What Happens to the Grimes Children When Michonne Leaves The Walking Dead?

The Walking Dead is only weeks away from airing its final episode with Danai Gurira‘s Michonne, an endgame expected to raise as many questions as it answers. Just as secretive is what Michonne’s exit means for her children, Judith (Cailey Fleming) and RJ (Antony Azor), who already lost their father Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) when he disappeared and was assumed dead six years earlier. Michonne was last seen parting ways with Judith at Oceanside in the midseason finale, “The World Before,” leaving her daughter in the temporary care of allies Luke (Dan Fogler), Scott (Kenric Green), Dianne (Kerry Cahill), and Marco (Gustavo Gomez).

Michonne instructed Judith to be good for “Uncle Daryl” (Norman Reedus) before setting off with the stranded Virgil (Kevin Carroll) on what should be a four-day round trip at sea. Using a boat borrowed from Oceanside, Michonne will reunite Virgil with his family — located on a naval base situated on Bloodsworth Island — in exchange for weapons needed to defeat Alpha (Samantha Morton) and the Whisperers’ walker horde.

But Michonne will encounter trouble on her journey and possibly fail to return home. Whether Michonne doesn’t survive the trip or vanishes without a trace, making it possible she appears elsewhere in TWD Universe, Season 10 is confirmed to be Gurira’s last on the main show.

Because the Grimes children are not expected to leave with Michonne, the question becomes who inherits caretaker responsibilities for Judith and RJ.

Uncle Daryl is already close with the Grimes clan, also cared for by such Alexandria veterans as Aaron (Ross Marquand), already dad to the adopted Gracie (Anabelle Holloway), and Rosita (Christian Serratos), the new mother raising baby Coco with Father Gabriel (Seth Gilliam). Like Aaron, whose daughter was discovered in a Savior outpost, Scott’s adopted son, Marcus, was born to parents affiliated with the now-defunct Saviors.

Parenting duties for the Grimes children may not fall to any one person or couple. Showrunner Angela Kang has been hesitant to address what happens with Judith and RJ once Michonne is out of the picture, but on an episode of Talking Dead aired after the Season 10 premiere, Kang hinted Rick and Michonne’s children will be cared for by the efforts of their community.

“Well, you know… The amazing thing about the apocalyptic community is it’s truly a village,” Kang said. “There’s so many people who love Judith and RJ, Michonne loves them so much … there will be some story about what happens in that aftermath.”

The Walking Dead Season 10 returns with its midseason premiere Sunday, Feb. 23 at 9/8c on AMC. For more TWD, follow the author @CameronBonomolo on Twitter.