Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
WeirdSee ‘The Walking Dead’s Carl Grow Up: From His First Episode, To His Last
By Alex Zalben
@azalben
Published
Feb. 22, 2018, 8:00 p.m. ET
1 of
45
Photos: AMC ; Illustration: Dillen phelps
2 of
45
One of the first promo images from The Walking Dead showed off a young Chandler Riggs as Carl Grimes.
Matthew Welch / AMC
3 of
45
Chandler Riggs as Carl, from a Season 1 photo shoot.
Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC
4 of
45
Season 2 of The Walking Dead showed off Carl's new shirt, and led to the infamous "Where's Carl?" meme.
Matthew Welch/AMC
5 of
45
A rare quiet moment for Carl and his dad Rick (Andrew Lincoln), from Season 2, Episode 12.
Gene Page
6 of
45
Season 3 promo shoot, and Carl is starting to grow that hair out.
Frank Ockenfels/AMC
7 of
45
By the Season 3 premiere, Carl had his signature hat.
Gene Page/AMC
8 of
45
Season 3, Episode 4, as Carl explores the Prison.
Gene Page/AMC
9 of
45
Season 3, Episode 8 shows Carl wandering through the dark.
Gene Page/AMC
10 of
45
Season 3, Episode 12, titled "Clear" is considered one of the best episodes of The Walking Dead ever. Looks like Carl made a new friend.
Gene Page/AMC
11 of
45
Season 3, Episode 16 welcomed Carl to The Tombs.
Gene Page
12 of
45
Season 4 promo shoot for Carl. His sleeves are rolled up, and he's ready for action.
Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC
13 of
45
Season 4, Episode 2! By this point Carl wasn't a lost boy anymore, he was part of the team.
Gene Page/AMC
14 of
45
By Season 4, Episode 8, Carl was often supporting his father -- both figuratively and literally.
Gene Page/AMC
15 of
45
YES. The notorious pudding scene, a moment from Season 4, Episode 9 that would define Carl for years as "a guy who likes to eat a lot of pudding."
Gene Page/AMC
16 of
45
An outtake from the pudding scene, with Riggs and his stunt double hanging on the roof.
Gene Page/AMC
17 of
45
Season 4, Episode 11 found the group on the road again after the destruction of the prison.
Gene Page/AMC
18 of
45
All roads may lead to Terminus, but in Carl's case in Season 4, Episode 15 he took the train tracks.
Gene Page/AMC
19 of
45
In Season 4, Episode 16, Carl got a nice smudge of blood he would keep wearing for several episodes.
Gene Page/AMC
20 of
45
The Season 5 promo pic showed off Carl trapped by cannibals.
Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC
21 of
45
Season 5 kicked off with Carl and company about to be snacked on, though spoiler, they escaped.
Greg Nicotero/AMC
22 of
45
Season 5, Episode 2, and it's back on the road pre-Alexandria.
Gene Page/AMC
23 of
45
Season 5, Episode 8, and Riggs' hair is getting dangerously close to his eyeball. Perhaps it's a warning?
Gene Page/AMC
24 of
45
The Season 5B promo pic showed off Carl's newly steely gaze.
Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC
25 of
45
One of the least explored relationships on the show was between Carl and his baby sister Judith. Here in Season 5, Episode 10, he protects a blanket with a doll in it, probably.
Gene Page/AMC
26 of
45
Season 5, Episode 12 brought Carl back into the sunlight as the group got cozy in Alexandria.
Gene Page/AMC
27 of
45
An outtake from shooting Season 5, Episode 13, Riggs goofs around a behbeh.
Gene Page/AMC
28 of
45
By Season 5, Episode 15 Carl had sparked a romance with Enid (Katelyn Nacon). Frankly, seeing people smile on this show is surprising and weird, but also kind of nice.
Gene Page/AMC
29 of
45
Carl and Enid, literally in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G.
Gene Page/AMC
30 of
45
Carl's Season 6 portrait, the last he'd take with two eyes.
Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC
31 of
45
During the intense action of the Wolf attack on Alexandria, Carl stepped up (as seen in this photo from Season 6, Episode 2).
Gene Page/AMC
32 of
45
Season 6, Episode 7 took a surprising twist as Carl posed for an L.L. Bean catalog.
Gene Page/AMC
33 of
45
Season 6, Episode 8. Yeah. This is Carl and his pops smeared in zombie guts, right before Yung Grimes gets shot in the eye. Yikes.
Gene Page/AMC
34 of
45
In the aftermath of the zombie herd invading Alexandria, Carl lay at death's door in Season 6, Episode 9.
Gene Page/AMC
35 of
45
...But Carl was fine after being shot in the head, as you can see from this pic from Season 6, Episode 10!
Gene Page/AMC
36 of
45
The Season 7 promo shot showed that Carl wasn't all black and white.
Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC
37 of
45
The Season 7 premiere found Carl staring down Negan and his deadly baseball bat.
Gene Page/AMC
38 of
45
The roller skating scene with Enid and Carl felt like nothing else the show had ever done, and again it's nice to see some smiles.
Gene Page/AMC
39 of
45
Unfortunately, soon after Carl's afternoon delight with Enid, he was captured by Negan in Season 7, Episode 7.
Gene Page/AMC
40 of
45
By Season 7, Episode 15 Carl wasn't just a helper -- he was a leader.
Gene Page/AMC
41 of
45
Season 8, Episode 6 sees Carl smiling, right before he gets bit by a walker while trying to save his new friend Siddiq.
Jackson Lee Davis/AMC
42 of
45
Season 8, Episode 8 saw Carl's most heroic moment, as he saved all of Alexandria while suffering from a deadly zombie bite.
Gene Page/AMC
43 of
45
Nooooooooo.
Gene Page/AMC
44 of
45
In this scene from Season 8, Episode 9, Riggs' final episode, Carl shares a rare moment with his sister Judith.
Gene Page/AMC
45 of
45
Bye, Carl Grimes. You ate pudding, roller-skated, kissed in trees, and saved the whole darn group. We'll miss you.
Gene Page/AMC
