker has a different story.

According to DreadCentral.com, Michael recently spoke at Wales Comic Con about his exit.

He told the audience: “Walking Dead, they were cheap. AMC was very cheap.

“That’s probably why they killed me off, because they knew I was gonna get more money the next season.”

The Walking Dead season 10: Michael spoke out at a recent Comic Con (Image: GETTY)

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Michael left the show in 2013, before going on to star in Guardians of the Galaxy as Yondu the following year.

Shortly after Michael’s exit from the show, he gave an interview to Entertainment Weekly, where he seemed pleased to leave the show.

He told the publication: “My honest to God true reaction [to being killed off] was THANK F*****G GOD I DON’T HAVE TO WEAR THAT STUPID F*****G ARM ANY MORE!

“THERE! PRINT THAT S**T! Oh my God, I was so tired of wearing that thing.

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“I was like, oh, God, not another season of wearing this thing. I’m going to go crazy!”

Meanwhile, AMC chief Sarah Barnett recently spoke to the Los Angeles Times about Negan’s (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) story, and why they won’t be doing anything similar again.

She explained: “I think that with ten seasons of television — something like ER or Grey’s Anatomy — shows go through spurts.

“We’ve done a lot of research on the response to it and we certainly have our own thoughts about it.

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“It’s true to say that that season with Negan became a little too hopeless for audiences.”

She went on to add: “I think that there was creative intention behind it that was really smart and thoughtful.

"But it I think it probably pushed people to a place where it was a lot to take at a time when maybe people just didn’t want to see that.”

The Walking Dead season 10, part two will air on Monday February 24 on FOX in the UK.

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