How does Judith die in ‘The Walking Dead?’

Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live.

Judith Grimes was the first baby brought into the apocalyptic world of Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead. So, what was her fate in the comics and television universe? Well, they were entirely different, and here’s what happened.

Judith Grimes is the daughter of central protagonist Rick Grimes and his wife, Lori Grimes, and she was born during the comic and AMC series’ prison arc — issue No. 39 and season 3 episode 4, respectively. Rick wasn’t her biological father, however. During the television series, Rick admitted that he knew Judith was a product of Lori and Shane Walsh’s affair, and the franchise’s creator confirmed it during an AMA as well.

But, considering he had offed Shane before Judith’s birth, Rick was Judith’s father figure from the get-go. The relevance of Judith’s parental controversy quickly faded in The Walking Dead, especially in the comics considering she was around for less than 10 issues. Lori and Judith were killed when The Governor — the arc’s main antagonist — waged war on the central characters’ home. Baby in hand, Lori attempted to flee the prison but was shot through the body. The bullet pierced both her and Judith, and they died together.

In the comic universe, Rick and The Walking Dead moved forward without Judith until the series wrapped in issue No. 193. But, Judith’s character arc in AMC’s work is in stark contrast to the comics.

What happens to Judith in The Walking Dead TV universe?

First, Judith is still alive. She survived the entirety of The Walking Dead, which ended with season 11 in 2022. She was also featured in the franchise’s newest spin-off show, The Ones Who Live, which aired earlier this year.

Judith’s mom also didn’t make it out of the prison during the television series — Lori died giving birth. Judith survived the prison’s downfall and the show’s subsequent arcs, including the group’s encounters with Terminus, The Wolves, and the Whisperers. Thanks to The Walking Dead’s time jump, we see Judith as a highly capable walker-slaying pre-teen to close out the series. During the finale, Judith is shot and almost loses her life, but she ultimately pulls through.

We don’t see much of Judith and Rick’s connection as Rick was taken off the show while she was still a toddler. However, the two finally reunited at the end of The Ones Who Live. The six-episode mini-series concluded with Rick coming together with his family — Michonne, their son Rick Junior, and, of course, Judith.