With The Isle of the Dead, starring characters Negan and Maggie, set to premiere in 2023, fans are excited that they'll get to continue watching Maggie in action after the main series comes to an end.
Maggie has been a part of the show since the second season, but she is not the same person that first appeared on the Greene's farm all those years ago. Maggie transformed from a young, impressionable woman to a fearsome, strong leader. Throughout the course of the series, there have been several major events that have changed Maggie's character.
The Group Coming To The Greene Farm
Before Rick showed up with his wounded son and the rest of his group, the Greene family was blind to the true nature of the world and walkers. They were convinced that these walkers were people that could be cured and weren't completely dead.
After Rick's group became a part of the farm and started showing the family, who had been isolated on the large property, how dangerous the undead were, it was clear their lives would never be the same again. Not only did Maggie meet the rest of her family at this time, but she became aware of how serious the state of the world was.
Hershel's Sudden Death
Hershel remains one of the most notable deaths in the series, leading to a battle that would separate most of the group for a period of time.
At this time, Maggie had lost a few of her family but had continued to survive along with her father and sister. When Hershel died, it changed the way Maggie looked at the world. While she already knew how cruel people were, losing her father made it clear she couldn't trust people with the safety of her loved ones.
Getting To Beth Too Late
After the fight at the prison, Maggie was separated from her family, including her sister Beth and her husband Glenn. Instead of going after her sister Beth, she went in search of Glenn, believing he was more likely to have survived than the teenager.
Maggie felt an extreme amount of guilt after learning her sister had survived the battle with the Governor. Not only did Beth's death devastate her sister, but Maggie blamed herself for not going in search of her last living family member.
Losing Glenn
Maggie and Glen were the best couple in The Walking Dead, standing by each other despite what they went through. It was exciting to see the couple learn they were expecting their first child, which made Glenn's death even more devastating.
Maggie had learned a lot about the harsh reality of the post-apocalyptic world, but she was never the same after the death of her husband. After losing Glenn, Maggie took a more active role in leadership, eventually taking control of Hilltop.
Having Her Son
Before her son's birth, nothing was more important to Maggie than fighting to protect her community. However, after her son was born, she was determined to do whatever she had to do to ensure he had a safe and thriving place to grow up.
Becoming a mother didn't make Maggie weaker and more vulnerable. On the contrary, having her child made Maggie more determined and less forgiving when it came to the safety of her family.
Meeting Georgie
Though Georgie is only seen once in this series, she had a serious influence on Maggie's development. After the two exchange goods and knowledge on how to create a thriving community infrastructure, Maggie takes an interest in other communities outside of her circle.
It is Georgie's presence and influence on Maggie that inevitably leads to the leader leaving the Hilltop and ing another community. Had Georgie not introduced Maggie to the possibilities of the world, Maggie likely would have never left her group and community.
Losing Her Group
There are many things Maggie needs to resolve before the end of the series, including finding a new place to live. After losing the group she stayed with after leaving Hilltop, she returned back to her people and quickly took back up the position of leader.
However, Maggie did not come back years later to the same person she left as. Though she's still strong and strategical, she experienced another great loss, having her community destroyed by invaders and losing most of the people in the process. This experience left her even less trustworthy and more determined to take out her enemies.
Killing The Reapers
One of the best decisions Maggie made in season 11 was to take out the Reapers who had invaded her community and killed many people she cared about. After this loss and the Reapers continued to hunt down the remainder of her people, Maggie was set on revenge.
Not only did killing the Reapers get revenge on all those they brutally murdered, but it proved Maggie was now a completely unforgiving leader. She may have been a fearless leader before, but after the experience with this enemy, it was clear her personality had hardened over years of loss and fighting.
Accepting Negan's Help
It's unlikely Maggie will ever forgive Negan for brutally murdering her husband when he was a villain. However, it was clear that Negan is no longer an evil-doer and is committed to keeping people alive.
One of the most respectful aspects of Maggie's character is her ability to trust Negan and accept his help, despite the tragedy he caused her family and group. Maggie was determined to avenge her husband's death, but she showed an extreme amount of growth by choosing to accept Negan as part of the group.
Giving Up Hilltop
Maggie's final act as a leader in the final episode of season 11 has made it clear her character will never be the same. Instead of fighting to keep what they have, Maggie chose to blow up Hilltop's house and save her people.
Hilltop was her home, and the place where her son was born, but it became clear to Maggie that it was only a place. The group has spent much of the series fighting to keep their current home. However, Maggie made the hard decision as a leader and chose to save her people over sacrificing lives for a home that can be replaced. This act solidified the notion that Maggie is no longer going to fight for control, but ensure anybody that threatens her people will be eliminated.