Rick Grimes is easily the most important character in The Walking Dead‘s history, but his TV ending makes his comic book fate much more brutal. Although the televised universe is still going, The Ones Who Live‘s ending looks like it may have wrapped Rick’s story up for good after the protagonist spent years away from the franchise. It offered a wholesome and concrete conclusion to his journey, and while it would be great to see Andrew Lincoln reprise the role once again and reunite with Daryl among other characters, his spinoff could very well be Rick Grimes’ final appearance.

Assuming this is the case, The Ones Who Live bringing Rick’s new family together for the first time is the sort of happy ending that is incredibly rare in The Walking Dead, which his comic book counterpart proves. Although much of Rick’s TV and comic journey overlap, the source material was arguably much crueler to the central character, as he lost his hand incredibly early on and Judith never made it out of the prison. However, his final moments were really the nail in the coffin, and they’re made even worse by Rick’s hopeful future in the televised universe.

Rick Grimes’ The Walking Dead Ending Was The Exact Opposite Of The Comic Character

Both Iterations Of The Characters Suffered Vastly Different Fates

Whereas Rick’s ending in The Ones Who Live set up a bright future in the Commonwealth alongside Michonne and his children, comic book Rick was killed fighting to liberate the community. Although he was hardly having the best of times with the CRM, Rick wasn’t involved in the fight for the Commonwealth on the TV show. Instead, his allies were the ones dealing with all the conflict and drama, yet he would still get the chance to live in a much more peaceful version of the settlement despite missing all the action. Sadly, Rick’s comic fate isn’t as cheery.

Rick managed to inspire The Commonwealth’s residents and ended Pamela Milton’s reign in charge, subsequently causing the protagonist’s haunting Walking Dead death in retaliation.

Despite overcoming so many devastating villains in the source material, the protagonist was shot dead by Sebastian Milton, who had become envious of Rick’s position. Like many other communities, Rick managed to inspire The Commonwealth’s residents and ended Pamela Milton’s reign in charge, subsequently causing the protagonist’s haunting Walking Dead death in retaliation. While his sacrifice at least created a better community for his son, Rick never got to enjoy the peaceful version of the Commonwealth he fought for, yet his TV counterpart did despite being absent during the arc, proving how different their endings are.

Rick’s Two Endings Both Worked For Their Respective Mediums

Lincoln’s Performance Meant The TV Version Of Rick Needed To Live, Whereas His Comic Story Reached A Natural Conclusion

Although both versions of Rick shared tragically opposite fates, they were both fitting for their respective mediums. Some fans are still upset Sebastian, of all people, was the one to take down such a badass character, but it adds to the devastating nature of his death. Rick was the most influential character in the comic books and often suffered for the greater good, which his death perfectly highlighted. His murder prompted Sebastian to be locked in a cell for life and helped the Commonwealth grow into a better place, making this bittersweet ending more suited to the comics’ dark nature.

In contrast, Rick’s current televised fate is much more peaceful and uplifting, fitting his role within that universe. RJ and Judith’s cameos in The Ones Who Live show he’s got a proper family to raise, whereas Carl taking over his legacy in the source material made more sense. The TV version of the story still has its brutal moments, but it’s a little lighter overall, and Rick remains its most crucial character. Therefore, getting the chance to live peacefully with his loved ones in a safe community is the perfect Walking Dead ending, at least for now.