Throughout the eleven-season run of The Walking Dead, there have been many child characters who play important roles. While they don’t always get a lot of screen time it is interesting to see where these characters fit into the overall storyline.

In season 9, Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) was thought to have died in a bridge explosion, and soon after, the series experienced a six-year time jump. During this time, Michonne (Danai Gurira) gave birth to Rick’s son, and she named him R.J. after his father. Michonne raises her son along with Rick’s daughter Judith (Cailey Fleming), and together, they keep Rick’s memory alive with stories of the Brave Man.

Actor Antony Azor portrayed R.J. from his introduction in season 9 through the conclusion of the series. He was often featured tagging along with Judith and the other children and attended Judith’s weapons training sessions.

In season 10, Michonne discovered evidence that Rick survived the explosion and for the sake of herself and her children set off in search of him. Judith and R.J. were left in the care of Uncle Daryl (Norman Reedus) and others in the communities.

In Feb. 2024, The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live spinoff premiered on AMC and AMC+. This series focused on the epic love story of Rick and Michonne and their journeys to be reunited. Fans were excited to see the couple finally reunite.

While viewers were overjoyed at following Rick and Michonne as they fought against the CRM (Civic Republic Military) in the six-part limited series, they believed their story wouldn’t be complete without being reunited with their children.

In the final scenes of The Ones Who Live viewers were treated to an emotional reunion between Rick, Michonne and Judith. This scene also includes Rick’s first glimpse of his son, now 8 years old. It was a joyous occasion as the Grimes family finally finally came together.