The question of "The Walking Dead" character Daryl Dixon's sexuality has been debated among the show's fanbase since August 2014, when series creator Robert Kirkman said in the letters column of "The Walking Dead" #130 that the character's possible homosexuality had "been discussed." Following the midseason finale of AMC's "The Walking Dead" television show (via Hypable), Kirkman stated flat-out that Daryl Dixon is straight.

"In the letter column of the comic book that I do, I mentioned that there was a possibility early on about making Daryl Dixon's character gay," Kirkman said during AMC's post-"TWD" talk show, "The Talking Dead." "I just wanted to clarify that the possibility is there and that I would have been fine with it, the network would have been fine with it -- but we ultimately didn't do that. I can make it official: Daryl Dixon is straight."

Kirkman also clarified that the gay character the show plans to introduce in the back half of the season will be from the comic book series. Aaron, introduced in Issue #67, is the longest-lived gay character of the comic so far, making him or his his boyfriend Eric the characters Kirkman is most likely referring to. If Aaron is indeed slated to debut, his arrival gives readers of the series a hint as to where the show's storylines will take Rick, Carol and the rest when it returns in February.

"The Walking Dead" will return February 8, 2015 on AMC.