Somehow, The Walking Dead has lasted an impressive 12 years. It started off as a short exploration through a tight-knit group surviving the zombie apocalypse but has expanded through hundreds of characters, with only a few of the original cast remaining alive and on the show.

There has also been a lot of fluctuation in of quality. The show started off strong, then reached a strange turning point, dipped hugely, and has begun to work its way back up. And, IMDb voters have offered up their opinions on the best and worst that the seasons have to offer.

Updated on October 22nd, 2022 by Jordan Iacobucci:

There are only a handful of episodes left of The Walking Dead, leaving many fans to wonder how the long-running zombie series will end its eleven-season run. While the series is known for having its fair share of ups and downs, fans remain intensely loyal to their favorite post-apocalyptic drama. As The Walking Dead comes to a close, the series' very best seasons can be discerned by calculating their IMDb average rating per episode.

Season 8 (7.0)

Season 8 marked a shocking dip in the quality of The Walking Dead. By this point in the show, it was already on a downswing, but the plummet into season 8 was something very few could have predicted. Fans were happy that the too-long conflict with the Saviors had finally come to an end, but were also angered that Rick decided to spare Negan's life and wondered where that could take the story going forward. Negan was arguably the biggest villain on The Walking Dead, but fans felt his storyline had run its course.

One of the most upsetting moments from the season, however, was the death of Carl, who fans had come to love and appreciate. Considering the character has such a huge role in the comics on which the show is based, fans were left feeling cheated when he was killed off.

Season 10 (7.4)

Season 10 of The Walking Dead saw the conclusion of the Whisperer War, with Beta taking over the eponymous antagonist group after the death of their former leader Alpha. The season was nevertheless hampered by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which delayed the finale episode by several months, thereby killing the story's momentum.

While season 10 continued the previous year's streak of improved quality following the disastrous eighth season of the series, it was far from perfect. Highlights included the introduction of characters like Princess as well as the first glimpse of the existence of The Commonwealth, but the season's six "bonus episodes" severely lowered its overall score, with some being ranked as the very worst in The Walking Dead history.

Season 7 (7.4)

There was so much build-up to that pivotal scene in season 7 that would reveal who would meet the end of Negan's bat that by the time it happened, fans had already spent months guessing and were frustrated at the cliffhanger. The gruesome nature of the scene didn't sit well with viewers, with many declaring they would abandon the show after its shift to what they called gratuitous violence. This season marked a major turning point for the show.

Along with seeing the death of fan-favorite character Glenn, fans weren't excited to see another fan-favorite character Daryl being held in captivity for much of the season. The season was slow, delivering any semblance of action in the first episode that left fans gutted and unable to recover for some time.

Season 11 (7.9)

Season 11 marks the show's very last episodes and has seen exciting new storylines that place the season firmly in the middle of the pack when it comes to how well it ranks. The group found The Commonwealth, one of the strongest communities on The Walking Dead, which comes with a new set of challenges. Among them is the season's presumed last primary villain, Lance Hornsby, who isn't content with being second-in-command and wants more power, wealth, and control.

The season centers around a number of core plotlines, including dealing with the Commonwealth and correcting its wrongs and the conflict between Maggie and Negan. With exciting new characters, a villain with his eye on the protagonists, and the introduction of new zombie variants to keep the characters on their toes, this could very well turn out to be one of the show's best seasons ever.

Season 9 (8.0)

Despite the huge dip in quality in previous years, season 9 certainly seemed to demonstrate a show that was pulling itself out of the murky waters and its past mistakes. This season was the final time fans would see Rick Grimes, as the long-running protagonist of the series made his exit part-way through, with a confirmation that he would appear again in a spinoff.

The penultimate episode racks up an impressive score of 9.4, before the season finale, "The Storm", really took down everyone’s expectations and ended the season on a low (7.6) note. It's the first season that marked a major time jump too. But what really carried this season was the introduction of the most feral, captivating group of villains, The Whisperers.

Season 6 (8.2)

From Carl losing an eye to the fake-out death of Glenn and the big reveal of Negan, there was a lot going on in season 6. The season might have ranked higher had it not been for the big disappointment surrounding the final scene, which did not reveal the character who would die at the hands of Negan, but rather left audiences with an unsatisfying and torturous cliffhanger.

The Saviors were the primary villains, and fans had hoped for a resolution to start fresh in the new season, which proved not to be the case. However, fans did find themselves intrigued by the group's life in Alexandria and how they had managed to carve out a semblance of real existence despite the dire circumstances outside the walls. Additionally, Morgan's bottle episode, "Here's Not Here," proved to be a surprisingly emotional and heartfelt episode amidst an otherwise shaky season.

Season 4 (8.3)

The first half of season 4 was the pinnacle of The Walking Dead. The season picks up months after the Governor's defeat, with the prison community now flourishing. However, after being ravaged by disease, the community finds itself unprepared for the Governor's return and they are scattered, each on a different mission of survival.

As is typically agreed by viewers, the mid-season finale "Too Far Gone" is one of the best episodes of The Walking Dead ever made. Unfortunately, the second half of the season in which the survivors are split up brings its average down and marks the start of the show’s demise. Nonetheless, the journey to Terminus, the heart-wrenching "look at the flowers" moment, and the wrath of The Governor, one of the most intelligent villains on The Walking Dead, made the season one worth watching.

Season 5 (8.3)

Beth and Daryl are off on their own adventure while most of the group are trying to avoid being eaten by cannibals. This season doesn’t have the standout brilliant moments from the previous installment, but it does have consistency on its side. While the losses of Beth and Tyreese hit hard, they weren’t quite important enough for them to have anywhere near the power of Hershel’s death.

However, this season had some other pivotal moments, including Rick's killing of Pete, just as Morgan surprisingly reappears on the show to witness this brutal change in his friend, and the introduction of The Wolves, though they turned out to be one of the least compelling groups on the show.

Season 2 (8.3)

The second season of The Walking Dead had some of its best moments: the introduction of Hershel, the hunt for Sophia, and the massive fire that ravaged the farm in the incredible season finale. This was up there with the strongest the show ever was. It also saw the death of Shane, a man who had a leadership style very different from his friend and former partner Rick.

But two of the biggest moments in the season include Sophia's reanimated body stumbling out of the barn, much to Carol's despair, and the introduction of who would become one of the most fierce and popular characters on the show, Michonne.

Season 3 (8.4)

The third season is set almost exclusively in the prison, the undoubted best location from The Walking Dead. This is the season where Rick is left to reel, and even hallucinate, following the death of his wife Lori while trying to care for a new baby Judith, who he knows is very likely not his biological daughter. Fans love knowing now that Judith has grown to become one of the bravest child characters on The Walking Dead.

The Governor is introduced as the first real villain of the show, making him one of the most interesting characters on the show to date. He presented a new enemy in the living who was out for power and control. It was something the group hadn't yet faced, as the Governor was not only living on survival instinct, but had amassed a group of followers to work with him.