Fear the tales of the walking dead of the world beyond! Welcome to WatchMojo and today we’re diving into the totally not complicated timeline of “The Walking Dead Universe”. Beware of massive spoilers shambling your way. We'll have a look at the the rise and fall of certain characters, times of war and peace, starting over and more! What part of the Walking Dead timeline surprised you the most? Let us know in the comments below! Welcome to WatchMojo and today we’re diving into the totally not complicated timeline of “The Walking Dead Universe”. Beware of massive spoilers shambling your way.
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00:00 "12, 15 years ago there was a fella down south.
00:04 Showed up out of nowhere a lot like this guy."
00:07 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're diving into the totally not complicated timeline of
00:13 the Walking Dead universe. Beware of massive spoilers shambling your way.
00:18 "Wake up. It's time to go."
00:21 A combination of massive time jumps, multiple spin-offs,
00:27 and contradictory information made the Walking Dead timeline messier than Rick Grimes and a
00:33 crowd of walkers. Although there's still plenty of unanswered questions, there's enough to go
00:38 on to paint a rough timeline. "How can you not know?" "Everything went down. Communications,
00:44 directives, all of it. I've been in the dark for almost a month."
00:47 Without further ado, let's dive into the game-changing year that started it all.
00:53 2010. A busy beginning. On August 25th, 2010, the wildfire virus became a global issue in the
01:01 Walking Dead universe. While Rick Grimes was still recovering from a gunshot wound in a Georgia
01:06 hospital, people around the world fought to survive. Tales of the Walking Dead saw characters
01:11 try and fail to get to safety the day the outbreak went public. "Why are you so desperate to get out
01:17 of Atlanta?" "Things are bad. Very bad. People are going crazy, clawing and biting each other."
01:25 The world beyond also showed us how quickly society collapsed. Fear the Walking Dead gave
01:30 us the most extensive look at the outbreak's beginning by devoting its first season to
01:35 characters who must escape the city of Los Angeles. "They're leaving, we're leaving."
01:39 "I thought this was getting better. I thought we were winning." "They're retreating. It's not safe
01:44 for us to stay." While not everyone makes it out alive, the survivors reach a boat. Over the next
01:50 two seasons, the Clark family attempt to find refuge while avoiding maniacal villains. Around
01:56 the same time the heroes confront the third season's big bad, Rick Grimes wakes up. While
02:01 his momentous awakening sounds like the kind of event that caps off a busy year, 2010 wasn't even
02:08 close to over. Most of the events of seasons one through three of The Walking Dead take place within
02:13 a few months. "It all happened so fast. I didn't think." In 2010, Rick discovers Walker's "exists",
02:21 slay his best friend, and loses a promising home on a farm. As he and his group struggle to find
02:27 a safe place, the heroes of Fear the Walking Dead try to find each other after a damn explosion.
02:33 The protagonists of both shows were ultimately left trying to rebuild their lives in a zombified
02:38 world as the year ended. "I am doing something. I'm keeping this group together, alive. I've been
02:45 doing that all along, no matter what. I didn't ask for this. I killed my best friend for you people
02:51 for Christ's sake." 2011. Survivors Rise and Fall. After a hard winter, Rick Grimes and his group
02:59 find a mostly abandoned prison. Shortly after they move in, his wife tragically dies to ensure that
03:04 her daughter Judith will live on. "My baby has to survive. Please. My baby. For all of us. Please,
03:14 Maggie. Please." Rick is forced to grapple with his grief while contending with the threat of
03:20 the gruesome governor. But the officer wasn't the only one struggling with loss. Morgan Jones worked
03:26 through his issues by learning a new fighting technique. Elsewhere, Megan Smith mourned the
03:31 loss of his wife Lucille. Since a group of bandits was indirectly responsible for her death, he
03:37 decided to take his negative emotions out on them. His quest for revenge led to the birth of a truly
03:42 twisted big bad. "This time you best hope I never stop talking. Because when I do,
03:48 when I do, something very terrible is going to happen to you." 2012. War and Peace. The second
03:57 busiest year in the Walking Dead universe to date featured a number of pivotal events.
04:02 After an intense battle leaves the prison destroyed and the vicious governor dead,
04:06 Rick and company found a new home in Alexandria. Morgan arrived just in time to see Officer
04:11 Friendly shoot his way to the top of the city's hierarchy. "Do it. Rick?" Rick Grimes went on to
04:25 lead his people into an epic victory against a horde of walkers. Unfortunately, it wasn't long
04:31 before he suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Negan. "Things have changed. Whatever you had
04:36 going for you, that is over now." Rick played by the big bad's rules for a while before sparking a
04:45 revolution that leads into an all-out war. In the midst of the conflict, his son Carl is bitten
04:51 and dies. The war ends with Rick victorious and more determined than ever to break the
04:55 cycle of bloodshed. "Any person here who would live in peace and fairness, who would find common
05:05 ground, this world is yours." All in all, 2012 covers an astonishing four and a half season's
05:16 worth of Walking Dead content. However, that's not where the year ends. Shortly after the war
05:21 against Negan wrapped up, Morgan decided that he needed to get away from Alexandria. He eventually
05:27 ran into the main group of visitors from Fear the Walking Dead. "Where do you come from?" "Atlanta
05:32 and um, and Virginia." "How'd you get here?" "I ran." In the wake of losing their leader Madison,
05:44 her remaining family and allies become consumed by revenge. Morgan is able to help those who
05:49 survived work through their immense grief and embrace a more peaceful way to live. The new
05:54 group then decided to make it their mission to help those in need. "Don't know if any of you
05:59 are listening, but if you are, hang in there. We're coming for you." 2013. One step forward,
06:08 two steps back. Morgan's group spent the entirety of season five trying to help others. While they
06:14 had a few big successes, they hit a major roadblock when they met the villainess Virginia
06:18 and her armed crew. After Morgan made a deal with her to spare his people, he shot him and left him
06:24 for dead. "Where are you taking me?" "You get to stay here, Morgan. You see, I've got to protect
06:31 the future, which is why I'm loath to repeat the past." He was left clinging to life while another
06:38 villain started embracing a new way of living. After barely escaping an attack, a woman named
06:43 Dee and her daughter Lydia retreated into nature. It wasn't long before they're found by a sinister
06:48 group known as the Whisperers. Her induction into the group ended a relatively quiet year.
06:53 "Who are you? What do you want?" "I'm Harold. Don't speak. Whisper."
07:02 2014. All falls down. Although Rick Grimes wanted to build literal and metaphorical bridges between
07:10 communities, he encountered resistance at every turn. Things went from bad to worse when a herd
07:16 of walkers threatened the lives of everyone he loved. After getting severely injured,
07:20 he triggered an explosion to protect his family from the undead.
07:23 "I found them." Although he survives the explosion, he's powerless to prevent his
07:35 capture by Civil Republic military soldiers. Rick's taken away the same year Morgan returned
07:40 to lead his friends to victory over Virginia. Unfortunately, this major victory was overshadowed
07:45 by a huge setback. A fanatical survivor named Teddy made it his mission to watch nuclear warheads.
07:51 Despite Morgan's best efforts, he's unable to stop the plan before nukes fall in Texas.
08:02 2020. Brave New World. Six years after Rick was lost and nukes fell, the survivors struggle to
08:13 deal with even bigger threats. All the heroes on the main show are forced to give in to Big Bad
08:18 Alpha's demands after she threatens them with an army of walkers. "Tell them the next time they
08:25 cross into my land, my horde will cross into theirs. The land between the broken interstates
08:32 and the river to the south is mine." Over on World Beyond, a small group of kids learns how twisted
08:39 the Civil Republic military can be. The organization tried to eliminate an entire community in Portland.
08:45 "And our current operation won't be affected. Sherpas from the CR will be at the coal facility
08:50 in four hours to airlift the gas to Portland. I intend to have all this wrapped up by then."
08:54 Although the kids and their allies are able to prevent a massacre, the Civil Republic military
08:59 still stands as a looming threat. 2021. Silencing the Whisperers.
09:05 Everything in the Walking Dead universe seemed to stop to make room for one major conflict.
09:10 When the heroes decided they could no longer live with Alpha, they did everything in their power to
09:15 silence her for good. As part of a secret plan, Negan went undercover as a Whisperer to get close
09:21 to the leader. Michonne was all ready to step up and do whatever was necessary until she found
09:26 evidence that Rick Grimes was still alive. Without hesitation, she stepped away from
09:31 the battlefield and began her journey to find him. "If I go." "When you go and when you find him."
09:39 "Okay." Back on the home front, Negan finished his mission and eliminated Alpha. The survivors
09:47 barely had any time to rest before they met representatives of the formidable Commonwealth
09:52 Society. Although this new group appeared to be polite, it soon became clear that higher-ups
09:57 wanted the heroes to become pawns in a growing empire. "Get ready, Aaron. We are going to remake
10:04 the world." 2022. Land of the Free. Fear's story picks up after a massive seven-year time skip to
10:12 show us that Morgan has agreed to work for bad people to keep his daughter safe. After the duo
10:18 reunites, they get out of the organization and journey back to Alexandria. "It's got me thinking
10:22 about the people I ran away from when I first came to Texas. And their people mean as much to me as
10:28 you all do. I gotta find them." While Morgan's gone, his new ally Madison starts a new crew with
10:35 her daughter Alicia and an orphan named Tracy. The trio agrees to go back to Los Angeles, where
10:41 everything began. Over on The Walking Dead, the heroes are able to convince people within and
10:46 outside the Commonwealth to resist the Society's oppressive rule. It all builds up to a final
10:51 battle that permanently upsets the balance of power and gives a few familiar faces the chance
10:57 to take charge. 2023. Departures and Arrivals. A year after the Commonwealth conflict,
11:05 the heroic Ezekiel is instilled as the Society's new leader. "As your governor, I am your lieutenant
11:11 governor, Michael Mercer." With the fate of his home secure, Daryl sets out on a journey to find
11:17 Rick Grimes. His mission got majorly sidetracked when a powerful group imprisoned him on a ship.
11:22 By the time Daryl was able to escape, he discovered that he's been taken to France.
11:27 Although the gruff survivor tried to stay focused on getting back home, he forged strong bonds with
11:32 locals. Daryl's ultimately left torn between reuniting with his old family or embracing a
11:37 new one. At the same time, Michonne grew closer to finding the long lost Rick Grimes.
11:43 "I know you're back there. I know your brother is back there.
11:47 Just as sure as I know he's out there. Somewhere."
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12:02 If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
12:08 Between 2027 to 2029, Dead City
12:13 There's admittedly been some debate as to when the events of the Maggie and Negan spin-off take
12:18 place. The one thing we know for certain is that their story takes place after every other Walking
12:23 Dead series. Throughout the show, enemies Maggie and Negan must work together to rescue young
12:29 Herschel Rhee from a post-apocalyptic New York City. "Because you and I together, we make one
12:34 hell of a badass team. But you know that, don't you?" Along the way, the former bat-wielding
12:41 villain must go head to head with an antagonist who used to work for him. Negan ultimately
12:46 surrenders to his old subordinate in exchange for Herschel's life. Although Maggie goes along
12:51 with the deal, she realizes that a bigger threat to her son still exists. The season ends with both
12:56 her and Negan separately recognizing that their troubles aren't over yet. "I eventually let him
13:02 go in exchange for you. But I kept a little piece of him. And they can always go back for more."
13:13 As of February 2024, the timeline ends with the events of Dead City. While the journey here wasn't
13:20 exactly straightforward, it's fascinating to see how big the Walking Dead story is. "We are endless."
13:30 What part of the Walking Dead timeline surprised you the most? Let us know in the comments below.
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13:49 [Music]