The Walking Dead’s Brutal Deaths Made It Popular, But They Took a Surprising Toll On Its Creator

The Walking Dead is known primarily for two things: zombies and its willingness to kill off beloved characters. While the latter hasn't always left its audience happy, it furthered the narrative and changed the story in a way many creators are simply unwilling to do, or unable to pull off quite so well. Saying goodbye to established characters isn't easy, though, and it came at a price for TWD's creator.

Walking Dead Deluxe #110, written by Robert Kirkman, with art by Charlie Adlard, is a full-color re-release of the issue, first published in 2013, and the reprint includes the original letters section.

Notably, this included one exchange in which a fan asked Kirkman if he was "able to detach" himself from characters he had invested a lot of time and energy into, when it came time to kill them off; Kirkman admitted that it was difficult to say goodbye, especially if further inspiration for the long-gone character struck in stories they couldn't participate in.

The Walking Dead's Trakemark Brutality Was Tough On Series Creator Robert Kirkman

The Walking Dead Deluxe #110; Written By Robert Kirkman; Art By Charlie Adlard; Color By Dave McCaig; Lettering By Rus Wooton

Looking back at Robert Kirkman's comments on character deaths from Walking Dead #110 is especially fascinating considering it came in the wake of the infamous death of Glenn at Negan's hands. It is also an interesting inside look at the process of creating and then killing characters who take on a life of their own, one that is worth looking at a bit more closely. The concept of death is baked thoroughly into The Walking Dead, but that makes losing complex characters matter more instead of less. As Robert Kirkman described the experience of killing off characters:

It’s upsetting….I mean, it’s not like a real person dying…but it sucks. It doesn’t really hit me until I’m writing issues they’re not in. From time to time I think of something to do with Glenn and I’m like, ‘Well, damn it.’

But I’m not in a support group or anything.

Robert Kirkman's response is further assurance to fans that every death in The Walking Dead came with purpose. Most creators pour a great deal of thought and love into the characters they bring into the world, but in a story like The Walking Dead, it is undeniable that Kirkman's survivors, especially his heroes, were essentially created to suffer. There are few happy endings to be found, which makes it even more necessary that death itself be meaningful. While The Walking Dead had a lot of practice with that, it came with a mourning period for writer and reader alike.

The Walking Dead is Proof That Character Death Is More Than Just A Spectacle

It's Necessary For Tragedy

Saying a final farewell to his characters wasn't easy for Robert Kirkman, yet he certainly managed to amass a high body count. The Walking Dead boasts some of the most brutal character deaths of any long-standing series, including the aforementioned Glenn, who was brutally beaten to death by Negan, Hershel, Tyreese, and many others, including protagonist Rick Grimes himself by the series' conclusion. Yet, despite the trail of fallen characters, each death managed to be impactful and leave a lasting impression that fans are still reeling from years after The Walking Dead's final issue.

If there's a single takeaway from Kirkman's comments, it's that character death is sometimes necessary; although it may be difficult to contend with for fans and for the writer alike, and, of course, it removes the chance to bring them into future stories in a concrete way, it has its place. The Walking Dead would have charted a different course if not for some of its most devastating deaths, and, ultimately, the story would likely have suffered for it. Robert Kirkman struck a commendable balance between killing established characters and storytelling in The Walking Dead, despite the feeling of loss it evoked.