12-15 years ago there was a fella down south, showed up out of nowhere a lot like this guy. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're diving into the totally not complicated timeline of the Walking Dead universe. Beware of massive spoilers shambling your way. Wake up, it's time to go. A combination of massive time jumps, multiple spin-offs, and contradictory information made the Walking Dead timeline messier than Rick Grimes and a crowd of walkers.
Although there's still plenty of unanswered questions, there's enough to go on to paint a timeline. Without further ado, let's dive into the game-changing year that started it all. 2000 2010 A Busy Beginning On August 25, 2010, the wildfire virus became a global issue in the Walking Dead universe. While Rick Grimes was still recovering from a gunshot wound in a Georgia hospital, people around the world fought to survive.
Tales of the Walking Dead saw characters try and fail to get to safety the day the outbreak went public. Why are you so desperate to get out of Atlanta? The World Beyond also showed us how quickly society collapsed.
Fear the Walking Dead gave us the most extensive look at the outbreak's beginning by devoting its first season to characters who must escape the city of Los Angeles. While not everyone makes it out alive, the survivors reach a boat. Over the next two seasons, the Clark family attempt to find refuge in the city of Los while avoiding maniacal villains. Around the same time the heroes confront the third season's big bad, Rick Grimes wakes up.
While his momentous awakening sounds like the kind of event that caps off a busy year, 2010 wasn't even close to over. Most of the events of seasons one through three of The Walking Dead take place within a few months. It all happened so fast, I didn't think.
In 2010, Rick discovers walkers exist, slay his best friend, and loses a promising home on a farm. As he and his group struggle to find a safe place, the heroes of Fear the Walking Dead try to find each other after a damn explosion. The protagonists of both shows were ultimately left trying to rebuild their lives in a zombified world as the year ended.
I am doing something. I'm keeping this group together, alive. I've been doing that all along, no matter what.
I didn't ask for this. I killed my best friend for you people for Christ's sake. 2011. 11. Survivors Rise and Fall After a hard winter, Rick Grimes and his group find a mostly abandoned prison.
Shortly after they move in, his wife tragically dies to ensure that her daughter Judith will live on. For all of us, please Maggie, please. Rick is forced to grapple with his grief while contending with the threat of the gruesome governor. But the officer wasn't the only one struggling with loss.
Morgan Jones worked through his issues by learning new fighting technique. Elsewhere, Negan Smith mourned the loss of his wife Lucille. Since a group of bandits was indirectly responsible for her death, he decided to take his negative emotions out on them.
His quest for revenge led to the birth of a truly twisted big bad. When I do something very terrible, it's going to happen to you. 2012, War and Peace. The second busiest year in the Walking Dead universe to date featured a number of pivotal events. After an intense battle leaves the prison destroyed and the vicious governor dead, Rick and company found a new home in Alexandria.
Morgan arrived just in time to see Officer Friendly shoot his way to the top of the city's hierarchy. Do it. Rick Grimes went on to lead his people into an epic victory against a horde of walkers.
Unfortunately, it wasn't long before he suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Negan. That is over now. Rick played by the big bad's rules for a while before sparking a revolution that leads into an all-out war. In the midst of the conflict, his son Carl is bitten and dies.
The war ends with Rick victorious and more determined than ever to break the cycle of bloodshed. Any person here who would live in peace. and fairness who would find common ground This world is yours. All in all, 2012 covers an astonishing four and a half seasons worth of Walking Dead content. However, that's not where the year ends.
Shortly after the war against Negan wrapped up, Morgan decided that he needed to get away from Alexandria. He eventually ran into the main group of visitors from Fear the Walking Dead. Where do you come from? Atlanta.
And, um... In the wake of losing their leader Madison, her remaining family and allies become consumed by revenge. Morgan is able to help those who survived work through their immense grief and embrace a more peaceful way to live. The new group then decided to make it their mission to help those in need.
Don't know if any of you are listening, but if you are, hang in there. We're coming for you. 2013. One step forward, two steps back.
Morgan's Group's spent the entirety of season 5 trying to help others. While they had a few big successes, they hit a major roadblock when they met the villainous Virginia and her armed crew. After Morgan made a deal with her to spare his people, he shot him and left him for dead.
Where are you taking me? You get to stay here, Morgan. You see, I've got to protect the future, which is why I'm loathe to repeat the past. He was left clinging to life while another villain started embracing a new way of living. After barely escaping an attack, a woman named Dee and her daughter Lydia retreated into nature.
It wasn't long before they're found by a sinister group known as the Whisperers. Her induction into the group ended a relatively quiet year. Speak. Whisper.
After getting severely injured, he triggered an explosion to protect his family from the undead. I found him. Although he survives the explosion, he's powerless to prevent his capture by Civil Republic military soldiers.
Rick's taken away the same year Morgan returned to lead his friends to victory over Virginia. Unfortunately, this major victory was overshadowed by a huge setback. A fanatical survivor named Teddy made it his mission to watch nuclear warheads.
Despite Morgan's best efforts, he's unable to stop the plan before nukes fall in Texas. 2020 Brave New World Six years after Rick was lost and nukes fell, the survivors struggle to deal with even bigger threats. All the heroes on the main show are forced to give in to Big Bad Alpha's demands after she threatens them with a new world. with an army of walkers. Tell them the next time they cross into my land, my horde will cross into theirs.
The land between the Broken End estates and the river to the south is mine. on World Beyond, a small group of kids learns how twisted the Civil Republic military can be. The organization tried to eliminate an entire community in Portland.
And our current operation won't be affected. Troopers from the CRO will be at the cult facility in four hours to airlift the gas to Portland. I intend to have all this wrapped up by them. Although the kids and their allies are able to prevent a massacre, the Civil Republic military still stands as a looming threat. 2021, Silencing the Whisperers.
Everything. Everything in the Walking Dead universe seemed to stop to make room for one major conflict. When the heroes decided they could no longer live with Alpha, they did everything in their power to silence her for good.
As part of a secret plan, Negan went undercover as a whisperer to get close to the leader. Michonne was all ready to step up and do whatever was necessary until she found evidence that Rick Grimes was still alive. Without hesitation, she stepped away from the battlefield and began her journey to find him. She was so scared that she couldn't even breathe.
When you go, and when you find him, can I? Okay. Back on the home front, Negan finished his mission and eliminated Alpha. The survivors barely had any time to rest before they met representatives of the formidable Commonwealth Society.
Although this new group appeared to be polite, it soon became clear that higher-ups wanted the heroes to become pawns in the war. a growing empire. 2022, Land of the Free.
Fear's story picks up after a massive 7 year time skip to show us that Morgan has agreed to work for bad people to keep his daughter safe. After the duo reunite, nights they get out of the organization and journey back to alexandria it's got me thinking about the people i ran away from when i first came to texas and they're people that mean as much to me as you all do i gotta find them while morgan's gone his new ally Madison starts a new crew with her daughter Alicia and an orphan named Tracy. The trio agrees to go back to Los Angeles, where everything began. Over on the Walking Dead, the heroes are able to convince people within and outside the Commonwealth to resist the society's oppressive rule. It all builds up to a final battle that permanently upsets the balance of power and gives a few familiar faces the chance to take charge.
2023 Departures and Arrivals Are you ready? after the Commonwealth conflict, the heroic Ezekiel is instilled as the society's new leader. With the fate of his home secure, Daryl sets out on a journey to find Rick Grimes.
His mission got majorly sidetracked when a powerful group imprisoned him on a ship. By the time Daryl was able to escape, he discovered that he's been taken to France. Although the gruff survivor tried to stay focused on getting back home, he forged strong bonds with locals. Daryl's ultimately left torn between reuniting with his old family or embracing a new one. At the same time, Michonne grew closer to finding the long-lost Rick Grimes.
I know you're back there. I know your brother is back there, just as sure as I know he's out there, somewhere." Between 2027 to 2029, Dead City. There's admittedly been some debate as to when the events of the Maggie and Negan spinoff take place. The one thing we know for certain is that their story takes place after every other Walking Dead series. Throughout the show, enemies Maggie and Negan must work together to rescue young Herschel Ree from a post-apocalyptic New York City. Because you and I together, we make one hell of a badass team. But you know that, don't you? Along the way, the former bat-wielding villain must go head-to-head with an antagonist who used to work for him. Negan ultimately surrenders to his old subordinate in exchange for Herschel's life. Although Maggie goes along with the deal, she realizes that a bigger threat to her son still exists. The season ends with both her and Negan separately recognizing that their troubles aren't over yet. I eventually let him go in exchange for you, but... I kept a little piece of him and I can always go back for more. As of February 2024, the timeline ends with the events of Dead City. While the journey here wasn't exactly straightforward, it's fascinating to see how big the Walking Dead story is. We are. What part of the Walking Dead timeline surprised you the most? Let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this video? Check out these other clips from WatchMojo and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.