's Commonwealth arc brought the franchise's flagship show to an end, but the finale proved it still has a huge Rick Grimes problem. Rick was shockingly written off of in season 9, episode 5, "What Comes After" when he sacrificed himself to save his community from an incoming herd of walkers. Unknown to the Alexandrians, Rick survived but was flown off to the Civil Republic Military, leaving everyone else presuming he died. Since Rick left, has tried to replace him by giving the likes of Daryl Dixon and Judith Grimes larger roles, but his absence left a large void in the show.
Despite his departure, Rick Grimes is still by far 's biggest character and the one that audiences care about the most. Although he has been missing for years, still hinged its ending on a brief Rick Grimes appearance. The emotional beats of the finale were also Rick Grimes-related, with Judith's storyline mirroring Rick's and Daryl channeling his best friend's leadership qualities to stand up to Pamela Milton. While Rick is getting his own spinoff, the declining viewership numbers in the final seasons of and its other spinoffs prove that he is the main reason people tune in.
had set up a few characters to take over from Rick Grimes as Alexandria's leader, but they all left the show as well. Carl Grimes was always the natural replacement for Rick, as he was in Robert Kirkman's comics, but . Maggie Rhee and Michonne were also well-positioned to become the community's new leaders, but Maggie suddenly left in season 9, and Michonne soon departed in season 10. With that trio leaving at a similar time to Rick, it was difficult to build a credible new leader.
Daryl Dixon is the closest has come to replacing Rick Grimes. Throughout his tenure in , Daryl has been one of the most popular characters, but that has largely been because of his anti-hero persona that doesn't lend itself to becoming Rick's successor. Other survivors have been pushed into the spotlight since Rick's absence, with becoming a more established character in the final season, but replacing Rick Grimes was always going to be impossible given he was the centerpiece of the show for almost a decade.
's main show might be over, but the franchise is continuing with three spinoffs, including Rick and Michonne's own series. finale gave a glimpse of what to expect, with Michonne battling her way through walkers to find Rick, who’s desperately attempting to escape the CRM. While Daryl's series in France is intriguing, and Maggie and Negan's show will bring fresh life into , the most anticipated of the three. With Rick Grimes confirmed to feature prominently in the future of , the franchise should expect to win back lapsed fans who tuned out after his departure.
