Imagine a world where The Walking Dead didn’t have Rick Grimes at its center. A world where the story we’ve all come to know was cut tragically short. According to Walking Dead comic book creator Robert Kirkman, that world almost became reality. In a new interview, Kirkman revealed that he seriously considered killing Rick off far sooner in the comic book series than when it actually happened.
Kirkman was a recent guest on The Brandon Davis Show, where he discussed how he had always planned to kill off Rick in the comics. In fact, he stated that he knew from the very beginning that Rick's death would basically be the start of the wrap-up of the whole comic story. If you recall, Rick ultimately met his definitive end in Issue #192 of The Walking Dead comic book series.
Just in the previous issue, Rick had been shot in the chest by Sebastian Milton, the spoiled and resentful son of Pamela Milton, aka the leader of the Commonwealth. Sebastian, fueled by anger and a sense of entitlement, saw Rick as a threat to the social order he had always benefited from. After shooting Rick once in Issue #191, Sebastian shot him three more times in Issue #192.
The next morning, Carl found his father reanimated as a walker. Despite the grief and shock, Carl knew what he had to do. With a heavy heart, he shot his zombified father in the head. This put Rick to rest once and for all. While this is what actually happened in the comics, Kirkman reveals in the new interview with Brandon Davis that he almost killed Rick in Issue #6 instead. Of course, this is at the very beginning of the comic book series.
For those who need a brief rundown of that particular issue, what basically happens is that Shane becomes increasingly unstable and confrontational. This was all driven by his jealousy and resentment toward Rick. Tensions eventually come to a head when Shane points a gun at Rick in the woods, ready to take matters into his own hands. However, a young Carl steps in and shoots Shane in the neck in the final moments of the issue. That one shot ends up killing him.
During the interview, Kirkman told Davis that he had toyed with the idea of Shane succeeding in killing Rick in their fight while writing Issue #6. He then gave a brief explanation of how that would have altered things in the comic. But while this alternate story was a possibility, Kirkman told Davis he wasn't sure he could have kept the comic going for 193 issues if he had gone that route. That's how long the actual comic book series ultimately ran.
"I almost killed him at the beginning of the book because when I was writing issue six I thought it would be really interesting just as an exercise. I always would think like well what if the other thing happens and kind of extrapolate you know like where that story goes just as like an exercise. So I was like, okay, so if Shane succeeds in killing Rick, then Carl is stuck with Shane and Shane raising Carl in the apocalypse is very interesting.
Like you witness the guy killing your dad, but he convinces the group that there was a good reason, and you're kind of at odds with this guy who has this power over you. And that's an interesting story. I don't know if I could have sustained it for 193 issues, but it was definitely something that I considered at the time and then decided not to." - Robert Kirkman
Personally, I find Kirkman’s revelation both surprising and fascinating. The idea that Rick could have been killed as early as Issue #6 completely changes how I imagine the series. Had he died so early, the story would have shifted dramatically. While it could have been a bold move, I think the series benefited from keeping Rick alive. His long journey allowed readers to connect with him, witness his growth, and feel the full weight of his eventual death in Issue #192.