People will die. This is an inevitability when it comes to The Walking Dead, which has killed off almost all of its original cast to date, along with many, many others who have come along the way. It makes sense, after all. It's the apocalypse where the walking dead are at every turn. It's unrealistic to think that all fan favorites will live to the end.
That begs the question: who will live to the end? It's unlikely the final 11th season will end with a vast wasteland of walking zombies, no surviving human in sight. Someone is going to survive.
If AMC needs some help, here are a few faces that fans would probably prefer to see stick around through to the end of the final season, and potentially beyond.
Daryl Dixon
When it comes to characters viewers absolutely won't accept dying, Daryl tops the list. And given that a spin-off series has been greenlit centered around Daryl and Carol, it's pretty safe to assume that fans will get their wishes and he isn't going anywhere.
Will Daryl literally be the last man standing, or will he be joined by others? That remains to be seen. Nonetheless, it will be unacceptable if Daryl perishes.
Carol Peletier
Like Daryl, since Carol may be starring in a spin-off series, chances are high she will survive. And she must. Carol has been among the most beloved characters of them all. One of only a few original cast members surviving (Daryl, Rick, and Morgan being the others, though two of those three have moved on to spin-off projects), it's a must that Carol sticks around to the bitter end.
Carol has become an example of the once beaten down (literally) and abused housewife who was finally able to realize own her strength and have a voice; not to mention turn into a stone-cold killer (when she needed to be). Her survival is critical.
Maggie Greene
As seen in the trailer, Maggie will be returning for the upcoming final season. And given her lengthy absence and all the fanfare around her return, she needs to survive to the end.
There's so much Maggie story to tell, including how she has been as a mother to her son, what she has been doing this whole time, what philosophies she can bring with her from her new community, and how and if she has changed.
Eugene Porter
How could the world possibly go on without Eugene? While so many people who have survived the apocalypse have done so because of their survival instincts and physical prowess, for Eugene, it has been his ability to latch on to people who could protect him, time and time again.
And while he has grown into a formidable fighter and brave man as well, Eugene is one of few brilliant scientific minds who remain in the world. He might not have the cure like he had once lied about. But, they need him.
Negan
It would be an amazing story to see Negan become the only villain (to the main group, at least) to not only survive, but also thrive and become a convert. Through his years in captivity and isolation, Negan has had time to reflect on life and has realized the error of his ways.
While many signs point to Negan and Daryl teaming up to take down Beta in the final season, if one of them will die because of it, it will almost certainly be Negan. But here's hoping they both come out of it alive.
Jerry
It will be tough enough on Jerry to lose Ezekiel (who will almost definitely pass on due to his self-made cancer diagnosis). But viewers won't be able to stomach losing Jerry, too. Rather, fans want to see him thrive and come into his own, even more so than he already has.
Not only a fierce fighter, but also a loving family man and a valuable member of the team, it would be nice to see Jerry become the leader he deserves to be and take over a community.
Connie
Currently, fans are just hoping Connie survived season 10 before they can even wish she'll survive season 11. Her fate remains unknown as she was left in a collapsed cave, presumed dead. But when Magna, who was with her, emerged alive, it was presumed that Connie was also alive, somewhere out there.
Thus, assuming she makes her way back to the group, it would be pretty cruel to kill Connie off and have fans (and Daryl) go through the tremendous heartbreak all over again. (Then again, the show played with fans' emotions with Glenn in a similar way, so it's not completely out of the realm of possibility that they would do it again.)
Judith Grimes
It already came as a shock when showrunners decided to kill off Carl, especially given that he has such a pivotal role in the comics where he survived until the end. Some thought the torch had been passed to Henry, but then he was killed, too.
That leaves Judith as the only remaining original child and the perfect one to continue the Grimes legacy of leadership and morality. Plus, if the movies involve a major time jump, wouldn't it be awesome to see an adult Judith reunite with her dad Rick?
Gabriel Stokes
Gabriel started as one of the most despised characters, but has completely turned himself around and made viewers, and his community members, appreciate (and sometimes fear) him rather than pity him. He has come a long way so it would be sad to see his story come to an end.
It would be nice to see Gabriel come full circle, find his faith once again, and become a better man for it.
Aaron
Now that Aaron has a daughter to raise, it's imperative that he is there for her. It would also be nice to see Aaron find a happy ending by falling in love again and having the family for which he had always hoped.
Aaron hasn't always been a primary character, often lurking in the background of whatever is going on. But he's one who could easily cross over to numerous spin-offs.