The Walking Dead TV show versus the comic books: Here's who lives and dies

Nadia Hilker stars as Magna in Episode 23 of AMC's The Walking Dead Season 11 — Nadia Hilker stars as Magna in Episode 23 of The Walking Dead Season 11. Pic credit: AMC/Jace Downs

AMC’s TV show, The Walking Dead, is based on a comic book series created by Robert Kirkman.

This means that the network has a great source of material already written and can draw on it for inspiration for their series.

Already, viewers have seen many deaths on TV play out pretty much exactly the same way they did in the comic books.

Although, along with this, some characters have far outlived their comic counterparts and some characters have even been invented entirely for the adaptation.

As we head into the final two episodes of the hit zombie apocalypse show, many fans are wondering how much AMC has veered from the original content.

So, let’s take a look at the major characters still standing in Episode 22 and what their likely fate is according to the comic books.

Michael James Shaw stars as Mercer in Episode 23 of AMC's The Walking Dead Season 11 — Michael James Shaw stars as Mercer in Episode 23 of The Walking Dead Season 11. Pic credit: AMC/Jace Downs

Is Season 11 of The Walking Dead TV show close to the comics?

Season 11 of The Walking Dead has focused heavily on the new community called the Commonwealth.

At first, it looked like a perfect utopia in which the survivors could finally be safe.

However, as the season progressed, the seedy underside of the Commonwealth has been exposed and now our favorite characters are deep in conflict with the community’s leader, Pamela Milton (Laila Robins).

This is pretty much how the overall story arc played out in the comic books. However, many of the finer details have been changed and because of this, it seems likely that many characters’ fates will be quite different from the comics, according to Forbes.

For example, Rick Grimes (portrayed by Andrew Lincoln in the TV show) is a major player in what goes down at the Commonwealth toward the end of the series.

And, because there have been character changes such as this, who lives and dies in the TV show compared to the comics might vary somewhat.

Andrew Lincoln in The Walking Dead — Andrew Lincoln stars as Rick Grimes, as seen in Episode 5 of The Walking Dead Season 9. Pic credit: AMC/Gene Page

Who lives and dies in the comics?

Here is a rundown of the major characters from the TV show and their fate in the comics.

Rick Grimes: Dies at the hand of Sebastian Milton.

Michonne: Lives. Her role in the comics has been partially taken over by Yumiko in the TV show and she will also feature in an upcoming limited series involving her and Rick.

Judith: Dies very early on in the comics during the Governor’s attack on the prison.

RJ: Rick’s son does not exist in the comic books.

Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon and Anthony Azor as RJ, as seen in Episode 23 of AMC's The Walking Dead Season 11 — Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon and Anthony Azor as RJ, as seen in Episode 23 of The Walking Dead Season 11. Pic credit: AMC/Jace Downs

Daryl Dixon: Doesn’t exist in the comics but we do already know that he survives the TV show as he has a new spinoff series in development.

Carol Peletier: Dies early in the comics by way of suicide via a walker attack.

Maggie Rhee: Lives. She becomes an important leader of the Commonwealth in the comics but will head to Manhattan in a spinoff series, The Walking Dead: Dead City.

Young Hershel: Alive. He winds up running a show warning people about the dangers of walkers, who are no longer a major threat to society.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan and Medina Senghore as Annie, as seen in Episode 23 of AMC's The Walking Dead Season 11 — Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan and Medina Senghore as Annie, as seen in Episode 23 of The Walking Dead Season 11. Pic credit: AMC/Jace Downs

Negan: Lives. He winds up living in a small house in an abandoned neighborhood called Springhaven. However, in the TV show, he will join Maggie in Manhattan.

Annie: Doesn’t exist in the comics.

Eugene Porter: Lives. He heads an important railway system.

Max: In the comics, Max’s name is Stephanie and she dies at some point toward the end of the comics but it is not revealed directly how she died.

Eleanor Matsuura as Yumiko and Margot Bingham as Max, as seen in Episode 23 of AMC's The Walking Dead Season 11 — Eleanor Matsuura as Yumiko and Margot Bingham as Max, as seen in Episode 23 of The Walking Dead Season 11. Pic credit: AMC/Jace Downs

Ezekiel: Dies during the war with the Whisperers. He was one of those who wound up with their head on a spike.

Aaron: Lives. He winds up with Jesus and lived happily ever after. Unfortunately, for TV Aaron, Jesus has already died in the TV show.

Mercer: Lives. After overthrowing Pamela, he and Princess wind up together.

Juanita “Princess” Sanchez: Lives. See above.

Lydia: Lives.

Elijah: Doesn’t exist in the comics.

Behind-the-scenes image from Episode 22 of AMC's The Walking Dead featuring Lauren Ridloff as Connie, Christian Serratos as Rosita Espinosa, Seth Gilliam as Father Gabriel Stokes, Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier, Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon, Lauren Cohan as Maggie Rhee — Behind-the-scenes image from Episode 22 of The Walking Dead featuring Lauren Ridloff as Connie, Christian Serratos as Rosita Espinosa, Seth Gilliam as Father Gabriel Stokes, Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier, Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon, Lauren Cohan as Maggie Rhee. Pic credit: AMC/Jace Downs

Yumiko: Alive and happily in love with Magna as they reside at the Commonwealth.

Magna: Alive. See above.

Connie: She survives the upheaval at the Commonwealth but her final fate is unknown.

Kelly: In the comics, Kelly is actually the boyfriend of Connie, not her sister. Once again, the final fate of this character is unknown.

Father Gabriel: Meets a grizzly death during the Whisperers War.

Rosita: Dead. She was killed by Alpha and her head was put on a spike.

Pamela Milton: Alive but no longer the leader of the Commonwealth.

Jerry: Does not exist in the comics.

Luke: Dies by Alpha’s hand and is one of the many characters who wind up with their head on a spike.

The Walking Dead airs every Sunday night at 9/8c on AMC.