The Walking Dead Stars Andrew Lincoln And Norman Reedus Had A Pact To Leave Together

Seeing a main cast member leave an ongoing series can be rough, and fans of AMC's The Walking Dead are likely still recovering from the painful announcement that the zombie drama's lead star, Andrew Lincoln (Rick Grimes), would be leaving during the show's upcoming ninth season. And if you need something else to momentarily panic about, co-star Norman Reedus (Daryl Dixon) has revealed that he made a pact with Lincoln to leave together.

Talking with Entertainment Weekly, Reedus revealed that the duo's pact was made kind of early in the show's life. "We made a pact--I think it was like Season 3 or 4. We're like, 'If you leave, I leave. Right?' And that was the thing." Lincoln asked Reedus to clarify whether the mention of this pact was an announcement of him leaving, to which Reedus replied, "Oh, hell no."

Fans can rest easy, as Norman Reedus will continue to play Daryl Dixon for the time being, but the actor admitted he's still affected by Lincoln's departure. "He was the first person I saw in the morning," Reedus said. "As soon as we wrapped, he immediately called me in the car. We speak all the time. We spent every lunch break in my trailer. We shared a trailer for forever."

The news that Andrew Lincoln would be leaving The Walking Dead was officially announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2018. There he said that Season 9, set to air on October 7, will be his last.

"I love this show, it means everything to me," Lincoln said during a panel. "I love the people who make this show--I promise not to cry, I've done enough crying on screen--I am also deeply fond of the people who watch this show, you people. This has been the most extraordinary, amazing, and beautiful experience of my career made largely because of you guys."

It's suggested that Lincoln's final run will last only six episodes.