Years after the fall of the Commonwealth, a fragile network of communities is holding on by routine and hope. Alexandria, Hilltop and Oceanside trade, rebuild and raise children who barely remember the first days of the outbreak. Then the sky burns red over the horizon and a single word spreads with the smoke: “Exodus.”

A massive, armored convoy known as The Republic rolls across the ruins, “rescuing” settlements, disarming them… and disappearing anyone who resists. Their leaders claim they’re rebuilding America, but Daryl (Norman Reedus), Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and Carol see something darker beneath the uniforms. When a scarred survivor arrives with a message from the west, Michonne (Danai Gurira) returns with a truth that changes everything: Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) is alive—and he’s trapped deep inside the Republic’s heart.

Season 12 becomes a brutal road war: walker‑choked highways, storm‑lit prison camps, and cities where the dead are used as living walls. New variants stalk the night, drawn to sound and light like guided missiles, turning every fight into a race against the horde. To save Rick—and what’s left of their world—the survivors must decide if they’re willing to burn down the last attempt at civilization to build something better from the ashes.