Every Walking Dead Spin-Off Coming After Original Series Finale

When "The Walking Dead" premiered on Halloween night of 2010, it was at an auspicious time in popular culture. Not only was the zombie craze reaching its apex, but the idea of a shared "universe" in film and television was still relatively novel. Sure, Marvel had released three films that would later be recognized as the beginning of the MCU, but these were very early days. Streaming had not yet come to predominate in entertainment, with most people still consuming their television content through the ancient practice of basic cable. The room to build a whole world out of several separate films and shows was far more limited.

Now, almost 13 years later, with streaming dominant and with the final episode of "The Walking Dead" having aired, a bevy of further shows have been announced. True, the premise of "TWD" has already proven itself capable of building itself out into several various stories through "Fear the Walking Dead" and "The Walking Dead: World Beyond." Even AMC itself has begun to refer to this collection of shows as its own universe. 

Clearly, those shows were just the start. If you're not sure where to start, or how to keep it all straight, then have no fear. That's what we're here for. 

First up is the very first spin-off of the original "TWD," "Fear the Walking Dead." While the initial seasons of "The Walking Dead" focused on the struggles of survival in a world already hollowed out by the wildfire virus, the first three seasons of "Fear" told the story of the virus' initial spread and the collapse of civilization through the eyes of one family in Los Angeles. Subsequent seasons moved forward to roughly coincide with the events of "The Walking Dead," albeit on an entirely different coast. Characters from "The Walking Dead" even crossed over, with Morgan (Lennie James), Dwight (Austin Amelio), and Sherry (Christine Evangelista) all joining the events of "Fear."

Now, "Fear the Walking Dead" is also drawing to a close. Call it the end of Phase 1 for the "TWD" universe. AMC has confirmed that Season 8, which premieres on May 14, will be its last. Meanwhile, "The Walking Dead: World Beyond," which premiered in 2020, aired for two seasons and ended in December of 2021. Focusing mostly on the stories of young people who came of age after the world became a habitat for the shuffling hordes of ravenous walkers, it met with lackluster reviews. Still, between "World Beyond," "Fear," and the original "TWD," those who want to do a full catch-up of the universe's main sagas should have all their bases covered. Almost ...

With both "The Walking Dead" and "Fear the Walking Dead" having drawn to a close by the beginning of summer, viewers should be more or less ready for a new story come June of 2023. Luckily, this is the month when "The Walking Dead: Dead City" premieres. Unfolding over the course of six episodes, this miniseries will focus on fan favorites Maggie Rhee (Lauren Cohan) and the reformed Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) as they venture into a New York City that long ago became the domain of the dead. Their mission? Rescue Maggie's son Hershel (Logan Kim) after he is abducted by a mysterious group of baddies led by someone known only as the Croat (Željko Ivanek).

But that's not the only drama to expect in "Dead City." Longtime fans of "The Walking Dead" will remember that there is an unforgivable rift between the two who have now banded together to find Maggie's son. Not long after he was introduced as a character, Negan brutally killed Maggie's husband Glenn (Steven Yeun) while she was still pregnant with the kid who would become Hershel. Just why Negan is necessary to save Hershel isn't quite clear, though it does bear mentioning that he will also have a lawman named Perlie Armstrong (Gaius Charles) on his trail, further complicating matters. "The Walking Dead: Dead City" premieres on June 18 on AMC.

While the following that Maggie and Negan have will likely attract a solid audience for "Dead City," nobody on "The Walking Dead" has quite the following of Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus). One of the very select few of the original band of survivors to make it through all 11 seasons of the flagship series, his stoic loyalty, his love of motorcycles, and, of course, his crossbow, have all been an enduring part of "The Walking Dead." It's only fitting that he gets his own spin-off. 

Details of "The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon" are slowly coming together, but we do know thus far that it will consist of six episodes, and that the plot involves Daryl washing up on the shores of France, with no recollection of how he actually got there. Like the rest of the world, Europe is overrun with walkers, with pockets of survivors doing their best to rebuild, scattered throughout the continent. 

The story was originally intended to include Daryl's longtime best friend Carol Peletier, but scheduling issues unfortunately resulted in actor Melissa McBride having to bow out. Though we do not have an exact premiere date yet, we know that "The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon" is scheduled to come to AMC and AMC+ sometime in 2023. 

Another OG character who will be returning is Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), and he'll be doing so alongside yet another fan favorite, the samurai-sword-wielding Michonne (Danai Gurira). The two famously fell for each other during Season 7 and remained fiercely dedicated to each other until Rick's disappearance toward the end of Season 9, with Michonne never really giving up hope that she could find him alive. In Season 11, we discover that her hope was rewarded, with Rick's daughter Judith (Cailey Fleming) confirming that he is alive.

This seems as good a place as any to pick up with the Rick and Michonne spin-off, which will be another six-part miniseries. The initial plan was for Lincoln's character to be reprised on the big screen. A Rick and Michonne series of movies was reportedly in the works, with the events of "The Walking Dead: World Beyond" connecting the original "TWD" to the films. Given that what we saw of Rick in Season 11 was of him being abducted by the authoritarian Civic Republic Military, which was the big bad of Season 2 of "World Beyond," it was and is likely that the same CRM is going to play a major role. 

After languishing in development hell for some time, plans were announced as changed, with the miniseries taking its place. Details on the plot, the cast beyond Gurira and Lincoln, and the exact release date are very sparse at the moment, but word is that we should expect a premiere sometime in 2024.

That would be about it, if not for one lingering loose end that AMC has yet to really say much about. Released in August of 2022, "Tales of the Walking Dead" gave the "TWD" universe an anthology treatment. Each of the six episodes featured a standalone story of individuals from varied walks of pre-Wildfire life doing what they can to try to survive and maintain some shred of humanity. It also featured a star-studded cast that included Olivia Munn, Terry Crews, Anthony Edwards, Parker Posey, and many others.

"Tales of the Walking Dead" also featured an episode that told the backstory of one of the creepiest and most unsettling villains of "The Walking Dead." Alpha, played by Samantha Morton, was a primary antagonist for parts of Season 9 and pretty much all of Season 10, heading up the group known as the Whisperers, known for wearing masks made of the faces of walkers. She is finally killed by Negan Season 10, but "Tales" gave us her backstory, showing that she always had a ruthless side to her, even to her own daughter Lydia (Cassady McClincy). 

Though there has yet to be any confirmation either way of whether "Tales" has been renewed or canceled, executive producer and chief content manager for "The Walking Dead" universe has expressed interest in continuing the anthology series once the rest of the spin-offs get on their feet.