5 Walking Dead seasons ranked from good to all-time great

The Walking Dead ran for 11 seasons between 2010 and 2022 on AMC. Fans who followed the show since the beginning, and those who caught up later, know that not every season was a smash hit. There are definitely some seasons that shine above the rest, and those are the seasons I wanted to highlight in this ranking of the five best seasons of The Walking Dead.

Narrowing down the list of the five best Walking Dead seasons seems easy. There are only 11 seasons of the series, so picking basically half of them should be no problem. The thing is there are six great seasons of The Walking Dead, which means one is getting left off the list, and unfortunately for fans of the later seasons, that’s the one getting left off.

Let's get the ranking started with the fifth-best season of the series, The Walking Dead season 4.

5. The Walking Dead season 4

The Walking Dead season 4 picked up after the events of the big feud between Rick and the Governor and the prison vs. Woodbury. That was a huge arc that continued through season 4, for better or for worse.

For me, season 4 was a little bit of a step down from the third season. We saw the main group confronted with a lot of struggles, including a flu outbreak that wreaks havoc at the prison and divides the group. There's also the return of the Governor and the fall of the prison, which sends Rick and company back on the road.

There's a lot to like about this season, and I do think it's one of the stronger seasons of the series, but it's probably a little bit below some of the best seasons of the show. It definitely spins this story in a completely new direction that leads to one of the show's best seasons in season 5.

4. The Walking Dead season 2 

The Walking Dead season 2 might be a little more controversial than including season 4 on the ranking, but I really do like this season.

For the first time, Rick and his group find Hershel’s farm, a place where they can really settle down and try to make a home since this whole apocalypse started, and it’s really cool to see how that changes the dynamic among these nomadic characters. 

Sure, you can argue that the whole Rick and Shane beef gets a little old after a while, but I just think if you look at the truly iconic characters we meet (Maggie, Beth, Hershel, and more) and iconic moments we see, this season more than holds up. It’s a completely necessary step in the right direction for the series. 

We also have to include season 2 on the ranking simply because of Jon Berthal. Shane is such an iconic character, and he deserves more praise than he gets.

3. The Walking Dead season 1 

How can you not love the first season of The Walking Dead? The first episode might be one of the best episodes of the entire series. It’s certainly up there with the best of them. 

We see this whole story kick off from the chaos of the first episode in Atlanta with Rick Grimes. Then, we watch as the world has gone to hell. We get to meet so many incredible characters, including, and most importantly, Glenn, Daryl, and Carol. And after all that, we see Rick reunite with his family and all the drama that comes with Rick, Shane, and Lori. 

Getting to know this world and these characters was a true joy in that first. If I could watch any season again for the first time, it would obviously be season 1.  

2. The Walking Dead season 5

The Walking Dead season 5 is so close to being the best season of the show. There are so many terrific moments in season 5, including some absolutely devastating ones, too, like Beth’s death, Tyrese’s death, and more. 

After everything that happens in season 4, the fifth season covers a ton of ground. We have deranged cannibals to start the season, the safe-ish haven of Alexandria, and some wild stuff that happens in between. I just love how, after the war with the Governor spans two seasons basically, we get Rick and his group a break of sorts before the story spirals in a new direction. 

For me, this is the show’s last truly great season. We have some great moments after this season, but the story gets a little too wonky for me after season 5. 

1. The Walking Dead season 3 

There’s no doubt in my mind that The Walking Dead season 3 is the best season of the series. Was it perfect? No. Did it have things happen that I simply hated? Of course. But compared to the rest of the series, this is the season that is the most entertaining and close to perfect.

We pick up season 3 after all hell breaks loose at Hershel’s farm in the season 2 finale. The group finds a seemingly great place to settle down, the prison. We also have a fantastic time jump that moves the central story forward for the first time. After having 19 episodes in the first two seasons, total, the third season’s 16 episodes allowed the creative team to spend more time with characters, introduce new ones, and delve deeper into character development than we’d seen before. 

In terms of plot, you have the introduction of the show’s first great villain, the Governor, and Woodbury. We have some seriously good twists and turns, too. Overall, it’s just the best season of the show.

I feel like most fans will agree with this ranking, for the most part. I do think there are a lot of fans who prefer the fifth season or even the first season over season 3. Looking back at the full series, I don't think the show was ever better than it was during the main group's time at the prison. Maybe that's just a little bit of nostalgia talking, but I don't think so!

Of course, the only great season of The Walking Dead that was left off the list is season 9. There's so much to love about that season, but I just don't think it was quite as good as season 4.

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