The 25 Best The Walking Dead Episodes, Ranked

At long last, the end is nigh. When "The Walking Dead" first premiered on Halloween in 2010, little did we know what a behemoth it would become, sparking a zombie outbreak that consumed network television, streaming services, and movie theaters. What began as Rick Grimes' (Andrew Lincoln) story morphed into a universal saga about how humanity managed to survive in an apocalyptic wasteland. 

Eleven seasons later, "The Walking Dead" has cemented itself as one of the greatest TV shows in history. By this point, it's hard to imagine AMC without its flagship show, even though there are numerous spin-offs currently on the air, with even more on the way, including a limited series about Rick and Michonne. Despite the conclusion of the original series, "The Walking Dead" universe has never been more alive.

Throughout the years, the adaptation of Robert Kirkman's blockbuster comic series has made us cry, laugh, and perch nervously on the edges of our seats. While the storylines might've been rocky, the characters always kept us hooked. "The Walking Dead" has rarely been light on the chills and thrills, and now, with the finale on its way, it's time to comb all 177 episodes to celebrate the cream of the crop. Grab a drink and a box of tissues, and get ready for a stroll down memory lane.

"The Walking Dead" made a remarkable rebound with its ninth season. In the wake of Rick's departure, the story jumps ahead a few years and adds several new characters. With Maggie (Lauren Cohan) also away, living in Georgie's (Jayne Atkinson) community, the situation in Hilltop undergoes some changes. Primarily, Jesus (Tom Payne) has been unanimously chosen as the new leader, with Tara (Alanna Masterson) serving as his trusty right-hand.

During the mid-season finale, the group encounters a new threat that calls everything they've ever known about human dangers into question. After saving Eugene (Josh McDermitt), Aaron (Ross Marquand), Daryl (Norman Reedus), and Jesus trek through a heavy, suffocating fog into a secluded cemetery. Its walls and wrought-iron gate give the group a chance to breathe, as well as the ability to funnel in walkers one-by-one to make dispatching them easier. What they don't know, however, is that a group of survivors called the Whisperers is hiding among the herd, wearing walker flesh as masks to camouflage themselves.

Riding the high of killing countless walkers, Jesus moves to slice another in half. Surprisingly, it dodges his attack and stabs him in the back. "You are where you do not belong," the man whispers. It's a moment straight out of a classic horror movie. It's also a proper send-off for Jesus. While he never really received much story over the course of his run, at least he shines brightly in his final hour.

Little Hershel (Kien Michael Spiller) was bound to run into Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) sooner or later. In "The Rotten Core," Maggie, Lydia, and Elijah (Joshua Lamboy) plot a mission to save Gabriel and Aaron from the Riverbend apartment complex, where a new group is living, one that includes Negan and his very-pregnant wife Annie (Medina Senghore).

Carlson (R. Keith Harris) and his cronies sweep the building searching for our heroes. In the chaos, Negan ends up looking after Hershel. To Negan's surprise, Herschel knows exactly who he is: the man who killed his father. Hershel points a gun at Negan as the rest of the group look on in shock, worrying that their hiding spot could be exposed at any minute. But Negan pulls Hershel back from the proverbial ledge, and later tells him that, if Hershel feels the same way when he grows up, he knows where Negan is. Elsewhere, Daryl and Rosita (Christian Serratos) are forced to carry out a confounding heist by Sebastian (Teo Rapp-Olsson).

"The Rotten Core" contains the right amount of edge-of-your-seat action while also delivering a huge payoff with Hershel and Negan. This is also when Maggie finally learns that Negan has really changed for the better, a plot beat that was long overdue.

Episode 3 of "The Walking Dead" left viewers with a gruesome sight: Meryl's (Michael Rooker) severed hand. "Vatos" picks up moments later, with Daryl understandably upset. He aims his crossbow directly at T-Dogg, who confesses that he dropped the handcuff key down a sewer drain. For his part, Glenn suggests that they retrieve Rick's bag of guns, which, as far as they know, is still below the tank.

Daryl and Glenn climb down the fire escape and arrive on the street below, where they're met by two strangers. A scuffle follows, and Glenn is abducted and taken to a small community run by the Vatos gang. An old abuela (Gina Morelli) interrupts the standoff that follows and guides the group into the nursing home, where many other elderly people are hiding. Their leader, Guillermo (Neil Brown Jr.), tells their story, describing the early days of the zombie apocalypse and how the other workers fled and left everyone else behind. It's a touching moment, giving more weight to an otherwise shallow storyline.

Back at camp, the group is preparing a fish fry, but Amy (Emma Bell) is bitten by a walker while looking for toilet paper, and all hell breaks loose. See, a herd has made it to the camp, resulting in a bloodbath. Rick, Glenn, Daryl, and T-Dogg manage to keep the entire group from being wiped out, but it's not a pretty outcome. Ultimately, "Vatos" is as heartbreaking as it is brutal and violent.

The season 4 finale says farewell to one group of baddies only to introduce another. First, "A" ties up loose ends regarding Joe (Jeff Kober) and his Claimers in a nerve-splitting sequence. As Rick and Michonne camp out for the night, Joe pops out of the dark and aims his revolver at Rick's head. Another Claimer targets Michonne, while a third peeps in on Carl in the car.

Always well-intentioned, Daryl attempts to convince Joe that Rick is a good person. However, as Joe points out, Rick killed one of his men and let him turn into a walker inside of their bathroom. That requires a strict punishment — specifically, assault and then death. The situation continues to escalate until Rick headbutts Joe, then tears out the man's Adam's apple with his teeth, a brutally visceral moment that gives Michonne and Daryl the opportunity they need to kill their respective attackers. Finally, Rick guts the Claimer who attempted to rape Carl.

Bloody and drained, Rick and company recuperate the following morning before embarking on the last stretch to Terminus. Upon arriving, Rick suspects that things are not as they appear to be and sneaks in through a back entrance. He then holds one of the community members hostage, but it's all in vain; lookouts begin shooting at the group's feet, corralling them into a train car. There, the group reunites with Maggie and the others. "They're screwing with the wrong people," Rick promises, ending the episode with one of the show's most memorable lines.

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"Acts of God" uses swarms of locusts to create a parallel with the group's treacherous circumstances. In the episode, Stephanie (Chelle Ramos) schemes with Connie, Kelly (Angel Theory), and the others to expose Commonwealth leader Pamela Milton (Laila Robins) for the conniving, elitist scum she really is. Connie pens an exposé about many of the community's shady practices, while Stephanie makes sure the story goes to print.

Elsewhere, Leah (Lynn Collins) meets her match in one of best-choreographed fight sequences in "The Walking Dead" history. Tasked with killing Maggie, Leah knocks her prey unconscious, hauls her to a secluded cabin, and ties her up. But Maggie manages to break free, and the two go head-to-head, each of them more than holding her own. It appears that Leah has the upper hand when she nearly chokes Maggie to death, but Daryl appears in the knick of time and delivers a fatal shot to Leah's head. It's an epic conclusion to an epic battle.

While"Acts of God" includes many triumphant moments, it ends with Lance Hornsby (Josh Hamilton) declaring sovereignty over Hilltop, Alexandria, and Oceanside. "Acts of God" perfectly marks the end of the mid-season, and positions the last run of episodes of "The Walking Dead" to be must-see television.

Long-time fans will never forget the six-month gap between the season 6 finale and the season 7 premiere. It was excruciating, although not nearly as painful as what unfolded when "The Walking Dead" returned. "The Day Will Come When You Won't Be," a reference to Dr. Jenner, revealed who received the blunt, barbed-wired end of Negan's bat. With Negan hauling Rick away in the group's RV, a series of flashbacks slowly divulges the sequences of events, as well as the identity of Negan's villains

After playing a little "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe," Negan swings his bat into Abraham's (Michael Cudlitz) head. And then he does so again, and again, and again, pulverizing Abraham into the earth. In response, Daryl punches Negan in the face. Unfortunately, this moment comes with a heavy cost. Negan turns his bat on Glenn, who dies, but not before blubbering, "Maggie, I'll find you" as his eye literally pops out of his head. The graphic, stomach-turning nature of the episode pushed away many fans, but the brutality sells the characters' peril with startlingly fresh clarity.

In the aftermath, the group reverently gather Glenn and Abraham's bodies and packs into the RV, setting their lonesome, tired eyes on home. Even by the standards of "The Walking Dead," "The Day Will Come When You Won't Be" is as grim and nihilistic a piece of television as there ever was.

We get a glimpse into Enid's (Katelyn Nacon) backstory in "JSS," which stands for "just survive somehow," a mantra that she turns to during dire circumstances. In flashbacks, we learn that, after Enid's parents were eaten by walkers in front of her, she lived on uncooked turtle and other critters and as she did all she could to survive. Eventually, she arrives at the gates of Alexandra with "JSS" written in dirt on her hand.

In the present, Alexandra comes under attack by a new group of villains known as the Wolves, who have a predilection for severing their victims' limbs and torsos. The wilderness cult's sole mission seems to be nothing less than total destruction. It's even vaguely hinted that this is the same group that once ravaged Noah's neighborhood. Anyway, as the streets flood with blood and bodies, Carol once again takes charge and saves the group, pretending to be a Wolf as she kills every invader she can. Morgan, however, believes that "all life is precious." Much to Carol's frustration, he refuses to partake in any of the killing.

Alexandria comes out on top, but not before many redshirts meet a gnarly demise, including pasta-maker Shelly (Susie Purcell). "JSS" works so well because elements of surprise and shock are intertwined with each story beat. In addition, this is when Carol begins to crack under the weight of so much killing, a character shift that will cause much bigger problems very, very soon.

"We're not too far gone," an alarmed and emotional Rick says as he pleads with the Governor (David Morrissey) not to kill Hershel (Scott Wilson) and Michonne. His poignant monologue lies at the heart of "Too Far Gone," the midpoint of season 4. Leading up to this moment, the Governor has ridden up to the prison fence on his tank, flanked by a few dozen other survivalists he's recruited for his revenge mission.

In the first half of season 4, Rick replaced the "dictator Rick" hat with a "farmer Rick" hat, spending his days tending to the group's crops and adhering to a far more peaceful order than he followed previously. Now, there's even a council that must make decisions together about how the survivors should proceed. However, here Rick is faced with the big truth that informs the series: Regular human beings, not the walking dead, are this world's biggest and most dangerous threat. And so, Rick continues his heartfelt monologue, asserting that "we all can live in the prison, or none of us can" and that the humans "get to come back" from the terrible things they've done.

But the Governor calls him a liar and decapitates Hershel in front of everyone. A battle for the prison, as well as revenge, ensues. Bullets fly, bodies drop, and the group is torn apart. "Too Far Gone" goes for a sucker-punch straight to the jaw, and not only does it land, but it's one that takes years to recover from.

Jon Bernthal's turn as the unhinged Shane cannot be praised enough. In "Better Angels," things come to a head between Shane and Rick after they struggle to agree on what should be done with Randall (Michael Zegen). Well past the point of no return, Shane makes it look like Randall escaped by taking the prisoner out into the woods and twisting his neck. Shane then gives himself cuts and bruises to further convince the group that his story is true.

Once night falls, Daryl and Glenn break off to track Randall, while Rick and Shane venture deeper into the countryside. As they travel, Rick realizes that Shane plans to execute him. "So, this is where you plan to do it?" Rick asks. Moonlight glistens across an open cow field, and their silhouettes cast a haunting shadow. Shane has his gun drawn, ready to pull the trigger at a moment's notice. But Rick manipulates Shane long enough to create an opportunity to stab his best friend. "You made me do this!" Rick wails as he pushes the knife in deeper and deeper until, finally, the deed is done.

As kids do, Carl sneaks off and finds Rick and a very-dead Shane, who quickly reanimates and stumbles toward them. Carl shoots Shane, and the gunshot draws a horde of walkers right to the farm's doorstep. "Better Angels" surprises with its questions about life, death, and humanity's crumbling moral integrity. It's a clear turning point for Rick, and he's irreversibly changed.

By season 10, the reveal of Negan's backstory was long overdue. Thankfully, "Here's Negan" delves into how the fan-favorite villain became the merciless kingpin of the Saviors. When Carol claims that the council has voted to banish Negan from Alexandra, she takes the now-disgraced leader to Leah's cabin. There, Negan reflects upon his past, flashing back to the plight of his sick wife Lucille and her tragic death.

To tell his story, "Here's Negan" moves between the relatively recent past and the title character's pre-apocalypse life. Once a gym teacher, Negan got into trouble with a few students and was laid off. Unable to obtain a new job, he began playing video games and splurging on high-priced attire, including his infamous leather jacket. In the recent past, Negan and Lucille hunkered down inside an abandoned house. Lucille had been diagnosed with cancer, and Negan vowed to search nearby for treatments. However, when the freezer they needed to keep the medication cold died, it appeared to be the end of the line. Negan headed off on one last-ditch attempt to find more medication, and returned to find a newly-reanimated Lucille and a handwritten note that reads, "Don't leave me like this." It's a devastating turn that fuels Negan's vengeance.

"Here's Negan" ends with Negan returning to Alexandria, deviating from the comics, in which he went off on his own. Despite coming three seasons too late, the episode packs one hell of a wallop, and gives Jeffrey Dean Morgan and his considerable skills a chance to shine.

"Here's Not Here" is one of the most character-driven episodes of "The Walking Dead." After parting ways with Rick back in season 1, Morgan has quite the arc. In the aftermath of his son's death, Morgan could only see red, and embarked on a mission to "clear" the world of both the living and the dead. Completely consumed by his guilt, he isolated himself in order to never feel pain or sorrow ever again — as you'd imagine, that didn't end well.

A cheese maker, of all people, named Eastman (John Carroll Lynch) ends up bringing him back. When Morgan tries to kill his goat, Eastman subdues the man with a wooden staff and locks him inside a jail cell in his cabin. There, Morgan has time to regain control of his senses, a process that takes far more finesse than Eastman may have anticipated. After all, Morgan's wounds run deep. Through sharing a story about an escaped convict named Crighton Dallas Wilton, who murdered Eastman's entire family, and his own desire for revenge, Eastman helps Morgan reconnect with his humanity.

Eastman gifts Morgan with an understanding that "all life is precious," leading him to embrace a more pacifist existence. Unfortunately, Eastman is bitten by a walker during an aikido lesson, and he ends up confessing that he locked Crighton in the cell and let him starve to death. Still, Morgan leaves the camp a changed man. "Here's Not Here" is quite the showpiece for someone who started as a minor character, and an impressive balancing act between the horror of the walkers and the tragedy of humanity's sorry state.

You can usually rely on "The Walking Dead" to save its big twists for mid-season or end-of-season finales. However, season 9 unleashes a big shift in the status quo in its fifth episode. "What Comes After" features Andrew Lincoln's departure from the flagship "Walking Dead" series. After being impaled in the previous episode, Rick breaks free and slowly plods through the woods towards the bridge between communities, a swarm of walkers hot on his heels.

During his journey, Rick sees visions of people from his past. Shane, Herschel, and Sasha impart final bits of wisdom to Rick, all of which boil down to one simple piece of advice: keep fighting. Upon arriving at the bridge, Rick spots an overturned crate of dynamite. He raises his revolver and shoots, uttering, "I found them." He's talking, of course, about his family. Michonne and the others look on as the sky lights up and the bridge crumbles into the river.

However, Rick isn't dead, just incapacitated, and Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh) rescues him via helicopter and whisks him away to an unknown location. After a six-year time jump, the audience meets a much older Judith (now played by Cailey Fleming) and a new group of survivalists led by Magna (Nadia Hilker). Despite the bait-and-switch, "What Comes After" wonderfully memorializes Rick, his impact on the series, his legacy, and the people he loved the most.