The Walking Dead has seen what feels like an endless amount of beloved characters die over its past seven and a half seasons. However, one person we’ve always felt was safe is Rick Grimes. Andrew Lincoln’s former deputy sheriff has remained at the core of the show throughout, so it would be near-impossible to continue on without him. Right? Right?
Well, maybe not. Creator Robert Kirkman has already teased in the past that the fan favorite character won’t be making it to the finish line, and while we still don’t know exactly how much longer he’s got left, both Kirkman and Lincoln have been hinting at an exit sooner rather than later. We don’t expect it to happen this season of course, but it is on the cards and in case you need more confirmation, we’ve got some for you.
Speaking during a Q&A session aboard Walker Stalker Cruise 2018, Kirkman was asked if Rick will ever die, to which he replied, “Yeah, of course.” Following that up, he was asked who might take his place as leader once he’s gone. While he wouldn’t give an exact answer to that, he did say the following:
“Well, that’s a question, right? Who knows? Maybe it’s a character that hasn’t been introduced yet. Maybe it’ll be Judith, who knows.”
Though this news might be upsetting for many fans, it’s really just more fuel to add to an already burning fire, which has been going for some time. In the lead up to season 8 especially, Lincoln was strongly hinting that he wants to move on from the show and given how long he’s been a part of it, that’s perfectly understandable. Not only is it understandable, but as the actor explained a few months back, Rick’s death is also kind of necessary.
“There comes a point where there are too many gray hairs on your chin. I think the audience deserves an end game. It’s a lot of time to invest in a story without some kind of resolution. If I was watching it I would want some answers, something, and if that means the demise of a central character or a principal character, then I’m willing to take the medicine,” said Lincoln.
With seemingly no one safe these days, can we dare hope for a happy ending for anyone in The Walking Dead‘s ultra-miserable universe? Probably not. But season 8 continues on February 25th, so we’ll soon get to see precisely how much horror they’re going to have to deal with before the inevitable nightmarish finale.
