Every Major Walking Dead Character Who Turned Into A Zombie

The Walking Dead has never hesitated to kill off major characters, but only a select few of those deceased have then returned as zombies.

The Walking Dead has never hesitated to kill off major characters, but only a select few of those deceased have then returned as zombies. More than just about any other show in TV history, The Walking Dead has become known for its willingness to kill off characters, including key players, and often with zero foreshadowing it was about to happen. That's become part of the show's mass water cooler appeal, as The Walking Dead's latest casualty often makes for interesting conversation.

Lots and lots of series regulars have been killed off The Walking Dead over the years, but it's only a small subset that's actually held the "distinction" of not only dying, but becoming a member of the undead ranks. Dramatically, this is usually because heroic characters will often opt to take their own lives after being bitten, destroying their brain so they can't reanimate. Sometimes this duty is also carried out by their friends or family. Naturally, few really want their loved ones to shamble around craving human flesh.

Still, characters that don't have control over their ultimate fates obviously can't determine their chances of reanimation, leaving it up to their killer to decide to destroy the brain or not. They often choose not to, for maximum punishment. Without any further ado, here's all the major Walking Dead characters that have become zombies so far, with more surely to come.

Shane Walsh (Jon Bernthal)

Shane Walsh, Rick Grimes' former best friend and police partner, was the first major Walking Dead character to die. He's killed by Rick after Shane makes an attempt to do the same to Rick. After reanimation, zombie Shane is actually shot down by young Carl Grimes. That almost served as a prelude to the skilled marksman Carl would eventually grow into, under the tutelage of his father.

Hershel Greene (Scott Wilson)

Initial conflicts with Rick's group aside, Hershel Greene ended up becoming a mentor and friend to Rick and just about everyone around him. Hershel was a very moral person, and could be counted on for advice. That is until he was decapitated by The Governor with Michonne's sword, right in front of his daughters Maggie and Beth. Later on, after the battle had ended, Michonne discovered Hershel's zombified head and mercifully put it down.

Merle Dixon (Michael Rooker)

To call Merle Dixon a good person would be wildly inaccurate, as he's shown to be disgustingly racist, and a violent loose cannon. Near the end of his life though, Merle experienced a bit of character development, ultimately deciding not to turn Michonne over to his boss The Governor to be killed. Of course, he was then killed by The Governor, and left to reanimate so that a tearful Daryl would himself have to end his older brother.

Sasha Williams (Sonequa Martin-Green)

The circumstances of Sasha's death and rebirth are a rarity for The Walking Dead, as in this case she made the choice to be reanimated. After being captured by Negan after she made an attempt on his life, Sasha sees no way out, and takes a suicide pill given to her by Eugene. This leads to her newly zombified self surprising Negan, and costing him an important battle against Rick's forces.

Tara Chambler (Alanna Masterson)

In contrast to Sasha, Tara becoming a zombie was very much out of her control. Tara was one of the multiple members of Rick's group that got slaughtered by Alpha and The Whisperers during the fateful Fair. Tara's reanimated head was left on a pike.

Spencer Monroe (Austin Nichols)

Spencer Monroe was the overly entitled son of Alexandria founder Deanna Monroe, and sealed his own doom by trying to usurp Rick with Negan's help. Negan wasn't a fan of what he considered gutless subterfuge, and made Spencer himself gutless, gutting him with a knife. An exasperated Rick later took care of Spencer's zombie form, clearly wishing the idiot hasn't done something so stupid.

Deanna Monroe (Tovah Feldshuh)

In Spencer's defense, he was never the same after the death of his mother, who was bitten when a horde of zombies shambled into Alexandria. She decided to go down fighting instead of killing herself, but ended up reanimating as a side effect. Spencer himself found her in the woods later on and put his now flesh-craving mom out of her misery.

Simon (Steven Ogg)

It was always clear that Savior lieutenant Simon saw himself as being worth more than what Negan had him doing, but he worked for the man long enough to know that trying to mount a mutiny wouldn't be a good idea. Sure enough, Negan destroys Simon in one-on-one-combat, and as a final indignity, allows him to reanimate and be placed on the Sanctuary fence. He really should've thought that one through.

Enid (Katelyn Nacon)

While seemingly placed as a love interest for Carl early on, Enid ended up outlasting him on The Walking Dead, at least until the Fair claimed so many lives, Enid among them. It's a shame too, as she'd matured into a vital member of the community, working as a doctor for the Hilltop. Like Tara, her reanimated head ended up on a pike.

Siddiq (Avi Nash)

Of all the fan-favorite Walking Dead characters to die so far, Siddiq met his maker in one of the worst ways. First he spends multiple episodes suffering from PTSD after watching Alpha execute his friends, then he's killed by a Whisperer spy he had come to trust, and then he reanimates and targets his own child and ex-lover Rosita. Thankfully, she stops him for good.

Alpha (Samantha Morton)

After taking many lives and emotionally destroying her own daughter, Alpha finally got what was coming to her when former arch villain Negan turned on her, slitting her throat then cutting off her head. After presenting it to Carol, the head is then placed on a pike, just like Alpha had done to so many of Rick's group, including Carol's adopted son Henry. Alpha's zombie head is later silenced by a remorseful Beta, who sets out to avenge her death.