Top 10 Saddest Deaths in The Walking Dead TV Series

The Walking Dead TV series doesn't hold back on gut-wrenching moments. In a world overrun by the undead, you're constantly reminded that no one is safe. From the moment we first meet our favorite characters, there's this looming dread that tragedy might strike at any moment.

Some deaths hit harder than others. Maybe it's the sheer brutality of the way a character goes out. Sometimes it's losing someone you've followed from the very beginning, feeling like a genuine piece of the show's soul is ripped away. Other times, it's the loss of hope and innocence that truly stabs at your heart.
The Top Ten
1 Hershel Greene - Season 4 Hershel Greene is a fictional character in The Walking Dead whose role is depicted in the comic book, television series as portrayed by Scott Wilson and the game series.

To me, this wasn't the saddest but one of the saddest moments. You thought the Governor would spare him, that they would all become one, but no. Even though I saw Hershel's death coming near the start of the season (I kind of expected he would die during the flu outbreak and everyone else would live - that's just the type of person he was), it still didn't make it any easier.

I screamed when his head got chopped off - poor Maggie and Beth had to witness it! And then he tried to get away, but the Governor finished him off. Even though I saw it coming, and thought it would have happened earlier, I didn't actually expect it to happen when it did. It was for the best, though - with all the running they did after the prison, Hershel wouldn't have made it anyway because of his age and his leg. He would have died in the aftermath of the prison.

Honestly, I would've expected Hershel's death to be a lot sadder. I feel that The Walking Dead has been able to drive us through how our emotions react. In season 1, I was really sad whenever someone died. But now, I feel as if the deaths are expected but not as sad. It's still a sad moment, and we still FEEL something, but seeing Hershel get chopped at first wasn't as sad until I saw him struggling to get away.

Seeing the poor guy trying to crawl away was pretty sad but not as sad as I was expecting. Still, though, I'm pretty sure everyone loves Hershel, and we'll all miss him.

2 Beth Greene - Season 5 Beth Greene is a fictional character from the American horror drama television series, The Walking Dead, created by season two showrunner, Glen Mazzara, and portrayed by Emily Kinney.

This was the least expected and worst feeling death by far, second only to Hershel. The other considerable losses like Glenn, Merle, Dale, and Lizzy, were all so tough, but they didn't have the same shock value. You could see them coming from a mile away, or at least you knew it was possible in theory. I have only ever cried three times from this show. This death was the worst, followed by Hershel's, and when I thought Judith was eaten at the prison. Part of that was due to the huge amount of suffering and emotional turmoil I had already endured, as I watched the episodes one after the other in one sitting. Honestly, when Carl dies, I think it will be the ONLY death that will surpass this one. I am already one episode away from calling it quits on this show. If they do kill Carl, as I expect they will, I will be done for good.

When Beth and Tyrese died, it was a double death, two shocking departures of two of the most popular characters, one episode after the other. Beth basically dies saving Noah, but it's obvious he will die soon in the series. I was never particularly fond of or against Beth. I was indifferent at most times. However, she and Daryl had such a cute relationship, and it's really sad that nothing more ever happened.

Tyreese's death is particularly heartbreaking as he hallucinates everyone he's ever felt he let down. Beth also sings a song, "The Struggling Man," which basically explains that Tyreese no longer wanted to live after all he'd been through, as it was too much. The only odd thing was, in his hallucinations, he didn't see Karen, his family, or any of his friends who were still alive. Both Beth and Tyreese, along with Carol, were the people who played and protected Judith throughout the series. I think they should have made Judith's middle name Beth in remembrance.

3 Glenn Rhee - Season 6 Glenn Rhee is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead and is portrayed by Steven Yeun in the AMC television series of the same name.

Glenn's death was so sad as it could have not happened in that way. Fans of Glenn, like me, were relieved when Negan did not pick him, sparing him his comic book fate. We were still reeling from Abe's death, and then Glenn also met his fate. What makes it so heartbreaking is what his last words to Maggie were and that he never got to meet Maggie's unborn baby. The picnic scene later in the episode was so poignant, showing what might have been if they had never encountered Negan. Having been in the show from the very first season, Glenn had developed so much as a character. To see him go like that was truly devastating.

Well... Glenn was a good guy. A really good guy. His death was so unexpected and so sad. Just think, if Glenn wasn't even in the show, or he didn't do the things he did in episode one, Rick wouldn't even be here. He wouldn't have seen Lori or Carl, or even little baby Judith (even though she came seasons later) ever again!

Glenn was an important character that shouldn't have died the way he did. What's even sadder about his death was the last words he said to Maggie. I mean, he didn't even get to experience the birth of his own baby. That's sad.

4 Dale Horvath - Season 2 Dale Horvath is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead and is portrayed by Jeffrey DeMunn in the American television series of the same name.

I am on Season 3 of The Walking Dead, and I believe he was the best character. The sad part about his death was that he was fighting to stay alive. He seemed like he wasn't ready to go. I also believe they could have tried harder to save him. Come on, Herschel. I wish he could have stayed on a couple more seasons because some of the less main characters lived and he didn't. If he could've traded with Herschel (sorry Herschel), I would've been a little sad about his death, but it would have been better than losing Dale.

It's sad how after his death, most of the fans stopped talking about him, and Dale wasn't much mentioned in later seasons. This might be an unpopular opinion, but I like Dale as a character more than Hershel. It might be because of his "stupid hat - Daryl Dixon." Not to mention how he cares about his people. He always hoped the best for everyone.

Dale was my favorite character of all. All he wanted to do was help. He tried to reason with Shane instead of stopping him. He was just generally the nicest and selfless character of all. His death shook my whole house. I don't think it was Carl's fault. Dale went out alone, in the dark, without a knife.

5 Merle Dixon - Season 3 Merle Dixon is a fictional character from the horror drama television series The Walking Dead, which airs on AMC in the United States and is based on the comic book series of the same name.

The first time I saw Merle in the show, I despised him for being a selfish, racist, jerk. When he came back in the third season and as the season progressed, I began to see more of a good side to him. When he died, not only was I shocked, but I was sad to see a character I hated so much go like that. What really makes the scene emotional is the way Daryl just kicks him away when he sees him as a walker.

I found what Merle did right before his death hilarious. How he attracted all the walkers with the car. You could see he was about to become a promising character when he was going to shoot the Governor. The saddest part was when Daryl found him, and he tried to attack Daryl. When Daryl burst into tears. That was the sad part.

No question, Merle's death was totally the saddest! His death was one of the only ones I cried on. Even though not many people liked him at first, he's always been my favorite character (besides Daryl), even back when he was a racist.

6 Tyreese Williams - Season 5 Tyreese Williams is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead and is portrayed by Chad Coleman in the American television series of the same name.

Tyreese's death was a beautiful work of art. In my opinion, it was so heart-wrenching, not only because a great character died, but also because other members of the group that were deceased were there (Micah, Lizzie, Bob, Beth) helping him pass, even if they may have only been his imagination. The Governor and Clyde (think that's his name, not entirely sure) were also there, criticizing him. The way the rest of the group also mourned him made it all the more melancholy.

This was the saddest death to me. Beth's sweet voice singing while he was dying did it for me. It was sad seeing all the people that had passed away, especially the sisters. It made me realize how long of a journey it had been for the survivors. His death resonates through my memory.

I felt as if the vibe from Beth's death the episode before was still there, and that's part of what made this sad. The music made it sad too, and how everyone carried him, trying to save him, how he looked out the window of the car as he died... At the same time as it was sad, it was also such a beautiful moment.

7 Lori Grimes - Season 3 Lori Grimes is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead and was portrayed by Sarah Wayne Callies in the American television series of the same name in the show's first three seasons.

I think I speak for everyone when I say Lori was the most useless character in The Walking Dead. But even so, her death was still emotional and sad. No 8-year-old should have to kill his mother. It just shows that they're in a completely different world, with different rules.

Yes, even though we all hated Lori, I do especially, we all have to admit this was a really emotional scene. She let herself die so Judith could live, and Carl had to put a bullet in her head. Like I said, Lori was a terrible and annoying character, but this one was sad.

Yes, we have all learned something from EVERY character. Like Shane. Don't mess with Rick Grimes. Lori. Lori Lori Lori. From her, we learned to be careful in a zombie apocalypse, and don't assume before you bloom. What did we learn from Merle, though? Anyway, I'm kinda glad she died. I love the Dixon brothers, by the way.

8 Andrea - Season 3

For me, TV show Andrea seemed like she would be the badass sniper that she became in the comic books. Then, when she gets captured by the Governor, that potential dies. It comes back when she's using the pliers to free herself from the torture chair. The way she died was heartbreaking, especially for fans of the comic books. You see that she will never be Rick's new wife or one of the strongest, most popular characters.

After Milton got killed by the Governor, he woke up but as a walker. He walked to Andrea as she tried to get the pliers, but it was too late. Soon when Andrea's friend Michonne came, she saw that Andrea was bit in the shoulder.

Andrea really wanted to go back to her friends. The whole of season 3 saw Andrea facing problems with the Governor and her friends. In the end, she wanted her friends, and unfortunately, has to kill herself in front of her friends.

9 Noah - Season 5

Noah's death was by far the most real, shocking, sudden, and brutal death in the series. But above all of this, it was also the scariest death. Watching his death occur and the moments leading up to it made me feel a sensation of real fear towards these walkers we have become so desensitized to, especially after 5 seasons of them. I mean, honestly, how many times before this have we seen our heroes swarmed by the undead and manage to slip their way past them to safety?

An example from each season, we got S1: Rick on the horse in Atlanta. S2: Rick, Shane, and Randall in "18 Miles Out". S3: Very first episode where Hershel gets his leg cut off and, although not a hero, the Governor kills a whole horde by himself while chasing Andrea. S4: Again, the first two episodes as flu victims reanimate and, again, The Governor kills off a few with his bare hands while trapped in a pit. Before Noah's death in S5: In the abandoned barn during the violent rainstorm. These are just a few of many examples, but the point is we become accustomed to believing things will turn out okay, and Noah's death really slams that door shut right in our face. His death shook me more than any other one on the show.

10 Sophia Peletier - Season 2

After many episodes spent searching for Sophia, once Shane lost his sanity, he opened the barn. After many shots were fired, Sophia was the last to come out, as a walker, leaving everyone in a puddle of tears.

Sophia is gone, and it was sad. They should have kept her like the Governor kept his daughter Penny in Season 3. It would have been smart.

The music was sad. When you saw her shoes, it was sad. When Carol ran up and was crying, it was sad. And she was only 12.

The Contenders
11 Theodore "T-Dog" Douglas - Season 3 Theodore "T-Dog" Douglas is a fictional character from the horror drama television series The Walking Dead, which airs on AMC in the United States and is based on the comic book series of the same name.

Poor guy didn't get enough development or even lines. At least they established him as a man with a true heart of gold before they killed him off, and he received a hero's death, but still, his character deserved to get a lot more before his death.

He was a nice character. He just wanted to survive. I wish AMC had given T-Dog more character development because he was the quiet one in the group. He was just a random survivor to me in Season 2. He cut his arm, he helped digging graves, and he helped kill walkers from the barn too. I just wish that I knew him better.

The most heroic character got his shoulder bitten off by a walker. He later jumped into a pile of walkers to save another part of the gang's life.

12 Shane Walsh - Season 2

Shane was really off and on between a good and a bad guy. I think it was inhumane for Hershel to have a barn full of Walkers and to endanger himself and his daughters, so I support Shane on wanting to kill all of the Walkers. I also support Shane for wanting to kill Randall. Randall knew where the farm was located, and he also went to school with Maggie, so he and his group posed a prominent threat to Rick's group. Shane was a better leader than Rick, and was a better father to Carl. It was sad to see Shane go, especially to a monster like Rick.

Regardless of the insane, Lori-obsessed monster he developed into, the fact that two men who were once the absolute best of friends change and lead down to this was a tearjerker.

Seeing Rick be forced to kill his former best friend was simply heartbreaking, shouting at him that Shane forced him into doing it. It's especially heartbreaking when you look back at the very first episode of the series.

13 Abraham Ford - Season 6 Sgt. Abraham Ford is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead and is portrayed by Michael Cudlitz in the American television series of the same name.

His death was sad, and he was an awesome character, but it figures he was the one (other than Glenn) that got beat to death because you could see it in his eyes that he wasn't going to give in to Negan like everyone else did. Negan obviously saw Abraham as a threat. Still, he shouldn't have died.

Abraham's death was very sad as it was unexpected. He shouldn't have been bludgeoned to death. It should have been Sasha because of the things she did in Season 4.

14 Carl Grimes - Season 8 Carl Grimes is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead and is portrayed by Chandler Riggs in the American television series of the same name, which airs on AMC in the United States.

Would've voted for Merle if I hadn't seen Carl so low on the list. Nothing more shocking than seeing what we thought was the future of Alexandria dying because he tried saving some random stranger. Also, he was the reason the war stopped.

Literally so sad. I bawled my eyes out. He should be number one, in my opinion.

15 Jim - Season 1

Although Jim is only in the show for a few episodes, his death was extremely emotional. There have been many more deaths, especially in season 8, that have nearly brought me to tears. Jim's death did not make me cry, but it was still one of the most emotional deaths, largely because it was still the first season and I hadn't seen many others die yet.

He said he wanted to be with his family, even in heaven or literally as a walker.

Probably still the most tragic figure ever on the show.

16 Lizzie Samuels - Season 4 Lizzie is a fictional character from the fourth and fifth season of the AMC television series The Walking Dead portrayed by Brighton Sharbino.

This was sadder than Mika's death, especially because she'd become a daughter figure to Carol. It was sad how Carol told her to look at the flowers, how both were bawling. How Lizzie thought Carol was just mad at her, how she kept apologizing. At that moment, I also knew that Carol would tell Tyreese what really happened to Karen as well. It was still overall sad.

Saddest mostly in respect to the shooter, Carol.

Having no choice but to execute a young girl that she took in as her own daughter, several months after her own daughter, Sophia, was found dead... or undead. Melissa McBride's performance was outstanding!

Okay. Let's get this straight, guys. You keep walkers alive. You try to kill a baby. You kill your sister. That's okay? No, but for some reason, I could just feel her pain. She was a perfect example of what a zombie apocalypse does to the world.

Look at the flowers.

17 Mika Samuels - Season 4

Mika could still be alive if Lizzie hadn't stabbed her. We all knew Lizzie was going to die, but with Mika, it was somewhat unexpected. I guess Mika could still be alive.

Mika was killed by her sister, Lizzie, because Lizzie wanted her to become a walker. That's really messed up.

She didn't have a fighting chance. Her sister was stronger. She didn't deserve to die.

18 Shiva - Season 8

It makes me sad and angry that the tiger had to die. She was so cool and helped Ezekiel and the group on more than one occasion.

Animal deaths are surely more sad than any other human dying. Especially when it's a badass, strong, heroic tiger that sacrifices itself for its owner.

She and Blue the Velociraptor would have gotten along very well. I can't believe she got killed off.

19 Axel - Season 3

I do love Axel because he's funny, but his death kind of shocked me. Not that sad, but just shocked for a moment.

20 Sasha Williams - Season 7 Sasha Williams is a fictional character from The Walking Dead, an AMC television horror drama series.

Loved her. I don't think her death was that sad because I think that she was completely ready to go after losing everyone she loved. She was probably one of the kindest characters, being there for Maggie and not letting Rosita go in and kill herself. Will definitely miss her and hope that they will properly mourn her in Season 8 after she sacrificed herself. It's so sad to see her go, and the look on Maggie's face when she sees Sasha walking in the woods is heartbreaking. One of the best Walking Dead characters to date.

How is her death not number one? She gave up herself for everyone else and she was like Maggie's only family left. She was going to go soon though, I mean she had lost everything, even her future family with Abraham.

Such a great death. I think this is the only death in Walking Dead history when the character was completely ready to go and give themselves up for the greater good.

21 Bob Stookey - Season 5 Bob Stookey is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead and the television series of the same name, where he is portrayed by Lawrence Gilliard, Jr.

I didn't so much find this death sad. I knew he would die when his leg got chopped off. It was more funny when you realized he was bit because he'd been that way for hours and everyone had just eaten him! It was a bit sad when he died though, particularly when Tyreese had to put the knife in his head.

22 Amy - Season 1

Amy died in Season One. She was easily my favorite (besides Daryl). But she died on her birthday. Poor Andrea, forced to shoot her own sister.

That was sad. She was Andrea's sister. She was the saddest death of the 1st season.

23 Eastman - Season 6

Okay. So let's put ourselves in his perspective. Your family gets killed by an insane criminal. You starve that criminal. A zombie apocalypse happens. Feel the pain? I thought so.

RIP the coolest character who was in 1 episode.

I don't know why there are almost 0 votes here. Damn, he's so kind. He deserves to be alive. Damn it, if Morgan didn't have panic attacks. I can't explain it (it's his illness), Eastman could have been alive.

24 Tabitha - Season 6

I cared more about this goat living or dying than I have since Judith was born.

25 Oscar - Season 3

Yeah. He and Axel were really wasted characters. Oscar had that awesome moment where he saved Rick from Andrew, and they killed him like he was nothing. I could have seen them lasting up to season 5.

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