After surviving the ambush by Joe and his gang of men in the Season 4 finale of "The Walking Dead," Rick and Daryl pledged their brotherhood, and viewers can expect more of this brotherly love between the two characters when the hit AMC zombie show returns for its fifth season this October.

"Daryl looks at Rick as the brother that Merle (Michael Rooker) wasn't," Norman Reedus, who plays the fan-favorite crossbow-wielding character, told TV Guide. "To have somebody he looks up to and has a mutual respect for - someone he can trust - is a big deal for Daryl."

"If it weren't for the apocalypse, they would probably be enemies," added Andrew Lincoln, who portrays Rick. "It's rad. I love their relationship. I think it's a true brotherhood. If you stand beside Rick and Daryl, then you're family; it's that simple, that black-and-white. But if you're not there, I'm sorry, you're in trouble."

Reedus said that the brotherly relationship between Rick and Daryl has been established "smoothly" on the show. "When I first came on the show, it was Rick and Shane (Jon Bernthal) looking at each other for answers to make decisions, and then Daryl slowly became part of it," he said.

Lincoln said that Daryl plays a very significant role in the group. "Daryl is incredibly important in survival. He's the go-to guy and the tracker. You are defined by your usefulness in this world, and he is ridiculously useful," he explained.  "But the last time Rick called somebody a brother, it was Shane. That's not saying it's all going to be roses. [Laughs] It doesn't guarantee s--t!"

"But there is something incredibly strong between these two guys. He's always saved my ass. It's embarrassing," Lincoln told TV Guide, adding his character is "so indebted to Daryl Dixon!"

Since "The Walking Dead" turned out to be a massive hit, the bromance between the two actors has also become very much alive.Last year at Walker Stalker Con in Atlanta, Lincoln said that working with Reedus was "obviously" his most favorite part of his "The Walking Dead" experience, jokingly adding that it takes him "half an hour to start work in the morning" because he just scream [like a fan girl]at Reedus,  Wetpaint reported. Also last year, Reedus told AMC via Comicbook that he would like to be stuck with Rick in an actual zombie apocalypse just because he has an obvious crush on Lincoln.

 But how did actually the two meet on set for the first time?

"The first time I met him, I threw squirrels at him," Reedus revealed to TV Guide.

"He did!" confirmed Lincoln. "It was the first time I laughed during a rehearsal. I couldn't believe it - like, who is this guy and what is he doing? [Laughs] It was his first day, and he just made me laugh. I'll always remember that."

"The Walking Dead" Season 5 premieres on Oct. 12 at 9:00 p.m. ET on AMC.