Judith Grimes (TV Series)

"You like that, sweetheart?"

- Daryl asking her if she likes her new nickname.

Judith Grimes, is the newborn daughter of Lori Grimes. Due to the situation at her conception, Judith's biological father is unknown, and it could be either the series main character Rick Grimes, or the former group leader Shane Walsh. Regardless of Judith's real father, Rick firmly tells Shane that Lori's baby is his, being that Lori is his wife. Judith's birth unintentionally resulted in Lori's death.

Post-Apocalypse
Judith Grimes is the second child born to Lori Grimes and the first infant depicted as having been born after the zombie apocalypse. As the only person so far to have no memories of a world without the horrors of the zombie apocalypse, their parents expressed hopes that she would not live in constant fear as they do and accept the post zombie world as the way things are without referencing the way things used to be.

It was a point of contention as to who is the baby's biological father. Lori had a very brief sexual liaison with Shane Walsh, Rick Grimes' best friend, inside the Atlanta camp. This puts Shane into the right time frame for the baby's conception, although Rick was reunited with Lori not long after so it is still entirely possible that he is indeed the baby's biological father. Rick has since forgiven Lori for her affair with Shane but forbids mention that he might not be the baby's biological father. As far as he's concerned he loves his child and the circumstances of its conception are completely irrelevant.

I suspect that naming this child Judith is the story writer's explicit reference to the great Jewish biblical heroine Judith. See the Book of Judith in the Septuagint. I think the connection is inescapable when we consider the bibilical story. The bibilical Judith entered the camp of the Assyrians, who were about to overrun the land of Israel. Judith ingratiated herself with the Assyrian general Holofernes. One night when Holofernes was drunk, Judith was able to decapitate him. She and her servant then carry his severed head back to the Hebrew camp. Without their leader, the Assyrians were dispersed in confusion. Severing the head of the enemy is one of the preferred means of dispatching "walkers." The tale of Judith and Holofernes has been the subject of many artistic depictions. From the stained glass windows of Sainte-Chapelle in Paris to painters and sculptors such as Donatello, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Lucas Cranach, Gustav Glimt, and many others.

"Killer Within"
Judith was successfully delivered via an emergency cesarean section by Maggie, though resulting in Lori's death due to blood loss and shock. Judith, when she first came out of Lori, was silent. She was quickly awakened by a few quick, light slaps on the back from Maggie. Judith, Carl, and Maggie exited the prison and Rick noticed Maggie holding her without Lori present. He started to cry tremendously over the loss of his wife.

"Say the Word"
It is revealed that the baby is a girl. Daryl, Maggie, and Glenn offer to retrieve formula so the baby will survive. Only Maggie and Daryl depart the prison and travel to a daycare center, where they discover formula, as well as more needed baby supplies. When they come back, Daryl feeds the baby and asks Carl if he has decided on a name yet. Carl goes through girls' names from former survivors in the group. After that, Daryl jokingly suggests the name "Little Ass Kicker" and asks her how she would like that.

"Hounded"
Rick first acknowledges her as his child to the first caller on the phone. He finally carries her after he returns to the group a second time.

"When the Dead Come Knocking"
Carl talks to Rick about the baby's name and Carl tells Rick about how Daryl calls her "Lil Ass-Kicker" which Rick finds amusing. They finally decide on Judith, after Carl's 3rd grade teacher, Judith Mueller

"Made to Suffer"
Judith briefly appears in this episode, being cradled by Beth as Carol, Carl, and Axel look on. Axel uses Beth's good handling of Judith as an excuse to hit on her, which an anxious Carol pulls him aside and reprimands him for.

"The Suicide King"
Judith appears in the episode being cared for by Beth while Rick, Michonne, Glenn, and Maggie are in Woodbury. Judith's cry appears to trigger Rick's psychosis. While Beth talks with Carol, Judith begins to cry again. Carol holds Judith before placing her in a box (a makeshift crib) with "Little Ass Kicker" written on the side.

"Home"
Judith appears as being fed by Maggie while Beth talks to her.

"I Ain't A Judas"
Judith is held by Carol and Andrea as both of them talk about what happened to the group and their future plans. In the ending, she appears again being carried by Rick, when talking to Daryl and Hershel about Andrea and his plans to get more weapons for the confrontation with Woodbury.

"Clear"
Judith is mentioned in this episode.

"Arrow on the Doorpost"
Judith is mentioned during the meeting between The Governor and Rick. The Governor, in an attempt to get inside Rick's head, brings up his knowledge about Lori's affair and raising Shane's child as his own.

"This Sorrowful Life"
Carol is seen putting Judith in her playpen during her last conversation with Merle Dixon.

"Welcome to the Tombs"
Beth is seen holding Judith as the group prepares to defend the prison from the outside. During the attack, Judith is held by Beth, who is with Hershel and Carl hiding outside the prison in the woods. When they finally meet up with the rest of the group, inside the prison, Beth takes Judith to Rick so that he can kiss her on the forehead.

"30 Days Without An Accident"
Judith appears in this episode. She looks more grown up hinting its been a couple of months since she was born.

"Infected"
Judith is shown with Rick at the beginning of the episode. Beth Greene takes care of her while the zombies attack Cell Block D. Rick tells everyone they can't go near Judith because they could get her infected. Michonne seems bothered by her presence. Later, Judith spits on Beth, in reaction, Beth asks Michonne to hold her, in which Michonne sternly replies "No", but then gives in and takes her uneasily. After a few seconds of Beth being gone, Michonne breaks down, and holds Judith close to her.

Lori Grimes
"I'm not losing my baby."

- Lori about Judith.

When Lori first found out about her pregnancy, she began crying as she knew the hardships her baby would cause for the group and the dangers the helpless newborn would face growing up in such an unforgiving world. Lori was going to abort her baby by taking tablets, and did so, but later threw them up as she was unsure what to do. She either didn't know that the pills would not actually terminate her pregnancy or she did know and she tried it as an act of desperation. Rick discovered the remaining pills and confronted her about it, prompting Lori to confess to both the pregnancy and the liaison with Shane. Although it seems that Lori made a "choice" to keep her baby, in reality, she may have realized that, without proper medical facilities to pursue an abortion, there really was no "choice." Lori's awareness of this was revealed in her conversation with Beth when Beth asked her how she could bring a baby into "this world."

After going into labor in the prison, Lori knew that her and the baby wouldn't both survive and that one of them was going to die. Without any consideration, she chose herself and demanded Maggie perform a C-section on her. As Maggie began cutting Lori open, Lori cried out in pain and then is thought to have passed away due to blood loss.

Rick Grimes
"Hey."

- Rick to Judith when holding her for the first time.

Judith is Carl's sister and Rick's possible daughter. There is a possibility that Shane Walsh is her biological father, but despite this, Rick is determined to keep her alive and safe and is her father nonetheless. She reminds him of Lori and protecting her is what she would have wanted. Rick clearly loves his newborn daughter or step-daughter and is willing to do anything to keep her safe from harm.

Carl Grimes
"Judith. Do you think that's a good name?"

- Carl thinking of a name for Judith.

Carl appears to be very protective of his baby sister. He was present during her birth and even suggested some names. Rick later pulls Carl aside to give him advice as to what he should do if anything goes wrong while he's absent. Carl asks him what they should name the baby, and suggests naming the baby after his 3rd grade teacher, Judith Mueller, which Rick agrees to. Carl, despite gaining a new cold personality clearly loves his baby sister or half-sister and, like his father, is willing to keep her safe and protect her at all cost.

Daryl Dixon
"Take care of Little ass kicker."

- Daryl to Rick.

Daryl is apparently fond of her which is why he nicknamed her, "Little Ass-Kicker." Judith reveals a soft spot in him, as witnessed by the way he precariously handled the baby and fed her formula. In "The Suicide King" when Daryl leaves, he tells Rick to look after "Little Ass-Kicker" showing that despite him leaving he still cares about her. Later, when Beth and Carol are putting her down in a box, it has "Lil' Ass-Kicker" written on the side. It is believed that Daryl wrote this. Also, Beth tells Carol that Judith would be dead if it wasn't for Daryl because he refused to lose anyone else and personally went out to find formula so she would live.

Hershel Greene
"Oh the baby, she's healthy - eats like a horse, sleeps like a rock."

- Hershel assuring Rick of Judith's state.

Due to his medical training, Hershel is the primary caretaker of Judith. He spends a significant amount of time with the baby and ensures that her needs are met. Hershel cares very deeply for Judith. Since the day Judith was born, Hershel has acted as her surrogate father while Rick recovers from his breakdown.

Maggie Greene
Maggie was the one who delivered her since Carol and Hershel were unavailable. It also appears Maggie cares about Judith as she also went out to get formula with Daryl Dixon in "Say the Word". She also shows her affection in "Hounded" when she tells Glenn to find toys for Judith while they are looking in the market.

Beth Greene
"I always wanted a child."

- Beth to Carol about caring for Judith.

Beth is very attached to Judith; she is always seen holding and nurturing her. She gets along very well with Judith, in contrast to Rick, who, at first, made her cry every time he held her. After Judith's birth, Beth is usually seen preparing formula or boiling milk for Judith. Sometime later, Beth admits to Carol that she always wanted a child of her own. After being informed that The Governor is planning to attack the Prison, Beth becomes concerned about Judith's safety and feels that the group should flee before they attack. Beth is skillful when it comes to nurturing Judith, as she instructed her sister to hold and give her food when Maggie takes Judith away from Beth for a short time. Beth is very protective of Judith and would do anything to keep her alive and to honor Lori.

Carol Peletier
"You cozy in there? Yes."

- Carol to Judith when putting Judith into her crib.

After getting over her grief regarding Lori's death, Carol takes a fondness to Judith and is often seen cradling her in her arms and caring for her. After being found by Daryl after she was separated from the group, Carol was surprised to see Judith in Beth's arms, and since then, uses her experience of having a daughter to good use in nurturing Judith. Carol, along with Beth, are the primary caretakers of Judith. Carol also tells Andrea about Judith's nickname when she goes to the prison for the first time, and in the process discovers about the deaths of Shane, Lori, T-Dog and Axel. When Beth is not seen cradling Judith, she is either asleep in her crib or is being cradled by Carol.

Glenn Rhee
"Back when you had two legs and we didn't have a baby crying for walkers every four hours!"

- Glenn arguing with Hershel about staying or leaving the prison.

Glenn and Judith never physically interact but indirectly have. Glenn has been willing to go and retrieve supplies for her. During the "war" with the Governor, Glenn saw Judith as a burden. Hershel tries to devise plans in avoiding The Governor by leaving the Prison. Glenn says that she will cry and become a major maintenance. He even says that she will bring walkers on them.

Shane Walsh
Shane died a long time before Judith was born, however for a brief time, Shane and Lori had a sexual relationship, which makes it entirely possible that he is Judith's biological father. When Shane first found out of Lori's pregnancy, he automatically assumed that the baby was his. Lori and Rick strictly told him that the baby was not his and would never be his, which infuriated him. Shane may have been interested in raising Lori's baby as his own child, which may have been a reason for trying to unsecessfully assasinating Rick.

Michonne
After Michonne got wounded, and was training to gain her strength back, she got distracted and asked Beth if Judith always cries like that. Beth tells her she can sense wounds. Afterwards, Beth asks Michonne if she can hold her, so she can clean up. Michonne denies strictly, but later agrees, in which results in Michonne starting to cry. It is unknown why Michonne didn't want to hold Judith, and got emotional when she held her.

Appearances
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Trivia

 * If Shane Walsh is her biological father, Judith was really born an orphan.
 * Robert Kirkman stated: "If you've watched this show, it's definitely much more likely that it is Shane's baby, but you never really know."
 * It was revealed in The Talking Dead by Sarah Wayne Callies that Lori always saw her pregnancy with Judith as a death sentence.
 * Judith is the youngest character in the TV Series to have caused the death of another character, in this case Lori was killed during childbirth, albeit indirectly.
 * Daryl suggested the name, "Little Ass-Kicker," for Judith, and it is now a nickname he uses for her, much to Rick's amusement.
 * Daryl seems quite fond of Judith Grimes. He insisted on retrieving formula and brought back a doll for her from the daycare center.
 * The names Carol, Amy, Jacqui, Sophia, Patricia, Andrea, and Lori were suggested by Carl as possible names for her. All of the these characters were deceased at that time with the exception of Andrea, who was separated earlier from the group, and Carol, who was separated from the group at the time, but both were presumed dead by the group.
 * Judith was the first character to be unnamed since her introduction. She lasted being unnamed for three episodes until Carl and Rick finally discussed her official name.
 * In the comic series, Judith is crushed when Lori falls forward on top of her after being shot in the back. However, Judith survived The Governor's onslaught and there were amazingly no casualties on Rick's group's side beside from Andrea.
 * Judith is the only character in the TV Series who isn't credited with an actress, but is still displayed on-screen.
 * It has been revealed recently, in an Q&A with Emily Kinney that the babies have to be switched due to their rapid growth meaning that Judith is portrayed by multiple actresses, such as Adelaide and Eliza Cornwell.
 * Judith is, so far, one of the only three known characters to be played by two different actresses, the others being Michonne and Hannah.
 * Judith is the first baby character to be portrayed in the series, and the first one depicted as being born after the apocalypse, the second possibly being the Unnamed Mexican Baby.