In its 11-season run, the zombie apocalyptic show, The Walking Dead has seen many characters succumb to their tragic deaths while fighting the walkers or the bad people. Over the years, the show has introduced many characters and as we saw them fighting and surviving in the gritty world of the show, we formed a connection with them which prompted us to root for their triumphs and mourn their losses. Among the countless dramatic moments and fierce battles, some deaths have left an indelible mark on the hearts of fans. Here is a list of the 19 most heartbreaking deaths in the show.
19) Sophia Peletier
Sophia’s death was a heartbreaking and shocking moment early in The Walking Dead series, leaving a deep impact on the group and viewers. In season 2, Sophia goes missing during a walker attack, and the group spends days searching for her. Eventually, they discover that she has been bitten and turned into a walker. Hershel had been keeping walker Sophia in his barn, hoping for a cure. In a devastating scene, the group opens the barn, and walker Sophia emerges.
18) Deanna Monroe
Deanna was the leader of the Alexandria and was bitten by a walker during an attack on the community in season 6. She still chooses to face her fate with courage, opting to stay put and fight off the walkers rather than succumb quietly making her death a significant one in The Walking Dead series.
17) Denise Cloyd
Denise Cloyd’s death was a sudden and heartbreaking moment in The Walking Dead , leaving a significant impact on the group. In season 6, Denise goes on a supply run with Daryl and Rosita when she decides to give an impromptu motivational speech. As she is talking, she is unexpectedly struck through the eye with a bolt from a crossbow. Dwight, a member of the Saviors, uses Daryl’s crossbow to kill Denise.
16) Bob
In season 5, Bob gets bitten by a walker during a supply run and hides it from the group. He was later captured by the remaining members of the group of cannibals from Terminus. They amputate and eat his leg, not knowing he was already infected. Bob reveals his bite to them, causing panic among the cannibals. Eventually, Bob gets rescued by his friends, but his condition worsens. In his final moments, he shares heartfelt goodbyes with Sasha and the group before passing away peacefully.
15) Andrea
While Andrea was not as popular, her death impacted many viewers of The Walking Dead series. In season 3, the Governor leaves Andrea tied up in a room with a dying Milton who eventually turns into a walker. Despite her best efforts to free herself and kill the walker, Milton bit her. Realizing her fate, Andrea used Rick’s gun to prevent herself from turning into a walker after saying goodbye to Michonne and the group.
14) Noah
Noah’s death is amongst the most brutal and heartbreaking in The Walking Dead . In season 5, Noah goes to supply run with Glenn and a group from Alexandria. However, Noah, Glenn, and Nicholas get trapped in a revolving door while trying to escape a building filled with walkers. As they struggle to find a way out, Nicholas panics and causes the door to get stuck, trapping Noah. Walkers then break through the glass and drag Noah out, where he is gruesomely torn apart in front of Glenn.
13) Lori Grimes
Lori died during a failed C-section delivery in The Walking Dead . In season 3, Lori goes into labor during a walker attack on the prison. With no medical help available, Maggie performs an emergency C-section to save the baby. Lori knew that she wouldn’t survive the procedure, but insisted on it to ensure the baby’s safety. In a heartwrenching scene, Carl shoots his mom to prevent her from turning into a walker.
12) Jesus
Paul Rovia’s, also known as Jesus, death was one of the most shocking and heartbreaking in The Walking Dead series. In season 9, Jesus and some other people go on to rescue Eugene. On their way back to Hilltop, they get ambushed by a herd of walkers and whisperers- a group of people who wear walker skins to survive. During a fight, Jesus was caught off guard and fatally stabbed by a Whisperer disguised as a walker. His death was sudden and unexpected, leaving his friends in shock and grief.
11) Rosita Espinosa
Renowned as one of the courageous characters, Rosita’s ( Christian Serratos) death was heartbreaking to watch. In season 11 of The Walking Dead , Rosita gets bitten by a walker as she tries to save her daughter Coco. She hides it initially but after everything gets settled down and safe in the Commonwealth, Rosita reveals it to Eugene and Gabriel.
10) Shiva
Shiva the Tiger is initially introduced in the 7th season of The Walking Dead series as King Ezekiel’s companion. In season 8, during a battle against the Saviors, Ezekiel, Carol, and Jerry were surrounded by walkers. As the group was overwhelmed and running out of options, Shiva leaped into action to protect them. She fought bravely against the walkers, giving her life to save Ezekiel and the others.
9) Tyreese
Tyreese death happened at a time when the group’s hope of finding a safe place was diminishing. In season 5 of The Walking Dead, Tyreese goes to explore a house with Noah when he gets bitten by a walker. The group tries desperately to save him by amputating his arm and rushing him back to where the other members are waiting. Tyreese succumbs to his injuries and blood loss, passing away surrounded by his friends.
8) T-Dog
Theodore Douglas or T-Dog, was a brave and loyal member of Rick’s group, and his death was a heartbreaking moment in The Walking Dead . During an intense walker attack at the prison in season 3, T-Dog gets bitten by a walker while trying to close a gate to protect the group. Despite his injury, he continues to fight off the walkers to give Carol a chance to escape. In the end, T-Dog sacrificed himself, allowing the walkers to kill him so Carol could get away safely.
7) Sasha Williams
In season 7, Sasha was captured by the Saviors and taken to their leader, Negan. She knew that Negan planned to use her as a pawn in his war against Rick’s group. In a bold and selfless act, Sasha decided to take her own life to prevent being used by Negan. She took a poison pill provided by Eugene and died in the coffin Negan had placed her in. When Negan tried to use her as leverage, Sasha reanimated as a walker and attacked him, giving Rick’s group a chance to fight back.
6) Hershel Greene
Hershel Greene was one of the most important characters and guiding figures for Rick in The Walking Dead series. His death affected Rick and the group tremendously. In season 4, the governor comes back to destroy the prison and kidnaps Hershel and Michonne. In a cruel and shocking act, the Governor uses Michonne’s katana to behead Hershel in front of his daughters, Maggie and Beth, and the rest of the group.
5) Dale Horvath
Dale’s death was a deeply emotional moment in The Walking Dead as he was regarded as the moral compass for the group. In season 2, Dale gets attacked by a walker during his walk to check the perimeters. Before he could react, the walker attacked him and tore his abdomen. Despite the group’s efforts to save him, it was clear that Dale’s injuries were fatal. In a heartbreaking scene, Daryl ultimately has to put Dale out of his misery to end his suffering.
4) Beth Greene
Beth died in season 5 of The Walking Dead series. Beth ( Emily Kinney) was held captive in a hospital run by a group of survivors, led by a strict leader named Dawn. After a tense standoff between Rick’s group and Dawn’s group, there was a moment of hope when it seemed like Beth was going to be freed. However, in a sudden and tragic twist, Beth tries to stand up to Dawn and ends up being fatally shot in the head. Her death impacts Daryl and Maggie the most.
3) Abraham Ford
In season 7 of The Walking Dead , Abraham became one of Negan’s victims during the brutal lineup scene. Negan chose Abraham as his first target and killed him using his baseball bat, Lucille. Abraham faced his fate with remarkable bravery, even managing to take a dig at Negan before his death.
2) Glenn Rhee
Glenn’s death was one of the most heartbreaking and yet anticipated in The Walking Dead Series as it was already known because of the comics. Glenn ( Steven Yeun) was brutally killed by Negan, the leader of the Saviors, in front of his friends and loved ones. Negan used his barbed-wire-wrapped baseball bat, named Lucille, to deliver the fatal blows. This happened after a tense and terrifying game of ‘eeny, meeny, miny, moe,’ where Negan randomly selected his victim. Glenn’s last words were a heart-wrenching ‘Maggie, I’ll find you,’ directed to his pregnant wife, Maggie.
1) Carl Grimes
Carl Grimes, played by Chandler Riggs in The Walking Dead , was the son of the protagonist and leader of Alexandria, Rick Grimes ( Andrew Lincoln). In season 8, Carl is bitten by a walker while trying to help Siddiq (Avi Nash), a new character he found in the woods. He tries to hide it but eventually reveals it to his family. In his final moments, Carl wrote letters to his loved ones and made peace with his fate. He urged his father, Rick, to find a way to create a better, more peaceful world. Carl’s death in the show is the most heartbreaking as in the comics he had a different and important storyline.
