Heads Will Roll: Here's Who Will Likely Die In 'The Walking Dead' Season 8 Based On The Comic Books

When The Walking Dead returns for its eighth season in a few months, quite a few memorable moments are expected to take place. With the All Out War event kicking off in the Season 7 finale and the Season 8 premiere episode being the 100th episode of the series, we should be ready for some fireworks. But more importantly, we should expect to see some of the iconic moments from the comics portrayed on screen.

The most intriguing are the major character deaths that happen during the comic book "All Out War" event. No one too integral to the story dies but those who do are worth mentioning. And with The Walking Dead television series using the comics for inspiration, it's a fairly safe bet all, or at least some, of these characters will meet their end at some point during Season 8.

Gregory

In the comics, Gregory was hanged at the Hilltop for attempting to assassinate Maggie Greene. After struggling to maintain control over the Hilltop's people, Gregory found that the only way he could keep everyone loyal to him was to remove anyone who stood in his way, that being Maggie. Luckily, Gregory's attempt to poison her didn't work, leading to Gregory being hanged for his crimes.

How likely that is to take place on the television series is still to be determined. But, if we account for Gregory's recent secretly feeding intel to Simon during Season 7, he's most likely going to continue down a path that'll see him attempt to assassinate Maggie. And we've already seen Gregory stalking Maggie on the outskirts of the Hilltop, with an intent to kill. He held off for the time being, but Gregory's initial plan to go out and kill Maggie proves that he's only one step away from going through with it. If that happens, we can expect it will unfold like the comics.

Father Gabriel

Father Gabriel didn't die in the comics until after the Whisperers showed up, and they've yet to appear, despite a tease prior to the Season 7 premiere. That means Father Gabriel should be safe until they do show up.

However, showrunner Scott Gimple revealed that the Whisperers might arrive early, meaning there's a possibility that Father Gabriel will die during Season 8. If that is the case, Gabriel may wind up dying just like his comic book counterpart.

In the comics, Father Gabriel takes a post on the water tower to keep watch over the surrounding areas of Alexandria. On one occasion sees a large horde of walkers heading toward the community. Gabriel attempts to get down in a hurry but slips. Snapping his ankle on a rung of the ladder, he becomes snagged and trapped on the ladder a few feet above the ground. He screams out for help, but is found by the new leader of the Whisperers, Beta, who then proceeds to disembowel Gabriel, leaving him to be fed on by the walking dead.

Rosita

On the television series, Rosita has been on somewhat of a suicide mission. She almost got herself killed on several occasions during Season 7 for her own misguided vendetta. Rosita was even willing to risk dying alongside Sasha to get a shot at Negan, so there's evidence for her death taking place in the near future. Although, her comic counterpart doesn't meet her end until the Whisperers show up. Which means she's safe for the time being. But as previously mentioned, the Whisperers are probably going to join The Walking Dead soon. In which case, Rosita may wind up on a pike just like she did in the comics.

In the comics, Rosita is one of the heads placed on the border between the Whisperers' territory and everyone else's. The line of heads were placed in said location by the leader of the Whisperers after she killed 12 residents from the allying communities of Alexandria. They weren't discovered until Rick and Carl were released from the Whisperers' camp, finding their friends' heads being used as border markers.

Ezekiel

Ezekiel may have just become involved with the plot to take Negan down, and will continue to play a pivotal role in the upcoming war if the comics are of any influence on Season 8. Assuming the comics do play heavily into the next season, Ezekiel has a part to play for the foreseeable future. Keep in mind that when the war does end and Negan is presumably captured, Ezekiel's fate will be in question.

The introduction of the Whisperers in the comics was marked by their murder of several major characters including Ezekiel, so he'll probably be on the chopping block too. Since his comic counterpart was one of the victims decapitated and piked on the Whisperers' border, he'll likely meet a similar fate on the show.

Other Casualties Are Also A Possibility

Apart from these comic loyal deaths potentially taking place, every character is in danger of meeting their end in The Walking Dead Season 8. Since the television series isn't a shot-for-shot adaptation of the comics, character deaths can be swapped out at almost any moment. Sasha's death in the Season 7 finale is a good example.

That being said, we should be more expectant of The Walking Dead relying heavily on the comics in Season 8, with "All Out War" unfolding next season. There's more evidence than not for Gregory, Rosita, Ezekiel, and Gabriel dying like their comic counterparts rather than living out altered existences.