When does Shane die in The Walking Dead?

Shane is a big part of the early days of The Walking Dead. When does the character meet his end on the long-running AMC series?

Speaking as someone who was obsessed with The Walking Dead in its early days, there was a point in time when it was impossible to imagine the show existing without Shane Walsh.

He was that important to the show’s glory days, helping the family of his best friend Rick Grimes through what they thought was his death, falling in love with his wife in the process, and ultimately being unable to stop himself from the downward spiral he was on.

Played by Jon Bernthal, Shane had such a larger-than-life presence on the screen that it’s hard to believe he wasn’t with the show for longer. Yes, that means, if you haven’t watched much of the show yet, Shane doesn’t make it out of the apocalypse alive.

When does Shane Walsh die in The Walking Dead?

Shane dies in The Walking Dead season 2 episode 12, “Better Angels”, in what was easily one of the show’s most shocking scenes at the time. Challenging Rick out in the open on Hershel’s farm, he forces his best friend to withdraw his gun and have an old Western-style shootout. Rick refuses and tells him he’ll have to shoot an unarmed man. He then hands his gun to Shane, momentarily distracting him so that he can stab him in the chest. Shane then dies in Rick’s arms on the farm, as Rick emotionally tells him that he was responsible for the way things went down.

He waits for Shane to reanimate as a walker but before that can happen, Carl shows up and raises his gun. Thinking that he is pointing the weapon at him, Rick pleads with his son, unknowing that Shane has risen behind him. In an incredibly tense moment, Carl pulls the trigger, shooting over Rick’s shoulder to put the walker that Shane had become down.

It was a pivotal moment for TWD for many reasons, marking the end of that original era with the death of Shane, and the beginning of both Carl and Rick’s downward spirals. It was also the penultimate episode of season 2, with the sound of Carl’s gunshot drawing in a herd of walkers, setting the stage for the huge showdown on Hershel’s farm.

Were you a fan of Shane Walsh on The Walking Dead? Would you have liked to see Jon Bernthal stick around for a bit longer? Let us know in the comments below!