What episode does Sophia die in The Walking Dead?

As The Walking Dead series airs some of its final episodes, it is a time to look back and remember key moments of the series. Whether it is a favorite moment or a shocking one, it is a way to help us deal with the fact that this series will be over before year-end. One of the most shocking moments early in the series was when Sophia (Madison Lintz) stepped out of the barn as a walker.

In the season 2 midseason episode “Pretty Much Dead Already,” Shane becomes completely unhinged. He has confrontations with Lori and Dale, and when Hershel and Rick return with walkers, intended on putting them in the barn, he can’t take it any longer. He shoots the walker, who was once Louise, in the chest, and she keeps coming at him. He asks Hershel if she was living could she survive that. He opens the barn, and Shane, Andrea, T-Dog, and Daryl kill all of the walkers that emerge from the barn, to the shock and horror of the Greene family. With Maggie’s content, Glenn finally joins as they finish off the last of them.

Then, a final walker steps out of the barn, and to everyone’s shock, it is Sophia. Daryl has to hold Carol back as everyone stares, and no one, not even Shane, is able to draw their weapon. In the end, it is Rick who shoots her in the head.

A collective gasp could have been heard across the fandom as all hoped they would find her alive. It was a shocking death and one that made many fans quickly learn that The Walking Dead was no ordinary zombie show.

The Walking Dead Sophia

Although that episode is her walker death, the episode that is considered Sophia’s death episode is the first episode of season 2, “What Lies Ahead.” This episode picks up after escaping the explosion at the CDC at the end of season 1. The group leaves Atlanta for good, realizing it is overrun by the undead, and decides to try Shane’s idea of heading to Ft. Benning.

During a stop on the highway, the group encounters a massive horde of walkers and takes cover under the vehicles; after it passes, Sophia emerges to find two wayward walkers who begin to chase her. She takes off into the woods, followed by the walkers and Rick. When Rick catches up to her, he hides her along the creek bed, telling her to wait for him; that is the last time Sophia is ever seen alive.

Carol had a tough time dealing with the fact that her daughter may have been killed. She held out hope until the very end.

Follow Undead Walking on Twitter and sign up for the once-daily Undead Walking newsletter to avoid missing out on all things in The Walking Dead universe.