The first half of The Walking Dead's season seven finale may build up the tension - much in the same way the majority episodes have been doing this season - however, it's the death of a main character towards the end of the episode sparks quite possibly one of the best sequences the AMC series has ever seen.

*REMINDER THAT EXTREME SPOILERS FOLLOW*

Sadly, as predicted - with help from that Star Trek Discovery casting announcement - Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) is the character who fails to make it out of the season alive - but her death was most certainly not in vain.

After bartering Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) down from killing three people to one, Sasha agrees to go with The Saviours back to Alexandria - only she has other plans entirely. Deciding to journey back in a coffin the leader's bringing for the unlucky person he'll end up murdering, Sasha swallows the suicide pill she convinced Eugene (Josh McDermitt) to hand her in last week's episode.

The episode is intercut with a close up of Sasha's face as she listens to Donny Hathaway track “Someday We'll All Be free” recalling an encounter she had with the man she loved, Abraham (Michael Cudlitz who returns in an unexpected cameo), ahead of his death at the hands of Negan in the traumatic season seven premiere.

As things spiral out of control at Alexandria following Jadis' betrayal of Rick, Negan opens the casket and is immediately taken down by Sasha who has reanimated into a walker having killed herself. It's this moment that sees the Alexandrians fight back against The Saviours, later aided by people from the Kingdom and the Hilltop - led by Maggie (Lauren Cohan) in a breathlessly-paced set-piece.

The most shocking Walking Dead moments Show all 10 1 /10 The most shocking Walking Dead moments The most shocking Walking Dead moments Sophie's a walker (season 2, episode 7) Much of season two's opening half is spent looking for Sophia, the missing daughter of Carol (Melissa McBride). Turns out she was locked up in Hershel's barn as a zombie all along. The most shocking Walking Dead moments Shane reanimates without being bitten (season 2, episode 12) When Carl (Chandler Riggs) guns down a deranged Shane (Jon Bernthal) to protect his father, the shock arrives when he manifests into a walker despite not being bitten; turns out everyone's infected with the virus and will turn whichever way they die. The most shocking Walking Dead moments Axel's bullet to the eye (season 3, episode 10) A character introduced in the show's prison arc, Axel is a reformed prisoner who strikes up a friendship with Carol - until he's gunned down mid-sentence. The most shocking Walking Dead moments Carl kills Lori after she gives birth (season 3, episode 4) Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) goes into labour at the very moment a zombie siege breaks out at the prison. Unfortunately, she doesn't make it through the procedure with her son Carl being the one to put a bullet to her head. The most shocking Walking Dead moments The Governor slays Hershel (season 4, episode 8) The Governor makes his dramatic return for a showdown at the prison after he captures Michonne (Danai Gurira) and Hershel (Scott Wilson). Rick reaches out, attempting to reason with him - but The Governor starts a war when he proceeds to decapitate poor old Hershel instead. The most shocking Walking Dead moments "Look at the flowers" (season 4, episode 14) In a standout episode from the show's fourth season, Carol is forced to take drastic measures when young teenager Lizzie murders her sister Mika in the belief that she'll live on as a zombie. Realising Lizzie's depraved mind would endanger those around her, Carol puts a gun to the young girl's head and, telling her to "look at the flowers," pulls the trigger, fighting back the tears. The most shocking Walking Dead moments Carl's bullet to the eye (season 6, episode 9) Season six returned from its mid-season break in typically dramatic fashion when an iconic moment from the graphic novels came to life: Carl takes a bullet to the eye. The most shocking Walking Dead moments Beth is killed (season 5, episode 8) Upon being kidnapped, Beth (Emily Kinney) is taken to Grady Memorial Hospital managed by Atlanta Law Enforcement. Forced to reside there against her will, the group - including Rick and Daryl (Norman Reedus) - eventually find her - only for her to be accidentally shot in the head by her captor. The worst thing? Her sister Maggie (Lauren Cohan) had just arrived outside. The most shocking Walking Dead moments Negan kills Abraham Season seven opened in brutal form as we discovered it was Abraham (Michael Cudlitz) at the opposite end of Negan's baseball bat. "Suck my nuts," the soldier growls as the Saviours' leader brings Lucille raining down on his head until nothing remains but a pulpy mess. The most shocking Walking Dead moments Negan kills Glenn Negan decides to punish the group once more after getting clocked round the face by Daryl. Without expectation, he thwacks Lucille round the head of poor Glenn. With his eyeball popping out of his head, he manages: "I'll find you, Maggie before Negan proceeds to finish the job ending the former pizza delivery boy's life.

Jesus (Tom Payne) and Maggie put poor Sasha out of her misery towards the end of the episode knowing full well that without her death, they would all still be under Negan's rule.

As it stands, Sasha's bravery has sparked the war we've all been waiting for; rest in peace.

Sasha was introduced into the show during the prison segment in season three. While her character doesn't exist in Robert Kirkman's comic book series, elements of her storyline matched that of someone named Holly whose death has similarities to Sasha's in the series.