Contains spoilers for "The Walking Dead Season 11, Episode 24 — "Rest In Peace"
Being acquainted with "The Walking Dead" means being acquainted with the devastating deaths of your favorite characters. No bridge has ever been too far in that regard. Season 2 reveals Carol's (Melissa McBride) most heartbreaking moment when she finds her daughter Sophia walking out of the Greene barn. And no one is likely to forget that Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) killed Glenn (Steven Yeun), no matter how many apologies he makes to Maggie (Lauren Cohan). This is the way of the world, and it wouldn't be "The Walking Dead" if there wasn't some emotional death to send off the show in its final moments.
After eight seasons, it is Rosita (Christian Serratos) who falls to the bite of a walker in the end. The last episode of the series revolves around her daring endeavor to rescue the children taken by The Commonwealth, including her daughter Coco. Rosita accomplishes her mission, but not without consequences. She lives her remaining days with friends and family, waiting for the infection to take her life. Though she leaves behind a heartbroken Eugene (Josh McDermitt) and her infant daughter, losses are a reality of life. And there was no one more supportive of Rosita's demise than the actor who plays her.
Christian Serratos wanted Rosita to be remembered
Jace Downs/AMC
There is no shortage of trauma felt by "The Walking Dead" characters, but there are points of light as well. Even though the world is chaotic and violent, Rick's (Andrew Lincoln) group often looks toward better things. Glenn and Maggie hoped for a child because they wanted to build a future. Rosita's daughter Coco wasn't exactly planned, but she also became an important symbol. So when the gears started turning for the end of the series, Christian Serratos hoped to give her character an ending with significance. And what was significant to Rosita is her daughter.
"I was talking to Christian Serratos about the plan for the final block of episodes, and she said that she felt the right ending for her story was to die trying to save her child and to do right for her community," showrunner Angela Kang explained to TV Insider. Though it had not initially been the plan, the writers decided on an ending that was befitting of the long-running character. "[Serratos] kind of advocated a little, and I went back to my writer's room and talked to the network and everybody, and we were like, 'Yeah. If she wants to do this, let's do an emotional version of that story,'" Kang went on to say.
As far as emotional endings go, Rosita's story would be at the top of the list. Rosita returns home for a final goodbye, leaving a legacy to be remembered.
