Here’s How To Navigate the World of ‘The Walking Dead’

The gory world of The Walking Dead is one of TV’s most expansive franchises. Though it all began in 2010 with AMC’s flagship show, The Walking Dead, numerous spinoffs and web series have been produced since, detailing the difficulties of navigating a zombie-infested dystopia and the darkness lurking within mankind.

Now, if you’ve never watched anything Walking Dead-related before, knowing where to start can be challenging. Essentially, there are three ways to watch the entirety of The Walking Dead franchise: In chronological order, in exact release order, or series release order. Depending on your familiarity with The Walking Dead and its characters, one avenue may be more suitable for you than another. Luckily, we’re here to help you navigate The Walking Dead’s storied history. Sit back, relax, and enjoy this violent yet undeniably emotional ride.

Watch The Walking Dead in series release order

If you’re just trying to get a general feel for The Walking Dead franchise and see if it’s to your liking at all, or if you’re embarking on a rewatch but you’re already intimately familiar with the story, then this is probably the easiest way to approach The Walking Dead’s vast back catalog. Though some story beats might be spoiled, taking it one show at a time is the simplest way to keep track of all the characters (these are ensemble shows, after all) and their developmental journeys. You’ll start, of course, with The Walking Dead. This list contains only the main shows.

The Walking Dead (2010-2022)

The show that started it all. Follow former sheriff’s deputy Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) as he wakes up from a coma and discovers the world as he knew it is gone forever. As Grimes and his real and found family embarks on a journey littered with heartache, grief, violence, betrayal, and love, they’ll soon discover that while surviving the zombie apocalypse is hard, finding people to trust is even harder. The further they travel, the more survivors they encounter, but not all survivors are as loyal, dependable, and friendly as their group is. Prepare yourself to lose some of your favorite characters along the way. No one is safe in The Walking Dead.

Fear the Walking Dead (2015-2023)

The Walking Dead’s first and most successful spinoff, Fear the Walking Dead gave audiences a glimpse at how the world become ravaged by an incurable virus. The first three seasons serve as a prequel to The Walking Dead, taking place well before Rick Grimes wakes up alone in the hospital. The rest of the show takes place almost concurrently with The Walking Dead, with Morgan Jones (Lennie James), whom Rick Grimes originally met in The Walking Dead season 1 and who taught him how to survive, becoming a primary character on the show.

The Walking Dead: World Beyond (2020-2021)

The Walking Dead: World Beyond moves away from the world of Rick Grimes and Morgan Jones and instead focuses on an entirely new troupe of characters. This is the story of those who have barely known a world without zombies. Ten years after the initial outbreak, a group of sheltered teenagers who have been hunkered down in Nebraska learn to navigate a world filled with violence and grief and become who they were always meant to be, both good and bad. It’s a great character study of how different groups of people have experienced the apocalypse and how those experiences have shaped their identities.

Tales of the Walking Dead (2022-Present)

Tales of the Walking Dead is a limited anthology series that focuses on both new and existing characters in the Walking Dead TV universe. The series is just six episodes long (AMC has yet to confirm whether this has been officially canceled or renewed), so while you don’t have to engage with this one to understand the rest of the Walking Dead’s overarching story, it won’t take you long to watch—and there’s some great, nuanced character work in this one.

The Walking Dead: Deady City (2023-Present)

The first spinoff to take place after the conclusion of the original series, The Walking Dead’s most unlikely allies find their stories entangled once more. Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), one of Rick’s worst enemies and possibly one of the most evil villains on the show, has slowly redeemed himself since his first incredibly violent introduction in The Walking Dead season 6. Maggie (Lauren Cohan), who’s been a staple of The Walking Dead since season 2, is reluctantly forced to partner up with him to find her missing son, Hershel, in the dangerous and crumbling streets of Manhattan. Dead City has officially been renewed for a second season.

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon (2023-Present)

After the conclusion of The Walking Dead, Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) finds himself washed up on the shores of France, the birthplace of the virus that wrecked the world. Daryl must piece together how he ended up in France and why, embarking on a journey to find a way back home. But those he meets along the way may complicate matters, especially when he’s asked to transport an incredibly important child across the country to keep him safe. Daryl Dixon has also been renewed for a second season, which will be titled The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol. Melissa McBride, who has portrayed Carol Peletier since The Walking Dead season 1, will return as a series regular.

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live (2024-Present)

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live gives audiences the return of The Walking Dead’s most beloved couple: Rick and Michonne (Danai Gurira). Separated since the events of The Walking Dead season 9, Rick and Michonne are willing to do anything to be together and find their way back to their family, but politics, secrets, and the dead stand in their way. Above all, The Ones Who Live is an epic love story, but it also takes all the best aspects of the Walking Dead franchise and reminds viewers why they fell in love with the series in the first place.

Watch The Walking Dead in exact release order

If you want to avoid any and all spoilers (as much as you can on the internet, anyway), and you’re keen to explore The Walking Dead exactly as those who joined the adventure when the original series premiered in 2010 did, then watching the franchise in its exact release order is the way to go. Though it gets a little complicated at times, as you’ll have to switch between shows quite often as you go, there is definitely merit in this approach, especially if you’ve never watched The Walking Dead before and are prepared to immerse yourself fully in the franchise. There’s no better way to get to know the characters, their world, their relationships, and their hardships than this. This list includes the web series that were once used to promote upcoming seasons.

1. The Walking Dead season 1
2. The Walking Dead: Torn Apart (web series)
3. The Walking Dead season 2
4. The Walking Dead: Cold Storage (web series)
5. The Walking Dead season 3
6. The Walking Dead: The Oath (web series)
7. The Walking Dead seasons 4-5
8. Fear the Walking Dead season 1
9. Fear the Walking Dead: Flight 462 (web series)
10. The Walking Dead season 6
11. Fear the Walking Dead season 2
12. Fear the Walking Dead: Passage (web series)
13. The Walking Dead season 7
14. Fear the Walking Dead season 3
15. The Walking Dead: Red Machete (web series)
16. The Walking Dead season 8
17. Fear the Walking Dead season 4
18. The Walking Dead season 9
19. Fear the Walking Dead season 5
20. The Walking Dead season 10A (episodes 1-8)
21. The Walking Dead: World Beyond season 1
22. Fear the Walking Dead season 6A (episodes 1-7)
23. The Walking Dead season 10B/C (episodes 9-22)
24. Fear the Walking Dead season 6B (episodes 8-16)
25. The Walking Dead season 11A (episodes 1-8)
26. The Walking Dead: World Beyond season 2
27. Fear the Walking Dead season 7A (episodes 1-8)
28. The Walking Dead season 11B (episodes 9-16)
29. Tales of the Walking Dead
30. Fear the Walking Dead: Dead in the Water (web series)
31. Fear the Walking Dead season 7B (episodes 9-16)
32. The Walking Dead season 11C (episodes 17-24)
33. Fear the Walking Dead season 8A (episodes 1-6)
34. The Walking Dead: Dead City
35. The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon
36. Fear the Walking Dead season 8B (episodes 7-12)
37. The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live

Watch The Walking Dead in chronological order

The final way to approach the behemoth that is The Walking Dead franchise is by watching the story in chronological order. You’ll start with Fear the Walking Dead and the early days of the apocalypse and follow the franchise to the development of new societies and discover how the zombie virus spread across the world. This list also includes the various Walking Dead web series that were produced by AMC, as they often divulged interesting background information for certain characters and story beats.

1. Fear the Walking Dead season 1
2. Fear the Walking Dead: Dead in the Water (web series)
3. Fear the Walking Dead: Flight 462 (web series)
4. Fear the Walking Dead season 2
5. Fear the Walking Dead: Passage (web series)
6. Fear the Walking Dead season 3
7. The Walking Dead season 1
8. The Walking Dead: Torn Apart (web series)
9. The Walking Dead season 2
10. The Walking Dead: Cold Storage (web series)
11. The Walking Dead season 3
12. The Walking Dead: The Oath (web series)
13. The Walking Dead seasons 4-7
14. The Walking Dead: Red Machete (web series)
15. The Walking Dead season 8
16. Fear the Walking Dead seasons 4-5
17. The Walking Dead season 9, episodes 1-5
18. Fear the Walking Dead seasons 6-7
19. Tales of the Walking Dead
20. The Walking Dead: World Beyond
21. The Walking Dead season 9, episodes 6-16
22. Fear the Walking Dead season 8
23. The Walking Dead seasons 10-11
24. The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live
25. The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon
26. The Walking Dead: Dead City

So, now that you know just how much Walking Dead there is to watch, are you still up to the challenge? It may take a while, but it’s certainly worth your time.

(featured image: AMC)

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El Kuiper

El (she/her) is The Mary Sue's U.K. and weekend editor and has been working as a freelance entertainment journalist for over two years, ever since she completed her Ph.D. in Creative Writing. El's primary focus is television and movie coverage for The Mary Sue, including British TV (she's seen every episode of Midsomer Murders ever made) and franchises like Marvel and Pokémon. As much as she enjoys analyzing other people's stories, her biggest dream is to one day publish an original fantasy novel of her own.