Top 10 Shocking Walking Dead Deaths

If the Walking Dead has taught viewers anything, it’s that no character is safe. Children, the elderly, the physically fit…they all taste the same to a walker. Simply put, the world Rick and his group inhabit is one that’s been subjected to a great equalizing force - an unyielding lethal threat in the form of walkers. But even after two seasons of death, we never thought they’d kill a pregnant woman. Sure, it made Lori vulnerable, but that just made Rick extra-vigilant. In the end, it wasn’t walkers that got her; it was the harsh reality of their new world, and the lack of modern medicine that comes with it. If you were surprised, imagine how Rick felt. And Carl…

After seeing Sophia’s fate in Season 2, we learned never to trust The Walking Dead with children. Danger lurks around every corner and at the bottom of every well, making a child’s chance of survival low. In an unexpected turn, the deaths of Lizzie and her sister Mika came at the hands of the living. This episode showed us the psychological toll that life in this dystopian world takes on children. First, we watched in horror as Lizzie grew so detached from reality that she killed her own sister, thinking it would prove her belief that walkers aren’t bad. Heartbroken, Carol must kill this confused little girl whom she loves dearly, as Lizzie can no longer be trusted around the living.

Sure, everyone suspected that young Sam was not long for this world. The saying “the meek shall inherit the earth” does not apply in a zombie apocalypse, and Sam was about as meek as they come. Jessie on the other hand, had just proven herself more than capable when the Wolves attacked. Sam really should’ve stayed behind with Gabriel and Judith, but he insisted that he could be brave – but apparently he was wrong. The old “zombie guts camouflage” trick was working perfectly, but from the very first nervous “mom”, Sam sealed his fate, and that of his family. The way they were torn apart? Brutal. Rick chopping off Jessie’s arm? Harsh, but necessary. And then Ron finally snapped...

This one hurt, both for viewers and for Dale; but that’s how it goes. You let your guard down for one second, and some half-rotten corpse is going to wander up and take a chunk out of you. Damn it Dale, why did you spend so long staring at that disembowelled cow rather than looking for the cause? Before Hershel warmed up, Dale was the grandfather figure and moral compass of the group, and his sudden loss hit them hard. His death also taught us that walkers can do just as much damage with their hands as their teeth. It was hardest on Carl however, who hadn’t killed that damn walker when he had the chance.

On this show, you should always be concerned if a secondary cast member starts to get too much screen time in any given episode, since it often means their demise is imminent. But Denise’s role in this episode honestly didn’t seem like the typical pre-death moment in the spotlight: she had just started a relationship with a main cast member; she’d become essential to the group as a doctor and had really grown as a character throughout the season. And that speech… that speech was fantastic! If only we could have heard the end of it… Honestly, who could’ve seen that crossbow bolt coming? Well, certainly not Denise, given that it entered through the back of her skull.

Couldn’t they have taken Nicholas instead? Glenn had a solid plan for escape, and Nicholas totally blew it. One of the best original characters created for the series, Noah was selfless and extremely likeable. Tyler James Williams was perfect in the role, managing to fully flesh out the character during his brief time. With his interest in architecture and the defense of Alexandria, we were sure he was here to stay– but apparently, that was classic TWD misdirection. We do appreciate the irony of the manner in which he died, though... After all, the show is notorious for being a “revolving door” of cast members. What a horrible–and surprising–way to go, though.

Imagine an alternate reality Walking Dead where the love triangle between Rick, Lori and Shane never happened; Rick and Shane could’ve worked together like real partners, and everything would’ve been awesome. But even in a global catastrophe, matters of the heart are never simple. After almost two seasons of tension, the Shane/Rick conflict came to a head with Shane deciding to murder Rick. We never expected him to succeed, but we also didn’t think Rick could bring himself to kill his once best friend. Didn’t it seem like Rick had talked him down? Then the knife flashed. In the end, Shane had broken Rick’s trust beyond repair, and left him no choice. Oh, and Zombie’s Shane’s “death” was equally shocking…

We accept that The Walking Dead isn’t concerned with our feelings, but this felt unnecessarily cruel. We spent half a season following the group’s search for Beth. First, the joyous reunion between Beth and the group is dampened when Lieutenant Dawn Lerner reveals that she will not let Noah leave with them. A selfless character as always, Noah accepts, telling the others to go. As viewers, we were sad; but accepted it knowing that Maggie and Beth were about to be reunited, a pick me up they both desperately needed. Then Beth stabs Dawn, and Dawn shoots Beth in the head. We spent so long waiting for this reunion, and it all disappeared with the flash of a gun.

We mentioned that Maggie and Beth could’ve used something positive to lift their spirits… and this is why. The death of Hershel was one of the most devastating moments in the show - for his daughters, for the entire group, and for viewers. In many ways a Dale 2.0, he was wise, a moral compass, a testament to the adaptability of survivors in this new world, and a constant source of hope. He not only survived being bitten, but also a subsequent back alley-style leg amputation. He’d been through so much; we figured the showrunners would finally cut him some slack. We watched the screen riveted; convinced that Rick’s moving speech would surely trump the governor’s bloodlust… and then the sword dropped.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

Amy
“Vatos”

Theodore ‘T-Dog’ Douglas
“Killer Within”

Andrea
“Welcome to the Tombs”

The Governor [aka Philip Blake]
“Too Far Gone”

Reg Monroe
“Conquer”

Gareth
“Four Walls and a Roof”

#1: Glenn Rhee
“The Day Will Come When You Won't Be”

And there it was, the death that many were expecting, but everyone prayed would never come. In the comic books, Glenn is the one killed seemingly at random by Negan, but the television series decided to throw us a curve ball and make Abraham Negan’s first victim. Fans barely had time to process the loss of the show’s mutton chopped bad-ass before Negan, angered by Daryl’s reprisal makes Glenn “Lucilles” next victim in the show’s most brutal and eye-opening moment so far. Just to make sure the grief hit home, Rick dreams of a future made impossible by Negan, where all the characters, including Abraham, Glenn and Glenn’s unborn child are enjoying a beautiful picnic.

Do you agree with our list? Which Walking Dead death shocked you the most? For more riveting top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.