As expected. the final episode to The Walking Dead saw several characters die after the war between the Commonwealth and the main characters came to a climax. On the air for 12 years and 11 seasons, the epic zombie apocalypse drama ended after 177 episodes, with only a couple of cast members from the first seasons, such as Carol, Maggie, and Daryl, remaining. With many major characters succumbing to the apocalypse and many new faces showing up, The Walking Dead was constantly reinventing itself, often opting for narrative choices that deviated completely from the source material — Robert Kirkman’s comic books of the same name — for better or for worse.
By the time The Walking Dead‘s finale aired, even the show’s main character, Rick Grimes, had left the show, although he surprisingly returned in that last episode for a legendary cameo that sets up his spin-off series. Although The Walking Dead left many mysteries unsolved, the show successfully concluded each major character’s arc or set up their paths for a new adventure. As expected, some of these arcs inevitably ended with death. Not all were impactful enough to do justice to a series finale, but some heartbreaking deaths really came as a surprise.
Jules
Jules is among the sweetest characters introduced in The Walking Dead‘s later seasons (season 10, episode 1, “Line We Cross”). In that episode, Jules and Luke Abrams openly flirted with each other right off the bat, but Jules’ natural charm arguably makes it difficult to tell whether she was courting Luke or just being too nice: in the end, the couple ended up together, but their love sent them to their doom. After a massive herd of zombies brought by Pamela invaded a vulnerable Commonwealth in the final episode, Jules is bitten and grabbed by the zombies, meeting a terrifying death as the walking dead clustered around her.
Luke
Luke was a dear character who brought fun and entertainment to the communities after being found by Judith in the woods. Sadly, Luke lost his life trying to save Jules from the horde of zombies that overwhelmed her, failing to notice the walkers swarming him and consequently getting bitten on the leg. What makes Luke’s death so heartbreaking is that he had to witness Jules getting torn apart and devoured alive by the zombies, unable to do anything. After having his leg amputated by Magna and suffering major blood loss, Luke cries relentlessly until the silence announces his death and Magna stabs him in the head to prevent him from reanimating.
Lance
Lance is the former Deputy Governor of the Commonwealth community and became one of the main late villain of The Walking Dead. Unwilling to accept his exile, Lance tried to shoot Daryl and Carol in an act of despair got shot by Carol in the neck. Although Hornsby doesn’t necessarily die in the series finale, that’s when viewers see him for the last time. His undead corpse can be spotted among a horde of zombies outside the community grids and Pamela walks toward him, seemingly to get voluntarily bitten, but Maggie shoots Lance’s zombie in the head before his hungry teeth get to Pamela.
Adrienne
Just like Jules, Adrienne also used to be an Oceanside resident before moving to Commonwealth, and things didn’t go well for her in the series finale. Introduced in season 7, episode 6, “Swear,” she played a minor role against the Saviors and witnessed the communities reuniting, becoming an active member in festivities and gatherings. After Commonwealth’s defense was easily breached, Adrienne met a terrifying fate when walkers storm the Commonwealth Hospital and she, struggling with her injured leg, was grabbed by a group of zombies and devoured between the entrance doors despite Magna and other members’ best efforts to pull her back in.
Rosita
The most heartbreaking death in the whole season was Rosita. One of the longest surviving characters in The Walking Dead, Rosita was introduced in season 4, episode 10, “Inmates” and gradually became a favorite with her somewhat charming short-temper and unrelenting personality (becoming one of the key survivors in the fight against the Saviors and the Whisperers). Rosita becomes another victim of the walking dead horde that stormed Commonwealth, getting bitten as she tried to evade a group of zombies that almost got ahold of Rosita and her daughter. She fought zombies like a warrior but, unfortunately, couldn’t fight off the infection.
Several Commonwealth Residents
The main conflict of the series finale revolves around the herd of zombies that broke into the Commonwealth community, and the matter aggravates drastically after Pamela Milton, Commonwealth’s Governor, orders all her soldiers to retreat to the Estates in order to take care of the city’s assets and elite, leaving the community’s citizens at the mercy of their insufficient weapons and supplies. Pretty much all of their deaths in the series finale are indirectly caused by Pamela’s decision, which results in her getting a life sentence. Throughout the episode, many unnamed characters as well as a few familiar faces are seen lying dead and eaten by zombies.
Death Toll: 6 Characters And Various Commonwealth Citizens
In the end, the body count of The Walking Dead‘s final episode wasn’t as impactful in terms of deaths but reflects how much the show has changed since its beginning. The episode isn’t called “Rest In Peace” for no reason: even though there are several characters added to the story throughout the years that could’ve easily been killed off for shock value, the series finale shows that the showrunners had matured just as much as the survivors. Besides the characters who will get their own spin-offs, it makes sense other key characters survived because they adapted to the situations presented; they are learning and only getting better.
Additionally, although Pamela, the final antagonist, could’ve been executed for her crimes, she was sent to prison and forced to reflect on her crimes (just like Negan had at the beginning of his redemption arc). The show’s series finale is focused on rebirth and peace; setting up sophisticated and cultured communities. However, it wouldn’t be The Walking Dead if they didn’t take at least one beloved character from the fans: Rosita’s death is the final gut-punch of the show.
