Killing off characters is always difficult, but not for Robert Kirkman. The Walking Dead co-creator reveals that he tends to remove fan-favorite figures from the narrative because too much investment in them might affect the flow of the story.
That being said, Kirkman absolutely prefers plot-driven tales. Unlike famed author George R.R. Martin, who is famous for killing off almost every character in the Game of Thrones saga, he gets rid of them because he wants the audience to feel the pain of death.
Robert Kirkman Explains The Importance Of Killing Off Characters In The Walking Dead
In a conversation with Entertainment Weekly, comic book creator Robert Kirkman admitted he does not have any favorite characters from The Walking Dead series. Surprisingly, he revealed having the urge to kill off these types of figures as they pose a great danger to the smooth tide of the story.
“I don’t really have a favorite. I tend to kill those, just because when I find myself real attached to a character, or if I find myself wanting to write them more and more and steering more story toward them, I kind of realize that that means that audience investment in that character is extremely high, and I don’t want it to affect the story too much by focusing too much on that character. And that tends to make me want to kill them.”
His straightforward answer just explained why many of the fan-favorite characters had to go despite the show’s team knowing how much they are loved by the viewers. When asked if he tells AMC or the showrunner about his brutal plans of ending a character’s arc, he responded:
“No, there’s no communication whatsoever. They have no approval over what happens in the comic. They’re kind of a hundred percent in the dark, which I guess is pretty remarkable, and I would probably say it’s a testament to the trust that AMC has in me.”
Kirkman’s reason is absolutely logical albeit devastating to hear for the fans of the comic book and the show. This trend of killing off characters is definitely reminiscent of the Game of Thrones franchise.
George R.R. Martin On The Deaths Of Game Of Thrones Characters
George R.R. Martin has previously responded to the age-old question of why he keeps giving his characters brutal deaths. During a live stream interview with Bangcast, he explained:
“I don’t think I kill more people. But what I do think I do is I try to make you feel the deaths more because I think you should feel death. So…when I kill a character, I want my readers to feel that death… And that’s why I think people remember the deaths in my books more because I give them more emotional impact, I think.”
Both Kirkman and Martin have a fascination for killing off beloved figures in their respective franchises, though they do not share the same thought process whenever they write the destiny of these unfortunate characters.
The Walking Dead is available to watch via AMC and Netflix while Game of Thrones is streaming on HBO.
