The Walking Dead's 33 Saddest Deaths Ever
the walking dead biggest deaths ever merle
32. Merle
We know we said no d-bags on this list. But we're giving Daryl's no-good brother a pass because, before being killed by the Governor in Season 3's "This Sorrowful Life," he spared Michonne's life and tried for once to do the right thing.
the walking dead biggest deaths ever tabitha
33. Tabitha
The animal lover in us couldn't bear to exclude from this countdown Eastman's adorable goat, who fell prey to a walker during her one and only appearance, in Season 6's Morgan-centric "Here's Not Here" episode.
the walking dead biggest deaths ever karen
31. Karen
Yes, this is a pretty low ranking for Tyreese's girlfriend, who was bumped off and burned to a crisp by Carol for catching the flu in Season 4's "Infected." On the other hand, she at least made the list, which is more than we can say for David. (Again, who was that?)
the walking dead biggest deaths ever amy
26. Amy
After the Beth forerunner was fatally bitten by a walker during a bathroom run in Season 1's "Vatos," Andrea stayed with her sister's body until it reanimated — on the girl's birthday, no less! — then shot her in the head in "Wildfire."
the walking dead biggest deaths ever jessie and sam
25. and 24. Jessie and Sam
It was inevitable that Alexandria's resident cookie monster would freak when surrounded by walkers in Season 6's "No Way Out." But we didn't predict that the sight of him being devoured would cause his mom to freeze.
the walking dead biggest deaths ever jenny
23. Jenny
Unable to shoot his reanimated wife in the series' premiere, "Days Gone By," Morgan had no choice but to put her down when she later shambled all the way to their front door and attacked their son Duane.
the walking dead biggest deaths ever andrea
21. Andrea
Having tried and failed to steer the Governor away from madness, Andrea was set up by her vengeful lover to be bitten by Milton in Season 3's finale, "Welcome to the Tombs." At least she died with dignity, committing suicide before turning with Michonne by her side.
the walking dead biggest deaths ever fake glenn
20. "Glenn"
Yes, yes, he didn't really die in Season 6's "Thank You." But we were so verklempt when the show gave us the impression that those were his guts that the walkers were eating, not Nicholas', that we couldn't exclude from the list that traumatizing fake-out.
the walking dead biggest deaths ever dale
19. Dale
In Season 2's "Judge, Jury, Executioner," the show's first (grand)father figure managed to keep a walker from biting him... but not from ripping open his stomach. Since even Hershel couldn't save Dale, Daryl put a bullet in his head.
the walking dead biggest deaths ever denise
18. Denise
Alexandria's doc was giving Daryl and Rosita a helluva pep talk in Season 6's "Twice as Far" when — shffft! — Dwight sent an arrow flying through her eye. So she never did get to tell Tara that she loved her.
the walking dead biggest deaths ever t dog
17. T-Dog
After being bitten during the walkers' invasion of the prison in Season 3's "Killer Within," T used his last moments on earth to hurl himself at the undead so that at least Carol could make it to safety.
the walking dead biggest deaths ever bob
16. Bob
In Season 5's "Strangers," Sasha's lost love was bitten not only by a walker but by the Termians, too. Yet he remained an optimist till the bitter end. "Just look at [Judith]," he told Rick in "Four Walls and a Roof," "and tell me the world isn't gonna change."
the walking dead biggest deaths ever deanna
15. Deanna
Before succumbing to a walker bite, the former Congresswoman went out guns blazing in Season 6's "Start to Finish." Son Spencer later tracked down her reanimated corpse in "The Next World" and gave her a proper burial.
the walking dead biggest deaths ever beth
3. Beth
Maggie's kid sister was thisclose to getting sprung from Grady Memorial in Season 5's "Coda" when one teensy stabbing prompted Dawn to shoot her in the head. In the end, Beth still got to leave the hospital. Just, sadly, not with a pulse.
the walking dead biggest deaths ever hershel
14. Hershel
When the Governor was given a choice between madness and murder, and joining Rick & Co. at the prison, the villain decided on... Well, let's just say that Maggie and Beth's dad didn't lose his head in Season 4's "Too Far Gone" due to excessive partying.
the walking dead biggest deaths ever tyreese
13. Tyreese
In Season 5's "What Happened and What's Going On," Sasha's brother was looking at some family snapshots at Noah's house — well, former house — when he was caught unawares and bitten by the teenager's zombified brother.
the walking dead biggest deaths ever noah
5. Noah
In one of the series' most gruesome deaths ever, Beth's sweet pal was torn apart by walkers while trapped in a revolving door. (Thanks a lot, Nicholas!) We're pretty sure that Glenn was scarred for life by that scene in Season 5's "Spend." And we know we were!
the walking dead biggest deaths ever lori
9. Lori
In Season 3's "Killer Within," Lori said a tearful last "I love you" to her "sweet boy," then bled out from the C-section that Maggie had had to perform to deliver Judith. Afterward, Maggie tried to usher Carl away, but "she's my mom," he said. As such, he couldn't leave her to turn.
the walking dead biggest deaths ever lizzie mika
12. and 11. Mika and Lizzie
After poor, crazy Lizzie murdered her little sister in Season 4's "The Grove" — so Mika would reanimate and show Tyreese and Carol that walkers are people, too — Carol was forced to... well... You know what she had to do. Just look at the flowers.
the walking dead biggest deaths ever sophia
8. Sophia
When Shane released all the walkers in Hershel's barn during Season 2's "Pretty Much Dead Already," the last thing he or anyone else — us included! — expected to find was the reanimated corpse of Carol's missing daughter.
the walking dead biggest deaths ever eric
30. Eric
Often, we felt like we'd hardly gotten to know Aaron's boyfriend. But when the dying Alexandrian bravely insisted in Season 8's "Monsters" that his significant other not be an idiot, and leave him behind to rejoin the fight against the Saviors, we kinda loved him.
the walking dead biggest deaths ever richard
27. Richard
Mind you, Ezekiel's right-hand man did ultimately get his death wish granted — later in the same episode, even. When he broke his promise to come clean to the king, Morgan choked the life out of him in a scene that was, ironically, more devastating to the killer than it was to the killee.
the walking dead biggest deaths ever shiva
22. Shiva
Oh, how Season 8's "Some Guy" made us wish cats really did have nine lives. After Ezekiel's fiercely loyal tiger leapt into action, sacrificing herself to save him from a pack of walkers, the king was never quite the same. We might never be, either.
the walking dead biggest deaths ever abraham
6. Abraham
After enduring the tensest-ever round of eeny, meeny, miny, moe and being whacked with Lucille, the ginger hulk managed to tell Negan to suck his nuts before being utterly "struck out" in "The Day Will Come When You Won't Be." If that wasn't "takin' it like a champ," we don't know what is.
the walking dead biggest deaths ever sasha
4. Sasha
Rather than allow herself to be used as Negan's pawn in Season 7's finale, the heroine committed suicide — ironically, while in a coffin — so that when her captor released her, he'd be greeted not by the badass he foolishly believed he'd recruited but by a walker eager to turn him into a Manwich.
the walking dead biggest deaths ever carl
2. Carl
We're not sure which was worse: the horrifying reveal in the last moments of Season 8's fall finale "How It's Gotta Be" that Rick's son had been bitten or having to wait more than two months for the midseason premiere to say goodbye to the cute little boy who'd grown into such a brave young man.
the walking dead biggest deaths ever glenn
1. Glenn
Going into the gory Season 7 premiere, we feared suspected pretty much knew it was coming. And yet that did nothing whatsoever to lessen the blow when, with Abraham's blood still dripping off of his "vampire bat," Negan disciplined Daryl by claiming as a bonus victim Maggie's beloved husband.
the walking dead biggest deaths ever benjamin
28. Benjamin
In order to spur King Ezekiel to take up arms against the Saviors, Richard was so willing to be sacrificed in Season 7's "Bury Me Here" that he dug his own grave. Alas, his eagerness to be martyred only ticked off would-be killer Jared, who fatally shot Morgan's baby-faced young buddy instead.
the walking dead biggest deaths ever tobin
29. Tobin
For a minute during Season 8's "Do Not Send Us Astray," we thought that Carol's sweet former beau was going to be just fine despite the injury he sustained in a Hilltoppers-vs.-Saviors battle. But, since his injury had been inflicted by a weapon dipped in walker guts, his death hadn't been averted but merely delayed.
the-walking-dead-biggest deaths jesus
10. Jesus
Had the Hilltop's reluctant leader only been fighting walkers to ensure his friends' safe escape in Season 9's fall finale, "Evolution," he probably would've been just fine. Trouble was, some of those walkers were Whisperers, one of whom managed to stab him in the back.
the-walking-dead-biggest deaths rick
7. "Rick"
Season 9's "What Comes After" led us (briefly) and Michonne (permanently) to believe that the heretofore-indestructible protagonist had been blown to bits saving his loved ones from an approaching herd. In fact, he not only survived the blast, he was given a helicopter ride out of harm's way — and into a series of movies — by a remorseful Anne.