After 11 seasons, here’s how ‘The Walking Dead’ ended and how it ties into the show’s many spinoffs

Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes in ‘The Walking Dead’. Photo: Curtis Bonds Baker/AMC

In November 2022, The Walking Dead finally had its epic conclusion after airing 11 seasons for over a decade.

The finale episode, titled “Rest in Peace,” was both about wrapping up the original series and setting up the continuation of the larger Walking Dead universe and its various spinoffs, including The Ones Who Live, which is now streaming on Netflix.

The episode largely serves as the conclusion to the survivors’ struggle at the Commonwealth and their issues with its corrupt governor, Pamela Milton (Laila Robins). But after its explosive climax, the denouement of “Rest in Peace” left multiple cliffhangers for The Walking Dead spinoffs to inevitably pick up on.

Most notably, the episode revealed the whereabouts of two characters that had been missing – Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira). It also set the stage for what was to come for fan-favorite Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus).

So how did The Walking Dead end, and how did it pave the way for more spinoffs, including the fan-favorite 2024 miniseries The Ones Who Live? Here’s everything to know about The Walking Dead finale.

What happens during the final season of The Walking Dead? 

Laila Robins as Pamela Milton in ‘The Walking Dead’.Jace Downs/AMC

The main plot of the end of The Walking Dead‘s 11th season consists of the events at the Commonwealth community in Ohio. The survivors, including Daryl, Carol (Melissa McBride), Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and Ezekiel (Khary Payton) among others, find themselves having a face-off with Pamela.

In a previous episode, the autocrat instructed her forces to corral a herd of zombies toward the city, artificially creating a crisis that would distract the citizens from protesting against her corruption. However, her plan goes wrong and the zombies break through the barriers and enter the city.

To protect herself and the other wealthy members of the Commonwealth, Pamela hides within The Estates, a gated community for the rich and powerful, seemingly dooming the poorer residents of the Commonwealth to be overrun by the hoard.

How does The Walking Dead end? 

Cailey Fleming as Judith and Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon in ‘The Walking Dead’.Jace Downs/AMC

“Rest in Peace” picks up with the Commonwealth residents banging at the gates of The Estates, begging to be let in and saved. Pamela lines the gates with armed soldiers, refusing to let anyone enter. Meanwhile, the survivors are plotting an assassination attempt on Pamela, thus ending her corruption while also saving the Commonwealth residents by letting them through the gates.

But things take a turn when Daryl confronts Pamela himself, saying, “You built this place to be like the old world, that was the f—— problem.” He also utters the finale’s most iconic line, tying the whole show together: “We ain’t the walking dead.”

Daryl’s words convince Pamela’s soldiers to stand down and open the gates while the former leader is arrested.

The survivors gather up everyone in the community and flee to another section of the Commonwealth while they douse The Estates in gas. Once the zombies are trapped within its walls, the gas is ignited, causing a massive explosion that kills the undead hoard.

The finale then has a one-year time jump after which the survivors are seen rebuilding a peaceful society. Daryl, however, decides to head out and search for more survivors. He plans on learning from them, while also promising to search for Rick and Michonne.

Daryl tells Rick’s daughter, “I’ll find ‘em both, I’ll bring them home.”

Are Rick and Michonne in The Walking Dead finale?

Danai Gurira as Michonne in ‘The Walking Dead’.Curtis Bonds Baker/AMC

Daryl riding off into the distance could have been a fitting end for The Walking Dead, but soon after the screen cuts to black, a match ignites. In the biggest reveal of the finale, Rick appears for the first time since season 9, quickly followed by Michonne, who hasn’t been seen since halfway through season 10.

The couple are writing to each other — but at different time periods. As Rick and Michonne journal, images of past characters from the show appear on-screen.

Michonne is then seen riding a horse straight toward a massive hoard of zombies, while Rick is seen standing on a riverbank across from the ruins of Philadelphia, trying to evade a Civic Republic Military helicopter.

As the scenes play out, the surviving characters can all be heard saying, “We are the ones who live.” The shot cuts back to Rick who, knowing he’s been found by the CRM, gives a curious and surprising smile, letting audiences know there’s more to come.

How does The Walking Dead finale connect to The Ones Who Live?

Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes and Danai Gurira as Michonne in ‘The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live’.Gene Page/AMC

The finale of The Walking Dead helped lead into the 2024 miniseries The Ones Who Live by revealing that both Rick and Michonne are still alive, bringing them back for the first time after their characters exited the show in seasons 9 and 10, respectively.

“Rest in Peace” also showed that the couple have spent the last few seasons looking for each other, which is further explored in The Ones Who Live. Plus, the miniseries’ title is a clear nod to the finale’s montage of characters saying “We are the ones who live.”

The critically-acclaimed miniseries continues the love story between Michonne and Rick, chronicling their search to find each other and the challenges they face once they’re finally reunited.

What happened to Daryl after the The Walking Dead finale?

Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon and Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier in ‘The Walking Dead’.Jace Downs/AMC

In the finale episode, Daryl promises that he’ll keep searching for Rick and Michonne, yet he’s noticeably absent from The Ones Who Live.

Instead, Daryl’s story is continued in his own spinoff series, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, which started airing in 2023. After leaving the Commonwealth, Daryl finds himself pretty far from home, with the series picking up with him washing ashore in France.

While there’s still a chance that Daryl might reunite with his old friends, it won’t be anytime soon. In November 2024, just after the season 2 finale of Daryl Dixon, a brief teaser for season 3 was released, showing that Daryl (now joined by Carol) is heading to Spain.