One of the biggest mistakes in was brought back to the forefront during the series finale, "Rest in Peace." eleventh and final season came to an end on November 20, 2022, wrapping up twelve years of stories set in the zombie apocalypse, while also perfectly setting up several upcoming spinoffs which will continue the stories of some of the most well-loved characters. Throughout its run, never cared too much about staying true to its graphic novel source material, but one of the biggest changes from the comics became even more evident in the series finale, which could have gone very differently.
One of the most notable missing members of the cast during "Rest in Peace" was Chandler Riggs, who portrayed Rick's son, Carl Grimes, from the start of until his character's death in season 8, episode 9, "Honor." The focus that series finale put on and Judith's fate in the Commonwealth only made Carl's absence even more profound. The eldest Grimes child's death came as a huge shock to audiences of , and was seen by many to be the wrong choice for the show, especially since the character plays such a pivotal role in the entire run of comics.
Though Carl had some controversial moments on , as he got older and matured, he became a moral center for the group of survivors, even putting himself in the way of danger in order to save a stranger. His final episode was packed full of emotion as he said his farewells to his friends, and spent time with his young sister, Judith, before revealing the truth of his fate to his father, . viewers had become familiar with main characters' deaths, but nobody expected Carl to be killed so early on, particularly because he survives to the very end of the comic series.
Carl's death during season 8 was met with a negative response from both critics and fans, with many expressing confusion about why the character had to die when he was such a prominent figure in the survivors' community. The final issue of comic run, released in July 2019, featured a 25-year time jump and showed Carl Grimes, grown up and now living a happy life, but the TV version of Carl was robbed of this happy future. Drawing attention to Rick and only accentuates the fact that one of the most important members of the Grimes family is missing.
After Carl's death, it seemed as though Judith would be taking his place, but this never really made much sense. Over time, Carl became a forceful member of the community, always pushing to make the future a brighter place. It was, after all, his influence that caused Rick to spare Negan's life in hopes of a better, more peaceful future. Judith never acted as this figure among the survivors, so it never made sense for her to be replacing Carl. With Rick and Michonne set to return in one of , Carl's legacy will certainly live on despite his untimely death.
