Any fan of The Walking Dead, not to mention all its many spin-offs, knows that no character is ever safe. Even main characters can (and will) be 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ed at any time, whether by a walking undead or a villain or rival. Some characters are particularly beloved, like Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride) and Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus). In fact, during the height of the series, fans had begun a hashtag, and even created merchandise, that read “If Daryl Dies, We Riot.”
With that said, while there are only a few characters who survived the first season, some of the later additions to the cast made it all the way through to the end. Not everyone met a gruesome death; some had relatively happy endings. That doesn’t mean there weren’t death scares, however. One character who fans are curious about is Connie. While a main character in the later seasons, her journey was often overshadowed by others, so much so that some fans don’t recall what happened to her in the end.
Who is Connie on The Walking Dead?
Her Death Was Teased
Connie’s introduction in season nine was an important one in the show. She was the first deaf character in the series, played by Lauren Ridloff, who is deaf in real life as well. While her different abilities posed unique challenges in the apocalypse where not being able to hear walkers approaching could mean life or death, she got by thanks to the help of her sister Kelly (Angel Theory), her group, and her heightened other senses. Plus, she’s an incredible physical fighter and pretty mean with a slingshot.
The main group first came across Connie when Judith (Cailey Fleming) rescued her and had her brought back to Alexandria. Michonne (Danai Gurira) was reluctant at first to let the new group in, unsure if she could trust them. She took them to Hilltop instead, where they eventually took up residence and proved to be allies, not foes.
Connie becomes invaluable to the group, and she also catches the eye of Daryl, one of The Walking Dead’s best heroes, who seems to take a liking to her. The two have cute exchanges, using notebooks to communicate. Eventually, Daryl starts to learn sign language so that he can communicate better with her. The pair share a mutual respect, and his conversations with Connie are the few times fans see Daryl genuinely smile.
Kelly, who is hard of hearing herself as well (as is the actor), can speak and helps Connie communicate with others by translating her sign language. So do the other members of her group, which includes Yumiko (Eleanor Matsuura), Magna (Nadia Hilker), and Luke (Dan Fogler), who have all already learned sign language since living with her. But often, Connie gets her point across on her own just fine.
She has a huge heart. When The Whisperers leave a crying 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 out to die, Connie risks her life to save the 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 before walkers can devour her. This 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 grows up to be Gracie (Anabelle Holloway), who is raised by Aaron (Ross Marquand).
When the group is stuck in a cave and Carol makes a rash decision that puts them all in danger, Connie is presumed dead in the ninth episode of season 10. Daryl is devastated and Carol is wracked with guilt.
As it turns out, however, Connie survives. The group learns this when Magna, who was with Connie and is also presumed dead, returns in the twelfth episode of that season. She reveals that they covered themselves in walker guts and walked among The Whisperers for a while, but eventually got separated. The group and fans know Connie is still alive, but she isn’t seen again for some time.
Connie pops back up in episode 16 of season 10, the finale of the penultimate season. She is ambling around the woods near Oceanside and passes out just as she sees a stranger. This man turns out to be Virgil (Kevin Carroll), whose life Michonne spared earlier on.
Connie Got Her Own Episode
It’s Like a Horror Story
Fans of The Walking Dead have been wondering about Heath’s disappearance since 2016, but they might just get their answers sooner rather than later.
A gripping sixth episode of season 11 called “On the Inside” is dedicated to Connie’s journey with Virgil and proves Connie is a The Walking Dead character who needs her own spin-off. The episode is presented like a horror movie. Virgil and Connie are traveling together when they end up in a home that looks like a safe haven. But they soon discover that feral humans reside there. These individuals are alive but have become animalistic in nature, similar to the walking dead but with hearts still beating.
Connie undergoes a terrifying experience when she sees one of them in a hole behind a mirror and tries desperately to communicate this to Virgil. Even when Virgil finally understands what she’s trying to communicate, he thinks it’s her head injury and lack of sleep that is causing her to hallucinate. It’s like she’s living in her own nightmare.
They get separated and the two embark on a frightening cat-and-mouse game with the feral humans as they try to escape quietly. Alone, Connie is at an obvious disadvantage, being unable to hear them coming. After escaping and 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ing one that tried to attack (and severely injured Virgil), Connie smartly and bravely covers herself in walker guts while driving a herd towards the house. They attack the feral humans and leave her and Virgil, who she also covers, alone.
Connie always thinks of others before herself. Despite Virgil being injured when they are stuck in the house of feral humans, she refuses to leave him for dead. This is even after he insists that she does so to save herself.
Connie Is Alive and Well
She Went Back to Her Roots
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Score
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score
IMDb Score
79%
78%
8.1/10
How The Walking Dead Made Connie One of Its Most Lovable Characters
There are so few characters in the cruel world of The Walking Dead that are purely good, and Connie is living proof of this rare exception.
After escaping the feral house just as her friends found her, Connie reintegrates with the group. She has an emotional reunion with her sister Kelly that marks one of the most heartwarming scenes that season. Never letting emotions get the best of her, she shows no ill will towards Carol, one of the most fearless The Walking Dead characters, despite the fact that Carol’s actions almost left her for dead.
As a resident at The Commonwealth, Connie is working as a journalist, a job she did in her prior life. In fact, she’s familiar with the community’s leader, Pamela Milton (Laila Robins), who worked in politics prior. She had covered stories before that involved Pamela, and she knows what kind of person she is as well as what her family is all about. Connie covers stories within the community, but when she puts her investigative hat on and receives tips from residents, she discovers injustices as well. Not one to fear pushback, Connie proceeds with her investigation and doesn’t hesitate to find a way to run the story, unbeknownst to Pamela. She is a writer for the people.
This puts Connie’s life in danger, but she refuses to remain quiet. She finds the right way and time to strike and publishes a scathing story about the Miltons and corruption in The Commonwealth newspaper, which begins a revolt against them. In fact, it’s this bold move that starts the domino effect of events that eventually leads to Pamela’s downfall and the new group taking over.
By the end of the series, Connie is continuing her work at The Commonwealth as a reporter. But now, she is working under the tutelage of Ezekiel (Khary Payton), a fan-favorite character from The Walking Dead, and Mercer (Michael James Shaw), in a community she can be proud to be a part of.
She jokes to Daryl that she intends to keep the new administration honest and ensure that there’s no reason to write anything bad about them. While the two picked right up with their flirtatious banter when she returned, and Daryl was brought to tears when he saw that she was still alive, nothing romantic ever occurred between them.
Nonetheless, this hasn’t stopped fans from “shipping” the characters. With The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon being one of the successful new spin-offs, returning for its second season at the end of September 2024 and already renewed for a third, the door might still be open. Thankfully, Connie is still very much alive to walk through it if it does.
Stream The Walking Dead on Netflix.
