10 moments that define the past 10 years of The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead has had a lot of hard-hitting moments, but these 10 defining moments highlight what has made the show a hit for 10 years.

The first decade of the dead is coming to an end, but The Walking Dead universe could easily go on for another decade. When The Walking Dead premiered in 2010, very few people thought the show would last more than a season or two, if it even got picked up for multiple seasons.

But The Walking Dead blew past everyone’s expectations to ignite a fandom bigger than anyone could have ever predicted. By the middle of the decade, it was pulling in same-day audiences of more than 10 million viewers. Gradually, it became a cultural phenomenon.

With one successful spin-off already heading into a sixth season, another spin-off coming in 2020, and a slate of feature films, The Walking Dead isn’t slowing down at all. What is it about this survival story that has captured the imaginations and hearts of a such a wide range of fans?

The simple answer is that it’s the humanity of the show. It’s the alchemical blend of a talented and dedicated cast, great writers, directors, and producers, and the core message of the show: that the only way we are going to survive any disaster, whether it’s the zombie apocalypse, climate change, or a cultural revolution is by depending on each other and being committed to hanging onto our humanity.

These 10 moments really define what the heart of The Walking Dead is and why, even after 10 years on the air, The Walking Dead is still going strong.

Glenn saves Rick

In season 1, Glenn saved Rick when Rick rode into Atlanta and got himself stuck in a tank and surrounded by walkers. Without that one moment where Glenn risked his life for Rick, none of the other events in the story would have happened. Glenn defined the heart of The Walking Dead when he risked himself for a stranger.

Rick finds his Family

Family is the heart of The Walking Dead. It may have started with Rick’s family, but it’s expanded throughout the decade. Now, family in The Walking Dead world means anyone who is going to fight beside you and fight to create a better world for the people who will come after.

Daryl searches for Sophia

At Hershel’s farm in season 2, everyone in the small group was kind of distracted by Carl getting shot and settling in at the farm. Daryl was the only one who consistently went out looking for Sophia, even though he could have left the group at any time. He and Merle originally hooked up with the group to rob them, but when Merle was gone, Daryl stayed with the group because he wanted to be part of a community. He was the only one who really believed that Sophia might still be alive and that she would be found.

Lori sacrifices herself for Judith

In season 3, Lori made the ultimate sacrifice for Judith. Sacrifice is a running theme in The Walking Dead, but Lori’s makes the list because it was a selfless act from a character widely seen as selfish and uncaring. When the situation was really life and death, she gave her life for her baby, showing that even flawed people can exemplify the best of humanity in dire circumstances.

The group reunites at Terminus

The back half of season 4 was pretty bleak. The group was separated, and the various members of the tight knit family unit that they had formed were vulnerable — some injured, everyone reeling from the brutal murder of Hershel and the loss of the prison. The season ended with them being held captive in a train car. Even though they were in a terrible situation and probably facing death, Rick wasn’t worried once they entered that car and found Maggie, Glenn, and the others. He knew that together they were unstoppable. The power of hope and family permeates the show even in the darkest storylines.

Carol saves everyone

In the season 5 opener, Carol made sure that Tyreese was taking care of Judith, and then she singlehandedly took down Terminus to save the people she loved. Even though Rick had banished her from the group, she saved Judith — even sacrificing Lizzie to do it. And she blew through Terminus like the force of nature she is to make sure that Daryl, Rick, and the others were safe. She put the injustice of Rick’s actions aside and fought for them because she loved them.

Alexandria fights for survival

Rick and the others had a hard time settling in at Alexandria, but in season 6, they managed to become part of the community. Did Alexandria change them, or did they change Alexandria? Probably a little of both happened, which is why the Alexandrians finally realized what the situation outside their walls really was. They got a crash course in survival 101 when walkers swarmed through Alexandria, and as Denise tried to save Carl after he was shot in the face, the Alexandrians and Rick’s group stood back to back and fought for their home and for civilization.

Sasha sacrifices herself

At the very end of season 7, Sasha’s revenge mission tanked and she was stuck. She didn’t want to die, but she knew that Negan would use her to hurt the people she loved — and she couldn’t live with that. So rather than let herself be used as a pawn in Negan’s game of cruelty against Rick and Alexandria, she sacrificed herself. Being willing to give up your own life to spare those you love pain is the essence of what being human is, and The Walking Dead consistently juxtaposes the best of humanity and the worse of humanity set against a backdrop of death.

Rick spares Negan

This was a controversial moment at the end of season 8 , but it was one that ultimately did push the story forward the way it was intended to do. In honor of what Carl wanted, Rick refused to give into his impulse for revenge. After he finally bested Negan by cutting his throat, he told Siddiq to save Negan’s life. Maggie and Daryl felt that Rick made the wrong decision, but Rick put his child’s wishes ahead of his own desire for vengeance.

Michonne saves Judith

When Rick disappeared and was presumed dead in season 9, Michonne was left alone, pregnant, and the only parent Judith had. When her old friend Jocelyn showed up at the gates, Michonne thought finally she had gotten a break. But when Jocelyn and her band of child murderers kidnapped all of the Alexandria children, Michonne, heavily pregnant, went to save them and to save her daughter. She was branded and endured physical pain and emotional horrors as she was forced to kill small children in order to save Judith, a child that isn’t even hers by blood. But she did what she had to do because, in The Walking Dead world, love is what creates family, not blood.

Sanctuary for Lydia

Another season 9 moment that defines the heart of The Walking Dead is when Alexandria agrees to give sanctuary to Lydia. Henry is dead, and Lydia has no family because Alpha has abandoned her. She has nowhere to go, no ties to anyone or any group, and she’s been through terrible suffering. Despite her past and her connections to Alpha,  the community takes her in because the possibility of redemption, the hope of a future, and the deep bonds among the survivors are the heart of the stories of The Walking Dead.

What moments do you think defined the past decade of The Walking Dead? Tell us your favorites in the comments below.