AMC's The Walking Dead franchise has been a force-to-be-reckoned with since it first made its presence felt on screens all the way back in 2010. Based on the Robert Kirkman comic books, The Walking Dead gripped audiences with its original characters, visual spectacles, and larger-than-life feel, bringing all the uneasy vibes of a zombie horror movie to the small screen.
A decade and a half after Andrew Lincoln's Rick Grimes first awoke from his coma, and the TWD Universe is still going strong. The original show may have rolled the credits after 11 seasons, but the franchise has spawned and respawned over the years in the form of a multitude of spinoffs designed to tell different stories in different chapters of the TWD timeline. You can go back to the beginning of the apocalypse with Fear the Walking Dead, look at the undead world through the eyes of kids in World Beyond or jump into its ongoing future with the three new spinoffs.
The TWD Universe can be a complex beast to figure where to begin watching from. But if you're thinking of starting the franchise, here's what you need to know as we look at the shows in order of release. If you'd like to watch them in chronological order, however, you can find that out further down this article.
The Walking Dead
Original run: 2010 - 2022
No. of seasons: 11
The show that started it all, The Walking Dead first launched back in 2010 to universal acclaim as the AMC series brought the ravaged world of Robert Kirkman's comic series to life. Andrew Lincoln's rapidly ascending star was catapulted through the stratosphere as he took on the role of Rick Grimes - the deputy sheriff who woke from a coma to find the world had gone to hell when he was sleeping. And from there, he went on to become one of the greatest TV protagonists of all time.
Through the years, Rick puts together a group of survivors consisting of all walks of life. From badass warriors who thrive in the apocalypse to good-natured family-oriented folk who are necessary to remind everyone what separates all of them from the undead who roam the earth. From the walkers that await them beyond their settlements to the human threats that have capitalized on the state of the world around them, there are dangers aplenty in the world of The Walking Dead and - for better or for worse - the series shows us all of that throughout its 11 season run.
This is where it all began for the TWD Universe and this 11-season journey is nothing short of an emotional rollercoaster. If you haven't watched it before, buckle up.
Fear The Walking Dead
Original run: 2015 - 2023
No. of seasons: 8
The very first of the TWD spinoffs, Fear the Walking Dead is a tale of two of halves (in many ways). The first three seasons of the show are a prequel to the original series, showing us all how the world went to hell. It does all of that through the lens of the Clark family, who attempt to stick together as everything around them crashes and burns with the dead beginning to rise. It's an incredibly immersive experience, leaning into the sheer terror that these ordinary people felt as the world as they knew it ceased to exist. This also allows for some unexpectedly gripping character journeys and some surprise heroes.
From season 4 onwards, Fear becomes a companion show to The Walking Dead, undergoing a soft reboot so that it can catch up and run alongside its parent series. It isn't a smooth transition and it understandably made a lot fans tune out but there are some fun storylines along the way. As it is led by Lennie James' Morgan Jones from this point onwards, fans often watch the rest of the series alongside TWD so that the timelines match up... but due to some unanticipated time jumps on the original show, they don't line up as well as you'd think. (If you'd like to know how to watch all of the TWD shows in chronological order, read on).
At its best, Fear is often better than the original series, but at its worst, it's... well, let's just say it would have been better if it had remained a prequel series.
The Walking Dead: World Beyond
Original run: 2020 - 2021
No. of seasons: 2
The Walking Dead: World Beyond was the last spinoff commissioned to run alongside the original series, but it also became something of an important bridge between that show and one of the new spinoffs designed to carry on the story. The reason for that was the fact that this one focused on the Civic Republic Military, showcasing more about who they are and what their motivations were.
The two-season miniseries was also designed to give us a glimpse of the apocalypse through young survivors' eyes. While most of the survivors we met in the TWD Universe remember what life was like before the dead rose, these are the children of the apocalypse who either can't remember those days or don't want to. Although they have lived safe lives in their camp, this coming-of-age story sees them venture out into the world of walkers and unknown dangers, all in search of finding out the meaning behind all this surviving that they're doing: Living. That journey puts them on a collision course with one of the whole franchise's overarching big bads.
Tales of the Walking Dead
Original run: 2022
No. of seasons: 1
Have you ever wondered what the apocalypse was like for other normal people? Well then, Tales of the Walking Dead is what you're looking for. An episodic anthology series, each of the show's five episodes is focused on one character - or group of characters - at various stages in the apocalypse, giving us all a chance to see how different people coped with the dead rising and the world ending. There's even an episode in there starring The Walking Dead villain Alpha before she crossed paths with The Whisperers.
Tales of the Walking Dead was originally announced as one of the new wave of TWD spinoffs to air after the conclusion of the original show, but it ultimately ended up airing before the series finale. That makes its placement in the TWD Universe legacy a little tricky as there haven't been any promising updates on its future since - suggesting that it is just a one-and-done experiment.
The Walking Dead: Dead City
Original run: 2023 - present
No of seasons: 2 (renewed for a third season)
When The Walking Dead came to an end, three new spinoffs were launched with the intention of spotlighting some of the show's most beloved characters in brand new environments. The first of those was Dead City, which brings Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan back to screens as bitter enemies Maggie Rhee and Negan.
The pair, forever stuck in a cycle of resentment and violence over what went down on the original show, venture into New York City when Maggie's son Hershel is taken by an old ally of Negan's. They must learn to work together while navigating the dangers of an undead city full of walkers, rats, and very, very theatrical villains.
Dead City is a immersive experience that makes the most of its city setting, opening a brand new era for the TWD Universe on a high. With two seasons to its name thus far, and a third is on the way, it's clear that Maggie and Negan's story is far from over.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon
Original run: 2023 - present
No. of seasons: 3 (renewed for a fourth and final season)
Daryl Dixon finds himself on new shores when he arrives in France in the first season of his own spinoff show. Set after the series finale of The Walking Dead, this one follows Norman Reedus' broody tracker as he is tasked with looking after a young boy who a nun believes to be the leader of the next generation of humanity. He's also believed to be immune to walker bites.
The first season of the show is by far one of the best narratives that the TWD Universe has ever told, seeing Daryl attempt to find himself all over again (as he also attempts to find his way home). It's a thrilling experience; just as thrilling as seeing him and Melissa McBride's Carol share the screen again in the second season.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon will consist of four seasons. AMC announced the decision to conclude the show after its recently-renewed fourth installment, with the promise of more stories for Daryl and Carol on the horizon after that.
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live
Original run: 2024
No. of seasons: 1 (miniseries)
Perhaps the spinoff that fans were most excited for, The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live spotlights Andrew Lincoln's Rick Grimes and Danai Gurira's Michonne as the two reunite after their adventures together on the original series. Of all the spinoffs, this is the one that feels most like a sequel - and it's also the one that audiences had been waiting to see for the longest of times.
Originally announced as a trilogy of Rick Grimes movies, it was reimagined as a six-episode spinoff series designed to give Rick and Michonne's love story the storybook ending that it deserved. As a result, it carries on some of the loose threads from The Walking Dead and spotlights Lincoln and Gurira's characters as they attempt to get to the bottom of the Civic Republic Military's motivations once and for all.
The six-episode miniseries is one of the most compelling stories that the TWD Universe has ever told and a fitting conclusion for the stories of two of the franchise's most beloved characters.
How to watch The Walking Dead shows and spinoffs in chronological order
If you would prefer to watch the stories of the TWD Universe in the order that they actually take place in the Walking Dead timeline, allow us to break it down for you. This isn't the order that the shows were released in, but the order that all of the events transpire throughout the apocalypse.
From the beginning of the nightmare that forged warriors like Rick Grimes and Madison Clark to the present day adventures of the Daryl, Carol, Maggie, and Negan spinoffs, here are the TWD shows in chronological order.
Show / season | Why it takes place here |
|---|---|
Fear The Walking Dead (seasons 1 - 3) | The apocalypse begins |
The Walking Dead (seasons 1 - 8) | Rick Grimes' story |
Fear The Walking Dead season 4 | Prequel series becomes TWD companion |
Tales of the Walking Dead | Takes place at different, early points in TWD timeline |
The Walking Dead season 9 | Rick's send-off, CRM story begins |
Fear The Walking Dead season 5 | Morgan officially face of FearTWD |
The Walking Dead season 10 | Post-Rick era |
The Walking Dead: World Beyond (both seasons) | CRM takes center stage |
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live | Rick and Michonne return / CRM story concludes |
The Walking Dead season 11 | End of TWD, sets up new spinoffs |
Fear The Walking Dead seasons 6 - 8 | End of FearTWD story |
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 1 | Picks up after TWD series finale |
The Walking Dead: Dead City season 1 | Maggie and Negan reunite after TWD finale |
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 2 | Daryl and Carol reunite, try to leave France |
The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2 | Maggie returns to Manhattan |
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3 (upcoming) | Daryl and Carol try to return home through London / Spain |
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 4 (in production, will likely air 2026) | |
The Walking Dead: Dead City season 3 (renewed, not yet in production) |
There you have it: Whether you're planning on watching The Walking Dead shows and spinoffs in order of release or the order of the franchise's timeline, you now have a starting point to dive into this world. The saga has become so large and expansive over the years, and there are still rumors that it could continue on in the form of new and exciting spinoffs in the future.
In the meantime, get ready to jump in and enjoy the post-apocalyptic adventures of the TWD Universe!
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