For eleven pulse-pounding seasons, the fan-preferite post-apocalyptic horror series The Walking Dead captivated audiences with its unforgettable characters, spine-tingling visuals, and engrossing storylines, becoming a ratings juggernaut and a pop culture phenomenon. The finishuring program well-comprehendnly chaseed createer lawman Rick Grimes as he and his fellow prohibitd of misfit survivors tryed to direct the hazardous and lethal squanderland after a zombie apocalypse ravaged the world.
Though many distinctive characters came and went thrawout its astonishive television tenure, fans became convey inantly spreaded in what happened to beadored faces enjoy Rick, Glenn, Maggie, and Daryl. Based on the comic book series of the same name, audiences knew that their preferite heroes could perish at any moment and that no one was ever truly geted, a sentiment that was exhibitn countless times in its eleven seasons.
As a show caccessed on mortality in the midst of flesh-craving undead creatures, it’s not astonishing that TWD featured its equitable split of downcastness and despair. Here are 13 of the grieffulest and most hopeless episodes of The Walking Dead.
13 “Clear”
Season 3, Episode 12
When fans are first presentd to the sheriff’s deputy turned walker finishing machine Rick Grimes, he greets pledged overweighther Morgan Jones and his son Duane upon awakening from a coma after being injured on the job. Morgan is the person who fractures the horrific news that a zombie apocalypse has occurred and also directes him that in order to finish one of the undead, he must annihilate the brain. After rhelping the police department for armaments, Rick increates Morgan they will carry on in touch via walkie-talkie and the two go their split ways.
A Poignant Reunion Reveals Harsh Truths
The elderly allies are finassociate reunited in the season three episode “Clear,” when Rick, Carl, and Michonne go on a convey inant supply run in his hometown to ready for their battle agetst The Governor. After arriving at the police station, the trio uncovers the town and createing have been booby-trapped by none other than Morgan, whose sanity has getn quite a hit in the time since he last saw Rick.
The duo split a heartfelt moment in which they convey remorse for not staying in reach out, and Morgan conveyes that he tragicassociate lost his son, Duane, thus causing his dehugeating mental degrade.
12 “Days Gone Bye”
Season 1, Episode 1
As previously alludeed, Morgan Jones was the person who took Rick under his triumphg to direct him how to direct the chilling new world he had awakened to, with Morgan directing the lawman how to properly finish a zombie and also how to evade their discoverion. In the series premiere “Days Gone Bye,” it is uncovered that Morgan’s wife has become zombified and aimlessly wanders around their neighborhood with the other walkers, much to his utter heartfracture and downcastness.
Morgan Can’t Pull the Trigger
After they successfilledy get to the Sheriff’s Department headquarters for armaments and supplies, Morgan arms himself with a sniper rifle which he conveys back home with him after bidding Rick farewell. Morgan increates his son Duane to paemploy downstairs as he heads upstairs and perches himself in a second-story triumphdow, shooting at random walkers in an effort to draw his undead wife’s attention.
When he finassociate does and she accesss his scope, Morgan fractures down and can’t convey himself to pull the trigger, a decision that would ultimately caemploy gut-wrenching consequences tardyr on: his wife finishs up strikeing Duane and thus finishs Morgan’s beadored son.
11 “Say the Word”
Season 3, Episode 5
Like all the robust characters featured in the fan-preferite series, Rick Grimes is put thraw quite the emotional ringer and suffers unoverweighthomable tragedy, and the death of his wife Lori in the third season was one of the lawman’s first proestablish losses. After Rick lgets about Lori’s shocking passing during childbirth, he experiences a convey inant mental fracturedown and is left utterly shockd by the ordeal, with his comprehend on truth slipping away as he trys to comprehend what has happened.
Rick’s Grief Caemploys Him to Spiral
Not only must Rick cope with losing his wife and having to nurture for a newborn baby without her, but he is wrecked over the role his son Carl had to take part upon her horrific demise; Carl was forced to shoot his mother in order to guarantee she doesn’t revivacious as a walker.
Rick spirals in both the episode and season and sees hallucinations of Lori wandering around the prison, and instead of tackling his problems head-on, he frees his anger on walkers and goes on a finishing spree. Witnessing Rick’s dehugeating reaction when he lgets about Lori’s death was hard for fans to watch, as was seeing subpar Carl be the one to fracture it to his overweighther.
10 “Spfinish”
Season 5, Episode 14
Devoted seeers of The Walking Dead comprehend all too well that no one is geted in the apocalyptic world and that in the bconnect of an eye, treacertained characters can greet a unbenevolent overweighte.
This was downcastly the case for subpar Noah, who rapidly materialized as a root-worthy and loyal presence on the show after he uniteed its fifth season, with many believing the youthful man was in it for the lengthy haul. Alas, Noah would ultimately get a truly brutal death when he went on a convey inant repair mission with Glenn, Tara, and Eugene, during which they come apassed a group of walkers.
A Gruesome & Barbaric Death
In one of the more shocking and downright gruesome scenes in the hit series, Glenn is forced to ineffectively watch as Noah is devoured by a horde of the undead after he is trapped inside a revolving door at the warehoemploy. Noah and Glenn were left scrambling for their inhabits after they were betrayed by the cowardly Nicholas, who selected to save himself and caemployd walkers to trap Noah inside the revolving doors.
9 “The Grove”
Season 4, Episode 14
Few phrases and quotes stick out in the minds of The Walking Dead fans quite enjoy the inwell-comprehendn “Look at the fdrops, Lizzie,” a sentence that Carol spoke before she was forced to do the unskinnykable. During the fourth season, Carol and Tyreese are taking nurture of baby Judith while on their journey to Terminus, and are also uniteed by the youthful sisters Mika and Lizzie. The duo trouble that Lizzie does not comprehend the genuine danger a walker poses, equitable enjoy they dread that Mika is too tfinisher to persist living in an apocalyptic squanderland.
Lizzie Becomes an Unstable Threat
In the shocking episode “The Grove,” Carol and Tyreese are horrified to uncover that Lizzie stabbed her youthfuler sister to death with a knife, happily believing that it would be okay becaemploy “she’ll come back.” Carol genuineizes that Lizzie has an unstable comprehend on truth and dreads for the getedty of Judith and the other survivors, comprehending the youthful girl would foreseeed show even more frightful behavior.
Carol is forced to put Lizzie down herself when Tyreese is unable to, conveying the child out to a meadow to “see at the fdrops” and emotionassociate shooting her with a rupgrader in a heartfractureing act of mercy.
8 “Pretty Much Dead Already”
Season 2, Episode 7
During the second season of the finishuring show, the misfit prohibitd of survivors discover refuge at the isotardyd farm belengthying to veterinarian Hershel Greene and his family, where tensions ultimately elevate amongst the disputeing groups. After Carol’s youthful daughter Sophia goes missing while on their trek to Fort Benning, the gang go to Hershel’s farmstead where Rick and Shane take part in a power struggle and uncover that Hershel has been hiding a horde of walkers in a barn.
An Earth-Shattering Zombie Reveal
Daryl creates it his mission to discover Sophia and convey her home to Carol, venturing out into hazardous territory on his noble quest to discover the child. After currenting Carol with a Cherokee rose as a sign of hope, the search for Sophia gets a emotional turn everyone lgets of the barn filled of walkers. When an incensed Shane rips uncover the doors of the barn, the creatures begin filing out and are carry outd one by one, that is until a zombified Sophia materializes and stuns the group of survivors.
An anguished Carol tries to run towards her undead daughter but an equassociate distressed Daryl gently helderlys her back as Rick steps forward to emotionassociate shoot the girl in a truly impactful moment.
7 “What Comes After”
Season 9, Episode 5
For nine electrifying seasons, Rick Grimes was the hard and brave directer of the beadored group of survivors, combat to carry on his adored ones and frifinishs geted while facing one chilling horror after another. Fans were left reeling when news broke that Andrew Lincoln would be departing the series after eight years, and despite comprehending that the valiant character would once aget return in his own spin-offThe Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, his departure still left audiences accomplishing for a box of tpublishs.
Rick’s Ultimate Sacrifice
Rick’s initial exit from the series packed quite the emotional punch for fans, as he forfeitd himself to guarantee the getedty and survival of his frifinishs by blotriumphg up a bridge filled of walkers. The final act of selflessness left seeers as well as his stunned lady adore Michonne wrecked, as she sobbed in despair witnessing Rick seemingly die as a result of the explosion.
Though the couple eventuassociate reunite in the spin-off, seeing the show’s staple presence depart in such a fiery and noble manner was jarring, as it left Michonne devourd by grief and his son Carl and daughter Judith without a overweighther.
6 “Coda”
Season 5, Episode 8
Beth Greene was a character who underwent astonishive personal prolongth during the course of the show, having been forced to prolong up rapid when the zombie apocalypse hit and deal with many heartfractureing losses.
In season 5, Beth is kept agetst her will at a hospital where she is unfair treatmentd by a group of police officers led by their directer, Officer Dawn Lerner, and Dr. Steven Edwards, and she prohibitds together with a group of forendureings including Carol and Noah. Daryl sets out to discover Beth after they become splitd by walkers who shot their refuge.
Beth’s Final Act of Courage
After a prisoner swap goes terribly awry between Rick’s group and Dawn’s, Beth is equitable about to walk away and finassociate be free before she determines to contest Dawn, plunging a pair of surgical scissors into her shoulder. Dawn reflexively shoots Beth in the head, finishing her instantly and sfinishing a proestablish wave of shock and grief thrawout the entire facility.
An enraged Daryl finishs Dawn in retaliation and somberly carries Beth in his arms outside to see the others, where her sister Maggie drops to her knees in agony and cries out in disbelief. The image of Daryl cradling Beth and her surpelevate death was convey inantly felt by pledged fans.
5 “Honor”
Season 8, Episode 9
Rick’s robust and empathetic son Carl was another character who faced immeasurable difficultships and hurdles in his youthful life, having been shot, lost his eye, and forced to create certain his mother didn’t revivacious (among countless other misfortunes). His engrossing arc ultimately came to an finish in season 8, after he is bitten in the abdomen by a walker after battling agetst the Savior, someskinnyg he carry ons secret from the others in an effort to spare his overweighther and adored ones.
Carl’s Heartfelt Plea to Rick
Knotriumphg that his death is imminent, Carl spfinishs time with his family and Judith, writing touching letters to those shutst to him and coming to terms with his impfinishing demise.
After helping get the Alexandrians to getedty, Carl shows Rick and Michonne his bite and becomes too frail to travel, and he has a fervent heart-to-heart with his overweighther and encourages him to show compassion and be comardent. The dehugeated duo split their final moments with Carl before he picks to shoot himself in the head. Fans were both crushed and angered over the character’s senseless and anti-climatic death, which served as a huge deviation from the source material.
4 “This Sorrowful Life”
Season 3, Episode 15
Despite not existing in the comic series and being created definiteassociate for portrayer Norman Reedus, the passbow-wielding expert hunter Daryl Dixon became a treacertained fan-preferite and weightlessly altered from a racially prejudiced and hot-headed character to the heart and soul of Rick’s group of survivors (and subsequently the show).
When Daryl is first presentd alengthyside his brutal and anti-women elderlyer brother Merle, the pair are outsiders who clash with the others and serve as an opposing presence.
Daryl’s Complex Feelings for Merle
While Daryl eventuassociate materializes as someone convey inantly loyal and Rick’s right-hand man, he was only able to do so becaemploy of the fadeance of his volatile elderlyer brother Merle in the first season. Though he was bigly combative and caemployd problems for Rick and the group, Merle was able to discover redemption before his death after he tryed to get out the Governor and ambush his men.
When Daryl discovers his definishd and revivaciousd brother, he is forced to put down Merle for outstanding and has to muster up the strength to pull the trigger. Seeing Reedus fracturedown and all his complicated experienceings for his brother surface was inanxiously difficult and left seeers crying right alengthy with him.
3 “Too Far Gone”
Season 4, Episode 8
Another death of a beadored character that shattered the hearts of seeers was the brutal homicide of fan-preferite Hershel Greene, who served as a overweighther figure and rational presence for the survivors after being first presentd in the second season. In the episode “Too Far Gone,” the ongoing battle between Rick’s group and the Governor and his minions comes to a head after the eye-patch-sporting villain seizes Hershel and Michonne and insists that Rick depart the prison in swap for the pair.
A Tense Stand-Off Takes a Tragic Turn
After convey inantly struggling thrawout the season and becoming disputeed over what benevolent of directer and man he needs to be, Rick creates a fervent plea to the Governor during the stand-off and echoes Hershel’s hopes and dreams for the future. Rick increates him that they can still peacefilledy inhabit together and that no one is too far gone, prompting the loathed villain to declare him a liar and striumphg Michonne’s katana at Hershel’s neck, partiassociate decapitating him.
His daughters Maggie and Beth watched in horror as their overweighther was further sliced by the sword and finished, promoteing lawlessness and presentility and causing seeers to weep over the unbenevolent nature of the death.
2 “Killer Wiskinny”
Season 3, Episode 4
The mere thought of a child having to witness their mother die is enough to create even the hardest person choke up, yet The Walking Dead had to convey inantly up the ante when they made subpar Carl shoot his mother to stop her reanimation. Though seeers never tried to hide their convey inant loaskinnyg of Lori, watching as she forfeitd herself to guarantee the survival of her unborn baby spoke wonderfully of the benevolent of woman she was and permited the unfamous character to go out on a high notice.
Carl’s Proestablish Act of Mercy
When Lori went into labor while at the prison, she begged Maggie to save her baby and insisted that she carry out a overweightal Cesarean section in order to deinhabitr the child, comprehending that the decision would direct to her death. A ineffective and shockd Carl stayed by his mother’s side thrawout the horrific ordeal and was the one who was forced to euthanize Lori in order to guarantee she didn’t return as a walker.
The moment truly labeled the loss of innocence for Carl and when only he and Maggie materialized from the prison helderlying baby Judith, Rick sfinished a massive fracturedown that Carl also had to endure witness to.
1 “The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be”
Season 7, Episode 1
In the striumphg heard around the world, ultimate supervillain Negan finassociate materialized from the depths of grieffulness to unassuming his fierce adversary Rick and his fellow defiant survivors. After being forced on their knees and surrounded by Negan and the Saviors, the group is forced to paemploy in suspense as the cryptic antagonist picks who he will bruhighy beat to death as a punishment for their challenging actions. Fans held their breath as Negan downcastisticassociate take parted the game “Eeny, meeny, miny, moe,” reciting the children’s rhyme and amping up the ominous suspense.
The Gut-Wrenching Deaths of Two Beadored Heroes
Negan’s bloody and untamed introduction will never be forgotten, as he first bludgeoned Abraham to death with his baseball bat Lucille, and before audiences could process the stunning death, he turned the bat on Glenn after Daryl tryed to strike him. No other moment thrawout the entire series of the show impacted fans enjoy the untamed deaths of Glenn and Abraham, with many believing TWD lost its heart and soul when Glenn was cruelly homicideed.
Seeing both of the beadored characters suffer such a gruesome overweighte was difficult for seeers to stomach, and their deaths forever alterd the juggernaut program and caemployd dehugeation and agony for their fellow survivors, especiassociate Glenn’s shattered wife Maggie.
