Why Gabriels Latest Walking Dead Kill Should Be His Last

Gabriel's latest kill in The Walking Dead season 11, episode 3, "Hunted" would thematically fit as his final human kill in the entire series.

Gabriel's latest kill in The Walking Dead season 11, episode 3, "Hunted" should thematically be his final kill in the series. Father Gabriel has come a long way from his first appearance in season 5. When Rick Grimes and the others saved Gabriel from a handful of walkers and took shelter inside his church, he was a liability. Rick even threatened to kill him if his sins came back to haunt him, and in turn hurt Rick's family and friends - though things changed the following season.

Over time, Gabriel learned to defend himself and others by killing walkers, but he struggled with killing living people. Most people in Alexandria fought other groups before; people who were with Rick from the beginning even faced tough opponents like The Governor. This was all new to Gabriel, though. And so when it came time to preemptively attack the Saviors, he stood his ground. He ultimately killed a Savior by shooting him in the head. The Savior would've died anyway because Tara had shot him twice, but in the end, it was Gabriel who delivered the final blow.

Gabriel's kill in the season 6 episode "No Tomorrow Yet" fundamentally changed him, but he still tried to hold onto his humanity. So before he killed the Savior, Gabriel recited the man's last rites. The Savior mocked him for it, yet Gabriel pressed on until he was done. Knowing that, it's shocking to see Gabriel kill one of the Reapers in the season 11 episode "Hunted". In the episode, Gabriel fought a Reaper individually and mortally wounded him. Once he regained his strength, he followed the Reaper and killed him, but before the man died, he asked Gabriel to pray for him, a request that Gabriel expressly refused. It's a flip on his first human kill and it shows just how far he's come (and fallen). Thematically, this would work best as his final kill, bringing his story full circle.

The Walking Dead timeline was difficult to maintain between seasons, but overall, very little time passed between when Gabriel was found and the end of the war with the Saviors. After that, a six-year time jump and another war with the Whisperers changed Gabriel; he became more calculating, distant, and in some cases, ruthless. The fact that he says there is no God in "Hunted" exemplifies how he views people and the world. He wants to protect his family, friends, and everyone in Alexandria, but he's willing to do what it takes to get the job done no matter what.

Crucially, Gabriel has become a version of Rick Grimes in his absence. It was generally assumed that Daryl would fill that gap when Andrew Lincoln exited the series in season 9, but it's clear that Gabriel ascended to the throne and has now shepherded Alexandria and the rest of the survivors through many hardships. Interestingly, when the group was attacked in "Hunted", it seems the only person who is confirmed to have killed a Reaper is Gabriel; Maggie came close, but it's unclear what became of the person she knocked down the stairs. In a way, this is proof of concept of who Gabriel is now - and will be for the rest of the series.