The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live premieres on AMC on February 25, finally reuniting audiences with Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira). Separated since Rick’s mysterious disappearance in the ninth season of The Walking Dead, Rick and Michonne are on a collision course in the upcoming spinoff, while also simultaneously discovering the brutal world of the CRM.
While Rick and Michonne are the central focus of The Ones Who Live, they certainly won’t be the only characters from the flagship series to show up in the spinoff. Jadis, a.k.a. Anne (Pollyanna McIntosh), is already confirmed to appear in the series, perhaps indicating that other popular characters from The Walking Dead could make surprise cameos as well.
10Heath Needs To Make His Grand Return
The disappearance of Heath (Corey Hawkins), a survivor whom Rick and the gang met in Alexandria, has remained one of The Walking Dead‘s biggest unanswered mysteries for years. While on a supply run with Tara in Season 7, Heath disappeared, leaving behind only a slip of paper with an indiscernible message. He has not been seen since.
The Ones Who Live is the perfect time to finally provide audiences with answers about Heath’s whereabouts for the last several years. The character may have been abducted by the CRM, perhaps the very same people who took Rick in Season 9. Reunited, Rick and Heath could work together to combat the villainous CRM and make their way back to their friends.
9. Judith Grimes Needs To Get Her Family Back
The Ones Who Live is a series centered around the Grimes family as they work to get back together again after years apart. While the show will primarily follow Rick and Michonne, the rest of their family back home should still factor into the storyline. As such, Rick’s daughter Judith (Cailey Fleming) needs to show up at some point before the finale.
Judith was left behind in Alexandria while other characters went in search of Rick and Michonne. However, she can still play an emotional role in the story. Even if she doesn’t show up until the very end, the very sight of seeing the young survivor reunite with her father and stepmother would be a perfect way to end the season.
8. King Ezekiel Should Make A Cameo Appearance
King Ezekiel (Khary Payton) is one of the more eccentric characters in The Walking Dead universe, originally ruing over the Kingdom with the help of his pet tiger, Shiva. While he underwent some rigorous character development and lost quite a bit, Ezekiel managed to retain his optimistic view of life and ended up serving under Carol Peletier as a leader in the reformed Commonwealth.
Ezekiel has his hands full when it comes to maintaining the Commonwealth, but he should still make a cameo appearance in The Ones Who Live. If the former king were to somehow get in contact with Rick or Michonne on their continuing adventures, it would be the perfect opportunity for audiences to get an update on how their favorite surviving characters are doing back in the Commonwealth, something which many viewers are certainly anxious to know about.
7. Maggie Rhee Would Be A Welcome Surprise
Maggie Rhee (Lauren Cohan) is one of The Walking Dead‘s most popular characters, who has recently been on her own adventures in a postapocalyptic New York City, as seen in Dead City. Working to re-establish the Hilltop colony on the East Coast, Maggie doesn’t seem like a likely candidate to appear in The Ones Who Live, but that doesn’t make her inclusion impossible.
It is only inevitable that the various Walking Dead spinoffs will come together again for a crossover event at some point in the future. As such, fans should expect to see some references to the other ongoing series during the events of The Ones Who Live. A brief appearance from Maggie Rhee teasing her inclusion in future seasons would be a terrific way to promise fans bigger and better things to come for the Walking Dead universe.
6. Cyndie’s Disappearance Can Finally Be Addressed
Cyndie (Syndey Park) has a strange arc in the original Walking Dead series. Introduced as the young leader of the all-female Oceanside community, Cyndie held a heavy grudge against the Saviors for the murder of her brother. While the series seemed to be setting the character up for larger storylines in the future, Cyndie completely disappeared between Seasons 10 and 11, with Rachel Ward taking over for her at Oceanside.
Though unseen, Cyndie is confirmed to have set off on a voyage at sea during the events of Season 11, leaving her whereabouts unknown by the end of the series. However, it would be possible that Cyndie and her crew were somehow picked up by the CRM, putting her on a collision course with Rick and Michonne in The Ones Who Live.
5. Negan Smith Could Face Off With Rick Again
Negan Smith (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is one of the most compelling characters in the Walking Dead universe. Originally introduced as the villain to end all villains, Negan has tried to become the good guy since losing the war against Rick. Now, he travels with Maggie Rhee, whose husband he brutally murdered, on the East Coast, as seen during the events of The Walking Dead: Dead City.
All eyes are on Negan in the aftermath of the Commonwealth War, as audiences wonder whether or not his redemption will stick. His arc, which is already among the most compelling in the entire franchise, would only become more interesting should he come face-to-face with Rick Grimes, his old nemesis, after all these years. Heroic though he may be, Negan may not be able to hold back from lashing out at Rick, the man who brought him down.
4. Carl Grimes Could Make A Posthumous Appearance
Carl Grimes (Chandler Riggs) was a key part of The Walking Dead for much of its early run. The son of Rick and Lori Grimes, Carl seemed like the show’s best hope for the next generation of survivors — until he was bitten by a walker at the beginning of Season 8. Carl Grimes’s unexpected demise made for one of The Walking Dead‘s saddest deaths, which many fans still aren’t over.
While Carl is long dead by the events of The Ones Who Live, the character should still show up in the upcoming series. Carl’s death was a major turning point for Rick’s character, who still mourns the loss of his son. Seeing a vision or a flashback of Carl would be a poignant moment for Rick’s arc in The Ones Who Live.
3. Carol Peletier Is Ready For More Adventures
Many fans were disappointed when the planned spinoff following Daryl Dixon and Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride) was reworked to what would eventually become The Walking Dead:Daryl Dixon. While McBride’s iconic TWD character will play a major role in the second season of Daryl Dixon, she could make an appearance far sooner in The Ones Who Live.
Carol Peletier is one of the most capable characters in the entire franchise and would be a terrific ally for Rick and Michonne in their battle against the CRM. After sitting out much of The Walking Dead‘s first phase of the spinoff series, the time has come for Carol to jump back into the action and make her grand return in The Ones Who Live.
2. Daryl Dixon Needs To Reunite With His Brother
Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) is one of The Walking Dead‘s most fearless characters, whose adventures in his spinoff series have been the highlight of the new phase of the post-apocalyptic franchise. While Daryl is keeping busy across the ocean in France, the character still needs to show up at some point in The Ones Who Live.
Daryl was never the same after Rick disappeared in Season 9 of The Walking Dead. Once things settled in the Commonwealth, Daryl went out in search of his missing friend. It would be incredibly unsatisfying if, after all this time, Daryl and Rick were not reunited at some point in The Ones Who Live. The two survivors consider each other brothers and must come together again before their respective stories come to an end.
1Morgan Jones Is On A Collision Course With Rick
Morgan Jones (Lennie James) played a pivotal role in The Walking Dead before leaving the series to star in the spinoff Fear the Walking Dead. Morgan went on his own journey of self-discovery over the next several years, losing yet another wife but gaining a child in the process. He is still out there and seems a likely candidate to appear in The Ones Who Live.
Morgan Jones left Fear the Walking Dead partway through its final season in search of Rick and his other friends. This heavily implies that he will cross over with the events of The Ones Who Live at some point, finally reuniting with his friend Rick, one of his oldest allies.
