The Definitive Order: How To Watch Every Walking Dead Spin-Off (Chronological & Release)

The Walking Dead Universe has exploded into a massive, interconnected saga, making it challenging for even the most dedicated fans to keep track of the correct viewing order. What started as a single show about Rick Grimes waking up in a hospital has expanded into seven live-action series, spanning continents and multiple decades of the zombie apocalypse. As of late 2024, the franchise is more active than ever, culminating in the highly anticipated reunion of core characters in the new spin-offs.

To fully appreciate the scope of the world, you need to understand not just the order they were released, but their internal chronological placement. The timelines of the new "TWD" shows—Dead City, Daryl Dixon, and The Ones Who Live—are set years after the original series finale, making the viewing experience a complex puzzle. This guide breaks down the definitive release and chronological orders, ensuring you don't miss a single step in the apocalyptic journey.

The Walking Dead Universe: Release Order (The Fan's Viewing Path)

For most viewers, the best way to watch the TWD Universe is in the order the shows were released. This is how the story and the world-building were originally intended to unfold, introducing new concepts and characters gradually. This list provides the official release sequence, starting with the flagship series.

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• 1. The Walking Dead (2010–2022): The original series, following Rick Grimes and his group from the beginning of the outbreak up to the Commonwealth era. It serves as the foundation for the entire universe.
• 2. Fear the Walking Dead (2015–2023): The first spin-off, initially serving as a prequel focused on a different group of survivors in Los Angeles during the early days of the outbreak. Its later seasons jump forward in time to run concurrently with the main show.
• 3. The Walking Dead: World Beyond (2020–2021): A two-season limited series that focused on the first generation raised entirely within the apocalypse. Crucially, it provided the most in-depth look at the mysterious and powerful organization, the Civic Republic Military (CRM).
• 4. Tales of the Walking Dead (2022): An anthology series of six standalone episodes. Each episode tells a different story with new or returning characters, set at various points in the timeline.
• 5. The Walking Dead: Dead City (2023–Present): The first of the "next generation" spin-offs, reuniting the unlikely duo of Maggie Rhee and Negan on a mission to a post-apocalyptic Manhattan.
• 6. The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon (2023–Present): Follows Daryl Dixon after he washes ashore in France. The series introduces a new, highly-evolved variant of the infected known as the "Burners."
• 7. The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live (2024): The highly anticipated limited series centered on the epic love story of Rick Grimes and Michonne, revealing Rick’s fate after his mysterious disappearance in the main series.

The Definitive TWD Chronological Order (The Lore Master's Timeline)

Watching the TWD Universe chronologically is a much more complex endeavor, as the shows frequently overlap and feature massive time jumps. This order is for those who want to experience the apocalypse as it happens, from Day 1 to the current events of the new spin-offs. This timeline is based on the internal lore and time jumps confirmed by AMC as of late 2024.

The Early Apocalypse & Flagship Story

• Fear the Walking Dead: Seasons 1–3: These seasons are set in the earliest days of the outbreak, before Rick Grimes wakes up. They cover the initial collapse of society in Los Angeles and Mexico.
• The Walking Dead: Seasons 1–8: The core story, from Rick's awakening through the war with the Saviors and Negan.
• Fear the Walking Dead: Season 4: This season features a major time jump, catching up to the timeline of the main show.
• The Walking Dead: Season 9 (Part 1): The story continues after the Saviors' war, leading up to Rick Grimes’ disappearance.

The Mid-to-Late Apocalypse Overlap

• The Walking Dead: Season 9 (Part 2) – Season 11 (Finale): This covers the Whisperer War and the final conflict with the Commonwealth. The main show ends roughly 12-13 years after the initial outbreak.
• Fear the Walking Dead: Seasons 5–8: These seasons run concurrently with the later parts of the main show, expanding the universe into Texas and other locations.
• The Walking Dead: World Beyond: This series is set approximately 10 years after the initial outbreak, placing it squarely in the timeline of The Walking Dead Season 10/11. Its primary importance is detailing the inner workings of the CRM.
• Tales of the Walking Dead: The standalone nature of this series means its episodes are scattered throughout the timeline, but most are set during the mid-to-late apocalypse.

The New Era: Post-Flagship Finale Timeline

The three major new spin-offs are all set after the conclusion of The Walking Dead Season 11. While their exact internal order can be debated, their respective placements are generally confirmed:

• The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon (Season 1 & 2): Set in a timeframe close to the main show's finale (around 2023/2024), Daryl finds himself in France, encountering new survivors and the "Burner" variant. Season 2, subtitled The Book of Carol, will see Carol Peletier join him across the Atlantic.
• The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live: This limited series begins around the time of Rick Grimes' abduction, but its main narrative takes place years later, running concurrently with the other new shows. It details the powerful and highly secretive Civic Republic Military (CRM) and Rick’s ultimate goal of reuniting with Michonne and his family.
• The Walking Dead: Dead City (Season 1 & 2): Set the furthest in the future, approximately six years after the main series finale (around 2029). This series follows Maggie Rhee and Negan as they navigate a dangerous Manhattan, which has been separated from the mainland. The upcoming Dead City Season 2, set to premiere in May 2025, will escalate the conflict between the New Babylon forces and the Croat's group, with Maggie and Negan on opposing sides.

The Future of the TWD Universe: What’s Next?

The TWD Universe is showing no signs of slowing down, with AMC actively developing new seasons and potentially more spin-offs. The success of the "TWD" limited series format—focusing on core characters like Rick, Michonne, Daryl, Carol, Maggie, and Negan—has revitalized the franchise. The major question now revolves around the highly anticipated crossover event that fans have been dreaming of, potentially uniting the characters from all three new spin-offs.

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The Book of Carol and Daryl's French Conflict

The immediate future is focused on The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol. The conclusion of the first season set the stage for Carol Peletier to actively search for Daryl, leading her across the ocean to France. The second season will be a true reunion, exploring Carol’s journey and her reaction to the new, more dangerous walkers and the political landscape of post-apocalyptic France. This season is expected to delve deeper into the origins of the virus itself, a storyline that has been hinted at since the beginning of the franchise.

The Escalation of Dead City

The second season of Dead City promises a massive escalation of the conflict in New York City. The official synopsis for the May 2025 premiere confirms that the growing war for control of the city will force Maggie Rhee and Negan to opposing factions. Their uneasy alliance from Season 1 will be severely tested as the New Babylon Federation prepares to launch an assault on Manhattan. This season will continue to explore the complex, toxic relationship between Maggie and Negan, which remains one of the most compelling dynamics in the entire TWD Universe.

The Ones Who Live’s Legacy and the CRM

While The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live was billed as a limited series, its impact on the TWD Universe is immense. It fully exposed the inner workings, immense power, and morally ambiguous goals of the Civic Republic Military (CRM). The fate of Rick Grimes and Michonne, and their new relationship with the Civic Republic, will undoubtedly have ripple effects across the entire franchise. The CRM's influence extends to all corners of the universe, and their downfall or integration will likely be the next major overarching storyline for all the surviving characters, from Daryl in France to Maggie and Negan in New York.

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Ultimately, whether you choose the release order for the original experience or the chronological order for the full lore immersion, the TWD Universe offers a vast and ever-expanding world of apocalyptic survival. The new era of interconnected spin-offs ensures that the story of the walkers and the survivors is far from over.