Who Dies In Fear The Walking Dead?

After eight seasons, Fear The Walking Dead reached its conclusion in 2023 after eight seasons. Though The Walking Dead spinoff show started strong and captivated fans by revealing what it was like for people in the earliest days of the zombie outbreak, the show has decreased in popularity after Season 3.

The Walking Dead universe has introduced some fan-favorite characters in FTWD, including Alicia and Madison Clark. These enticing characters are why many people continue to watch the storyline despite the subpar writing and unimpressive character development. Viewers hope to see more of these beloved characters in later additions to the universe, but the many disappointing and saddening deaths in FTWD have prepared fans for the inevitable conclusion of this unimpressive storyline.

Updated on September 1, 2024, by Michael Colwander: The Walking Dead Universe has been ever-expanding with a second season of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon set to debut in late September. With that said, it’s worthwhile to reflect on the first The Walking Dead spinoff, Fear the Walking Dead, and the saddest deaths in the now-completed series. More sad deaths were added.

This list contains spoilers for Fear the Walking Dead as well as mentions of suicide and stillborn birth.

20 Most Of The Residents Of Broke Jaw Ranch And The Nation Were Wiped Out

Season 3, Episode 13, “This Land is Your Land”

The entirety of FTWD’s fantastic third season centers around the generations-old conflict between the Otto family’s Broke Jaw Ranch and the native Hopi Tribe led by Qaletaqa Walker (Michael Greyeyes). That conflict finally boiled over after Troy Otto (Daniel Sharman) unleashed a walker hoard on the ranch after his exile. For protection, members of both sides bunkered themselves in a pantry along with notable characters like Alicia Clark (Alycia Debnam-Carey) and Ofelia Salazar (Mercedes Mason).

Not only did the packed pantry have to contend with those inside who had been bitten by walkers, but also a broken vent, which steadily drained the oxygen within the pantry. What makes this episode in general so sad is seeing all of these residents who had been bitten reluctantly accept their impending demise and offer to be mercy-killed for the protection of others. On top of that, non-bitten residents die one by one due to a lack of oxygen. While most of these characters had next to no narrative impact, seeing the weight of this burden increasing on Alicia’s shoulders was heavy.

19 Troy Otto Garnered Some Sympathy Before His Death

Season 8, Episode 11, “Fighting Like You”

Troy Otto was one of the primary antagonists in that third season of FTWD and back then, it was tough to imagine Troy’s death could be sad. In fact, at the end of the third season, most assumed it was dead after being hit in the head with a hammer by Madison Clark (Kim Dickens) prior to the destruction of the Gonzalez Dam.

Somehow, Troy Otto survived and he was back with a vengeance in the final season. However this time, he has something to fight for – a daughter, Tracy Otto. Blaming Madison and Alicia for the death of his wife, Tracy’s mother, Troy sought revenge. By the end, however, Troy saw an opportunity for redemption and helped Madison against PADRE. Despite this, Madison kills Troy believing he had already murdered Alicia. While dying, Troy claims Tracy is Alicia’s daughter in hopes Madison will care for her. Tracy ultimately finds her zombified father in the middle of the woods and emotionally puts him down.

18 Will Did Everything He Could To Ensure Alicia Clark’s Survival

Season 7, Episode 1, “The Beacon”

Will’s death becomes sadder with added context. In the Season 7 premiere, “The Beacon,” viewers are introduced to Will (Gus Halper) as a survivor of the post-nuclear Texas. He’s eventually taken by a group of people in hazmat suits and awakens in a decontaminated tower led by Victor Strand. After Strand discovers Will has ties to Alicia, and the pair fail to locate her at the Franklin Hotel, Strand throws Will from the top of his tower to his death.

Later on in Season 7, viewers learn more about Will and how he befriended Alicia while bunked at the hotel among Theodore Maddox’s Doomsday Cult. Will develops feelings for Alicia and ultimately helps her escape, leading to his own exile. After Will’s full backstory is revealed, Alicia encounters the zombified Will in the present and puts him down before confronting Strand.

17 Alejandro Nuñez Sacrificed Himself To Save His People

Season 2, Episode 15, “North”

Alejandro Nuñez (Paul Calderon) was the leader of La Colonia, which took Nick Clark (Frank Dillane) in after he left his family. Alejandro cared deeply for his people and strove to maintain their faith and hope. Conditions were poor so he needed to give them something to believe in, which included building the myth that he was immune to Walker bites.

When Marco Rodriguez’s gang, Los Hermanos, threatens La Colonia, Alejandro is too scared and cowardly to stand up to them. With supplies to offer Los Hermanos dwindling, the gang gears up for an assault on La Colonia. After a bitten patient reanimates and bites Alejandro, he maintains his immune act long enough to inspire his people to leave La Colonia while staying behind and sacrificing himself in the process.

16 Clayton, Or “Polar Bear,” Was Just Trying To Do Good

Season 4, Episode 13, “Blackjack”

Clayton (Stephen Henderson), better known by his code name “Polar Bear,” only appears in one episode, but his impact resonates for much of the series afterward. Throughout the second half of Season 4, Morgan’s group frequently finds supplies on the side of the road labeled “Take what you need, leave what you don’t.” This was initially set up by Clayton and his group to simply help people.

After his truck is stolen by Sarah and Wendell Rabinowitz, Clayton is gravely wounded in a car accident. After Luciana Galvez (Danay Garcia) finds him and fulfills his final request for a beer, Clayton explains to her why he does what he does, why he wants to help people. What makes his death so sad is that he was a genuinely good guy who found purpose in a broken world. His philosophy resonated with Luciana and carried her character development for the rest of the series and became a driving force for Morgan’s group for much of Season 5.

15 Christopher Manawa Was Shot Right After A Car Accident

Season 2, Episode 14, “Wrath”

Christopher Manawa (Lorenzo Henrie) is far from the most likable character in Fear the Walking Dead, but the circumstances of his death are still sad. Chris quickly left his moral filter in the pre-apocalypse, which frustrated his father Travis Manawa, and terrified his step-sister Alicia Clark. Travis never gave up on his son, which is why Chris’ death is as sad as it was.

After Chris and Travis met a group of young adults, Chris grew attached to them thinking they were cool. That they were the right fit for him. Chris left Travis for that group with Travis pleading him to stay. Neither ever took the chance to say goodbye. Shortly after, Chris crashed his vehicle and severely injured his leg. The group he was now a part of had a no-nonsense philosophy of killing anyone who was seriously injured or sick – even if it was one of their own. Chris was killed out of mercy, a fate that could’ve been avoided had he stuck with his father.

14 Janis Was Powerless To Stop Her Execution

Season 6, Episode 4, “The Key”

Janis (Holly Curran) had a very minor role in Season 5 and Season 6 of Fear the Walking Dead, but her death was tragic nonetheless. When her boyfriend, Cameron, was found dead in one of the Pioneers’ communities, Janis was accused of his murder. John Dorie attempts to investigate it, but Virginia is committed to executing Janis stating that she wanted to quell any fears of a serial killer.

Janis gave up fighting and “confessed” her guilt. Janis was tied to a tree with a boombox playing music, drawing walkers in. Janis reanimated asa walker before being put down for good by John. Worst of all, Janis was framed. Virginia knew her sister, rather daughter, Dakota was the one to kill Cameron. Janis died an unjustified death.

13 Grace Mukherjee Succumbs to Walker and Radiation Infection

Season 8, Episode 5, “More Time Than You Know”

Grace (Karen David) was the epitome of the goodness of humanity in the zombie apocalypse. When she was the last one standing in the nuclear plant, she didn’t run. She stayed to contain and manage the plant to prevent more radioactive walkers from protecting others. But ultimately, it was her good heart that paid the ultimate price, completing her arc in a relatively satisfying circle.

Grace gets bit helping Morgan put his zombified son down in King County, Georgia, a destination she didn’t have to make the journey to but did so because of how much it meant to Morgan. The two return with their daughter Mo to PADRE, in the hopes they can stop the infection from spreading with radiation treatment. Though it seemed the radiation only sped up the process of death. In her last moments, she takes in her last look at her daughter, proudly gloating how brave Mo was at such a young age.

12 Charlie Shoots Herself in a Hostage Situation

Season 8, Episode 8, “Iron Tiger”

Like many other characters in Season 8, Charlie (Alexa Nisenson) was a once-believed deceased individual who – in a shocking twist of events – turned out to be alive. The radiation poisoning she was inflicted with in Season 7 was cured by PADRE, and she was sent away to work with Luciana for the remainder of her days. But when Madison Clark showed up, she knew that her time was limited.

Having killed Madison’s son Nick in Season 4, Charlie willingly went along with Madison’s plan to sneak into Troy’s compound and assassinate him. But the plan failed, ending in Charlie as a bargaining hostage for PADRE’s location. To remove herself as Troy’s leverage, Charlie shoots herself. It’s another tragedy of children in the zombie apocalypse, as the brave but impressionable Charlie would always serve others in the name of survival.

11 Jake Otto Dies From a Walker Bite

Dies Season 3, Episode 12, “Brother’s Keeper”

Few major characters in FTWD have met their end due to The Walking Dead walkers, despite the franchise relying on the tension between the living and the dead. However, Jake Otto (Sam Underwood) is one of the exceptions, dying due to a walker bite after a brawl with his brother Troy Otto.

There was a lot of tension between Madison Clark’s group and the leaders of the Broke Jaw Ranch in Season 3, but Jake was the most likable member of the Otto family. He was a kindhearted man who wanted to do what was best for his people, and the fact that he developed an intimate relationship with Alicia, made his death heartbreaking enough land mid-point in the list’s rankings.

10 Travis Manawa Gets Shot Out of a Helicopter

Dies Season 3, Episode 2, “The New Frontier”

Travis Manawa (Cliff Curtis) had a troubled storyline, losing his ex-wife due to a walker bite and later his son, Chris. Though Travis is one of the few characters with unwavering compassion at the beginning, he begins a downhill spiral reminiscent of Rick’s questionable morals in The Walking Dead.

Travis’ likability had declined prior to his death, but that didn’t make his demise any less sad. While in a helicopter with Alicia, he is shot and chooses to fall from the sky rather than risk the lives of others on board, making him a martyr and hero in his final moments. His death was clearly a plot device utilized to catapult Madison Clark into a leadership role.

9 Finch’s Radiation Treatment Fails to Stop His Walker Infection

Dies Season 8, Episode 6, “All I See Is Red”

Sherry and Dwight were expecting a baby by the end of Season 7, which meant after Season 8’s seven-year time jump, the child would be an individual of their own. Their son, Finch (Gavin Warren), was taken and named by PADRE to raise him without the love of his parents. Still, in the few episodes he was in of Season 8, he was willing to have a relationship with the parents he never had.

As an interrogation and motivational tactic, Shrike forces a walker onto Finch, infecting him with the walker virus. June rushes radiation treatment onto Finch, which hadn’t yet proven to cure anyone of the infection. The treatment gave the family temporary hope of living a relatively normal life among the chaos, but as most predicted, Finch eventually succumbed to the bite. The event was so traumatic for Sherry and Dwight that they split up, going their separate ways to grieve their son in their own ways. The two eventually reconciled and moved into the former Sanctuary, which might be a fun set-up for a Dwight-Sherry spinoff.

8 Madison Clark “Dies” by a Horde of Walkers

Dies Season 4, Episode 8, “No One’s Gone”

TWD universe is the pinnacle of zombie TV, but the franchise has failed to take risks in recent years. That was proven through the resurrection of Madison Clark in Season 7 in FTWD. Madison allegedly died protecting her people from a horde of walkers, but that turned out to be a misdirection.

While Madison is actually alive, her initial “death” was one of the most shocking and memorable in the series. Though the character has changed since her sacrifice in Season 4, she went out trying to protect her children. This was an honorable end to Madison’s character, matching her established desire to always protect her children regardless of the risks and odds.

7 Liza Ortiz Is Mercifully Shot by Travis

Dies Season 1, Episode 6, “The Good Man”

Liza Ortiz (Elizabeth Rodriguez) was the first casualty from the original group in Season 1. She was portrayed as a dedicated mother with a fierce attitude and passion for helping others. Liza was also a valued member of the group, providing medical expertise due to her experience training as a nurse.

After being bitten, Liza relies on her ex-husband Travis to shoot her before she can turn. This was an admirable death and Liza was the first to make a sacrifice for the good of the other survivors. Her character didn’t last long enough to be a fan favorite, though her demise served to create tension between Travis and his teenage son.

6 Rachel Takes Her Own Life

Dies Season 6, Episode 16, “The Beginning”

Morgan Jones helps Rachel’s husband get back to her before the birth of their daughter, urging her to honor the hero by naming their child after him. Following the evacuation of Valley Town, Rachel (Brigitte Kali Canales) is injured and alone with her infant. She chooses to kill herself in a way that will ensure she reanimates. She straps baby Morgan to her back, and tethers herself to a dog to increase the odds of someone finding and saving her child.

Deaths like this make TWD universe controversial among viewers, but it is also one of the most inspirational ends to a character arc. This mother made the ultimate sacrifice to give her child the best odds, saving the baby who would go on to be cared for by Morgan and Grace. The creativity of this tragic death earns it a spot in the top half of the list.

5 Ofelia Salazar’s Walker Bite Prevents Closure

Dies Season 3, Episode 14, “El Matadero”

Ofelia Salazar was another original survivor from the start of the outbreak. She suffered many losses, including her mother’s demise and then believing her father died in the fire on the estate in Mexico. For the rest of her storyline, the father and daughter are separated without knowing the other is alive.

By the time Ofelia learns her father is alive and has an opportunity to reunite with him, she has been bitten. While awaiting the reunion with her father, Ofelia succumbs to her infection and dies before saying her final goodbyes. This was a devastating end to Ofelia’s arc and a point of tension throughout Daniel’s storyline.

4 Athena Doesn’t Live Long Enough to Grow Up

Dies Season 6, Episode 12, “In Dreams”

“In Dreams” is one of the most heartbreaking episodes in FTWD. While in labor, Grace dreams about her daughter Athena and believes that she will be the one to create peace for the survivors. The young girl is a vision of strength and intelligence, giving the audience a particularly positive future.

In reality, Grace gives birth to a stillborn daughter and realizes her dreams were not a vision of her final moments, but her child’s. Despite Athena never actually being a character, her appearance as a willful, likable teenager with the strength to make a better future made the death of Grace’s infant exceptionally tragic. Children are hope, even in a world where there isn’t a zombie apocalypse, and seeing hope dashed on the rocks before it can truly even spark is devastating.

3 John Dorie Sr. Sacrifices Himself for Baby Mo

Dies Season 7, Episode 12, “Sonny Boy”

John Dorie Sr. (Keith Carradine) was introduced shortly after the death of his son, who was a beloved character. The man develops a close bond with his son’s widow, June, and goes on to be a valued member of the group. He has one of the best conclusions in the show.

John walks through a horde of walkers to bring baby Morgan to Morgan Jones. After being bitten, he walks back into the walkers to give the others time to escape. The man made up for his troubled past by fighting for others and making a great sacrifice to ensure the survival of those he loved.

2 Nick Clark’s Life Is Taken by Charlie

Dies Season 4, Episode 3, “Good Out Here”

Nick Clark was a complicated character, but one that fans could really root for. He overcame great obstacles, struggling with his substance abuse and trying to find his place in the new world. After a long journey of self-reflection, Nick became a hero and inspiration.

Nick’s storyline came to an end when Charlie found him—shortly after the loss of the villainous group that had kept her alive—and shot him. This was especially devastating since it shortly followed the death of Madison, leaving Alicia Clark without a family. This event in season 4 was one indication that FTWD jumped the shark and needed to end. By the end of Season 4, Fear the Walking Dead barely resembled the show of the first three seasons.

1 John Dorie Is Shot by Dakota in a River

Dies Season 6, Episode 8, “The Door”

John Dorie (Garret Dillahunt) was a beloved character introduced when Morgan Jones first appeared in FTWD. He was a truly good person who wanted to do the right thing and struggled with staying alive when he thought he reached a point of no return, and that alone is enough to cement his death as the saddest one in the series.

After discovering Dakota killed Cameron, subsequently framing Janis, Dakota shoots John. John falls into a river. While he reemerged, suggesting he would fight to survive, he’s later seen washing up on shore as a walker for his wife, June, to put down. John became one of the many walkers who washed up in front of his cabin in a full circle moment. His death felt particularly cruel and unjustifiable, outraging viewers who had already begun to dislike the arc of FTWD.