While The Walking Dead‘s series finale had plenty of potential victims to choose from, Rosita was the only true choice. The Walking Dead has never been shy about killing major characters. Naturally, audiences familiar with The Walking Dead‘s violent history anticipated the final season – and the series finale in particular – would rack up a hefty death toll. That assumption proved wildly off, as not only has The Walking Dead season 11 largely avoided killing big heroes, but even the finale shows uncharacteristic restraint. Aside from Jules and Luke, who apparently returned especially for the honor of dying, Rosita is undoubtedly the biggest casualty.
Rosita’s The Walking Dead demise is partially the result of circumstance. Between AMC’s upcoming three The Walking Dead spinoffs, many of the main cast were safeguarded against death long before the finale aired. The most tenured, high-impact characters The Walking Dead could kill off essentially narrowed down to either Rosita or Eugene, with both joining as main characters in season 4 and remaining at the forefront of the action ever since. Both were plausible targets, but The Walking Dead‘s morbid pendulum began swinging in Rosita’s direction as soon as season 11 revealed Coco was not being kept with the other children.
Why Rosita, Not Eugene, Had To Be The Walking Dead’s Final Victim
In the dying moments of The Walking Dead season 11’s “Faith,” the Outpost 22 warden assured a visibly shaken Rosita she would “lose everything” while refusing to divulge where her child was being kept. As Eugene gradually drifted out of danger thanks to Mercer’s intervention, The Walking Dead positioned Rosita as a heroic mother willing to take absolutely any measure necessary to recover her daughter. That prophecy fulfills itself in The Walking Dead‘s final episode, when Rosita protects Coco with her own body, receiving a zombie bite while keeping her child safe. Rosita’s valiant maternal mission made her death all but inevitable.
Rosita dying instead of Eugene makes sense as a conclusion to the pair’s ongoing dynamic. Rosita has typically guided Eugene through the zombie outbreak in The Walking Dead and, as Eugene himself admits, made him the man he is during season 11. In return, Rosita has found a faithful and loyal friend who became like a brother in need of protection. That Eugene must now make his way in the world without Rosita feels like a natural step in his personal The Walking Dead journey, while Rosita protecting Coco at the cost of her own life feels like the natural final step of hers.
TWD Was Right To Make Rosita The Series Finale’s Only Major Victim
The Walking Dead could, of course, have killed both Rosita and Eugene in its series finale. The likes of Gabriel, Aaron and Jerry could have found themselves on the finale chopping block also, and The Walking Dead weirdly goes out of its way to keep Elijah safe. Rosita getting the Andrea comic death and becoming the only major character resting in peace by the end of “Rest In Peace” is surprisingly merciful for a TV show with The Walking Dead‘s reputation. Rather than a weakness, however, Rosita’s final moments benefit from the increased focus of being the series finale’s only major victim.
Previously, The Walking Dead has prioritized quantity over quality in terms of violent character exits. Perhaps the most infamous example would be killing Abraham alongside Glenn in The Walking Dead season 7’s premiere. Learning the lessons from that mistake, The Walking Dead gives Rosita’s ending space to resonate and breathe, letting the tragedy permeate through each main character and wringing every last drop of emotion from this one final death.
