The Saddest Death in Every Season of 'The Walking Dead'
A lot of characters have died on 'The Walking Dead'. Here are the saddest from each season, plus how to watch the newest episodes.
The specter of death doesn’t just haunt The Walking Dead; it’s the essence of the show itself. And we only kinda mean the zombies.
The iconic AMC series—which returns for the second part of its three-part final season this Sunday, Feb. 20 at 9pm ET—changed the television game. Prior to its premiere in the fall of 2010, basic cable audiences could safely assume that no matter how perilous the circumstances, their favorite characters would always make it out alive. The Walking Dead proved those assumptions wrong, ushering in a new era of high-stakes TV.
From Ned Stark’s shocking end on Game of Thrones to the brutal final seasons of Breaking Bad, major characters, even fan-favorites, could now be killed off with the heartbreaking finality of losing someone in real life. Beyond the show’s own creative merits, this is the legacy of The Walking Dead.
Related: Check out our preview of the newest TWD spin-off, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon
Since we’re clearly in a sentimental mood, we thought we’d look back at the most tragic death in each of The Walking Dead’s first 10 seasons (we’re leaving off the 11th, as we fear the worst is yet to come over show’s final 16 episodes). Check out our list below, and use the link at the bottom of this page to start watching Sling today with Orange + Blue.
Season 1 - Amy
https://www.youtube.com/embed/W0Y8voOYaDY
Amy’s death from a walker bite in the fourth episode of the first season was a harbinger of horrors to come. Not only did it signal that the show would be willing to get rid of important characters, her death came abruptly, as she stepped out of Dale’s RV in search of toilet paper. Killing her off in such a mundane moment signaled to the characters—and the audience—that nowhere was safe and anyone could die at any given moment.
Season 2 - Sophia
The reveal that Sophia has been turned in the mid-season finale “Pretty Much Dead Already” isn’t just the most heartbreaking moment of season 2, it’s one of the most tragic scenes in the show’s entire run. It also has a profound effect on her mother Carol, another hallmark of a show that confronts not only death, but its consequences on the personalities and psyches of those still living.
Season 3 - Lori Grimes
With apologies to Andrea, Lori’s death as she gives birth to Judith is the heaviest in season 3. This is due in large part to the deathbed speech she gives her son Carl, in which she tells him, “Don't let the world spoil you. You're so good. My sweet boy. Best thing I ever did…” Wow, did the room you’re in just get real dusty, because my eyes are watering all of a sudden.
Season 4 - Hershel Greene
https://www.youtube.com/embed/kI7AOxWQ_ZE
A couple of years ago, we put together a list of The Walking Dead’s “Most Shocking Deaths” that applied a scoring system to determine whose demise was, objectively, the most stunning. Based on our mathematical formula, Hershel’s murder at the hands of The Governor was overwhelmingly No. 1, as it was not only unexpected but particularly brutal.
Season 5 - Beth Greene
Hershel’s youngest daughter met her fate the following season. Following a hostage standoff at the hospital, Beth is about to be freed, but after Dawn demands that Noah be left behind, Beth uses a pair of scissors to stab her as revenge. Dawn then shoots Beth dead, which causes Daryl to retaliate, leaving a whole pile of dead bodies in what should have been a peaceful hostage exchange.
Season 6 - Denise
In terms of the grim reaper coming out-of-nowhere to strike you down, it doesn’t get much more surprising than Denise’s death in “Twice as Far.” The episode spends a lot of time building her character up, and just as she’s giving a speech about her need to become more courageous and bold, she takes an arrow to the dome. She and the audience never saw it coming.
Season 7 - Glenn
Glenn’s character was technically killed in the season 6 finale, but we don’t really see those events until the first episode of the following season. Although fans of the comic knew this moment was coming, it was still awful to see fan-favorite Glenn get bludgeoned to death by Negan and his barbed baseball bat, Lucille.
Season 8 - Carl Grimes
https://www.youtube.com/embed/U9w-yE3SvkY
With only a few exceptions, most deaths in The Walking Dead come suddenly and without moral purpose. Rick’s son Carl, however, gets something like a hero’s death, as he takes his own life after being bitten by a walker while rescuing Siddiq. It’s an absolutely gut-wrenching episode, as Carl says his goodbyes to his friends and family while laying out a vision of a peaceful future he’ll never see.
Season 9 - Paul “Jesus” Rovia
The first part of season 9 jumps around in time as it deals with the fallout of the war with the Saviors, culminating with Rick climbing into a helicopter and leaving the show. But just when we’re getting used to the new communities and dynamics, Jesus is killed by a “walker” (who chillingly informs him that "You are where you do not belong") in the mid-season finale, “Evolution.” It's a terrifying introduction to the group’s new antagonists, The Whisperers.
Season 10 - Siddiq
As an undercover agent for The Whisperers, Dante takes out a few members of the Alexandria community, and no one’s death hits harder than Siddiq’s. This is mostly due to the character, but the murder itself is distrubing, as Dante exclaims, "I didn't want this! Not you! Not like this,” as he chokes the life out of Siddiq. We agree, Dante.
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