An ode to Rick Grimes: The ultimate apocalypse bae

In a deconstructed society of rotting bodies, withering morality, and scarce resources, Rick Grimes somehow managed to make the zombie apocalypse look hella sexy. The former sheriff’s deputy was brought to life by the incomparable (and fine and British) Andrew Lincoln back in 2010 and his brave solo mission to find his family captured our hearts. We watched him adjust to a terrifying new world and stumble into the impossible juggling act of holding on to his humanity, leading a group of (mostly) ungrateful survivors, and making the tough decisions no one else had the guts to make.

It’s no doubt that Rick was worthy of our admiration, but when the infamous Ricktatorship was established in the final moments of Season 2, we found ourselves wanting to give him way more than just praise. There was something incredibly hot about him completely losing his cool, finding the confidence to put people in their place, and telling them in his trademark thick Southern drawl that they were free to bounce if they had a problem with his plan. Let 'em KNOW the truth, Rick! And, he made everyone put some respect on his first AND last name by making sure he called himself Rick Grimes in almost every conversation. It’s Rick Grimes, bish, and we would scream it… uh, we meant say it all day (and night) if that’s what he wanted us to do.

We stan a man with a plan, and Rick kept a survival strategy on deck whether it was clearing a prison yard, organizing an attack strategy, or giving someone the cowboy boot if they were a threat to his community. Sure, he went a little off the rails sometimes, but, like a true leader, he always found his way back to a righteous path.

There are so many versions of Rick and they are all smoking hot, but Murderer Rick reigns supreme, with his killer brown coat, hatchet, and gun. The way he massacred zombie herds, exacted revenge on his enemies, and ripped a man’s throat out with his bare teeth made us sweat and feel a little confused about how anyone could look so good while doing something super grotesque. But, Rick could also flip from savage to sweetheart like no other whether he was interacting with his kids, having a bro moment with Daryl, or showing his vulnerable side to Michonne.

His sexiness continued to rise in direct correlation with the devolvement of society — he grew his hair out (we really wanna touch those curls) and packed on some lean murderer muscle. We couldn’t get enough of his handsome face, be it clean shaved or with a big gruff beard — and, even when he was almost feral, it was so easy to get lost in his intoxicating, pale blue eyes.

The slightly unbuttoned button-down shirt with the rolled-up sleeves, sweat dripping from his brow, jeans that fit his frame to perfection, sly smile, furrowed brow of frustration, and that Colt Python on his hip at all times were all enough to illicit inaudible sounds from our mouths at any given moment.

Just when we thought Rick couldn’t get any sexier, he hooked up for a match made in heaven with the katana-wielding queen Michonne. We absolutely wanted to trade places with her in Season 6, Episode 10 when they laced fingers and went in for that glorious first kiss. Rick gently laying Michonne on her back, thereby making a massive ship sail towards canon, was an absolute chef’s kiss, even if we didn’t get the full-blown sex scene that we pictured in our heads when we read our nightly smutty fanfic.

The way he looked at Michonne, appreciated her, supported her brilliance, and cared for her — it all made love in the apocalypse look promising and possible. And yes, we cried our eyes out when Rick was willing to sacrifice it all to save his people and cheered at his second chance at life.

His absence leaves a gaping hole in our hearts, but we’d do anything to see that handsome face again, even if that means jumping blindly into a three-movie trilogy we have no information about just yet. All we know is that Rick is in it and will surely look fine AF and that’s enough plot to tune in for. And, we’re hoping that AMC will stop playing games and give us some Richonne movie sex as payment for enduring All-Out War.

So, cheers to Rick Grimes: slayer of walkers, leader of survivors, wearer of massive beards and murder coats, father of Carl, Judith, and Rick Jr., and the perfect partner-in-love and leadership for Michonne. We stan him, thirst over him, and honor his undeniable spot as the real MVP of post-apocalypse survival.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author's, and do not necessarily reflect those of SYFY WIRE, SYFY, or NBC Universal.