The Walking Dead Unveils Jaw-Dropping Time Jump: Prepare to be Shocked!

Fans have long been curious about the duration of The Walking Dead, from the beginning of the zombie apocalypse to the end of the main series. Luckily, the show has finally confirmed that the zombie apocalypse started roughly 13 years before the finale of the main series. This revelation came in the highly anticipated origin story episode of one of the show's beloved characters, Negan (played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan), in season 10 episode titled "Here's Negan." The episode also provided a glimpse into the world before the outbreak of the zombie virus.

Through these flashbacks, we were able to establish a clear timeline of Negan's journey within The Walking Dead, as well as gain a better understanding of how many years have passed overall. Interestingly, it wasn't until the final season of the show that a specific timeframe was defined. The aging of characters like Carl and the calculation of all the mentioned time skips played a significant role in deciphering the passage of time. It's worth noting that the characters themselves never explicitly discuss how many years have gone by in The Walking Dead universe.

How Many Years Have Passed In The Walking Dead Timeline

The sequence where Negan is attacked by a criminal takes place 12 years before the events of The Walking Dead's late-season 10 and early-season 11. During this time, zombies have become widespread. The show then delves six weeks further into the past, showing Negan's attempt to assist Lucille with her cancer treatments while also safeguarding their home. Additionally, there is a flashback to seven months prior to Lucille's treatments, revealing their life together before the zombie apocalypse. These details confirm that the characters in the show have been battling against the zombies for approximately 12 to 13 years by the time season 11 of The Walking Dead begins.

Considering the previous time skips and well-documented records created by fans to piece together The Walking Dead timeline, this duration isn't particularly surprising. The initial seasons covered a relatively short period, and it wasn't until later that the series began incorporating significant time jumps. The largest of these jumps occurred early in season 9, propelling the story forward by six years. Overall, it's fortunate that Walking Dead enthusiasts no longer have to rely on unofficial timelines to determine the passage of time within the show.

How Many Years Between TWD and Fear The Walking Dead

While The Walking Dead's official timeline covers nearly 13 years, Fear the Walking Dead goes back just a bit further. In season 1, Fear the Walking Dead portrays the earliest days of The Walking Dead's timeline, with its pilot episode occurring a few weeks before Rick's storyline begins. When taking into account both The Walking Dead and Fear The Walking Dead, the combined timeline spans approximately 13 years.

Where Walking Dead: World Beyond Fits In TWD's Timeline

The Walking Dead: World Beyond, the latest installment in The Walking Dead franchise, is a limited series that delves into the lives of the first generation to grow up amidst the zombie apocalypse. Notably, the show features appearances or references to several characters from TWD, including Jadis (played by Pollyanna McIntosh). Unlike Fear the Walking Dead, World Beyond takes place concurrently with TWD, specifically during seasons 10 and 11, making it a postquel to FTWD.

The duration of time covered in World Beyond is revealed in its second season, where season 1 spans approximately 6 weeks. In season 2, the events take place over a period of 3 to 4 weeks. This TV show is intended as a limited series, making season 2 the final installment of World Beyond. The connection between World Beyond and The Walking Dead lies in the Civil Republic Military, the helicopter organization that departed with Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead series finale.

When Do The Walking Dead Spinoffs Take Place?

In the final episode of The Walking Dead, Rick is captured by a CRM helicopter, signaling the end of the oppressive rule of the Commonwealth. Both Daryl and Michonne embark on individual quests to locate Rick. As the series prepares to introduce several new spinoffs, it becomes crucial to know the year in which The Walking Dead concludes, as this information will determine the starting point of these spinoffs. Given the initial zombie outbreak occurred 12 to 13 years prior, the finale includes a one-year time jump, further extending the duration since the apocalypse began. Consequently, at the conclusion of the finale, The Walking Dead spans a total of 14 years.

The Walking Dead spinoff, Rick & Michonne, is expected to take place after a one-year time jump. However, it will not conclude before the time jump, as Rick is still absent and Daryl is on a mission to find him. In the mid-season finale of Fear the Walking Dead, Morgan is also shown going in search of Rick, indicating that this series is set approximately 14 years after the initial outbreak. Regarding The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, the character sets off to find Rick at the end of The Walking Dead. When determining the passage of time in The Walking Dead after Daryl's departure, it should still be around the 14 to 15-year mark.

In a sneak peek of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, Daryl leaves a recorded message stating that he is still trying to locate Rick, even though Rick is now in France. The first spinoff to arrive was The Walking Dead: Dead City, which takes place in NYC as Maggie and Negan search for her son. However, it is unclear how many years have passed in The Walking Dead before this series. According to Lauren Cohen, it is approximately "five to six years" after the finale of TWD, placing it at about 20 to 21 years after the original infection. The characters in The Walking Dead still have a long journey ahead from the Commonwealth to their respective destinations.