Norman Reedus gave 'The Walking Dead' crew the most Daryl-inspired wrap gift imaginable

When AMC's The Walking Dead wrapped up production on its eleventh and final season back in March, longtime cast member Norman Reedus made sure to nab a number of choice items from the iconic series. Recently speaking with People, the actor, who has played survivalist Daryl Dixon since the very start, revealed his secret haul of on-set props and costume pieces: "all the other vests — and I think, all the other crossbows. I think I have like eight crossbows now, which is crazy."

In other words, he took whatever wasn't nailed down or already donated to the Smithsonian. Reedus also made sure to reward the crew members with "these little special knives I had made" in a nod to his character's penchant for switching over to knives whenever Daryl's favorite weapon of choice — the almighty crossbow — is compromised. "It was sad and bittersweet."

Emotions were running so high, in fact, that Reedus didn't even bother to change out of his costume. "I walked out with my entire outfit. I just, I didn't change clothes," he said. "I was hugging people and crying and saying goodbye to everybody that I just ended up driving home in my outfit. So I have all of it." 

The actor later added: "I think what I'll miss the most is the people, not just the cast, but the crew. You become very tight with the crew after that long. We've become really good friends and a lot of us still keep in contact." He joked that if he ever feels particularly wistful for the good old days of The Walking Dead, he'll simply "put on [Daryl's] outfit and walk around downtown" before hastily adding: "Nah, that would get weird."

Luckily, Reedus won't have to go through zombie withdrawal for too long, as he's about to start production on a follow-up series that will take Mr. Dixon across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe for more undead adventures. The currently-untitled project was also supposed to feature the return of Carol before actress Melissa McBride decided to take a well-deserved hiatus from the franchise.

Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan are also locked in to reprise their fan favorite roles of Maggie and Negan for the Manhattan-based Isle of the Dead.

The final eight episodes of The Walking Dead are expected to premiere on AMC this fall. Breaking from the tradition of previous seasons, the show's swan song is super-sized with an inflated episode count, which obviously required a much longer (and intense) filming schedule. 

“This last season was a full year, which was exhausting," Reedus said earlier this month during an interview with Jimmy Fallon. "You’re in the woods and you’re crying and you’re killing and screaming and fighting. You’ve seen the show. It’s not Succession where you’re on a yacht having caviar. We’re eating squirrels and killing each other.”

Tales of the Walking Dead, an anthology set within the world of the show, is scheduled to premiere this summer.

If you're looking to satisfy your zombie craving immediately, head over to Peacock and check out the movie that kickstarted the entire genre: George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead.