The Walking Dead saw Daryl Dixon exile himself following Rick's big exit but the back half of Season Nine will be different for the zombie apocalypse's lone ranger.

In the wake of Rick's exit, Daryl seems to be the only character holding out hope for his return. He often claims that the group never found a body which seems to indicate a belief he might be out there somewhere (which he is). Going forward, Daryl might actually allow himself to get integrated with the group according to Norman Reedus.

"[Daryl] sort of exiled himself after the horrible thing happened with Rick," Reedus told EW. "He’s been out in the woods looking for a body. He won’t give up. That’s just who he is. He was like that with Sophia, when she was lost. He’s just the type of guy that… he needs proof. He needs some closure. He needs to figure it out. He’s been put on this mission to bring Henry to Hilltop. When he gets there, all hell’s breaking loose. There’s a knock at the door. We’re kind of called out, and no one’s really stepping up. Daryl’s like, 'Screw it. I’ll go do it.' He ends up in a situation where he kind of has to man up."

Daryl might find that closure as Reedus' new contract allows his character to pop up in any corner of The Walking Dead universe, including the upcoming Rick Grimes movies.

"I’ve always said Daryl’s not the type of guy that’s going to build a soapbox and get up and give inspirational speeches to large groups of people," Reedus said. "That’s just not who he is. He’s an observer. He listens and he figures out a way to cut that distance in half. He’s a no-bullsh— guy. All of a sudden, all of these things have happened. We’ve lost Jesus. We’re bringing Jesus back. You kind of have a glimpse into the world of the Whisperers a little bit through this back door. He’s trying to figure things out."

Daryl will have to try to figure things out quite quickly as the Whisperer threat is lingering, having already claimed Paul "Jesus" Rovia as their first victim.

The Walking Dead returns for the back half of its ninth season on February 10, 2019 at 9 pm ET. Fear the Walking Dead will return for its fifth season in 2019. For complete coverage and insider info all year long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter and watch ComicBook.com's After The Dead each Sunday night following new episodes.