The Walking Dead: Every Season Ranked Worst To Best

The secret to the success of The Walking Dead's ninth season lies in its simplicity. The war with the Saviors finally over, the communities have entered into some kind of fragile peace, which is of course shattered by the show's biggest loss.

Using its first five episodes to set-up and execute Rick's heartbreaking exit from the show (Lincoln wanted to move closer to his family), the season takes some massive risks, bringing Daryl into the protagonist's chair as he grapples with grief and tries to save his friends from the face-wearing threat of The Whisperers.

Injecting more horror into the show than ever before, season nine mostly plays out on the road, sparingly dealing with the communities' hardships whilst Daryl, Michonne and some new friends battle to keep their homes and humanity intact.

From the horrific introduction of the bone-chilling Whisperers and their leader, Alpha, to Rick's bittersweet swan song and its gutsy time-jumps, The Walking Dead's ninth season is a brutal, heartbreaking return to form, signalling a new, more confident era.