All 7 The Walking Dead TV Shows, Ranked From Worst to Best

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The TV show The Walking Dead premiered on AMC in 2010, adapted from the well-known comic book series by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. The first season, led by Frank Darabont, closely followed the comics and was known for its intense and unsettling content. Although Darabont departed after the first season, the show continued through the entirety of Kirkman’s story, experiencing both significant successes and some weaker moments. AMC also created several related shows, including prequels, side stories, and sequels, each offering a unique perspective on the zombie apocalypse. However, the quality of these Walking Dead shows varied considerably.

Here’s a ranked list of every series in The Walking Dead universe, from the original show based on Robert Kirkman’s story to all its spin-offs.

7) Tales of the Walking Dead

While all the shows in The Walking Dead universe are watchable, Tales of the Walking Dead is the weakest. It’s an anthology series, meaning each episode tells a different story within the world of The Walking Dead. Some episodes follow familiar characters, like Alpha played by Samantha Morton, but most are standalone stories with less connection to the main plot.

The show boasts a fantastic cast, including Anthony Edwards, Jessie T. Usher, and Parker Posey. New viewers can easily jump in, even if they haven’t seen the original The Walking Dead, which is great. However, for longtime fans of the original series, this one isn’t quite as crucial to watch.

6) The Walking Dead: Dead City

As a fan, I think The Walking Dead: Dead City is shaping up to be one of the best spin-offs we’ve gotten so far. I’m really enjoying seeing Negan and Maggie team up, especially five years after the original show ended. And honestly, it’s awesome that the story has moved to New York City – it’s definitely the biggest setting we’ve seen in any of The Walking Dead shows. But, it’s not perfect, and there are a few things that are keeping it from being truly great.

The ongoing conflict between Negan and Maggie became repetitive in the first season, and it felt illogical that Maggie would risk jeopardizing the one person who held the key to rescuing her son. While their troubled past explains the tension, it unnecessarily dragged out the plot and added complexity. The second season was better, but the show continued to force conflict between Maggie and Negan.

5) The Walking Dead: World Beyond

Though often overlooked, The Walking Dead: World Beyond had a compelling premise as a spinoff. The show followed a group of teenagers who grew up after the zombie outbreak, making that reality their only normal. This concept was strong on its own, but it cleverly connected to the bigger mysteries surrounding the Civic Republic Military (CRM) and their villainous nature from the original series.

It’s deeply unsettling to see young people facing such overwhelming challenges, especially when a government agency is actively trying to eliminate them to control the population. This sets World Beyond apart from other shows in The Walking Dead universe. However, the show sometimes struggled because it focused too much on tying its story to the original characters, which ultimately detracted from the more compelling narrative of these kids simply trying to survive.

4) Fear the Walking Dead

Fear the Walking Dead is a unique spin-off because it feels like two shows in one. It started before the events of The Walking Dead, following a family’s struggle to survive the beginning of the zombie outbreak in California. Focusing on a family dynamic was a fresh approach, and showing the early days of the apocalypse—with plenty of other survivors—offered viewers a different perspective than the original series.

Honestly, Fear the Walking Dead was a slow burn. It didn’t really grab me until a lot of the original characters were gone. And if I’m being totally honest, I didn’t even like the family they started with – they were the weakest part of the show. But once things thinned out and new people came in, especially with Lennie James’ Morgan taking charge, it totally changed for the better! The second half of the series was so much more engaging – it wasn’t even a competition. That’s when it really found its footing, in my opinion.

3) The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live

The biggest draw of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live is the return of beloved characters Rick Grimes and Michonne. The series allows Rick to finally conclude his story arc and continues the romantic relationship between Rick and Michonne that developed in the original show. It also brings closure to the long-running storyline involving the CRM.

I was really upset when Rick left the original show – it felt like his story, and the story we expected from the comics (especially after Carl’s death), was just cut short. But honestly, this spin-off finally gave Rick the proper send-off he deserved. It felt like they hadn’t had a chance to really finish his arc before, especially with the Commonwealth storyline just starting to build.

2) The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon

As a huge fan, I was completely blown away by what they did with The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon! Seriously, taking the story over to Europe felt like a bold move, but it totally worked. I mean, Daryl Dixon, one of the best characters ever, was searching for Rick and Michonne when he suddenly found himself kidnapped and shipped across the ocean! He managed to escape, and it was amazing to watch his adventures unfold in a whole new setting.

What made The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon really stand out was watching Daryl take the lead, navigating a new world without his usual group. It showed us how he became such a strong hero in the original series, even surpassing Rick Grimes. The arrival of Carol in Season 2 was a fantastic addition and elevated the show even further.

1) The Walking Dead

The first season of The Walking Dead is still the strongest in the series. Despite some weaker seasons later on, the show’s early moments of suspense and horror were truly exceptional. The second and third seasons, focusing on the prison and the Governor character, were also particularly well-received and faithfully adapted beloved storylines from the original comics.

While the later seasons felt rushed, especially with the Commonwealth storyline, and occasionally became predictable, The Walking Dead still stands out as the greatest zombie horror series ever made, thanks to its memorable characters like Daryl and some truly frightening storylines.

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2025-10-31 21:42