The Walking Dead: Is Annie Doomed To Die? Not Necessarily..

WARNING: SPOILERS for The Walking Dead 11x14, 'The Rotten Core'

The Walking Dead's final season has included a few major departures from the comics, including, most recently, a new storyline for Negan, who is absent during the Commonwealth arc in the comics. Episode 11x13 revealed that Negan has joined Riverbend, a group Aaron and Gabriel were visiting as part of what they thought was a Commonwealth outreach mission, only to learn that they'd been pulled into a brutal search for missing Commonwealth weapons.

Now, 11x14, 'The Rotten Core', has provided another twist, with the reveal that Negan has married Annie, a member of Riverbend, and the pair are expecting a child. Many have decided to avoid getting too attatched to Annie, as she and the baby will surely have to die to make way for the Negan-Maggie led spin-off, Isle of the Dead. But is that really the case?

What we know about Annie

Annie, played by actress Medina Senghore, was introduced in episode 11x13, 'Warlords'. She helps Negan rescue Gabriel from the Commonwealth troopers holding him captive. Later, she attempts to deliver a rousing speech to the remaining members of Riverbend as Carlson and his remaining Troopers raid their home.

As mentioned earlier, 11x14 reveals Annie's marriage to Negan, as well as her pregnancy by him. Later, Annie tries to comfort Maggie, who is distressed to learn that her young son, Hershel, who had stowed away in her truck, is in Negan's care. Annie assures Maggie that Hershel is in good hands. When Maggie points out that Negan killed Hershel's Father, Annie, to Maggie's surprise, says she already knows. Annie then states that everyone has done horrible things to survive in the apocalypse, herself included. What matters to her is who Negan is now, not who he has been in the past.

Does Annie really have to die before the spin-off?

So far, fans have liked the character of Annie. However, the moment she revealed her marriage to Negan, many have become convinced that Annie will die before the end of the series. Despite the fact that, as it turns out, Riverbend did not steal the shipment of Commonwealth weapons (they are in the hands of Daryl's ex, Leah), the group are sill on the radar of the Commonwealth's darker elements. It seems likely that Annie will be killed at some point in the coming conflict between the Commonwealth and the other communities.

If Annie and her unborn child do die, Negan will be free to leave Riverbend when his spin-off rolls around. The Walking Dead: Isle of the Dead will see Negan and Maggie team up for a trip to the Isle of Manhattan, which is swarming with zombies. However, one question that has not yet been answered is why, exactly, Maggie would travel anywhere with Negan when she clearly still hates him for murdering her husband, Glenn. Something has to happen either before the end of The Walking Dead, or at the beginning of Isle of the Dead, to push them together.

So, some fans have formed a new theory..

Annie and Hershel will be kidnapped

Annie is not mentioned in the summary for Isle of the Dead. While this makes sense, since her character had not been introduced at the time of the spin-off's announcement, some have taken her omission as proof of the character's impending death. However, interestingly, Maggie's son, Hershel, is not referenced in the summary either. While Maggie does regularly leave Hershel in the care of others for short periods while on supply runs, it would seem unusual for her to leave on an extended trip with the man who killed her son's Father without a very good reason for doing so.

Some fans have now developed a theory that Isle of the Dead will begin with Hershel, Annie, and possibly Annie and Negan's child being taken by another group. This would force Maggie and Negan to put their differences aside and work together to carry out a rescue mission for their loved ones. Taking this theory further, it has been proposed that Annie and Hershel could be taken by CRM, the group that has Rick, and was further explored in the two-season The World Beyond series. If so, Isle of the Dead may tie in to the planned Rick Grimes movies.

The Walking Dead universe is getting a lot more complicated.