Major Walking Dead Character Death Ends An Impressive 7-Year Actor Streak

Warning: This article contains spoilers for episode 5 of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live.

The Walking Dead franchise has been going on for over a decade with numerous characters being killed off in the process, but the series’ latest death ends an impressive 7-year actor streak. With The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live exploring the dangerous Civic Republic Military alongside marking the return of Rick and Michonne, the series has become one of the franchise’s biggest spinoffs yet. Although there were high stakes in both Dead City and Daryl Dixon, The Ones Who Live feels even bigger, and the show’s latest death proves how much jeopardy is involved in Rick and Michonne’s story.

Having originally debuted in 2010, the main Walking Dead show has cycled through character after character. Big deaths were needed to keep the franchise interesting, and while the likes of Rick Grimes and Daryl Dixon have survived since the beginning, not every character is so lucky. Some survivors are killed off surprisingly quickly, while others last way longer than expected. Although The Ones Who Live‘s most recent departure may not be one of The Walking Dead‘s most haunting deaths, it does come as a big surprise as it signals the end of a franchise veteran’s 7-year streak.

Jadis Was The Only Walking Dead Character With Major Roles In 3 Different Shows

Pollyanna McIntosh Has Played Jadis In The Walking Dead, World Beyond & The Ones Who Live

Jadis was the only character to have a significant role in three different Walking Dead shows, making her death in The Ones Who Live episode 5 even more shocking. Having debuted in season 7, Jadis has become a big part of the franchise in a secondary antagonist role. She was never a main villain in the series, even having fragile alliances with the main characters on occasion, but she frequently proved to be untrustworthy. Jadis seemed to have a change of heart at the end of her Walking Dead run, helping save Rick’s life by giving him to the CRM.

This was her ticket into the group, giving her a key antagonist role in World Beyond, which continued into The Ones Who Live. While Jadis did have a good side to her, she dedicated her life to the CRM which ultimately led to her death. She knew letting Rick and Michonne leave could harm the military group’s goal, even threatening that the CRM would attack Alexandria if the protagonists tried to escape. This didn’t stop Rick and Michonne, leading to a near-episode-long conflict with Jadis who was bitten by a walker before being shot by Rick.

Despite being a villain in all three shows, Jadis was full of complexities that proved she wasn’t as evil as some of the franchise’s other antagonists. She even tells Rick and Michonne where her files on Alexandria are before she dies, giving them a chance to save their loved ones. Pollyanna McIntosh did a great job throughout her seven-year tenure at portraying every part of Jadis’ character. The Walking Dead highlighted Jadis’ strange and deceitful side, World Beyond displayed her unwavering loyalty to the CRM, while The Ones Who Live revealed her desperation to be part of something bigger.

Can Another Walking Dead Character Ever Beat Jadis’ Record?

The Recent Spinoffs Set Up Some Potential Contenders

Jadis may have set a pretty impressive record by featuring in three Walking Dead shows, but it is possible other characters could surpass it. With the ongoing spinoffs all focusing on key characters; Maggie, Negan, Daryl, Rick, and Michonne all have major appearances in two shows. Carol’s involvement in Daryl Dixon‘s season 1 finale means she will likely join this list. That puts all these characters just a single series behind Jadis, which they could all match if the rumored crossover show happens. However, while these characters may tie Jadis’ record, they would still need another show to beat it.

Unless these characters appear in each other’s spinoffs, it is hard to imagine The Walking Dead would create another show after the crossover featuring any of the main survivors. This leaves only one key candidate to break Jadis’ record, Morgan Jones. Morgan debuted in the very first episode of The Walking Dead and was a big character throughout. He then moved to Fear The Walking Dead, already giving him two major appearances. Morgan may also feature in Rick’s Walking Dead spinoff and the potential crossover show, which could give him a fourth major role, surpassing Jadis’ record.

How Jadis’ Death Sets Up The Ones Who Live’s Finale

Jadis’ Death Forces Rick & Michonne To Return To The CRM

Killing off Jadis perfectly sets up an interesting finale for The Ones Who Live. Her death forces Rick and Michonne to return to the CRM, where they will attempt to find Jadis’ intel on Alexandria. This also sets up the couple either destroying or taking over the CRM. With just a single episode remaining, it seems unlikely they will be completely successful in their plan, setting up a second season or a potentially shocking twist. While it is hard to predict exactly how The Ones Who Live will end, Jadis’ death does set up the overall plot of the finale.