The final episode of The Walking Dead shares its title with Robert Kirkman’s final volume of The Walking Dead comic, “Rest in Peace”, but there are several differences between the TV show ending and comic ending. Throughout its 11 seasons, AMC’s The Walking Dead has always made alterations to the comic book, with the show introducing original characters like Daryl Dixon but also shockingly killing off survivors like Carl Grimes. Generally, The Walking Dead‘s main group of heroes have come up against the same enemies in both stories, with wars being waged with the Saviors, the Whisperers, and the Commonwealth, but exactly how those storylines have played out has been different.

The main differences between The Walking Dead TV show ending and comic ending include survivor deaths, changes in character storylines, and the future of the Commonwealth. But while there are differences, AMC’s adaptation of Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead both end with a confrontation between the core group of survivors and Governor Pamela Milton. Here’s every way that The Walking Dead‘s TV show ending is different from the comics.

Comic Book Fallout Of Dwight’s Death

Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead comic ending starts off with the fallout of Dwight’s assassination attempt on the Commonwealth’s Governor, Pamela Milton. In volume 31 “The Rotten Core” Dwight draws a gun on Pamela because he thinks she’s a tyrant leader like Negan was, causing Rick Grimes to shoot Dwight fatally. Kirkman’s “Rest In Peace” starts with Pamela and Rick addressing the Commonwealth in an attempt to install peace and prevent a war.

In The Walking Dead TV series finale, this doesn’t happen, firstly because Dwight hasn’t been around the main show since the defeat of Negan’s Saviors, although he has featured in Fear The Walking Dead. The TV finale kicks off with Daryl attempting to get Judith Grimes the help she needs after being shot by Pamela Milton in the penultimate episode of The Walking Dead. The show’s finale starts at a much faster pace given the majority of the episode is set over one night, while The Walking Dead comic’s final volume covers several days.

Judith Grimes’ Injury

Pamela Milton’s shooting of Judith Grimes was one of the most shocking moments in The Walking Dead‘s final season. In The Walking Dead show finale, Daryl Dixon desperately tries to find Judith medical attention and resorts to giving her his own blood. That moment doesn’t happen in Robert Kirkman’s comics, because Judith horrifically died in The Walking Dead comics as a newborn baby when her mother, Lori, was shot by one of the Governor’s followers and landed on top of Judith, crushing and suffocating her to death. The medical treatment that Judith receives in The Walking Dead show ending was an original storyline, rather than being lifted from another character in the comic series.

Mercer’s Prison Break

Both in AMC’s The Walking Dead TV show and Robert Kirkman’s comic book series, Mercer joins the revolution against Governor Milton and is put in prison for his troubles. The TV ending showed Mercer’s cell door being blown open by his girlfriend, Princess, and sister, Max, so he could lead the fight against Pamela. In Kirkman’s comic, Mercer is rescued in a similar fashion when the back of his cell is blown up by former Savior, Laura, and fellow Commonwealth soldier, George. Unlike The Walking Dead show ending, Mercer’s escape is less welcome in the comic as Commonwealth citizens do not trust the trooper, and he asks Rick to lead the revolution.

“We Are Not The Walking Dead”

Season 11 built up to the final confrontation between The Walking Dead‘s heroes and Pamela Milton’s Commonwealth. When Pamela refuses to open the gates to rescue hundreds of innocent citizens, Daryl, Gabriel, and the rest of the main group stand up to the Commonwealth Governor and her armed forces. Daryl Dixon delivers a heartfelt speech telling Pamela that every survivor deserves a chance to live, reminding her that “we ain’t the walking dead“, which convinces the Commonwealth soldiers to stand down and allows Gabriel to open the gates.

In The Walking Dead comic book, similar events occur at the Commonwealth, but in a different order. After defeating a herd of walkers, the Commonwealth army, led by Pamela, squares off with Rick’s militia. When Pamela calls for an attack, Rick immediately intervenes peacefully and convinces everyone, and delivers the famous line “we are NOT the walking dead”. Like Daryl Dixon in The Walking Dead show, Rick’s intervention prevents further bloodshed in the Commonwealth.

Pamela’s Attempted Suicide

In The Walking Dead TV finale, Pamela realizes she’s lost, so heads towards the herd of walkers to die, only to be saved by Maggie Greene, who had intended to assassinate the Governor but was convinced by Negan that prison would be a worse fate for her. In the comic series, Pamela willingly goes to prison, although her conversation in her cell is almost identical to what happened in the show. In both Walking Dead endings, Pamela calls the new leaders of the Commonwealth naive and questions how they intend to run the community fairly when some survivors will ultimately have to live in nicer houses or do better jobs than others.

The Commonwealth Zombie Explosion

The biggest stunt in The Walking Dead franchise was rightfully saved for the series finale, when Mercer coordinated the mass explosion of the Commonwealth area that the massive zombie herd had breached. The explosion killed hundreds of walkers in brutal fashion, with many burning zombies falling to their death into the Commonwealth sewers. The Walking Dead comic ending also featured a walker attack, but the herd was much smaller and handled with much less collateral damage, as the veteran apocalypse survivors worked together to redirect the herd out of the Commonwealth rather than blow them all up.

Negan’s Redemption

Since the Savior’s defeat in season 8 of The Walking Dead, Negan has been on a redemption arc that was wrapped up in the series finale. Negan worked as part of the team that took over the Commonwealth and defeated the walker herd. Afterward, Maggie tells Negan that he has earned his place in the community, but admits she cannot forgive him for Glenn’s death. Still, the community appreciates that Negan’s changed, with Daryl acknowledging the former Savior leader’s help. In the comic ending, Negan does not feature in the Commonwealth coup after being set free from prison by Rick Grimes shortly after the Whisperer War to live his life alone.

Rosita & Other Walking Dead TV Deaths

The Walking Dead TV show ending had to deliver at least one main character’s death, and it did so with Rosita, who was tragically bitten during her heroic fight against the zombie herd. Rosita’s death adapts Andrea’s comic book death, where she is similarly bitten by a walker but gets to live out her final moments surrounded by her loved ones. In Kirkman’s comic, Rosita is one of the victims whose zombified head is placed on Alpha’s infamous Whisperer pike border, so was not part of the Commonwealth storyline.

The other two significant deaths in The Walking Death finale were Jules and Luke. The supporting characters made fleeting appearances in season 11, but were on the receiving end of gruesome walker deaths in the show ending. Jules was savagely ripped apart by zombies, while Luke succumbed to the injuries he received trying to save Jules. In The Walking Dead comic, Luke was another decapitated victim of Alpha’s pike massacre, while Jules was an original character for the TV series.

The Death Of Rick Grimes

Undoubtedly the most shocking moment in Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead comic is the assassination of Rick Grimes by Sebastian Milton, Pamela’s son. Rick’s death comes in the comic’s final volume after he has seemingly prevented a war within the Commonwealth, when a bitter Sebastian kills him because of his mother’s imprisonment. In The Walking Dead show, neither Rick or Sebastian make it to the final Commonwealth confrontation – although the final scene of the finale does tease Rick and Michonne’s upcoming spinoff, with Rick trying to escape the CRM.

The Walking Dead Comic’s Bigger Time Jump

The Walking Dead show finale has the final episode feature a one-year time jump following the successful overthrowing of Pamela as leader of the Commonwealth, showcasing the future of the series’ cast. The community is thriving with Ezekiel appointed as the new Governor and Mercer as his second in command. Alexandria has been rebuilt, and the two communities are working in harmony to live in peace. While almost everyone is content with life at this point in the show timeline, Maggie makes it clear that her intention is to explore what more is out there, while Daryl is seen driving off to do the same – setting up their Walking Dead spinoffs.

Robert Kirkman’s comic book ending takes a much bigger time jump in its final issue, which focuses on an adult Carl Grimes who has a family with Sophia. Carl gets into a legal altercation, judged by Michonne, after killing one of Herschel Rhee’s zombies that he uses for his carnival show. Elsewhere, Maggie is the president of the much expanded Commonwealth, Eugene has developed a railway system between communities, Negan is living alone, and a huge statue of Rick Grimes is erected. Although they have several differences, both the TV show and comic book are fitting endings for The Walking Dead.