The Walking Dead: How the series lives on after the finale

Back in 2010, the world of television changed forever with the creation of The Walking Dead series. Based on the graphic novels by Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore, this epic post-apocalyptic horror series would run for 12 years and make household names out of the characters and the cast.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end and the final season aired in 2022, leaving die-hard fans in the lurch about what to watch next. Thankfully, the world of The Walking Dead did not just end with the main television series and there are plenty of areas for fans to get their zombie fix.

Anyone looking for the next adventure within The Walking Dead universe has come to the right place.

Expanding the world in television

Whilst The Walking Dead began as a graphic novel, it only really found international acclaim after the television series, originally developed by Frank Darabont, aired. There is no denying that the TV show is the biggest and most popular medium within the franchise. However, the original series is not the only adaptation out there.

Fear the Walking Dead was the first spin-off show created that follows a different set of characters and begins at the start of the apocalypse instead of months later. Amazingly, this show continues today and is even renewed for an eighth season that is set to air sometime in 2022.

Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg for all the shows based around The Walking Dead – other examples include The Walking Dead: World Beyond, Tales of the Walking Dead, Isle of the Dead, an untitled Daryl Dixon spin-off series, an untitled Michonne and Rick Grimes spin-off series and Talking Dead.

Each of these shows explores a brand-new area within the series and delves into more untold stories. The first place that fans of the original series should check is certainly television as the story continues. There are even appearances from fan-favourite characters, so there is no excuse not to dive into the rest of the universe of The Walking Dead.

Finding life in gaming

Die-hard fans of The Walking Dead (also known as Deadies, Dead-heads and Walkers) even have the opportunity to find out what the world of The Walking Dead is really like. This is possible to achieve through the wonderful medium of video games.

Easily the most well-known video game adaptation, Telltale’s The Walking Dead follows the comics closely but adds in two original characters called Lee and Clementine who soon became fan-favourites for the entire series. Both the characters and games in Telltale’s series have been acclaimed by critics and fans. This episodic adventure game has even led to four seasons and a multitude of spin-offs, including 400 Days and The Walking Dead: Michonne. 

Although Telltale’s The Walking Dead is easily one of the biggest video game adaptations, it is definitely not the only one. From mobile games to console releases, there is a game for everyone. Players can follow Daryl Dixon in The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct and The Walking Dead: No Man’s Land or follow brand-new survivors in Overkill’s The Walking Dead.

Aficionados will also be delighted to know that the world of iGaming has also embraced The Walking Dead with the latest release being Playtech’s The Walking Dead slot. This game follows Rick, Michonne, Daryl, Carol and Negan as players try to uncover big wins. Playtech’s game has been so popular that the developers have even started working on a sequel expected to be released in 2022.

Returning to literature

Those who are not a fans of watching more television shows or playing video games could consider giving the original comics a view to see where the inspiration for the television show came from. Remarkably, the original graphic novel started in 2003 and ran for 193 issues before ending in 2019.

Since the comic book ended in 2019, there have also been multiple specials (including Here’s Negan) to continue the story. It’s worth mentioning that whilst the show is inspired by the comics, there are differences throughout and it’s definitely a potentially rewarding read for anyone who loves the television show.

There have also been novels based on the comics written by Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga released between 2011 and 2019. Each of these books focuses on characters within the comics with the first couple of books focusing on the Governor. This gives fans a chance to get a deeper dive into the psychology of a character and to understand their perspective a little better.

The series lives on

It’s always a depressing moment when a good television series ends and it often leads to wondering what to do next. Thankfully, there are enough adaptations, with video games, television and literature, that fans of The Walking Dead will always have something to keep them entertained.

The fun doesn’t even stop there are there are multiple different board game adaptations for fans to enjoy, as well as card games and huge conventions held just for The Walking Dead. Of course, lovers of the original television series can always go back and start the series from scratch to experience the marvel that is The Walking Dead again.

The editorial unit