The Walking Dead: Why We Think Tara Is Going To Die

It’s been a while since a character we can name has been killed on The Walking Dead. Five weeks since Negan bashed in the skulls of Abraham and Glenn, promising to be the most menacing villain of the show’s history, all he has really done is bully Alexandria and take half of their stuff.

No more characters have died.

While she may not be the next to go, a safe-bet to die during the feud with Negan is Tara Chambler. Here’s why…

In Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead comics, Holly all but sacrifices herself to help the group. When Rick finally brings the battle to Negan’s doorstep at the Sanctuary, he is willing to risk it all by plunging a school bus into the villain’s home. It was a suicide mission which Holly would not allow.

By this point, Holly had nothing to lose. She had lost her family and was dating Abraham at the time of his slaying by the Saviors. The only thing left for her was revenge. She pulled Rick from the bus and hopped in herself, to be seen again later as a hostage and again as a zombie being delivered to Alexandria.

At a glance, it is easy to assume Sasha will fill the role of Holly from The Walking Dead comics.

However, Tara is a very much eligible candidate for a character swap with this death should it be realized on television.

Late in Season 6, Tara’s girlfriend Denise was killed the same way Holly’s boyfriend Abraham was in the comics — an arrow through the eye.

Tara now has nothing to lose, as well. Upon learning of the Saviors’ actions and the loss of Denise, she may set out on a mission for revenge for which she would be willing to sacrifice her life.

Such swaps have been made on the AMC series before. For example, in the comics Tyreese lost his head to the Governor but we all remember Hershel receiving the iconic decapitation at the prison. Abraham had an arrow through his face on the pages but Denise had the honor on television.

Sasha and Tara are going to have fight for this death because both are viable candidates. In fact, the swap may be the more likely event to be realized, seeing as the show likes to keep fans guessing and she would be less expected for the role.

“The comic is absolutely the basis for the story moving forward and I’ve always followed the belief of following the story from the book,” showrunner Scott Gimple told ComicBook.com, “That said, accentuating it in places and extrapolating things that are maybe even just mentioned in the book, playing them out even more fully, and then taking different elements from the book and sort of assigning them to different places really just to bring about some of the feelings and reactions I had when I initially read the book.”

MORE WALKING DEAD: ‘Go Getters’ Recap / New Comic Storylines Set Up Two Characters Finally Kiss / Gimple Reveals Carl & Jesus Missions / Where Are Michonne And Rick Going? / Maggie And Baby’s Fates Revealed / ‘Swear’ Preview Released

The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on AMC. For complete coverage and insider info all season long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.