Characters Who Will Definitely Die In The Second Half Of The Walking Dead Season 7
With all but a few members of the original cast long gone, there's no denying The Walking Dead loves to kill off characters. It keeps the show moving forward, provides fresh characters with new stories, and most importantly keeps fans watching week-to-week to find out which of the survivors will, you know, survive.
The Season 7 midseason finale did some damage by thinning the herd, with Spencer (Austin Nichols) and Olivia (Ann Mahoney) not making it to the episode's end. So, who else do we think is likely to bite the bullet (or be bitten by a walker) when the show returns on February 12?
Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green)
Sasha's been in a rough place for awhile now, with the death of pretty much everyone she loved over the past year or so (Bob, Tyreese, and now Abraham). She's found some new hope in trying to help Maggie, but you have to wonder how much pain they could possibly have in store for this character. Her story has largely been reactionary in a lot of ways, and the writers seem to be having trouble finding meaningful plots for Sasha. It's also worth noting actress Sonequa Martin-Green is set to take on the starring role in CBS All Access' high-profile Star Trek: Discovery series, which will almost certainly mean spending some time away from The Walking Dead. Both sides have been adamant that this doesn't mean Martin-Green will be leaving, but c'mon, it makes sense she might look to clear her schedule up permanently to make more time for exploring brave new worlds.
Rosita (Christian Serratos)
Rosita (Christian Serratos)
Much like Sasha, Rosita is also reeling from the death of Abraham. She's also been one of the strongest proponents for a war with the Saviors—going so far as pressuring Eugene into making her a bullet for her botched assassination attempt on Negan. The fact that Negan didn't just kill her then was kind of a surprise, and you'd have to think Rosita will continue to push back against the Saviors' control over Alexandria. She's already shown that defiance in spades by scrounging for weapons and trying to sow seeds of dissent, and we wonder how long Negan will let this hothead stay around. When the battle starts raging, she'll willingly be on the front lines, and we all know what happens on the front lines, right?
Eugene (Josh McDermitt)
Looking to the comics, Eugene plays a pivotal role in the war with the Saviors, manufacturing bullets for the combined forces of Alexandria, the Kingdom and the Hilltop. But they've already put a spin on that story in the television series—Eugene played his hand way too soon, and Negan has taken him captive. Best guess is that Negan wants Eugene to make bullets for him, which now puts Eugene (theoretically) at odds with Rick's interests. They either need to get Eugene back or take him out, because the revolution is going to require ammunition—and lots of it. With Negan taking Eugene, it seems the TV story may not follow the comic arc all that closely. There's also the fact that Eugene is pretty soft, and he'll either have to toughen up fast or Negan's forces will break him.
Carol (Melissa McBride)
Carol has grown into one of the most compelling characters on this series, which is saying a lot for someone who was basically terrible and died fairly early in the comics. The TV writers took a weak character and made her the strongest warrior in the ensemble (See: Carol's ferocity during the Wolves' assault on Alexandria for reference). These days, Carol is living on the outskirts of the Kingdom and trying to live a simple life alone. Yeah, we can't see that really flying in the world of The Walking Dead. Living in this world has broken Carol's will to fight and kill at this point, and it's been an interesting story to explore the past season and a half. But where does it go next? Perhaps Carol gets pulled into the war anyway, to protect her friends, and doesn't make it out alive. Not to mention the fact that Carol dying could certainly galvanize King Ezekiel to join the war.
Gregory (Xander Berkeley)
Ugh, Gregory is the worst. The live-action adaptation of this character has been pretty spot-on when looking to the comics, and Berkeley does an A+ job of channeling that epic level of smarminess. But Negan's forces have already shown they have little patience for him, and the Hilltop story seems to be heading in the same direction as the comics, with Maggie potentially becoming the new leader there at some point down the line. In the comics, Gregory lives awhile as a citizen at the Hilltop before eventually being hung for trying to assassinate Maggie. We'd be surprised if he made it that far in live action.
Heath (Corey Hawkins)
Heath was one of the top scavengers for Alexandria, though he hasn't had a whole lot to do this season. He spent most of Season 7 off on a supply run with Tara, and is currently MIA after the two were separated during a walker attack. We only get to see the aftermath from Tara's perspective, and it at least looks like Heath may have survived. But he never did make it back to Alexandria, so there's every chance he's either dead or lost out there in the wild. If he does resurface, we'll have to see if they can find a compelling story to tell with him. If not? We're betting he might not last the season.
Morgan (Lennie James)
Looking to the comics, Morgan has already bitten the dust due to a zombie bite. But his character has enjoyed a very interesting story in live action. Morgan spends some time learning Aikido and really finds a balance in himself. He's trying to live a life without killing, which isn't easy when pretty much the whole world has gone crazy. Morgan's story has put a fresh perspective on the apocalypse, and he's set to play a key role in bridging the gap between Alexandria and the Kingdom when the show returns. But after that? There doesn't seem to be any major storyline keeping Morgan around. Morgan's a great character, but he's already had a rich and full arc. If there were ever a time to wrap him up on top, this is it.
Aaron (Ross Marquand)
Aaron took a beating at the hands of the Saviors in the midseason finale, but lived to tell the tale. He was a very important character early on, serving as the recruiter and bridge to bring Rick's gang into Alexandria. But they're not recruiting anymore, so Aaron has most recently been spending his time out scavenging with Rick. And with a war coming, he's not the strongest fighter on the roster. But Aaron is a resilient and strong character, and there are certainly more stories out there to be told with him, so we hope he sticks around for many years to come. On the other hand, he's also one of the kindest souls left in the ensemble—and this show just loves to kill its nice guys.
Daryl (Norman Reedus)
Hear us out. Yes, we're right there with the fans who have threatened to riot if Daryl ever dies. We love Daryl—he's awesome. But with the back half of the season set to start down the road to war with the Saviors, it stands to reason we'll see a major death in the Season 7 finale. Could that be Daryl? The fact that he's spent time in the Saviors' settlement and knows his way around means Daryl will almost certainly play a key role in any potential assault, and he took out one of Negan's men during his escape. We can't imagine Lucille will be very keen on that point the next time the two meet. By axing fan favorite Glenn earlier this season, the writers showed they're not afraid to knock off a major character this late in the game (though as fans know, Glenn also died in the comics). But, Daryl doesn't even exist in the comics—so the writers can effectively do whatever they want with him, with no canon-related repercussions.