The Walking Dead: The Final Fate of Each Character

Warning: this story contains spoilers for The Walking Dead series finale. Rest in peace, The Walking Dead. After 11 seasons, 12 years, 177 episodes, and innumerable deaths, Sunday night’s Walking Dead series finale marked the end of the AMC zombie drama — and as hinted by the “Rest in Peace” title, not everyone made it out alive. Things looked grim for the survivors after the show’s penultimate episode ended on a major cliffhanger, which saw the heroes trapped between zombie masses and Governor Pamela Milton’s (Laila Robins) army as a walker horde flooded inside the Commonwealth’s walls. For some, the finale was fatal.

The first half of the 64-minute series closer dealt with the heroes’ last stand against Governor Milton and the Commonwealth Army as the white-armored troopers barricaded the wealthy Estates from the zombie masses. General Mercer (Michael James Shaw) led the coup against the corrupt Milton regime, mounting a revolution that ended with the heroes uniting the citizens of the Commonwealth against one enemy: the dead. They’re the living, or as Daryl (Norman Reedus) put it, “We ain’t the walking dead.” 

After a one-year time jump, the second half wrapped up the series and revealed where the survivors ended up in the aftermath. Read on for a breakdown of every character who lived and who died in The Walking Dead‘s series finale:

Daryl Dixon

Lone wolf Daryl rode off on his motorcycle, exploring uncharted territory: “the frontier” west of the Commonwealth. Uncle Daryl and the Grimes children planted roots in the Commonwealth, the Ohio community now under new leadership.

Carol Peletier

The woman who evolved from abused housewife to ultimate zombie apocalypse survivor became Deputy Governor of the Commonwealth, taking Lance Hornsby’s job and making it her own. The Deputy Governor role isn’t the only thing Carol made her own: she’s making the Commonwealth a better place to live.

Maggie Rhee

Maggie and her son Hershel returned to their home at the Hilltop colony, rebuilt anew for the peaceful life she once knew on the Greene family farm. At the memorial garden where Glenn is laid to rest, Maggie was hopeful and looking forward to the future. She told Daryl and Carol: “There’s a lot out there to find out about, and I think it’s time we did.”

Negan

Negan made peace with Maggie, who accepted his apology for murdering Glenn but told Negan she could never forgive the man who killed her husband with a barbed wire-covered baseball bat. Like his comic counterpart, Negan walked off alone to live with what he’s done. Unlike his comic counterpart, Negan could have his own new beginning with his pregnant wife, Annie, who was last seen at Alexandria but did not appear in the finale.

Rosita Espinosa

Rosita, Father Gabriel, and Eugene rescued Rosita’s daughter, Baby Coco, from the Commonwealth’s zombie-swarmed children’s home. Unfortunately, Rosita suffered a walker’s bite that could not be amputated, meaning she would succumb to fever and infection. In the end, Rosita died peacefully, surrounded by the family she always lived for.

Eugene Porter

Eugene was at Rosita’s side as she passed, but not before telling his best friend, “I wouldn’t be the man I am today if I hadn’t met you.” Now a confident, capable, and brave survivor, the time jump revealed Eugene had his own progeny with Maxxine “Max” Mercer: Baby Rosie.

Father Gabriel

The Walking Dead introduced Father Gabriel Stokes as the God-fearing, walker-fearing-even-more priest who left his congregation to die at the onset of the zombie apocalypse. The Walking Dead ended with Gabriel risking his life to open a gate to the Commonwealth Estates to save the citizens locked outside. In the end, the preacher returned to Alexandria, raising his adopted daughter Coco with faith for the future.

Aaron

As one of the original Alexandrians, Aaron had hoped that the Alexandria Safe-Zone would one day be rebuilt. One year after enemy-occupied Alexandria became the Commonwealth’s Outpost 22, Aaron’s vision for the future came true. Now a self-sustaining community, Virginia’s Alexandria is the perfect home for Aaron to continue raising daughter Gracie.

King Ezekiel

“And yet I smile.” After being put through the wringer with the loss of his ward, Benjamin, the death of his son, Henry, the fall of the Kingdom, and a cancer diagnosis, Ezekiel finally found a new reason to smile. As Commonwealth Governor Ezekiel Sutton, the former king ushered in a new era — one that’s fair and just for all.

Jerry

The cobbler-loving warrior is last seen at Alexandria, happy and smiling, with his wife Nabila by his side. Or was that Queen Nabila? Considering his regal wear, Jerry appeared to have started his own “kingdom,” possibly at the abandoned renaissance fair his group came across episodes earlier in “Variant.”

Connie, Kelly, Magna, and Yumiko

The tight-knit group settled down at the Commonwealth, where newspaper journalist Connie’s work is “keeping the new administration honest.” Lawyer Yumiko rekindled her romance with ex-girlfriend Magna. Connie, Kelly, Magna, and Yumiko made a toast to Luke, who…

Luke and Jules

…Died trying to save his girlfriend, Jules, who was engulfed by the walker horde and devoured. Luke suffered a walker’s bite to his leg before bleeding out on the floor of the Commonwealth Hospital. Luke died surrounded by his friends, who promised the former music teacher they would “keep the music alive.”

Lydia and Elijah

After Elijah appeared lost to the walker herd, he reunited with Lydia when the zombies flooded into the Commonwealth Estates. The happy couple then served as messengers delivering parcels between the connected communities of Commonwealth, Hilltop, and Alexandria.

Princess

Juanita “Princess” Sanchez ended up where she belonged: loved and part of a found family who made her feel safe. Enthusiastic as always, we last saw Princess cheering on her man…

General Mercer

…General Michael Mercer, who was promoted to Lieutenant Governor to serve the Commonwealth in a new way alongside Governor Sutton. As ranking #2 of the Commonwealth, Lt. Gov. Mercer joined Ezekiel in pledging to live by these words: “Though we are not bonded by blood, we are family.”

Governor Milton

After the death of her spoiled rotten son, Sebastian Milton, Governor Pamela Milton became an iron-fisted tyrant. She disappeared hundreds of citizens, led the walker horde towards the city, shot Judith, and left thousands to die outside the gates of the Estates. Mercer ordered Milton arrested for high crimes against the people of the Commonwealth, putting Pamela in her place: behind bars.

Dog

Daryl’s dog was last spotted eating table scraps at family dinner. Judith promised to keep an eye on Dog while Daryl is out on the road.

RJ and Judith Grimes

The Grimes kids — Rick Grimes Jr. and Judith Grimes — ended up at the Commonwealth, living the future that Carl, Rick, and Michonne envisioned. “We get to start over,” Judith told RJ in the last line of the series. “We’re the ones who live.” The end.

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