The Walking Dead Should Have Swapped The Fates Of Maggie & Beth

Over the course of its 11 seasons, The Walking Dead featured some huge deaths that rocked viewers, but I still believe swapping these two character fates would’ve made the show so much better. With the benefit of hindsight, it’s extremely easy to say some things simply didn’t work for the zombie series, but a handful of decisions always felt questionable.

Most fans were furious when The Walking Dead killed off Carl and failed to replace him, which unsurprisingly left a huge hole in the series. Likewise, Glenn’s death sparked a lot of controversy, and while opinions are still split about whether it was the right decision or not, such a brutal exit was always going to cause backlash.

However, despite these peculiar decisions being frustrating several years later, Beth’s exit remains one of the most disappointing Walking Dead deaths after the series spent so much time building her up. She had some great progression, particularly during season 5, and I’m convinced the franchise should have swapped her fate with another high-profile survivor.

The Walking Dead Should’ve Killed Off Maggie & Spared Beth Instead

Considering Maggie was an extremely important comic character, fans may have responded angrily to her dying on TV, but I believe The Walking Dead should’ve killed her and spared Beth. Just like Daryl Dixon, Beth was created specifically for the TV series, and she managed to exceed expectations, slowly becoming more and more popular.

With no source material to restrict her development, The Walking Dead managed to give Beth some of the best progression in the series, but she sadly met her demise in season 5. Having been held inside Grady Memorial Hospital, she was forced to stay there by Dawn, a police officer who led the small community with an iron fist.

After Beth failed to escape several times, Rick’s group eventually found her and bargained to free Maggie’s younger sister. However, she was shot in the head after stabbing Dawn with some scissors, which many fans felt was a complete waste of her development.

Even if the show felt they needed a big death during “Coda”, Beth was the wrong culprit, and killing off Maggie instead would’ve been just as impactful while offering a huge swerve for comic readers. Sure, it would’ve been controversial, but Maggie’s death could have completely reshaped the series, potentially allowing Beth to step into a bigger role.

Likewise, while Glenn’s Walking Dead death may still have happened, seeing him as a grieving widower going down a darker path would have been fascinating. Perhaps the creators felt Maggie was simply too critical to the franchise’s future to die in season 5, but looking back, it feels like there was more to gain by keeping Beth around instead.

Maggie’s Initial Arc After Glenn Was Promising, But The Walking Dead Struggled With Her Character Progression

It wasn’t too long after losing her sister that Maggie lost her husband Glenn as well, and while her initial arc following his death was promising, it ultimately fizzled out. Understandably, she wanted to avenge the fan favorite’s murder, creating a long-running conflict with Negan, but this also stifled her character progression, which remains a problem today.

Seeing her step up as a leader and taking over Hilltop was exciting, as was watching her develop some more ruthless tendencies. However, despite getting numerous opportunities, Maggie decided not to kill Negan in The Walking Dead, even though she has never fully gotten over what he did to Glenn, with the duo even being forced to work together on multiple occasions.

While this was fun at first, their reluctant partnership has gone on for years, and it has felt like Maggie’s entire arc has been trying to overcome her hatred for Negan since season 9. As a result, the survivor’s story hasn’t really gone anywhere recently, and I can’t help but feel TWD could’ve done much more with Beth if she was still around.

Beth Had So Much Potential To Continue Growing In The Walking Dead

During her introduction, Beth was presented as a shy and timid survivor — the type that looked like she’d never last in the apocalypse. This made it all the more satisfying to see her learn how to handle herself while still providing a level of innocent optimism, with the hospital arc really testing her resolve and resilience.

Had she escaped with her life, it would’ve been so interesting to see how her personality shifted after dealing with Dawn, especially if she lost her sister in the process. Rather than wasting The Walking Dead character’s growth, the show could’ve leaned into Beth gaining a darker edge — one she eventually learned to tame.

Her friendship with Daryl would’ve undoubtedly provided some balance, and Beth could have evolved into the ultimate underdog, with many villains completely underestimating her. The idea of this once scared survivor turning into a badass — similar to Carol’s development — would have been a joy to watch, especially if she ended up honoring her sister’s legacy.

It’s still hard to imagine what The Walking Dead would look like without Maggie, given she’s been a focal point on and off for years, but with how much Beth matured throughout the series alongside her limitless potential, I would’ve loved to see her stick around longer.

Maggie’s Death Would’ve Been Equally Emotional Without Wasting Beth’s Arc

Season 5’s mid-season finale arguably needed a big, emotional death, and Maggie could have filled that role without wasting all of Beth’s build-up. Seeing Beth stuck inside the hospital for so long, only to be killed off moments before leaving felt agonizingly cruel, and while that may have been the point, it still feels like a divisive decision over a decade later.

Alternatively, Maggie’s death could’ve provided the same shocking payoff, and while viewers may have been angry about a classic comic character being killed off so soon, in hindsight, it wouldn’t have been the worst decision. Seeing Glenn and Beth’s reactions would’ve also made for a brutal moment full of heartbreak that I’m sad we didn’t get.

Considering that Maggie’s character eventually hit a wall, whereas Beth could’ve continued to thrive without any restrictions, I believe the two should’ve swapped fates in The Walking Dead, and for better or worse, this decision would have completely changed the franchise forever.

Release Date

2010 – 2022

Showrunner

Frank Darabont, Angela Kang, Scott M. Gimple, Glen Mazzara

Directors

David Boyd, Ernest R. Dickerson, Billy Gierhart, Guy Ferland, Laura Belsey, Jeffrey F. January, Michael Cudlitz, Sharat Raju, Alrick Riley, Michael Slovis, Michelle MacLaren, Rosemary Rodriguez, Seith Mann, Tricia Brock, Daisy von Scherler Mayer, Daniel Sackheim, Fred Toye, Gwyneth Horder-Payton, Jon Amiel, Kari Skogland, Kevin Dowling, Tawnia McKiernan, Larry Teng, Julius Ramsay

Writers

Channing Powell, David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, Glen Mazzara, Jim Barnes, Vivian Tse, Robert Kirkman, Erik Mountain, Evan Reilly, Kevin Deiboldt, Julia Ruchman, Nicole Mirante-Matthews, Nichole Beattie, Eddie Guzelian, Geraldine Inoa, Magali Lozano, Curtis Gwinn, LaToya Morgan, Eli Jorne, Adam Fierro, Frank Renzulli, Ryan Coleman, Jack LoGiudice, Charles H. Eglee

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  Norman Reedus

  Daryl Dixon

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  Melissa McBride

  Carol Peletier