The Walking Dead series completed its run after 11 seasons, 12 years, and 177 episodes. The pilot episode premiered on AMC on October 31, 2010, as part of AMC’s 14th annual Fear Fest festivities. The network was excited to introduce its new “zombie” series, and little did they know it would continue for eleven seasons, creating a massive fandom.

The series finale episode aired on November 20, 2022, and concluded this chapter in The Walking Dead universe. Continuing stories will be told in the form of the upcoming spinoff series.

• The Walking Dead: Dead City premiered in June 2023 and has been renewed for a second season.
  
• The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon premiered on September 10, 2023, and has been renewed for a second season.
• The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live will premiere on February 25, 2024, and is possibly a limited series.
• Fear the Walking Dead, the first spinoff series of TWD, aired its final season beginning October 22, 2023.

The first episode, titled “Days Gone Bye,” introduced viewers to Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and Morgan Jones (Lennie James), who saved Rick’s life and has since crossed over to Fear TWD. This episode also introduced other iconic characters, some from the comics and others created for the series.

The series’ first scene saw Ric searching for gas, after leaving Morgan in King Counts. He finds an abandoned gas station where he encounters a young girl who turns out to be a walker. The pain on his face is felt by every viewer, knowing what he must do. It was a bold move to have the first onscreen walker kill to be a child. This set the tone for the first few seasons.

The episode then followed Rick’s journey from being shot in the line of duty to waking from an extended coma to an undead apocalypse. Viewers followed Rick as he came to terms with the fact that the undead had begun to rise and attack humans. He also struggled with the knowledge that he had no idea where his family was. It was a fantastic introduction to a series that would surpass everyone’s expectations.

Season 1 of The Walking Dead had a great lineup of cast members. Below is the list of actors who appeared in season one of the series.

Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes
Lennie James as Morgan Jones
Jon Bernthal as Shane Walsh
Sarah Wayne Callies as Lori Grimes
Laurie Holden as Andrea
Jeffrey DeMunn as Dale Horvath
Steven Yeun as Glenn Rhee
Chandler Riggs as Carl Grimes
Emma Bell as Amy
Michael Rooker as Merle Dixon
Andrew Rothenberg as Jim
Juan Gabriel Pareja as Morales
Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon
Noah Emmerich as Edwin Jenner
Lennie James as Morgan Jones
Noel Gugliemi as Felipe
Jim R. Coleman as Lambert Kendal
Linds Edwards as Leon Basset
Keisha Tillis as Jenny Jones
Adrian Kali Turner as Duane Jones
IronE Singleton as T-Dog
Jeryl Prescott Sales as Jacqui
Adam Minarovich as Ed Peletier
Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier
Madison Lintz as Sophia Peletier
Maddie Lomax as Eliza Morales
Neil Brown Jr. as Guillermo
Anthony Guajardo as Miguel
Gina Morelli as Abuela
James Gonzaba as Jorge
Viviana Chavez-Vega as Miranda Morales
Melissa Cowan as Hannah
Addy Miller as Summer
Noah Lomax as Louis Morales
Claire Bronson as Candace Jenner
Judi M. Durand as Vi
Unknown as Mr. Siggard
Unknown as Mrs. Siggard
Unknown as Wayne Dunlap
Unknown as Mr. Gilbert
Blade as Siggard’s Horse
Tommie Mack Turvey as Criminal 1
Chick Bernhardt as Criminal 2
Brent Bernhard as Criminal 3
Orlando Vargas as Camp Survivor
L. Stephanie Ray as Camp Survivor
Frances Cobb as Camp Survivor
Sam Witwer as Tank Soldier
Barry Hopkins as Hospital Patient
M.V. Oliphant as Infected Nurse
Ken Melde as Infected Doctor
Timothy Douglas Perez as Vatos gang member
Roger Herrera as Vatos gang member
Travis Love as Vatos gang member
Lisa Marie Thomas & Joyce Liles as Nurses

As you scan down that list, it is incredible to realize how many of those characters have died throughout The Walking Dead series.

The bolded names Lincoln, Reedus, McBride, and James are the only survivors from this season. Lincoln left the flagship series during season 9, but Reedus and McBride remained until the final episode. James crossed over to Fear TWD during that series’ fourth season.

Lincoln will join Danai Gurira in a series focusing on Rick and Michonne, The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live.

Reedus reprised his role as Daryl in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, which is set in France and will be joined by McBride for the second season subtitled, The Book of Carol.