‘The Walking Dead’ Never Topped This Shocking Character Death (2024)

It's hard to believe it, but The Walking Dead lasted an astonishing eleven seasons, an impressive feat, especially for a show that wasn't a sitcom or animated, but rather a serious drama dealing with the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse. While The Walking Dead limped to an end worse than a rotting corpse, it's hard to forget just how powerful those early years were. For about the first half of its run, The Walking Dead was one of the most talked about things on TV. Every week we tuned in to see what craziness would happen next, and who might die.

In the final few seasons, so many characters died that those still left watching didn't even feel it. It came to be expected. Someone shows up, someone gets bitten, the show introduces someone else, and the cycle repeats. The Walking Dead's earlier episodes kept a core group together. We got to know these characters and became fully invested in their survival. We were still learning the rules of how far The Walking Dead would go when they ripped apart everything we knew and expected by killing off a child. It was the series' most heartbreaking moment, and after it, nothing was ever the same.

‘The Walking Dead’ Has Never Held Back With Character Deaths

‘The Walking Dead’ Never Topped This Shocking Character Death (1)

You obviously can't have a horror series about zombies without the undead taking a bite out of living humans from time to time. What's to be scared of if they're not a threat? Characters have to die, and it can't just be minor ones, making the main cast feel safe and invincible no matter what obstacle they encounter. That would take the tension out of every episode. Characters had to die on The Walking Dead, even the ones we loved the most. While we could have been pretty certain that Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) as the leader was safe, and we were prepared to riot if the showrunners were ever daring enough to kill Daryl (Norman Reedus), everyone else was literally up for grabs. Still, in those first two seasons, most of the core group is the same until the brutal demise of Dale (Jeffrey DeMunn), and then Shane (Jon Bernthal) being justifiably killed.

As The Walking Dead picked up, so did the shocking deaths. Season 3 said goodbye to T-Dog (IronE Singleton) and Rick's wife Lori Grimes (Sarah Wayne Callies). Hershel's death broke our hearts in Season 4. The hurtful hits kept coming throughout the long years. Even Rick's son Carl Grimes (Chandler Riggs) was written off forever! And then there was the brutality of the near series destroying deaths of Abraham (Michael Cudlitz) and poor, poor Glenn (Steven Yeun) at the hands of Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). Before all of them, however, came the most shocking death, one that showed anything was possible, even the unimaginable.

Sophia Peletier's Walker Reveal Was a Brutal 'The Walking Dead' Moment

‘The Walking Dead’ Never Topped This Shocking Character Death (2)

Few characters in The Walking Dead made it from beginning to end, though one that did was the fan favorite Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride). When we first meet her, she is a broken and battered woman, not just by the end of the world, but by the words and hands of her abusive husband, Ed (Adam Minarovich). She is doting and protective of her daughter, a shy and respectful 12-year-old named Sophia (Madison Lintz). Surely nothing bad could ever happen to such a sweet and innocent child... right? While she didn't do much other than act scared a lot like any kid would be, we loved her because she was so innocent and vulnerable, and because we were quickly growing attached to Carol. In the Season 2 premiere of The Walking Dead, "What Lies Ahead," Sophia disappears after running away during a zombie attack. The next several episodes are largely dedicated to trying to find her, as her mother, Carol, falls apart. Carol's already lost her piece-of-shit husband in Season 1, and now her daughter is missing. Thankfully Rick, Daryl, and the rest of the crew were becoming her new family.

Maybe another group has kidnapped Sophia and they have to rescue her? Surely there would be an answer to her disappearance in which she was still alive. In the mid-season finale, "Pretty Much Dead Already," Sophia is finally found, but there's nothing to celebrate. When a barn full of zombies opens, the entire group is there to deliver a shot to the brain of every walker inside. After they're all dispatched, one more walks out, a pallid, growling thing that looks like what used to be Sophia. While everyone else stands there stunned, Carol wails and runs after her daughter, only to be stopped by Daryl. Rick then steps forward and lifts his revolver, shooting Sophia between the eyes.

Melissa McBride's Carol Was Never the Same on 'The Walking Dead'

‘The Walking Dead’ Never Topped This Shocking Character Death (3)

Other deaths in The Walking Dead have been more gruesome. You can't even talk about Glenn without people getting angry at how over-the-top and drawn-out it was. Sophia's was tame in reference to gore, but the surprise and the heartbreak of it were leveling. This was The Walking Dead, the show we're still getting used to, whose rules aren't quite known, telling us that no one is really safe. Anyone is expendable, even children. As any longtime viewer can tell you, Sophia wouldn't be the last child to die in the series.

RELATED: ‘The Walking Dead’ Spinoffs Are Fixing the Franchise

As painful and hopeless a moment as it is, there is also some beauty and hope to be found in it. The tragic scene brings the group closer. They are united as one in their shock and grief. The look on Rick's face, which goes from sadness to anger, as he forces himself to do what others can't and put Sophia down, is the moment where he truly becomes the leader. He was a man who wasn't just good and heroic, but who would also do the dirty stuff to spare anyone else from having to go through it.

It's touching how Daryl holds Carol, not just keeping her back, but comforting her. It's also the pivotal turning point for Carol's character because she is no longer the downtrodden character to pity. While she mourns, she grows. She's in pain, but she moves forward, making friends, falling in love, and fighting for a better world. Yes, there is heartbreak and distrust in her eyes, but the wounds she carries are not fatal. There would be bigger, bloodier deaths on The Walking Dead, but none shocked us or shifted its surviving characters like Sophia's did.

The Big Picture

  • The Walking Dead's earlier seasons were powerful and had a core group of characters that viewers became invested in.
  • The show wasn't afraid to kill off major characters, including a child, which broke the viewers' expectations and showed that anyone could die.
  • Sophia's death was a shocking and heartbreaking moment that united the group, transformed Rick into a true leader, and marked a turning point for Carol's character.
‘The Walking Dead’ Never Topped This Shocking Character Death (2024)

FAQs

What was the saddest death in The Walking Dead? ›

Noah was memorably killed when a horde of walkers devoured him, with Glenn Rhee forced to watch from only inches away, powerless to help. Noah's death was especially tragic because the series had built him up to be an important character moving forward, only to kill him off within a handful of episodes.

What is the most disturbing episode of The Walking Dead? ›

  • 8 "The End is the Beginning" ...
  • 7 "On the Inside" ...
  • 6 "JSS" ...
  • 5 "Beside the Dying Fire" ...
  • 4 "Days Gone Bye" ...
  • 3 "The Day Will Come When You Won't Be" 'The Walking Dead' (Season 7, Episode 1) ...
  • 2 "The Calm Before" 'The Walking Dead' - Season 9, Episode 15. ...
  • 1 "No Way Out" 'The Walking Dead' (Season 6, Episode 9)
Sep 29, 2023

What was the most shocking death in The Walking Dead? ›

  • Lucille took her own life before cancer could kill her.
  • Mika Samuels was killed by her sister offscreen. ...
  • Tara was also taken by the Whisperers and was found on the pikes. ...
  • Laura was brutally killed by Beta when he secretly invaded Alexandria. ...
  • Otis was flat out shot and left for dead by Shane. ...
Nov 27, 2022

Who is the deadliest Walking Dead character? ›

The Walking Dead, which followed survivors of the zombie apocalypse, was a great show, but it featured moments that made viewers quit watching.
  • 8 Beta. ...
  • 7 Daryl Dixon. ...
  • 6 Morgan Jones. ...
  • 5 Michonne Hawthorne. ...
  • 4 Carol Peletier. ...
  • 3 Negan. ...
  • 2 The Governor. ...
  • 1 Rick Grimes.
May 8, 2024

Who is the hated character in The Walking Dead? ›

Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh) was mostly known as the leader of the Scavengers, and she became one of the least-liked characters from the moment she was introduced in The Walking Dead season 7. Eventually, the audience learned about her traumatic past, and her real name — Anne.

Who was the most evil in The Walking Dead? ›

From the first minute he appeared on screens in Season 7, audiences knew that Negan would be the cruelest villain on The Walking Dead. Wielding Lucille, his trademark bat swanned in barbed wire, Negan violently murdered two beloved characters, Glenn and Abraham, breaking the hearts of long-time fans.

What is the most brutal Walking Dead scene? ›

The Walking Dead's Most Horrifying Scenes
  • RICK KILLS A LITTLE ZOMBIE GIRL (Season 1, Episode 1, "Days Gone Bye") ...
  • CAROL'S DAUGHTER IS A WALKER (Season 2, Episode 7, "Pretty Much Dead Already") ...
  • CARL SHOOTS LORI (Season 3, Episode 4, "Killer Within") ...
  • THE GOVERNOR BEHEADS HERSHEL (Season 4, Episode 8, "Too Far Gone")
Sep 30, 2021

What was the most viewed Walking Dead episode? ›

NEW YORK, NY, November 28, 2022 – The series finale of The Walking Dead on Sunday, November 20 is now the most watched episode of television in the history of AMC+, and drove the highest single day of viewership ever on the platform.

What is the creepy episode of The Walking Dead? ›

"On the Inside" s11e6 when Connie and Virgil are inside that house with those creepy feral humanoids. Absolutely classic horror episode.

What is the goriest scene in The Walking Dead? ›

A scene shows a man getting his head smashed with a barbed wired baseball bat and his eye is seen. He then gets his whole head smashed and a bog pile of brains is shown. This scene is very emotional and probably the most violent in the entire series.

What is the most boring episode of The Walking Dead? ›

Now, I'm pained to say, we come to one of the most boring episodes in “The Walking Dead." Episode 21, “Diverged”, follows Daryl and Carol as they navigate a downfall in their friendship.

What is the goriest Walking dead episode? ›

The Season 7 premiere "The Day Will Come When You Won't Be" earned itself a content warning at the start due to the graphic and gory nature of the episode, all starting with Abraham's death. Abraham was Negan's first victim, who got his head smashed in by the villain's barb-wired baseball bat Lucille.

How many Walker kills does Daryl have? ›

Daryl comes in second with 98 kills and Michonne is the third one with 45 kills, being 31 one of those with the katana (weird seeing that Michonne killed 14 walkers without the sword). It is all reunited on the info graphic below, made by the website 9mmammo.com.

What is the most intense episode of Walking Dead? ›

“On the Inside” (Season 11, Episode 6)

The show's final season delivers one of the show's best and most frightening episodes ever. Connie, a Deaf survivor, is surviving on the road with Virgil. That alone is scary enough considering how he tried to kill Michonne in the previous season.

Which Walking Dead character survived the longest? ›

93 Episodes

It might be shocking to realize that Jerry, of all people, survived longer than all but a few The Walking Dead characters on the show.

What was the most emotional scene in The Walking Dead? ›

With so many great characters to be attached to, there are tons of tear-jerking moments.
  • 7 Rick Sacrificed Himself To Blow Up The Bridge. ...
  • 6 Sophia Exiting The Barn. ...
  • 5 Daryl Killed Zombie Merle. ...
  • 4 Carl's Final Words. ...
  • 3 Lizzie Killed By Carol. ...
  • 2 Beth Killed After Being Rescued. ...
  • 1 Glenn & Abraham Killed By Negan.
Nov 8, 2023

Who killed the most humans in The Walking Dead? ›

  1. 1 Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) - 89.
  2. 2 Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) - 54. ...
  3. 3 Carol Pelletier (Melissa McBride) - 52. ...
  4. 4 Morgan Jones (Lennie James) - 51. ...
  5. 5 Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) - 47. ...
  6. 6 Michonne (Dania Gurira) - 23. ...
  7. 7 Alpha (Samantha Morton) - 21. ...
  8. 8 The Governor (David Morrissey) - 20. ...
Dec 18, 2023

Why is Daryl depressed? ›

Daryl Dixon goes through a quick but severe state of depression after finding his brother Merle as a walker and having to put him out of his misery.

Who was the psychopath in walking dead? ›

Lizzie's psychotic behavior and Mika's innocence are addressed in the second half of the season, with the revelation that Lizzie was feeding rats to the walkers at the prison. During "The Grove" episode, Lizzie murders Mika, and intends to allow her to reanimate.

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