5 The Walking Dead characters who definitely won’t be back in 2023

Ezekiel

King Ezekiel is easily one of The Walking Dead‘s most uplifting and inspiring characters. The King of the Kingdom has always been about helping people, which is why it was so fulfilling to see him get the chance to do it all over again in the series finale when we discovered that he was now the new Governor of the Commonwealth.

This felt like a fitting send-off for the character, especially as we had to see him struggle with his cancer battle over the past two seasons. But he managed to overcome the odds, and then use that gift of a new life to inspire and help people all over again. Now, as the Governor of the Commonwealth, he gets to do it on a much grander scale.

With The Walking Dead Universe now moving into the wider world, it feels like it’s mostly ready to say goodbye to the communities The Walking Dead gave us. While Alexandria and Hilltop could likely pop up again given certain characters’ connections to Daryl, Maggie, Rick and Michonne (the stars of the upcoming spinoffs), the story of the Commonwealth has been told. And thus, the series finale may be the last time we see Ezekiel.

With the three new spinoffs focused on getting off the ground in their first seasons, don’t expect to see the king-turned-governor next year anyway. Let’s just hope that, as the universe grows, it finds a reason to revisit the Commonwealth and all who live in it.