The Walking Dead became a hit series for AMC when it premiered in 2010. Based on the comic book series of the same name by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard, Kirkman was heavily involved in the series, which led to its authenticity and appeal to fans of the apocalyptic stories and characters both new and old.
Following the show’s popularity, The Walking Dead became its own universe with numerous spin-offs that continue to this day, even after the original series has ended its run. Each one is set in a different place, some with new characters, some with crossovers. Some start before the outbreak, some long after, and a few are continuations from the original. Die-hard fans like to watch certain series, even episodes, in a specific order to follow along with the progressive timeline. But this doesn’t necessarily correspond with how these spin-off shows rank.
7 ‘The Walking Dead Web Series’ (2011-2018)
Directed by Greg Nicotero
Technically, the web series is just supplemental content to the main shows, helping give fans something unique and exciting to watch while they wait for new seasons or episodes to return. There were eight seasons of The Walking Dead (webisodes), each with a different cast and story. The initial ones were removed from the main shows but exist in the same universe. Some told the story of characters from both The Walking Deadand Fear the Walking Dead, like “The Althea Tapes” that followed Althea’s (Maggie Grace) journey before and after meeting the main group on the latter show as she interviews individuals she meets. Others have slight connections, like “The Walking Dead: Red Machete” that tells the backstory of Mandy, the red machete that Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) used to kill Gareth (Andrew J. West) in season five of the main show.
As webisodes, these were only watchable online, of course. Each one consisted of shorter short clips versus full-length episodes. Chances are only superfans watched them. But they add a fun level of context that brings the stories together.
6 ‘Tales of The Walking Dead’ (2022)
Created by Scott Gimple and Channing Powell
With a star-studded cast, Tales of the Walking Dead was another spin-off designed to pay fan service to both viewers as well as celebrities who were fascinated with the show and wanted to be a part of the universe. Among these was Terry Crews, who starred alongside Olivia Munn in one of the six episodes. Other episodes starred celebrities like Parker Posey, Jillian Bell, Anthony Edwards, and Jessie T. Usher.
The episodes are delivered in anthology format, with each one having its own unique tone and feel. They range from comedy to horror, setting this show apart from others. There’s also no crossover with the main series except for episode three called “Dee” which tells the backstory of Alpha (Samantha Morton), one of the most menacing villains on The Walking Dead, and her daughter Lydia (Cassady McClincy). It’s the kind of show anyone can watch without knowing anything about the main series since Tales of The Walking Dead stands entirely on its own. Only the walkers and a desolate apocalyptic world connect it to the others.
5 ‘The Walking Dead: World Beyond’ (2020-2021)
Created by Scott M. Gimple and Matthew Negrete
Arguably the least popular of the main series spin-offs, The Walking Dead: World Beyond exists in the same universe, but in a different setting. It centers around a group of teenagers who grew up in the apocalypse, many of whom barely remember the world before. They are studying at a university in Nebraska, and the story follows a small group who venture out alone following a bombing of the school. They explore and uncover truths and lies about the Civic Republic Military (CRM) that oversees them, and finally learn what the world looks like outside of their four walls.
The Walking Dead: World Beyond might seem like the show fans can skip over, but it provides tons of crucial context. There’s a relation to teased appearances of the CRM in Fear the Walking Dead and a major tie-in with the newest spin-off The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live. Plus, a post-credits end scene in the series finale reveals a lot about the virus outbreak in general. There’s a cameo flashback appearance from Dr. Edwin Jenner (Noah Emmerich) that’s a don’t-want-to-miss moment. The show itself has a slightly different tone given that most of the main protagonists are college-aged kids. It’s not as mature a show in more ways than just the literal sense, but it has some exciting moments. Plus Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh) from The Walking Dead is a crossover main character.
The Walking Dead World Beyond
4 ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ (2015-2023)
Created by Robert Kirkman and Dave Erickson
The Walking Dead begins with Rick waking up from a coma, about six weeks into the virus outbreak. So, fans never get to see how things started. This is rectified with Fear the Walking Dead, which starts slowly as the virus outbreak begins and no one understands what is going on. This alone is exciting as fans can imagine what they might have thought or how they would have reacted in such a situation. The setting is also California, so there’s a much different feel with the group of survivors at the center of the story, eventually traveling to Mexico as well.
There’s an interesting dynamic among the characters that is unique from that of the original. There are also challenges like Nick (Frank Dillane), one of the best Fear the Walking Dead characters, battling demons as a drug addict (and oddly being able to acclimate quickly to a world of zombies), Madison (Kim Dickens), who has lived a hardened life that has prepared her for this world, and Travis (Cliff Curtis) and his son Chris (Lorenzo James Henrie), who demonstrate how a changing world and dire circumstances can impact people in vastly different ways. The story in Fear the Walking Dead arguably goes off the rails at one point, and die-hard fans will argue it got repetitive and went on a few seasons too long. But fans did love the addition of new characters along the way, including the character crossover with Morgan Jones (Lennie James) from The Walking Dead when the show’s two timelines finally converged.
3 ‘The Walking Dead: Dead City’ (2023-)
Created by Eli Jorne
One of three new spin-offs that have arisen since the end of the main series, The Walking Dead: Dead Citytakes place about five years after The Walking Dead ends. The story centers around redeemed villain Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Maggie (Lauren Cohan), who remains understandably repulsed by him given how he brutally murdered her husband Glenn (Steven Yuen). The story, set in New York, begins when Maggie ironically goes looking for Negan, requiring his help. Her son Hershel (Logan Kim) has been kidnapped and she believes Negan has a connection to the kidnapper.
The unlikely duo set out on a mission while Maggie tries to deal with her intense hatred of Negan, despite everything he has done to try and convince her that he has changed for the better. The tense relationship between the two is just as palpable as it was on the main show, with glimmers of “old Negan” coming out from time to time. With a second season in the works along with the setting of Manhattan Island, exciting new characters, and ties to the original, The Walking Dead: Dead City is a compelling watch for those who are missing the original.
2 ‘The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’ (2023-)
Created by David Zabel
When Lincoln as Rick Grimes left The Walking Dead, Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus), his number two and best friend, took over a leading role within the ensemble cast. As a fan favorite character, it’s no surprise that he got his own spin-off, with his namesake. The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon follows Daryl’s journey that eventually sees him mysteriously arrive in Paris. Through circumstance, he finds himself befriending a nun named Isabelle (Clémence Poésy) who wants his help to transport a young boy named Laurent (Louis Puech Scigliuzzi) to a safe place, believing him to be the future Messiah. There’s plenty of action, intriguing new characters, and a deeper character journey for Daryl than was ever explored on the original.
Fans were delighted with the announcement about the return of Daryl’s platonic soulmate Carol (Melissa McBride) for season two, which will be known as The Book of Carol. The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon is one of the most exciting shows from the franchise on the air today. With a second season coming in September 2024, the show has even already been renewed for a third.
1 The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live (2024)
Created by Scott M. Gimple
As the highest rated The Walking Dead series of the lot, The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live was also the most anticipated. It was a long time in the making, announced following the departures of both Lincoln and Michonne’s Danai Gurira from the original series. While it was initially going to be a movie, and the COVID-19 pandemic led to delays, The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live finally arrived in miniseries format this year. And it didn’t disappoint.
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live begins by revealing where Rick had been all this time since fans saw Jadis swoop him away to safety in a helicopter. The series also simultaneously follows Michonne’s journey since she left the main group to find him. Right from the first scene, The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Livehad fans hooked. It’s also largely a love story. Fans were delighted not only to see both fan favorite characters return, but also to finally reunite after so many years and reinforce their deep love for one another. Most importantly, The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live wrapped up a major storyline in a way that was satisfying and fitting for the story, with room still to grow should all the shows ever converge before a final end.
