How Beth Is Returning To The Walking Dead (After Dying In Season 5)

Published Jul 28, 2026, 3:30 PM EDT Kyle is a senior writer at ScreenRant and has been part of the team for over two years. Having led coverage on The Walking Dead projects alongside Rick & Morty, Kyle is well versed in numerous genres. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Kyle is a passionate journalist who has a keen interest in TV and film. He has six years of experience studying journalism including a HND in Practical Journalism and a BA Honours in Journalism, Media and Communication and History. Alongside his love for TV and film, Kyle enjoys video games, football and Formula 1. The nature of The Walking Dead means there have been many casualties throughout the televised universe's 16-year history, and Beth's death was by far one of the most devastating. Just as it looked like she was about to gain her freedom, having been stuck inside a villainous community for half a season, Beth was tragically shot dead by Dawn. It seemed like this would be the last time we saw Emily Kinney's character, yet over a decade later, she is officially returning in The Walking Dead: Dead City. Understandably, this news rocked the fanbase and instantly raised questions about how the spinoff would pull this off, but we already have our answer ahead of this explosive comeback. While it's unclear exactly when Emily Kinney's Beth will appear in Dead City season 3, she will be part of a unique episode set in an alternate world where the outbreak never happened. Considering she's Maggie's sister, this explains why she, of all characters, is the one to return after being dead for so long. Seeing her again after all this time will be special since Beth became a real fan favorite towards the end of her Walking Dead stint. Excitingly, if the reception to this episode is positive, it may even open up a perfect opportunity to explore this timeline with other characters. Beth Returns As Part Of A Parallel Timeline Episode In The Walking Dead: Dead City Image via MovieStillsDB With so many beloved heroes dying over the course of The Walking Dead's history, fans have always speculated about how the franchise would look had certain characters survived. Interestingly, Dead City is exploring a slightly different route, creating a parallel timeline where the dead didn't rise, essentially giving Beth a second chance at life. Whether this timeline is simply some sort of daydream from Maggie or just a carefully designed break from the narrative has yet to be clarified, but with Maggie and Negan being Dead City's main characters, this episode will likely center around them. As a result, the Greene family getting the spotlight makes sense, allowing a future where Beth survives. It's hard to imagine the series changing her personality too much, but considering she'll likely be depicted as older than she was during her original stint, there may be a slightly more mature side to Beth. Previously, she was sweet and timid but became hardened by the apocalypse, meaning this timeline will likely maintain her friendly traits while making her wiser. She may not be the only deceased character to make a return in this alternate reality, but it is an exciting way to bring back such a popular survivor. How Dead City season 3's episode with no zombies will actually turn out is still anyone's guess, but any excuse to see Beth and Maggie reunite feels worthwhile. The Walking Dead's New Trick Means Any Actor Can Now Return Image via MovieStillsDB As things stand, The Walking Dead's latest trick may simply be part of a one-off episode that serves Dead City's plot, but it also presents the opportunity to bring back even more actors in the future. There may still be more surprises in the pipeline regarding Dead City season 3's returning cast, but these are only the tip of the iceberg. After losing a lot of big names over the years, The Walking Dead now has the chance to let all its fallen survivors shine again. After suffering the most brutal and heartbreaking death in the franchise's history, Glenn could make his long-awaited Walking Dead return thanks to Dead City's alternate timeline. Whether he still ends up with Maggie or goes down a completely different path is irrelevant, as the character's popularity, as well as Steven Yeun becoming a household name, would ensure fans are hyped to see him again. Likewise, seeing what becomes of Shane, Lori, and Carl in a world without zombies would be unmissable, especially if told from Rick's perspective. Such a simple trick creates almost endless possibilities, and the only real surprise is that The Walking Dead didn't think of it sooner. Additionally, with it only requiring actors to make one-off appearances, it's an absolute genius way to breathe fresh life into these influential characters, despite them being killed off years ago. Assuming AMC eventually pulls the trigger on a crossover show featuring all the main surviving characters, it would be the perfect time to explore this parallel timeline once again, where we can finally get the return of countless fan favorites. The Walking Dead's Alternate Timeline Sounds Like An Intriguing Risk Even before the main show wrapped up in 2022, some viewers accused The Walking Dead of overstaying its welcome, and with the spinoffs continuing this timeline, fans often wondered about the possibility of a reboot. An animated series that closely follows the comics has often been the most intriguing possibility, but this new timeline is equally fascinating. While it's hard to imagine us getting a whole season of TV out of it, with the right kind of investment, it could easily be doable. Sure, it would lack the stakes and drama of the main timeline, but people would undoubtedly be interested in seeing their favorite characters again, especially if there was an overarching storyline that brought them together. Even if that's not the case, knowing this reality could be revisited at any time and spring some major surprise appearances is still a great way of reigniting interest in The Walking Dead, despite the idea being risky. As a one-off, the concept has a lot of charm, but it could get stale if these episodes continue randomly without a purpose. After The Walking Dead: Dead City season 3, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 4 will be the only confirmed Walking Dead televised project in the works. Deaths in this universe feel so impactful as we seldom see the deceased again outside flashbacks or hallucinations. It's what made something like Sophia's return in Daryl Dixon so significant, and it's why seeing Beth again in a standalone outing will feel special, but too much of this could ruin future departures since they could simply return in the future. As a result, this parallel timeline seems like a double-edged sword, as it presents exciting opportunities, yet could hurt the franchise going forward. Therefore, the response to Dead City's upcoming episode may determine whether The Walking Dead continues using this trick in other projects or not. What We Think Happened To Beth In The Walking Dead's Non-Zom Timeline In a timeline without zombies, almost all The Walking Dead's main characters would have had a better life, and Beth is no different. For starters, it looks like she kept a close relationship with Maggie in this universe, as Emily Kinney and Lauren Cohan were seen shooting together, indicating that the Greene family stuck together. That said, Beth likely managed to create her own path and thrive independently as well, potentially as a musician. Emily Kinney's musical background meant she provided some songs for the show and gave us a glimpse of Beth's musical talents, which she may have been able to explore in full through this alternate reality. Even if it wasn't her full-time job, she likely found happiness pursuing her passion while growing more confident, setting up a bright future. However, Beth's fate in the main Walking Dead timeline may potentially repeat itself in this special episode, as Lauren Cohan warned audiences to "get those tissues ready", hinting at another potentially tragic ending. Perhaps she suffered a tragic illness in this world, or an unexpected death, but this line does mean that this seemingly heartwarming episode could be a way of showing you can't outrun fate. In contrast, perhaps Beth did go on to have a successful and pleasant life, making the swift return to the main timeline even sadder, hence Cohan's message. Either way, it hopefully won't be long until we find out the truth about Beth in this unique setting, making The Walking Dead: Dead City's upcoming parallel timeline story one of the most highly anticipated episodes in years. The Walking Dead: Dead City 8/10 Release Date June 15, 2023 Network AMC Maggie Rhee and Negan travel into post-apocalyptic Manhattan, a city isolated from the mainland and overrun by walkers and competing factions. Forced into an uneasy partnership, they pursue a dangerous mission tied to Maggie’s past. Created by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, Charlie Adlard First TV Show The Walking Dead Latest TV Show The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Upcoming TV Shows More Tales from the Walking Dead Universe First Episode Air Date October 31, 2010 Cast Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Danai Gurira, Lauren Cohan, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chandler Riggs, Steven Yeun, Lennie James The Walking Dead is a massive multimedia franchise that began with a comic book series created by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. The franchise gained widespread popularity with the launch of the television series The Walking Dead in 2010 on AMC, which chronicles the lives of survivors in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies, referred to as "walkers." The success of the original show has led to numerous spin-offs, web series, video games, novels, and other media. The franchise explores themes of survival, human nature, and the breakdown of society in the face of an existential threat, making it one of the most successful and influential horror series of the 21st century.