'The Walking Dead': Who Could Be Killed Off in the Finale?

WARNING!!! SPOILERS OF THE WALKING DEAD SERIES AND COMIC BOOKS WILL FOLLOW!!! PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!

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It has been one heck of a roller coaster ride on The Walking Dead this season. War has begun and we have seen some crazy twists that have kept viewers guessing at every turn. From the return of a season one character to in fighting among some of our favorite characters, season eight has brought a lot to the table. And yet, in the midst of all the violence and bloodshed, we have not seen a main character die. Sure, we have lost nearly every fighter from The Kingdom. We have had more casualties from Hilltop and Alexandria. But in all honesty, the most heartbreaking death this whole season has been Shiva.

If you stayed after and watched Talking Dead afterwards, you know that the mid-season finale will have a "shocking moment that everyone will be talking about." With the lack of significant deaths on the side of AHK (Eugene's acronym for Alexandria-Hilltop-Kingdom), I would bet good money that we will be seeing A LOT of casualties in this last finale. But the question remains: Who could be killed off in the finale?

Father Gabriel

This one seems the most obvious so I figured I'd get this out of the way first. Father Gabriel's condition has gone from bad to worse in a matter of moments. While the Sanctuary does not have the meds to help him, there is a slight glimmer of hope. From what we can gather from the preview to the finale, it looks like the Saviors have been able to escape the horde of walkers and go on the offensive against AHK, which also means there is an opportunity to scavenge for a cure to his illness. Downside (and most likely) is that the other Saviors will probably not allow the only known doctor to risk his life outside, especially to save a POW.

One other thing to consider is an easter egg that could be the foreshadowing the Gabriel's death. Near the end of episode seven, "Time for After," Rick approaches a water tower with a few walkers devouring a dangling corpse. For any comic reader, this scene looks rather familiar. It has been a long running practice on TWD to use iconic deaths on different characters. This one in particular is a spin on Gabriel's death from the comics. And although they used it on an unnamed victim, it could possibly be a bad omen for the priest on the show.

Morgan Jones

This one also seems like an easy choice. After the announcement that Morgan will be crossing over to Fear The Walking Dead, it feels like the clock started counting down. Morgan has come a long way since the series premier and we have seen him in almost every mental state imaginable. From borderline psychotic to borderline monk, Morgan has been tested time and time again. However, recent events have shaken Morgan's stability and it seems like it's only a matter of time until he gets pushed over the edge.

With the Saviors escaping the Sanctuary trap, it's safe to guess that something has happened to Morgan and the other snipers monitoring the compound. Whether they left once Daryl's truck hit the wall or they were caught off guard by another group is left to be seen. Despite the swarm of walkers inside the Sanctuary, there is a chance that some of the gunfire we hear at the end of the episode was directed at Morgan and company. After all, why else did they not answer Rick's message over the walkies?

Eugene Porter

Speaking of a man who has gone through some changes, this last episode we saw Eugene fully transition from Alexandrian to full-on Negan. For the most part, one thing has been consistent with Eugene's character: do and say whatever you need to survive. In his own version of Enid's JSS, Eugene has utilized nearly every possible tactic to have protection from the world around him. Now it seems he has found everything in the bundle that is Negan and the Saviors: protection, recognition, a powerful position, video games and DIY pickles.

The one thing working against Eugene is his one fatal flaw: his cowardice. His "lack of a sack" firmly extends to when he has to physically take action. Minus taking down walkers and his "assault" on Dwight, we normally see Eugene cowering in a corner instead of taking part of a fight. If a big battle comes to a head, Eugene will have a lot to worry about from AHK despite his previous alliances.

Though we did see him grow a pair and stand up for himself in the face of Dwight and Gabriel, Eugene still keeps some dirty little secrets underneath that mullet. The assassination attempt by two of his wives, Dwight serving as a double agent, him being the one responsible for Sasha's death, a lot of secrets that can either make or break his relationship with Negan. Eugene does play an extremely important role among the Saviors as "the brains" behind Negan's leadership. I guess we'll see if that will be enough to justify keeping them in his head instead of on the floor.

Dwight

If Eugene is potentially under fire, there is no question that Dwight will be as well. Like I stated earlier, Dwight has clearly jumped sides to AHK and who could blame him? Between knuckling under Negan's rule or striving for a better life, it appears that Dwight really believes there is more out there. But trying to act as a double agent has really painted Dwight into a corner yet again.

The argument can be made that some of his problems inside the Sanctuary might have been self-induced. He didn't have to run off with Sherry and Tina back in season six. That action lead to the death of Tina, losing Sherry to be one of Negan's wives and an up close look at a hot iron. Now that he has revealed to Eugene that he is in fact on the side of AHK, it might just be a matter of time until that secret comes out as well.

The Hilltop

This might sound outside the box but this is honestly a pretty big possibility. From the clip of the mid-season finale, we know that Negan and the Saviors find a way out of the walker trap and make their way to Alexandria. But in between that trip from Sanctuary to Alexandria, a lot could have gone down besides taking care of their home invasion.

Love him or hate him, Negan is a smart man. His confidence comes from his ability to think his way out of every problem so that he ends up on top. The last time he tried to invade Alexandria, he was thrown off by the reinforcements from Hilltop and Kingdom. But what has happened since then? The Kingdom's forces have been nearly wiped out with only a handful remaining and the Hilltop is current cohabiting with some Savior POW's. Dwight has shown that having a spy on the inside can change the game and that could be the perfect opportunity for Negan to do the same. With attacks on every side, there could be a big chance that Hilltop will be the next ones to fall.

What do you think?

All we've been promised thus far is that the mid-season finale will have a shocking moment that we will be talking about till the return in 2018. Death on TWD is inevitable and is not always the biggest bombshell unless it's someone we believe is safe bites the big one (Glenn's death for instance). Personally, I have been surprised every week by the events that have transpired. This season has thrown me for a loop and has really brought things back to being incredibly unpredictable.

But what do you think could happen? Will we see multiple deaths in the final episode of the year? Will Rick find a way to push the Saviors back again with the Scavengers in tow? Will we find out who owns the helicopter that has been teased multiple times this season? Let me know what you think!