The Walking Dead continues to shock graphic novel and television fans alike with the departure of Jesus. The fan-favorite character never saw their true potential as Jesus is very much alive in the graphic novels. Here is my comparison of Jesus’s final scene on The Walking Dead television adaptation vs. the graphic novel. 

Those that have read The Walking Dead graphic novel began to catch similarities between storylines and characters. For instance, the first initial run-in with The Whisperers in the graphic novel was a group of survivors taken in by Maggie at Hilltop. She instructs Dante (a character that has not been introduced) and his crew to search for Hilltop member Ken, that has gone missing. Marco (Hilltop resident) informs the search party that he left Ken in a barn after a hoard of walkers ascended on them and that Ken injured his leg after his horse fell on him. Sound familiar?

Despite the small details, this storyline from the graphic novel was given to Daryl, Aaron, Jesus, Eugene, and Rosita. The search party consisting of Daryl, Aaron and Jesus are lead to a barn by Rosita after Eugene is injured from falling off the water tower. Just like the graphic novel Daryl, Aaron, and Jesus find themselves trying to outrun and outsmart a hoard of walkers. They are lead to a barn where they find a terrified Eugene. He claims that the walkers are evolving and talking to another. Daryl is quick to dismiss Eugene, however, the rescue team (Aaron, Jesus, and Daryl) quickly begins to believe him. As they hear the whispering conversations between the walkers as the hoard self-directs away from Daryl’s attempts to divert them.

Aaron, Jesus and injured Eugene quickly find themselves surrounded by the ascending walkers (just like in the graphic novels with Dante and crew). The trio begins to fight off walkers, hoping their numbers and skills will help them escape. Lucky for them Michonne, Magna and Yumiko come to the rescue after Rosita insist that others go to help the search party. Claiming that everyone is in danger of losing their lives stating, “They don’t know what they are dealing with!”

Those words will forever haunt the search party, as Jesus insist on holding back to fight off the remaining walkers. In what has been the best action sequence in a long time for the show. The scene also paid homage to the graphic novel battle against The Whisperers and Jesus. Sadly though the outcome was much different for Jesus, as he is caught off guard by a walker that dodges his attack. Only to have his own sword jammed into his back by the walker with parting words, “You are where you do not belong.” A line that is taken straight for the graphic novels.

The walker is killed by Daryl and the group rushes to Jesus’s side as the walkers begin to wield weapons. After defeating the walkers they begin to piece things together, from the human blood on their weapons to the odd stitching in the back of the walker’s heads. Daryl reveals what is the most terrifying moment this season, that the whispering walkers were humans wearing the skinned mask of walkers. This reveal, however, was given to Dante in the graphic novels.

Jesus in the Graphic Novel

Jesus is very much still alive in the graphic novel and plays a crucial part in The Whisperers storyline arch. His character is a floater between communities and in fact, the communities themselves are in harmony in the graphic novel. Despite the unresolved and unknown circumstances that have caused a rift between communities in the show.

Jesus after his epic first battle against The Whisperers captures a crucial member of The Whisperers and even takes on one of the most dangerous characters in the graphic novel! Jesus also had a romantic love interest in Aaron, something that the television series was only scratching the surface of. Fans have been waiting for a proper LGBTQ relationship to be represented on the show again and held out hope there would be one involving Jesus. In my personal opinion, the television series did a terrible disservice to Jesus’s and the character’s potential on the show. There was storyline evolution left for Jesus to be told and I feel cheated by his death for shock value.