7 Most Violent Episodes of The Walking Dead, Ranked By How Disturbing They Were

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Some of the most shocking and unsettling scenes ever shown on television happened in The Walking Dead, and many viewers still remember them vividly years later. The Walking Dead didn’t avoid showing the brutal violence and graphic nature of a zombie apocalypse, presenting it as realistically as possible to draw viewers into the story. From the moment Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) killed a zombie child in the very first scene, The Walking Dead featured incredibly intense and disturbing moments that have been difficult to forget.

Several episodes of The Walking Dead stand out for their shocking violence, including season 2’s “Save the Last One,” season 3’s “Sick,” season 4’s “Too Far Gone,” season 8’s “Wrath,” and season 10’s “Open Your Eyes,” among others. While moments like Rick killing Tomas (Nick Gomez), the Governor (David Morrissey) destroying the prison, and Dante (Juan Javier Cardenas) murdering Siddiq (Avi Nash) were impactful, some episodes are even more brutal. These are considered the most disturbing and violent in the show’s entire history.

7) “Killer Within” (Season 3, Episode 4)

Rick’s decision to kill Tomas had a strong impact at the start of The Walking Dead season 3, but it ultimately came back to haunt him in the fourth episode, “Killer Within.” Another prisoner, Andrew (Markice Moore), intentionally made the prison unsafe, allowing a large group of Walkers to enter, as an act of revenge for Tomas’ death. This endangered everyone and tragically led to the deaths of T-Dog (IronE Singleton) and Lori Grimes (Sarah Wayne Callies), who gave her life to ensure her daughter, Judith, would survive. “Killer Within” is a remarkably intense and violent episode that also delivers a significant emotional impact.

6) “No Sanctuary” (Season 5, Episode 1)

Following the reunion of the Atlanta survivors at Terminus at the close of season 4, the season 5 premiere of The Walking Dead, titled “No Sanctuary,” delved deeper into the cannibalistic group they encounter. Gareth (Andrew J. West) leads the inhabitants of Terminus in what is considered one of the show’s most disturbing episodes – particularly due to his threats to kill, cook, and eat members of our group. The tension is heightened when Martin (Chris Coy) endangers Judith’s life, adding to the episode’s intense impact. Rick, Carol (Melissa McBride), and the other survivors fight back, eliminating most of Terminus’ population in a violent and intense battle.

5) “JSS” (Season 6, Episode 2)

In addition to delving into Enid’s (Katelyn Nacon) past, The Walking Dead season 6’s “JSS” featured the arrival of the menacing Wolves in Alexandria, where they violently killed several of the less prominent residents of the Safe Zone. Carol begins a mission to eliminate the Wolves, taking their lives in the process and revealing a darker side of herself to the community. The episode doesn’t hold back on displaying intense violence and graphic imagery, showing innocent people being brutally attacked and killed in public during the daytime.

4) “On the Inside” (Season 11, Episode 6)

Following a narrow escape from Alpha’s cave – where everyone believed she had perished – Connie (Lauren Ridloff) encountered Virgil (Kevin Carroll) and found temporary safety in what appeared to be an empty house. They quickly discovered they weren’t alone, however, as the house was also occupied by dangerous, wild humans who had become animalistic. These feral people were extremely violent and unpredictable – they attacked and stabbed Virgil. Connie managed to survive by covering herself in Walker guts, which attracted a horde of the undead and drove the feral humans away. This episode is truly terrifying and stands out as one of the best in the series.

3) “No Way Out” (Season 6, Episode 9)

The Walking Dead season 6’s mid-season finale featured a bloodied Rick guiding Jessie (Alexandra Breckenridge) and her family through a group of Walkers within Alexandria. The ninth episode, “No Way Out,” showed what happened next, with the frightened Sam (Major Dodson) tragically killed, and Jessie, overcome with shock, also losing her life. Ron (Austin Abrams) shot Carl (Chandler Riggs) in the eye while attempting to kill Rick, and the potential loss of Carl sparked a furious, all-out attack by Rick and the other survivors against the massive horde of Walkers – creating one of The Walking Dead’s most gripping, emotionally charged, and disturbing – yet unforgettable – moments.

2) “The Calm Before” (Season 9, Episode 15)

While The Walking Dead season 9, episode 15, “The Calm Before,” doesn’t show a lot of direct violence, it’s definitely one of the most unsettling episodes we’ve seen. Alpha (Samantha Morton), who leads the Whisperers, brutally attacks and beheads several important characters, then displays their heads on spikes as a warning to others and to define the Whisperers’ territory. We said goodbye to characters like Enid, Tara (Alanna Masterson), Henry (Matt Lintz), and others, and the way Carol reacted to losing her adopted son, along with Siddiq’s description of the attack, was deeply disturbing and left a lasting impact.

1) “The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be” (Season 7, Episode 1)

It’s hard to imagine a more shocking, violent, and upsetting episode of The Walking Dead than the season 7 opener, “The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be.” The episode’s title references a comment made by Dr. Jenner (Noah Emmerich) after Rick expressed gratitude for being allowed to live at the end of season 1. In this premiere, Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and his group, the Saviors, rounded up our heroes and killed Abraham (Michael Cudlitz) as a demonstration of power. Daryl’s (Norman Reedus) reaction then leads to the horrifying death of Glenn (Steven Yeun). Negan also systematically breaks Rick down mentally. Many consider this episode to be among The Walking Dead’s strongest, as well as one of the most disturbing and intense in the show’s history.

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2025-09-30 22:16