Season 12 (TV Series)

Season 12 of HBO's The Walking Dead consists of ten episodes. It premiered in April 2026. Daniel Stephen continued to serve as showrunner from the previous season. It is the final season of the main show and is followed on by a sequel series known as 'Grimes' which focuses on Reece, Judith and Taron following the events of the finale "Rest in Peace".
This season focuses on...
This season received critical acclaim and is cited as the best season of the original show, the episodes...
Following the series finale, "Rest in Peace" a trailer noting, "The Grimes family will return" was shown. A special episode of 'Talking Dead' aired which revealed that Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira would still be starring in the spin-off movies. It was also revealed a sequel series developed by Angela Kang would focus on Reece, Judith and Taron would air in April 2028. This season features the final appearance of many main cast members and the final appearance of the Commonwealth until Season 3 of Grimes.
== Plot ==
=== "Splintered" ===
* Maggie is distraught and guilty, she receives news of Pamela and is called to an emergency meeting where the leaders of the Commonwealth decide that Lillian be put in charge in the time being. Georgie leaves early.
* Henry and Lydia attempt to get Reece to leave but he has lost the will to live, eventually the Commonwealth guards break in but Georgie arrives and helps them escape. She tells them that they can seek refuge in her town for the time being and that Hilde and Midge are looking for other survivors.
* Sebastian leads the searches for survivors, eventually he meets Aya and informs her that Yumiko is a traitor, Aya defends her sister but Sebastian doesn't listen.
* Negan, Judith and Yumiko make their way through the Commonwealth, they near escaping when they find Aaron has been captured. They turn back to help him.
=== "Far From Home" ===
* Midge finds Negan, Yumi and Judith and helps to rescue Aaron, Yumiko is injured before being captured. The rest are sucessful in saving Aaron, but he is injured. Midge takes Aaron to Georgie's town while Negan and Judith stay to help Yumiko. They find themselves cornered when they find Taron hiding in a dumpster.
* Reece, Lydia and Henry are forced to walk through a horde to make their way to Georgie's town, Hilde comes with them and ends up giving them away, Lydia ends up bitten because of Hilde. Henry gets angry at her but Lydia calms him down.
* At Stephanie's she recieves a message from her dad about what has happened confirming all Coalition members are now enemies of the Commonwealth, she orders Eugene to hide and promises to come back.
* Siobhan is confused by the chaos and ventures out to find out what is going on, she finds Maggie who is heartbroken, she comforts her friend and Maggie explains everything. Siobhan is horrified and asks what they will do, Maggie says they need to find Georgie because they have to fight back. Siobhan is conflicted but agrees.
=== "One More" ===
* Lillian and Sebastian speak to a large crowd, they explain what has happened which results in initially cheers of agreement with the slaughter but another group pipes up and a riot breaks out. Lillian explains that the traitors aren't strong enough and they will reveal themselves before perishing. Lillian calls Georgie and Maggie to her office, Siobhan comes as well. Maggie is angry at Lillian who threatens her, but she turns her guards on Georgie who attack her. Maggie holds Lillian at gunpoint before ordering Siobhan to take Georgie and go. Maggie uses Lillian as a shield to escape and manages to escape the Commonwealth with the other two to Georgie's town.
* Henry tends to Lydia's wound, Reece remains mostly unresponsive and near suicidal. Hilde apoligises to Lydia who forgives her. They decide to cut off Lydia's arm but only Reece has the best blade. Henry tries to talk to him but Reece only shouts at him. He then storms off. Henry finds Reece at a cliff later on, he asks if Reece is going to jump, Reece says he doesn't know. Henry reminds him about Judith but Reece shouts at him saying that's all he's has ever heard from people, remember you still have this person and that person but it doesnt help. Henry then starts shouting back about his brother, then Ezekiel then Carol. Reece looks ashamed. They talk then Reece returns to Lydia and Hilde, he agrees to cut off Lydia's arm.
=== "The Rotten Core" ===
* Negan and Judith helps get Taron to safety but he is injured. They return to Aya's home and convince her to let them in, she helps Taron before asking where Yumiko is. They don't have time to explain before Mercer bursts in, he and Negan fight while Aya helps Taron and Judith escape. She leads them into the sewers to take them outside the city. At the end of the episode it is revealed both Negan and Mercer survive and that Negan has escaped to the roofs.
* Lillian tortures Yumiko into telling them where they were going but Yumiko breaks her nose, she leaves Yumiko with Sebastian who rapes her. Stephanie finds out about this and confronts Lillian who threatens her, she then sends Stephanie home. Later that night Stephanie sits with Eugene before Mercer arrives, he looks sorrowful but doesn't speak to her, he leaves a box for her. Inside it is Stephanie's father's head.
* The next day, Yumiko is being prepared to be hung when Negan and Princess save her, he is revealed to have been found by Princess who sets off a bomb at the gate where the horde is, this causes enough commotion to give them time to escape. As they walk through the horde, Mercer sees them and tries to shoot Negan who dodges it but it catches Yumiko in the arm and she screams, this gives her position away to the walkers and she is devoured as Negan watches helplessly. he glares at Mercer before Princess ushers him away.
=== "Find Me" ===
* Lydia's condition worsens as Henry helps her walk along the road. Reece remains mostly silent and Midge attempts to break the silence. She reveals they are close. Eventually, they arrive at Harrowtown and they are reunited with everyone, Reece's sees Judith with Aya and Taron, who have just arrive before them. He breaks down holding his son in his arms.
* At Harrowtown, Maggie, Georgie and Siobhan gather up a militia, Maggie finds Aaron is in the infirmary. She is happy to see him before realising he doesn't know what has happened, he asks about Gracie and she feels even more guilty. Later on, he sits by himself at the river, Maggie confesses that she knew Pamela was going to betray them but she didn't expect that to happen, she tells Aaron that she knows he will hate her but he reveals he doesn't, they sit together and cry.
* Lilian and Sebastian discuss what their next move is, Sebastian states he doesn't know where they've all gone but he wants to kill Reece personally. Lillian laughs before revealing they're all in Harrowtown, she states that they should wait for them but he wants to go after them, he threatens her and she agrees with him. She tells him she has a plan to get them back with as little casualties as possible.
* Aya, Judith and Taron make their way to Harrowtown, they are in a car and arrive shortly before Reece and the others. Eventually, Negan and Princess arrive, everyone is happy before Negan reveals Yumiko's fate. Aya breaks down but Reece comforts her saying that they will avenge her and all of their loved ones the Commonwealth took.
=== "Sucker Punch" ===
* LIllian forces Eugene to go to Harrowtown convincing him by threatening Stephanie's life.
* He arrives and settles in, although, Siobhan doesn't trust him as she doesn't know how he knew where to go. They shut her down.
* Reece and Maggie conflict over what has happened, Negan speaks to Maggie and they somewhat make amends, Negan promises to speak to Reece.
* Georgie makes plans with the other leaders on how to best remove Lillian from power and deal with Sebastian, one of the leaders Robert storms out on the basis that Georgie will get them all killed.
* Georgie's house burns down and she dies, all fingers are pointed to Robert but he has been murdered. It is then assumed that Eugene is the killer, this divides everyone but it is revealed that Eugene has been in the hospital the whole time.
* It is revealed that Hilde has been paid off to kill Georgie and the other traitorous leaders so that she and Midge can survive the conflict, Midge is horrified and fights her sister but Hilde accidentally kills her. She begs for forgiveness and Reece prepares to arrest her but Judith kills her, shocking everyone.
* That night Reece lectures Judith about what happened. It is reported that Commonwealth soldiers have been spotted by Scouts, Maggie assures them the wall will hold as it is re-enforced but an explosive goes off in the inside bringing down several panels.
* The soldiers flood in as a battle ensues, Mercer and Sebastian watch over as the town begins to burn. Eugene appears behind them and reveals he did as he was asked, Mercer thanks him but Sebastian kills him, stating there would be no exceptions to killing the coalition members.
* Sideplot; Henry and Lydia prepare to say their goodbyes as she is dying from the failed amputation. They plan for her death but it is interrupted by the battle, she decides to hang around
=== "Here's Negan" ===
* A battle rages on as Reece takes command, he and Judith fight side by side before they find Henry and Lydia, along with Negan they find safety as a horde breaks through. They spend a lot of the episode travelling through the horde to get behind the soldiers and kill Mercer and Sebastian. Eventually, they take shelter and Lydia can't go on, Henry breaks down in tears over her dying and when she cant lift her gun to kill herself, he offers. Reece and the others wait in the other room for it when they hear a shot, Lydia screams out. Reece runs back in as Henry has killed himself, Lydia is weakly crying and so is Reece. He can't bring himself to kill her as Negan offers to do it, she thanks him and tells him she has been a real father figure to her.
* Reece, Judith and Negan head away from the town but they run into Mercer and Sebastian, Reece pursues Sebastian while Negan and Mercer face off. They brutally fight each other and eventually Negan manages to overpower him allowing his head to be eaten by walkers below them. Negan takes Mercer's bat from him and leaves for the road. Eventually running into Aaron and Maggie.
* Maggie and Siobhan lead a bunch of rebel soldiers in the fight against the Commonwealth, Aaron and Aya assist them. Eventually, they decide that Harrowtown is lost and Maggie orders them to return to their homes defend them as this battle is lost. Maggie, Siobhan, Aya and Aaron head back towards the Commonwealth, deciding that since a large portion of the army is here, then Lillian may be unprotected. They run into Negan and Maggie sees him with the bat, she tells them they all need to go while the army is trapped into Harrowtown in the horde. Negan agrees.
* Reece chases Sebastian down the road but loses him, Sebastian then drives a car straight at Reece, he dodges it but then Sebastian fires a gun at him and it narrowly grazes his head, he is about to kill Reece when he hears Maggie and the others driving towards him, he gets back in his car, fleeing home. The others stop at Reece and check he is okay but he is very disoriented.
=== "The Last Stand" ===
* Sebastian arrives home, Lillian welcomes him and questions where the army is, he reveals they are mostly lost due to the horde at Harrowtown, she is furious but assures him they should have enough still to fend off the crumbling forces.
* A few miles from the Jewel, the force lead by Negan, Maggie and Aaron plan for their attack, they state sneaking through the horde will be hard but Princess tells them about the sewers she Henry and Lydia snuck in through, Judith and Aya confirm they can lead them. Maggie reveals she can get them into the weapons chamber.
* Reece and Negan talk, he is still very disoriented by the bullet grazing his head, Negan tells Reece he cannot fight but Reece insists. Negan tells him that once this is over, he'll need Reece so they can finally be a family. Reece agrees to stay sidelined. They talk about Henry and Lydia and then Rosita, they hug.
* The group splits up underground as they head through the sewers, Maggie and Siobhan go with Aya to get into the weapons chamber while Aaron and Negan go with Aya to round up rebellious citizens to join the fight.
* Lillian and Sebastian remain very tense, she begins to execute rebellious citizens as a show of power, including Stephanie. Her advisor, Harrison, speaks out but Sebastian drags him to the gallows and hangs him.
* Negan's group comes above ground as Aya goes door to door and gathers up her allies, they all prepare to fight back and head to the town square, they catch the guards by surprise.
* Maggie's group stalks through the sewers and are attacked by a group of walkers, they all reach the end of the tunnels and climb up the ladders to the street to make their approach on foot but Siobhan falls into the walkers and is devoured, Maggie is heartbroken as she fires at her friend, ending her misery. Judith asks which way to the armory but Maggie says they are finishing this know and leads her to a back staircase leading to the town hall.
* The two leaders both grow anxious over Mercer not returning, she assumes the worst and wonders why they have not been attacked yet suddenly, she gets a radio from a guard stating the rebels have attacked and they have rioters with them, she recalls all the forces from others towns but Sebastian says it wont be enough as they wont be here in time. He knocks her unconscious.
* The riots can be heard outside and Maggie reaches the Office, Judith stands guard outside while Maggie enters, she only finds Pamela's reanimated corpse tied to a chair along with a note from Sebastian, she smells gasoline before realizing what is happening, the room explodes into flames and Judith is horrified. She runs away.
* As the riots grow crazy and the guards either die or turn, Lillian walks outside, however, Sebastian walks out behind her, holding her at gunpoint. The crowd goes quiet as he addresses them and apologizes for his actions, he blames his mothers suicide and Lillian's manipulation, he says as an act of sorrow he has apprehended the traitor and has a list of names of those who worked with her to cause the chaos, he reveals that he is prepared to make piece with the coalition, hand over Lillian and reveal all traitors in order to start rebuilding, he also reveals he has recalled all soldiers from the towns to stop the fighting. The crowd is convinced and he reveals that Eugene, Maggie, Georgie, Siobhan, Midge, Hilde, Stephanie, Stephanie's father among others were all in on it, he then names Aya as the final conspirator. Everyone is shocked, he then names that the traitors who are alive should be arrested and executed in the morning which the crowd agrees with, Aya and the other 'traitors' are taken away.
* Negan prepares to speak up against Sebastian but Aaron stops him. The crowd begin to cheer for Sebastian and the others look worried.
=== "Knock Knock" ===
* Negan walks through the streets the next morning, he encounters Sebastian in the square, he questions what is being built and Sebastian reveals that all the traitors will be put on crucifixes as shame and a warning to anyone who wants to disrupt the peace, he and Negan have a tense stand off. Negan asks where Judith is but Sebastian replies he doesn't know but he will help him find her. Negan tells him not to bother.
* As Reece and Taron return with the others, he meets Negan and they hug but Reece sees Sebastian and goes to attack but Negan stops him, Sebastian orders his men to stand down as Reece was obviously not informed, Reece tries to continue going for Sebastian but Negan stops him. He carries Reece away with Aaron's help. Reece shouts at them for stopping him as Sebastian is responsible for everything, they fill him in and he storms out after screaming at them, he goes to find Judith as he needs to know if she is dead or alive. Negan shouts his apartment number to him and Reece turns around and glares at him.
* Reece goes to the prison block and speaks to Lillian, she reveals Sebastian lied but she cannot prove him wrong and for that she is proud of him. She tells him that Sebastian cannot be trusted, he agrees. He then speaks to Aya who reveals she is not guilty, he reveals that he believes her and asks where Judith went, she reveals she went with Maggie to the armory but the weapons never made it to the rioters, he follows the trail. Eventually, he comes across the burnt office and looks inside, he finds a burnt walker which has Hershel's watch, he realises it is Maggie as it crawls towards him, he cries and speaks to her, he apologizes for how things were left and states he will send Hershel back to Alexandria where he can be safe. He then puts her down. He is now the final member of the original group.
* Outside the room he follows a blood trail and eventually, he finds Judith, he is happy to see her and they head back to get some sleep.
* Negan and Aaron go through their belongings which were brought by the first Commonwealth group, Aaron prepares to head home when Reece arrives with Hershel, he asks that he takes Hershel and raises him for Maggie as she is gone, they all take a moment before Aaron leaves.
* Reece and Negan have an argument about staying here or not and Reece storms off. Negan goes back to helping the townspeople and is shown to be a leader to them. Sebastian watches them from afar.
* That night Sebastian walks through the streets, he arrives at an apartment which is revealed to be Reece's. He steps inside and a light turns on, he smiles before pulling the trigger and shushing them.
=== "Rest in Peace" ===
* Reece stalks through the woods with Negan, Negan continuously tries to talk to him but Reece is too upset to speak, eventually, they settle their differences as Reece begins to walk home, it is shown to be after the hunting trip but it is revealed that the hunting trip was in Reece's mind and he was imagining it as a way to calm himself down after their fight. He steps inside the apartment and goes to sleep before waking up when the door bursts open, he turns on the light.
* Negan and Princess discuss the state of things, she reveals she will stay and help Negan rebuild as she likes him and Reece. He says he likes her as well and says she is welcome to stay, he asks her to keep an eye on Reece for him as he may not always get on with him. She agrees. He notices Sebastian watching them and he goes aside with her, he reveals that Aya is innocent and she needs to break her out, she agrees to do it while Negan keeps Sebastian occupied. Princess gets Judith's help and they manage to break out Aya and hide her in Princess' apartment. Negan and Sebastian sit down and talk, Negan tries to appeal to Sebastian's mercy but Sebastian remains firm on not letting anything happen, Negan casually threatens him and Sebastian begrudgingly lets it slide. Negan tells him goodnight and Sebastian watches him walk away.
* Reece awakens and sees Princess, she gets him up bright and early as they are starting their new jobs today, Judith is with them. They walk to the square where a large crowd has gathered, as Princess walks round the corner she notices what the crowd is looking at. She stops Reece from seeing but he pushes round and is shocked. There is a flashback to Sebastian entering Negan's room and killing him after finding Reece's room empty. He then hung put Negan on a crucifix in the square, Princess tells Reece is may be a trap and she will go to Sebastian as he wont get close but he is isn't listening and is sliding down the wall in agony. Judith tells Princess to go, she approaches the crowd who all look at her. She asks Sebastian what is happening but he reveals Negan was conspiring with Reece and her to kill him and that they were the final traitors, she says that isn't true but Sebastian claims Negan tried to kill him last night. He then raises a gun and shoots her, Judith sees this and tells Reece who looks shocked, he turns the corner and fires at Sebastian who is hit in the shoulder, the guards and crowd chase them as they run through the streets, they have no where to go when Aya drives up by them in a car, she gives it to them before telling them to run and never turn back, not even to Alexandria, just to run and never stop. Reece sees Taron in the car and gets in with Judith, he drives off through the fence as Aya is trampled by the crowd, he doesn't look back while Judith looks at him.
* Several days later, Reece and Judith look over a ridge and see a massive horde. They look out over it before returning to the car, Taron asks if they are going home but Reece responds they don't have one anymore. He tells them both that they are now a team and will always have each others backs, he reminds them that they are Grimes and that Rick, Carl, Michonne, Lori, Rosita, Maggie and Negan didn't fight for them just to die out, that they will fight till the end of their days and one day will have a home again.
== Episodes ==
Title 	Writer(s) 	Director(s) 	Air Date 	Viewers (U.S.)
"Splintered" 	Daniel Stephen	Daniel Stephen	April 2026	11 Million
"Far From Home" 	Daniel Stephen	Laura Besley 	April 2026	11.28 Million
"One More" 	Daniel Stephen	Andrew Lincoln	May 2026 	11.3 Million
"The Rotten Core"	Daniel Stephen	Matt Negrete 	May 2026 	11.29 Million
"Find Me" 	Daniel Stephen	Greg Nicotero 	May 2026 	11.11 Million
"Sucker Punch" 	Daniel Stephen	Frank Darabont	May 2026 	11.43 Million
"Here's Negan" 	Daniel Stephen	Daniel Stephen	June 2026 	11.6 Million
"The Last Stand" 	Daniel Stephen	Daniel Stephen	June 2026 	11.22 Million
"Knock Knock" 	Daniel Stephen	Daniel Stephen	June 2026 	11.7 Million
"Rest in Peace" 	Daniel Stephen	Daniel Stephen	June 2026 	12.5 Million
== Cast ==
<tabview>
Season 12 (TV Series)/Starring|Starring
Season 12 (TV Series)/Also Starring|Also Starring
Season 12 (TV Series)/Co-Starring|Co-Starring
</tabview>
== Deaths ==
* Yumiko Matayoshi
* Georgie
* Eugene
*Henry Peltier
*Lydia
* Siobhan
*Maggie Rhee
* Neil Aegan
*Aya Matayoshi
== Reception ==
== Trivia ==