The Walking Dead Top 10 Villain Deaths Ranked

The Walking Dead kills a lot of its characters, but that doesn't mean it's any nicer to the villains than the heroes.

Certain television shows have a reputation for shocking and upsetting deaths. The Walking Dead is not one to shy away from violence. Playing in the sandbox of the dystopian near-future of the zombie apocalypse, the writers are never short on creative ideas for a clever demise. The intense emotional connections that the audience builds with the characters makes their eventual deaths all the more painful, but when it comes to villains…well, those are a lot more satisfying to watch.

Some on-screen deaths have a way of sticking with the viewers. The Walking Dead finally returns from its long hiatus on October 4th, but until then, take a look at the top 10 villain deaths featured in the show so far.

10 Tomas

Rick’s group sighs a figurative breath of relief when they find the prison, but things don’t go as planned when they realize that there are still prisoners left in one of the cell blocks. Their leader, Tomas, is openly aggressive and challenges Rick every chance he gets.

Hoping to kill him, Tomas releases a small herd of Walkers in Rick's direction. That does it. Rick is done with making deals. He slams a machete straight down into the center of Tomas’ head and ends the problem once and for all.

9 Ed Peletier

Ed may have been a part of their group, but he is the villain of Carol’s and Sophia's story. Responsible for years of emotional and physical abuse, Ed is the reason for Carol's close-cropped hair, cut short so that he can no longer yank it.

He meets his rightful demise at the gnashing teeth of Walkers, and Carol finally gets her well-deserved chance at closure. She repeatedly hacks at his head with a pick-axe until he is nothing more than a pile of bloody pulp.

8 Dawn

There are those who commit acts of cruelty out of selfishness or a need to survive, but some antagonists blatantly ignore their own evil. Dawn is a prior police officer who helps run a tyrannical hospital throughout season 5. Embracing the need for a new set of laws of this apocalyptic world, she allows the male officers to rape women that they take into their group to "keep the peace".

Though Rick's group makes an effort to rescue Beth, Dawn kills her during a botched trade. Daryl immediately reacts, and shoots Dawn in the head. Her death is not unique or exciting, but the instant justice is satisfaction enough.

7 Shane Walsh

Violent and erratic since Rick's return, it's obvious that Shane needed to go. His jealousy and obsession with one-upping his ex-best friend repeatedly put the group into danger, and it was only a matter of time before Rick realized what he had to do.

Pretending to hand over his gun, he stabs Shane in the chest. Upon his sluggish reanimation, Carl finishes the job and shoots him in the head. His death is what led to Rick admitting that Dr. Jenner told him that they are all infected.

6 Martinez

A low-level antagonist, Martinez was a brutal but trusted soldier serving under the Governor until the fall of Woodbury. He went on to form his own group, but things quickly went south when he asked the Governor to help him run things.

Unlike other lucky villains, Martinez earns points for his death being particularly slow and terrifying. The Governor drags him to a pit full of Walkers and forces him to hang him over the edge. Martinez screams as he is clawed at head-first by ravenous zombies.

5 The Governor

Also known as Philip Blake, the Governor of Woodbury is a treacherous big-bad that hid his true colors for some time, before showing how brutish and unstable he is. He sexually assaulted Maggie, killed innocent survivors, and was an overall villainous dictator.

During his attack on the prison, he murders Hershel with Michonne’s katana. In a later moment of poetic justice, Michonne stabs him with the same sword, and leaves him to die a painful death. Lilly, recently grief-stricken by her daughter’s passing and by Philip’s violent behavior, finishes him off with a shot to the head.

4 Dante

Negan isn’t the only one that can play double agent. Dante is a smug but charismatic doctor that joins Alexandria, until he is revealed to be a member of the Whisperers, responsible for sabotaging the town, and killing patients.

Attempting to cover his tracks, Dante murders Siddiq, then attempts to kill Rosita and her baby, but is captured and imprisoned. Father Gabriel lets his fury get the best of him when he visits him in his cell. The mood shift from chillingly calm to completely unhinged is seamless as the priest furiously stabs at the traitor over and over again.

3 Gareth

Terminus is advertised as a too-good-to-be-true safe haven for wandering survivors. Instead of a dream, they are met with a nightmare. Along with his mother, Gareth leads a group of cannibalistic survivors that prey on people who need shelter.

After narrowly escaping being butchered, Rick and members of his group plot an ambush. Gareth begs for his life as Rick approaches him, but his cries fall on deaf ears. Rick tells him that he’s not worth the wasted bullets, and then promptly hacks him to death with a machete.

2 Alpha

The coldhearted leader of the Whisperers, Alpha is particularly dangerous. She is highly intelligent, a keen strategic thinker, sadistic, and physically tough. Still, she puts her trust in the wrong man and forms a bond with Negan, even initiating a sexual relationship between them.

Little did she know, Negan devised a plan with Carol to take down the Whisperers in exchange for his freedom. Luring her away and making a final plea for her to prove her humanity, Negan slits her throat, cradling her body as she falls to the ground.

1 Joe The Claimer

The twisted leader of a nomadic group of survivors called "The Claimers", Joe believes that anybody can have anything they want, as long as they claim it first. The Claimers are used to getting their way, but they make a big mistake when one of them attempts to sexually assault Carl.

In a frenzy of pure outrage, Rick disembowels Carl's attacker, then goes straight for the leader. Still surging with adrenaline, Rick aggressively tears out Joe's throat with his teeth like a deranged wild animal. It's easily one of the most memorable deaths of a minor character in the show's history.