Some shows you watch purely for entertainment, light-hearted laughs, or a quick escape. Others, though, you know from the very first episode, are going to take you on a rollercoaster of emotions you weren’t fully prepared for. The Walking Dead is one of those shows.
From the moment the first walker shuffles across the screen, the tension is palpable, and you realize that no one is safe. Every glance, every decision, every fleeting moment of peace carries the weight of impending danger. You quickly learn that this isn’t a show where comfort exists, where storylines resolve neatly, or where heroes always survive.
The Walking Dead thrives on uncertainty, and many times throughout the series, you find yourself holding your breath, anticipating the worst, and secretly praying that your favorites will somehow make it through another episode. There were many devastating deaths along the way, but there's one that still lingers in my mind to this day.
Sasha's death in The Walking Dead was tragic but heroic
That death is Sasha’s. It was a loss that hit with such sudden, brutal force that it felt impossible to process in the moment, and even now, thinking back, the ache is almost unbearable. There were characters that were on the show longer than her. I'm talking about characters we had watched grow, struggle, and survive for many seasons. But Sasha’s death struck differently.
Maybe it was the quiet strength she carried, the way she had endured loss after loss yet never lost her resolve. Or perhaps it was the humanity she brought to the group, the unspoken loyalty she showed, and the fierce love she had for those she considered family. Watching her navigate the apocalypse, you couldn’t help but feel drawn to her. She was someone who bore unimaginable pain and trauma yet still fought, still cared, still loved.
In fact, it was her fierce commitment to protecting those she cared about that led to her untimely demise. Sasha didn't die from a walker bite or in the heat of a chaotic battle like so many others had. Instead, she chose her own fate. She lost her life because she decided to put others before herself. Captured by the Saviors and facing the terrifying reality of Negan’s wrath, she understood that her death was imminent.
But instead of succumbing to fear or despair, she made a conscious, selfless decision that would turn her final moments into an act of defiance and protection. With the help of Eugene, she took a suicide pill that ensured her death. By doing so, she transformed herself from a victim into a weapon, rising from a coffin as a walker to strike at her captors and buy precious time for her friends.
I'm not saying that there weren’t other Walking Dead characters who faced death with courage, who made sacrifices for the people they loved, or who met their ends in ways that broke our hearts. There were plenty of them. But Sasha’s just really stuck with me. Her presence was definitely missed after she was gone. The Walking Dead lost a piece of its soul when Sasha died.
All 11 seasons of The Walking Dead are available to stream on Netflix.