The Walking Dead may have ended two years ago, but the franchise endures thanks to the comics, streaming, and the numerous spin-offs that continue to air and tell the stories of some of the most popular surviving characters. Indeed, while many characters survived right through to the end and continue to be central to The Walking Dead universe, some characters met their ends before the post-apocalyptic series concluded. Many of them died way sooner than others.

One character who was introduced late in the series is Magna (Nadia Hilker). But even some of the most dedicated The Walking Dead fans don’t recall whether she made it all the way to the end or not.

Who Is Magna in The Walking Dead?

She Has a Dark Past

Magna was introduced towards the end of The Walking Dead, all the way in the ninth season. After a significant time jump, she is rescued by Judith (Cailey Fleming), who is now a precocious nine-year-old who possesses her mother Michonne’s (Danai Gurira) fighting spirit and tremendous skill. Judith finds Magna with the rest of her group, which at the time included Yumiko (Eleanor Matsuura), Connie (Lauren Ridloff), Kelly (Angel Theory), and Luke (Dan Fogler).

Show Seasons
Number of Episodes
Premiere Date
End Date

11
177
October 31, 2010
November 20, 2022

Judith tries to convince Michonne that they should trust these people and take them in. It’s all about helping others, after all, something Judith arguably learned from her older brother Carl (Chandler Riggs), one TV character who deserved better. Michonne eventually relents and takes Magna and her group to Alexandria Safe Zone, after which they eventually move to the Hilltop Colony. But they almost lose their chance when Michonne discovers that Magna snuck in a knife after they were supposed to surrender all their weapons.

This immediately introduces fans to the kind of person Magna is. She comes across as the most hardened of her group members, a rough-around-the-edges woman who has clearly been through the ringer, and likely didn’t have an easy life prior to the apocalypse. Interestingly, while the main group isn’t sure if they should trust Magna, she feels the same about them.

It’s later revealed that Magna is in a romantic relationship with Yumiko, who was her lawyer prior to the world falling. It’s also revealed that Magna was in jail after having been convicted of murder. While Yumiko always believed in Magna’s innocence, Magna later tells Yumiko that she was guilty, and didn’t feel bad about what she did since she killed a man who raped her cousin.

Thus, when the world fell, Magna didn’t feel so upset. She was finally free. Because of her attitude and aggressive nature, however, she made it tough for others to trust her, and by default, her group as well. Nonetheless, she was fiercely loyal to them and would do anything to help them. In fact, she learned sign language along with the others so they could communicate with Kelly, who is hard of hearing, and her older sister Connie, who is deaf.

While details of Magna’s prior life are a mystery, fans do know that she once worked as a waitress at a truck stop. At the time the world fell, however, she was in the middle of serving her prison sentence.

What Was Magna’s Journey Before the Final Season?

She Became a Formidable Ally

After joining the main group in season nine, one of the best seasons within The Walking Dead universe, Magna slowly acclimated and began to let her guard down. She had a wonderful moment with Michonne; she thought about killing her, but then saw Michonne with RJ and realized that they truly were good people.

First Episode Appearance
Last Episode Appearance

Season 9, Episode 5 “What Comes After”
Season 11, Episode 24 “Rest in Peace”

Magna was already part of the group when they faced The Whisperers as one of their most formidable enemies, and she arrived right when Jesus (Tom Payne) was tragically killed by one of them. She was crucial to the plot to find Luke, who was captured by Alpha (Samantha Morton) along with Alden (Callan McAuliffe) and exchanged for Lydia (Cassady McClincy).

As time passed, Magna further did her part for the community, including helping train a new militia to face future threats that could rear their ugly heads. But she also had moments where her old self emerged, like when she and Kelly stole supplies and hid them, week after week, as a contingency plan.

It’s after Kelly admits this betrayal to the group, in fact, that Magna angrily tells Yumiko that she really did kill the man she was accused of killing. This causes a rift between the couple, who decide to take some time apart from their relationship.

One of Magna’s biggest storylines is when she and Connie become stuck in a cave after Carol (Melissa McBride) accidentally blows it up by dropping a stick of dynamite. It’s one of the times a The Walking Dead character should have died but didn’t. Indeed, Magna is presumed dead at this point, as is Connie.

Magna Did Not Perish

She Came Close to Death

Despite the presumption that Magna perished in the cave, both she and Connie made it out alive. In season 10, episode 12, “Walk With Us,” Magna is spotted among a hoard of Whisperers. Despite being covered in blood and guts and appearing to be a walker, Yumiko recognizes that Magna is still very much alive.

Rotten Tomatoes Critics Score
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score
IMDb Score

79%
78%
8.1/10

After being taken to safety, Magna reveals that she and Connie made it out together but got separated. Fans later learn that Connie did indeed survive in The Walking Dead when she returns in a gripping dedicated episode. But Magna is the one who initially brings hope and drives the group to go looking for her.

Magna shows tremendous maturity when she reveals to Yumiko that she would rather stay back with the group than go on an adventure with Eugene. She admits that having a routine is a good thing for her mental health and personal journey to becoming a better person.

When the group finally eliminates The Whisperers, including both Alpha and Beta (Ryan Hurst), Magna moves to Alexandria. She shows further softening of her personality when she helps Kelly through her feelings, not being able to find her sister or even know if she’s ok.

Following Eugene’s (Josh McDermitt) interactions with The Commonwealth, Magna joins that community along with others. Each person is assigned a job based on their skills and experience from the previous world. This leaves Magna with the job of being a server, something she clearly resents. She recognizes that The Commonwealth is a class-based system just like the old world and that people like her are considered second-class citizens.

When it’s discovered that there’s a resistance group involving some of the lower-class citizens of The Commonwealth, it’s suspected that Magna is part of it. Later, when the group is divided, Magna is one of many who are lined up to be killed. Thankfully, Ezekiel (Khary Payton) appeals to the soldiers and gets through to one who helps save them by turning his gun on the Warden (Michael Weaver) instead. This is yet another time when Magna escapes almost certain death.

While Magna, Kelly, and Yumiko survive to the end, Luke is the one person from their integrated group who perishes. He valiantly tries to save his girlfriend Jules (Alex Sgambati), and in the process, gets bitten in the leg. While his friends swiftly amputate the leg, it’s too late. Luke has lost too much blood and the virus has spread. Magna is visibly gutted at losing one of her closest friends. But she delivers the final stab to the head to ensure Luke doesn’t reanimate.

Magna is among the group that bravely fights off walkers in a final attack that eliminates impending walkers and saves The Commonwealth while also taking down Pamela (Laila Robins).

Fans of the character will be pleased to know that Magna has a happy ending beyond that: she later shares a passionate kiss with Yumiko, signifying that all has been forgiven and they are resuming their romantic relationship. The moment is marred with sadness, however, as it’s also when they all discover that Rosita (Christian Serratos) has been bitten and only has a little time left.

In the final scene of the series, Magna stands with the others listening to Ezekiel deliver his speech as the new governor of The Commonwealth along with Mercer (Michael James Shaw) as deputy governor. She is happy and in love, indicating that Magna has not just survived, but she has also thrived.

Stream The Walking Dead on Netflix.