Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Walking Dead's series finaleAfter the shocking deaths of Abraham and Glenn, The Walking Dead finally gave one of their main characters a respectable send-off. While rescuing her daughter, Coco, in the Walking Dead series finale, Rosita attempted to evade a herd of zombies. However, while climbing a pole, she fell into a mass of the undead below. It appeared as though the worst was about to happen, but Rosita's determination to get her daughter to safety allowed her to escape. Later, the episode revealed that Rosita was actually bitten in the fall and she spent her final moments with her loved ones.
Fan-favorite characters have never been safe in the world of the Walking Dead franchise. However, it's widely agreed upon that no other deaths have been quite as heavy-hitting as Glenn and Abraham's at the hands of Negan in the season 7 premiere. Killing off two of The Walking Dead's most beloved characters in such a brutal manner was a huge surprise, but it never felt like the right decision, serving more as a shock factor rather than an emotional end. Rosita's death emphasizes this fault even more, as it has shown that less is definitely more when handling the death of such a loved character.
Why Walking Dead Killing Glenn AND Abraham Was A Mistake
While marketing for The Walking Dead season 7 spotlighted that a beloved character was doomed to die at the hands of Negan's bat, Lucille, killing two of them was unexpected. In fact, during the build-up to the premiere, many had singled out Abraham as the likely candidate, making his eventual death heartbreaking but less shocking. The Walking Dead became known for deviating away from its source material when handling the deaths of its main characters, so at that moment, it was a relief that Glenn had been spared. Of course, this didn't last long, as moments later, Glenn also shockingly received the same fate.
At the time of the deaths, Glenn was the heart of The Walking Dead, and many fans felt betrayed by this decision. Even actor Steven Yeun, who played Glenn, expressed that the show never truly appreciated his character. Killing the pair was complete overkill, and Glenn had so much wasted potential, which could have seen him guide Rick and eventually get the death he deserved. The brutal nature of Glenn's death resulted in many viewers giving up on The Walking Dead, unable to forgive the showrunners for the decision.
Why Rosita's TWD Finale Death Worked So Well
While Rosita's death was a hard pill to swallow, the handling of her fate is what characters such as Glenn deserved. Rosita managed to avoid her comic death and make her way to the final episode of The Walking Dead, solidifying her as one of the toughest characters the show has seen. Similarly to characters such as Glenn, Rosita has always been devoted to her loved ones, which is what ultimately led to her demise.
It was the perfect end for Rosita, who finally got to see her loved ones in peace and harmony and spend her final moments with them before dying, showing how her sacrifices were not for nothing. This ultimately shows The Walking Dead learned from its past mistakes, providing a heartbreaking yet satisfying end to Rosita's story.