Carl Grimes dies in The Walking Dead TV series in season 8, episode 9, titled “Honor.” His death happens after he is bitten by a walker in the mid‑season finale (season 8, episode 8, “How It’s Gotta Be”) and then succumbs to the bite in the following episode.

Quick Scoop

  • Carl is bitten off‑screen while helping Siddiq in the woods, revealed at the end of season 8, episode 8 (“How It’s Gotta Be”).
  • His actual death and final goodbyes take place in season 8, episode 9 (“Honor”), where he spends most of the episode with Rick and Michonne before taking his own life to avoid turning.
  • In the story’s timeline, his death becomes a major emotional turning point for Rick and shapes Rick’s later decision to pursue a more peaceful future rather than endless war.

What Happens In His Final Episode?

  • Carl says goodbye to Rick, Michonne, and Judith in Alexandria’s sewers after the group escapes an attack, sharing letters he wrote to several people, including Rick and Negan.
  • He spends his final hours talking about the future he imagined, flashes of a peaceful Alexandria, and urging Rick to end the cycle of violence.
  • When the time comes, Carl insists on being the one to pull the trigger so Rick and Michonne do not have to live with killing him; the gunshot is heard as they wait outside.

How This Differs From The Comics

  • In the original Walking Dead comics, Carl survives all the way to the final issue and becomes a central figure in the story’s epilogue world, making his TV death a big deviation.
  • This change shocked many fans because Carl was widely seen as the long‑term “future” of the story and a moral compass in both versions.
  • The show’s choice to kill him off in season 8 was criticized by a large portion of the fandom and is still debated in recent articles and forum discussions.

Why The Show Killed Carl (Behind The Scenes)

  • Showrunner Scott Gimple publicly framed Carl’s death as a story decision meant to drive Rick’s arc and the larger themes of season 8 and the war with Negan.
  • Off‑screen, there were widely circulated reports and statements from Chandler Riggs’ father suggesting conflict about Riggs being written out just as he was expecting to stay several more years.
  • Years later, commentary on the franchise often cites Carl’s death as one of the most controversial creative choices the show ever made.

TL;DR: Carl dies in The Walking Dead TV show in season 8, episode 9 (“Honor”) , after being bitten in the previous episode and choosing to end his life before turning, a decision that massively reshapes Rick’s story and remains a major talking point in fan communities.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.