The Walking Dead season 8 is the war season. Rick, Maggie and Ezekiel take the fight to Negan and the Saviors, the show loses one of its original characters, and the finale ends in a way few expected from Rick.
It aired on AMC from October 22, 2017 to April 15, 2018: 16 episodes, with Scott M. Gimple as showrunner. The premiere, “Mercy”, was the show’s 100th episode.
Spoiler warning: the rest of this Walking Dead season 8 recap gives away every major death, including the finale.
The setup
Season 7 ended with Alexandria, the Hilltop and the Kingdom united against Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). Season 8 picks up with their plan: hit the Saviors’ outposts and trap Negan inside the Sanctuary.
The key players in The Walking Dead season 8:
- Rick Grimes: Andrew Lincoln
- Negan: Jeffrey Dean Morgan
- Carl Grimes: Chandler Riggs
- Maggie Greene: Lauren Cohan
- Simon: Steven Ogg
- Siddiq: Avi Nash
What happens in The Walking Dead season 8
Episodes 1 to 5: the attack
In “Mercy”, the three communities shoot up the Sanctuary and lead a walker herd in to pin the Saviors inside, then split up to take the outposts. Carl meets Siddiq, a stranger on the road, and wants to help him.
The war goes badly for the Kingdom. Its fighters are cut down by machine-gun fire, and in episode 4, “Some Guy”, Shiva dies saving Ezekiel.
Episodes 6 to 8: the Saviors strike back
The Saviors break out of the Sanctuary, and in the midseason finale, “How It’s Gotta Be”, they hit all three communities and set Alexandria ablaze. Carl reveals that he was bitten while escorting Siddiq to Alexandria.
Episode 9: Carl’s death
In “Honor”, Carl dies with Rick and Michonne at his side. Before he goes, he begs his father to build a future where everyone, the Saviors included, can live together, and he leaves letters for the people he loves.
Episodes 10 to 15: the road to the last battle
Rick keeps fighting through his grief. At the Sanctuary, Simon tries to take over from Negan, and Negan kills him in episode 15, “Worth”. Eugene, now working for Negan, runs the bullet factory that will arm the Saviors for the final battle.
The Walking Dead season 8 ending explained
In the finale, “Wrath”, the Saviors open fire on Rick’s forces, and their guns blow up in their hands: Eugene had sabotaged the bullets. Rick and Negan face off, and Rick cuts Negan’s throat. Then, remembering Carl’s wish, he has Siddiq save Negan’s life.
Rick offers the surviving Saviors a place in the new peace, and Negan is locked away instead of killed. Not everyone agrees. Maggie, who wanted Negan dead for killing Glenn, vows to act against Rick, and Morgan walks away, which led into his move to Fear the Walking Dead. The fallout drives The Walking Dead season 9.
Our take
Carl’s death was a mistake. He had grown up in front of us since season 1, and in Robert Kirkman’s comics, Carl survives to the very last issue.
Sparing Negan was the right call, though. Without it there would be no Negan and Maggie story, and that story became its own series, The Walking Dead: Dead City, with Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan heading into Manhattan. Its third season ended on September 13, 2026, and AMC has not announced a fourth yet.
Quick answers
How does Carl die in The Walking Dead season 8? He is bitten by a walker while helping Siddiq, hides it, reveals it in episode 8 and dies in episode 9, “Honor”.
Does Rick kill Negan in season 8? No. Rick cuts his throat in the finale, then has Siddiq save him, and Negan is locked away.
Who dies in The Walking Dead season 8? Carl (episode 9) and Simon (episode 15) are the biggest deaths, along with Shiva (episode 4), many of the Kingdom’s fighters and a lot of Saviors.
How many episodes are in The Walking Dead season 8? Sixteen, aired from October 22, 2017 to April 15, 2018. The premiere was the show’s 100th episode.
More Walking Dead on Lazybatman: season 3, season 5, season 7, season 9, the 10 most iconic Walking Dead quotes, and how to watch The Walking Dead in order.
One question to end on: was killing off Carl the show’s biggest mistake? Comments are open.
Sources: Wikipedia, The Walking Dead season 8, Wikipedia, list of The Walking Dead episodes, TVLine, IBTimes. The Walking Dead is an AMC series based on the comic by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard; all rights belong to AMC and the show’s producers.
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