Photos: Key characters killed on 'Walking Dead' Rick Grimes (played by Andrew Lincoln, center) tries to keep some sense of normalcy in a post-apocalyptic world overrun with walkers on AMC's "The Walking Dead," but characters come and go quickly on the gruesome show. *Spoiler alert!* Hide Caption 1 of 17

Photos: Key characters killed on 'Walking Dead' Jessie (played by Alexandra Breckenridge) was starting to get close to Rick when all hell broke loose in the community of Alexandria. As Rick leads Jessie and her sons, camouflaged in zombie guts, through a throng of walkers, her son Sam freaks out. He blows their cover and draws the walkers' attention. They start feasting on Sam before moving on to Jessie as she cries out for her son. Michonne finishes off the family by killing Jessie's other son, Ron, as he takes aim with a gun at Rick and Carl. Hide Caption 2 of 17

Photos: Key characters killed on 'Walking Dead' Fans were almost starting to warm up to Nicholas (Michael Traynor, left) by the time a gang of walkers devoured him in front of Glenn (Steven Yeun). Glenn managed to avoid the same fate by hiding under a garbage bin. Hide Caption 3 of 17

Photos: Key characters killed on 'Walking Dead' Noah (Tyler James Williams) was introduced on the fifth season, but his stay on "The Walking Dead" wasn't long. As the season neared a close, walkers attacked and ate him alive in the most brutal death imaginable. Hide Caption 4 of 17

Photos: Key characters killed on 'Walking Dead' Tyreese (Chad L. Coleman) met his maker after being attacked by a walker halfway through the fifth season, seeing visions of friends he lost while he died. Hide Caption 5 of 17

Photos: Key characters killed on 'Walking Dead' The Walking Dead's" fifth midseason finale was a heartbreaker. Emily Kinney's Beth got into an altercation with Dawn (Christine Woods) that led to her death. Hide Caption 6 of 17

Photos: Key characters killed on 'Walking Dead' Among the most shocking deaths in the fourth season was that of young Lizzie (Brighton Sharbino, left), who died at the hands of Carol (Melissa McBride, right) after killing her younger sister, Mika. Lizzie's sense of right and wrong and life and death had been warped by the zombie apocalypse. Just as she did earlier in the season, Carol had to make the decision that someone was too dangerous to live. Carol urged Lizzie to follow her therapy of "look at the flowers" before she shot her in the back of the head. Hide Caption 7 of 17

Photos: Key characters killed on 'Walking Dead' Shane Walsh (Jon Bernthal) turned on his best friend, Rick Grimes, and lured him into the woods, apparently with plans to kill him and steal Rick's wife, Lori. Rick stabbed Shane, but he came back as a walker, and Rick's son, Carl, had to shoot Shane to put him down. Hide Caption 8 of 17

Photos: Key characters killed on 'Walking Dead' T-Dog (IronE Singleton) was bitten helping Carol escape walkers at the prison. Hide Caption 9 of 17

Photos: Key characters killed on 'Walking Dead' Dale Horvath (Jeffrey DeMunn) was disemboweled by a walker. Hide Caption 10 of 17

Photos: Key characters killed on 'Walking Dead' Lori Grimes (Sarah Wayne Callies) died during childbirth. Her son, Carl, apparently shot her (heard but not seen on camera) to prevent her from becoming a walker. Hide Caption 11 of 17

Photos: Key characters killed on 'Walking Dead' Sophia Peletier (Madison Lintz) got lost in the woods. She later turned up as a walker locked in the barn on Hershel Greene's farm. Sheriff Rick Grimes shot her in the head to finish her off. Hide Caption 12 of 17

Photos: Key characters killed on 'Walking Dead' Amy (Emma Bell) was bitten by a zombie. Her sister, Andrea, had to put her down after she revived as a walker. Hide Caption 13 of 17

Photos: Key characters killed on 'Walking Dead' Merle Dixon (Michael Rooker) was killed by the Governor, reanimated as a walker and put down by his brother, Daryl, who stabbed him multiple times. Hide Caption 14 of 17

Photos: Key characters killed on 'Walking Dead' Andrea (Laurie Holden) was bitten by Milton, who became a walker after being stabbed by the Governor. She shot herself so she wouldn't become a zombie. This was heard off camera but not seen. Hide Caption 15 of 17

Photos: Key characters killed on 'Walking Dead' In one of the show's most heartbreaking losses, Hershel Greene (Scott Wilson) was decapitated and killed by the Governor. Hide Caption 16 of 17