Creator reveals shocking alternate plan that could have changed the series forever
Summary
– Robert Kirkman considered killing Rick Grimes as early as Issue #6
– Alternate story would have seen Shane Walsh raise Carl after killing Rick
– Kirkman chose long-term storytelling over early shock value
Robert Kirkman almost took The Walking Dead in a drastically different direction by removing Rick Grimes from the story far earlier than fans ever imagined. The comic creator shared new insight during an appearance on The Brandon Davis Show, revealing that Rick’s death was always part of the plan, but nearly happened at the very start of the series.
Kirkman explained that he had long viewed Rick’s eventual death as the turning point that would lead to the story’s conclusion. That moment ultimately came in Issue #192, when Sebastian Milton shot Rick multiple times, leading to his death and reanimation before Carl was forced to put him down.
However, while writing Issue #6, Kirkman explored a very different outcome. At that point in the story, tensions between Rick and Shane Walsh reached a breaking point, with Shane confronting Rick at gunpoint. In the final version, Carl intervened and killed Shane, but Kirkman admitted he strongly considered flipping that outcome.
Under that alternate scenario, Shane would have killed Rick and taken control of Carl’s future. Kirkman described the concept as compelling, with Carl forced to live under the authority of the man who murdered his father, while the group accepted Shane’s justification.
Despite the intriguing direction, Kirkman ultimately decided against it. He questioned whether that version of the story could have sustained a run as long as the comic ultimately achieved, which spanned 193 issues.
By keeping Rick alive, Kirkman preserved the emotional core that carried The Walking Dead for years. His decision allowed the story to grow naturally, building toward Rick’s eventual death as a defining moment rather than an early shock twist.
