4 ways Rick Grimes could make his exit on The Walking Dead

Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon, Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes, Zach McGowan as Justin – The Walking Dead _ Season 9, Episode 2 – Photo Credit: Jackson Lee Davis/AMC

Rick dies due to an outside attack

We’ve mulled over this a bit when we considered who Rick (and friends) will battle in season 9. One possible attack could be those still loyal to Negan and the old ways of the Saviors. The tension between the Saviors and the rest of the communities is pretty clear. A simple task of building a bridge has become a symbolic representation of how all these groups getting along is important for survival, but that cannot happen unless everyone is willing to do the work. It’s clear there are those amongst the Saviors who still cling to the old ways of Negan, and if enough come together, there could be a new wave of them ready to go against Rick.

However, a more obvious threat to Rick and the communities as a whole are the Whisperers. In recent trailers for season 9, we get our first glimpse of the survivors who walk amongst the dead, wearing skin to mask their human scent. Early on this season, it was assumed the Whisperers were kidnapping and killing Saviors, but we know now it was the Oceansiders getting their revenge. The Whisperers will appear, and perhaps very soon if Rick Grimes only has a couple episodes left.

If Rick Grimes is killed by the Whisperers, this could incite mass anger and hysteria amongst the communities, weakening them for the new enemy. Or it could encourage everyone to band together, letting go of old grudges, so they can prep for what is likely to be the next big battle of the series.