Over the course of 12 years and 11 seasons on AMC, Rick Grimes was the lead character for nine of those seasons of The Walking Dead. Even throughout the seasons since Andrew Lincoln departed from the series, Rick has played a major role in the lives of his group.
As TWD says its farewell and Rick spins off into the Rick and Michonne series, it's worth noting some key moments in Rick's life that led him to where he is today (wherever that may be). From some devastating deaths to brutal betrayals, some scenarios from the show forever changed Rick Grimes.
Shot And In A Coma
The Walking Dead pilot episode tells the story of Rick's fate through flashbacks. Viewers see his life as a sheriff, his friendship with Shane Walsh, and the gunshot on duty that landed him in a coma.
If Rick hadn't been shot during that fateful afternoon, he never would have spent months in a coma, missing the start of the zombie apocalypse and leading his so-called best friend Shane to have an affair with his wife.
Morgan's Friendship
Once Rick awoke from his coma and discovered the post-apocalyptic Atlanta, he wasn't sure what to make of the abandoned hospital and dangerous walkers until Morgan Jones took him in and ultimately saved his life.
Sure, Rick and Morgan's friendship has been rocky at times - with Rick never being able to keep in touch with his friend through their walkie-talkies and Morgan experiencing a mental break - but as the very first person Rick met in the new world, this friendship turned into a life-changer.
Shane's Betrayal
Shane racked himself up a laundry list pretty quickly of not-so-good things he did within the first two seasons. When Rick made his way to his family after waking up from his coma, he soon learned that not only was Shane having an affair with his wife, but she was pregnant with Shane's child.
As if that wasn't a bad enough betrayal on his best friend, Shane eventually becomes jealous of Rick's ability to lead the group of survivors and plans to execute Rick, but not before Rick could fatally stab him first, an act that haunted Rick for years to come.
Lori's Death
All Rick wanted to do was find his wife and son after waking up in the apocalypse, and when he did, he got the disappointment of his life when he learned that his wife Lori was cheating on him with his best friend Shane.
But despite the initial rough patch, Rick was committed to Lori and her unexpected pregnancy up until her devastating death in Season 3 after giving birth to a daughter. Her death left Rick an emotional wreck, knowing his son Carl was now without a mother and he would have to raise the little girl he knew wasn't his.
Meeting The Governor
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When Rick and his group met one of the show's worst villains in Season 3, they never could have expected the world of hurt they were in for. The Governor left a permanent mark on Rick's group despite only being on the show for a season and a half.
Not only did he attempt to assault Maggie, beat Rick, and rack up a kill count of 69 people, the worst act The Governor committed was when he beheaded the beloved Hershel with Michonne's katana, right in front of Rick and his whole group.
Biting Joe's Neck
On TWD, walkers are known for creeping up on humans and devouring them by biting their limbs. But in the Season 4 finale, when put in a life-or-death situation, Rick is given no choice but to take a page out of the walkers' book.
In one of his most harrowing moments as a father protecting his son, when Rick is being held by Joe, his escape plan involved biting Joe's neck and tearing out his jugular with his teeth, much like what walkers are known for.
Negan
With hilarious one-liners and a knack for merciless killings, there's been no villain on The Walking Dead more simultaneously hated and loved than Negan. Even Rick had his moments where he chose to spare him, but not before Negan caused irreversible damage on him and his group.
Regardless of who was right and wrong when Rick's group infiltrated Negan's sanctuary, Negan left them all with unforgettable trauma and devastation when he brutally murdered Glenn and Abraham with his barb-wired bat while Rick and his group all watched helplessly.
Carl's Death
Everything Rick ever did was always in Carl's best interest, to give Carl a meaningful life despite living in an apocalypse. At a young age, Carl had to face loss, learn how to defend himself from walkers, and even had to shoot his own mother so she wouldn't turn.
Rick centered his whole life pre and post-apocalypse around his son, and the day he learned Carl had been bit by a walker was a day that forever hardened him. Not only did Rick lose his son to a walker bite, but had to listen as Carl shot himself and then bury his body in the Alexandria graveyard.
Relationship With Michonne
During the nine seasons Rick was on the show, he was in plenty of relationships, but the fan-favorite was always his romance with Michonne. Rick and Michonne started dating in Season 6, quickly becoming a supercouple of TWD.
But other than having a pretty badass girlfriend who gave him another son, this relationship could also wind up saving Rick's life. When Michonne got an inkling Rick could be alive, she took off to find her missing boyfriend, but only their upcoming spin-off will reveal their fate.
Sacrificing Himself In Season 9
In the last episode to star Rick, he hopped on a horse and attempted to sacrifice himself in order to save his group. But in a last-minute twist, after a bridge collapse, a wounded Rick is found by Jadis and taken away in a helicopter.
Had Rick never wound up on that bridge, he never would have been hurt and taken by Jadis. The character never would have been presumed dead for years, and never would have lost out on so much time with his group and his children.