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This article is about the Comic Series character. You may be looking for her appearance in the Telltale Series or Novel Series, or her TV Universe, Social Game, Road to Survival, Assault, No Man's Land, Our World, or The Escapists counterparts.

Michonne was someone who carried a lot of guilt. It haunted her... had her talking to ghosts, pushing people away, and forgetting who she was. Hawthorne was my ex-husband's name. I never changed it after the divorce because my practice knew me under that name. Eventually, the name was just a painful reminder of a failed marriage and lost children. So I hid from it... and who I was. Now? I feel like I earned it back, the work I've done, what I've accomplished. It's who I am now. I never would have been able to do that without your father... and the world he built. There are some people out there who feel like your father gets too much credit. There were so many of us helping him along the way. Sure. But I feel like he still doesn't get enough credit. So every time I have a chance to set something right or honor the man in some small way--I take it.
―Michonne to Carl about Rick.[src]

Michonne Hawthorne (née unknown) (pronounced MI-SHOWN)[1] is a main character and a survivor of the outbreak in Image Comics' The Walking Dead. She is also the protagonist of the Michonne Special. She is a lone survivor who originally traveled with two zombies before eventually joining the prison group.

Armed with a katana and deadly skills to complement it, Michonne is an effective and crucial defender of the survivors. After being reunited with her daughter in the Commonwealth, Michonne gives up her sword-wielding ways and resumes her practice as a lawyer in the community.

Several years after Rick Grimes' death, Michonne became the high court judge of the Commonwealth, to always make people aware of the sacrifices her best friend, Rick, made for them. She also gifted her sword to Carl Grimes as a symbol of their friendship and finally found happiness with her family.

Overview[]

Michonne is strong willed, introverted, practical, and skeptical. She is constantly surveying her surroundings, and is quick to size up a situation and its potential dangers. She is very skeptical of seemingly good people and situations, and takes everything at face value.

Despite her introversion due to post-apocalyptic trauma, Michonne claims to have once been quite gregarious. With this internal conflict, Michonne, perhaps to a fault, too easily falls in love with men she interacts with. Her true self is further repressed each time her lovers meet their fates, despite Michonne knowing full well how short life can be in the new world.

Michonne acknowledges just how far gone she is, and this constantly pains her. From losing all of her past lovers to abandoning her children, she has become someone she hates. She often exclaims her disdain for being seen as strong, because she thinks others see her as nothing more than a warrior and a weapon. Despite this, she is extremely loyal to her friends, and has developed a very close relationship with the Grimes family.

Michonne tends to work alone and quietly, but still fights for the survivors' defense as strongly as the other active defenders. She is frequently referred to and perceived by the other characters as one of the strongest members of the survivors, and frequently participates in the violent, but necessary, actions of the group, such as the conflict against the Governor and his henchmen. Her participation in the torture and slaughter of the Hunters showed a much more detached side of her than ever before. She admits in her imaginary conversations with her boyfriend that she cares for the group, showing that some humanity remains despite her torturous experiences. Michonne has shown from her break-down after torturing the Governor that she is still capable of vulnerability.

Despite her experiences, Michonne has proved her worth to the group, not only in her practical skills with her katana, but also in her constant participation in moving the survivors forward and keeping the group safe. She is the only survivor who arrived post-prison and pre-Woodbury. She remains a vital member of the survivors. Douglas Monroe appointed her constable along with Rick Grimes shortly after their arrival at the Alexandria Safe-Zone. During the war against the Saviors, Michonne proved to be valuable soldier. After the Battle of Hilltop she went to fish with Oceanside.

Pre-Apocalypse[]

Kentucky[]

Michonne was one of four children, having had a brother and two sisters. She practiced fencing when she was a child, and briefly picked the hobby up again when she was in college to study law. After graduating and getting her degree, she became a successful attorney and married a man with whom she had two daughters. They lived an average middle-class life in a suburban neighborhood, and often dealt with a troublesome teenager next door who she swore had once killed their cat and destroyed their fence with his katana. She spent much of her free time weightlifting and avidly following televised football.

She eventually divorced her husband and at some point started dating another man named Mike. She was out of town when the outbreak began. She lost contact with her two daughters whom she had left in the care of a nanny. Michonne did not know the whereabouts of her children, or if they remained alive.

Post-Apocalypse[]

Free Comic Book Day Special[]

In the early stages of the outbreak, Michonne runs on foot to her house. This attracts a street full of zombies that follow her. When she arrives home, she meets her boyfriend, Mike, and his brave, but idiotic, best friend, Terry. A zombie tries to break in, but, Mike kills it. In the process, Mike gets bitten. At that time, Michonne bandages up Mike, who is unaware that he is infected. That night, Michonne searches a neighbor's house for supplies and discovers her trademark sword. She gets pinned down in the house during the night and returns home the next day, finding that both Mike and Terry have become zombies. She manages to survive their attack and lock them away. Her noisy encounter causes her street to become overrun. Michonne becomes trapped and runs out of food. She notices zombies don't attack one another and hacks off the arms and lower jaws of Mike and Terry. She chains them up by their necks to use them as escorts for a successful escape. Michonne says her final words to the zombified Mike and Terry to help remember who they are and because she has no one to talk to.

In the early stages of the outbreak, Michonne went looking for her children.

For further information, see: The Walking Dead: Michonne

The Heart's Desire[]

Michonne first appeared on the road at an unknown distance away from the prison. Clothed under a hood, she pulled the shackled zombies of her boyfriend and his best friend along by chain to act as a deterrent to the undead. She cut off their arms and lower jaws so they wouldn't attack her. While traveling, she witnessed Otis attempting to ride back to The Prison, and saved him from a large group of zombies outside the prison's walls who had followed him. Once Otis spoke for her, Rick Grimes let her join the group in exchange for handing over her katana. Michonne mostly kept to herself within the first few days of integrating with the established group, but, quickly showed a keen interest in Tyreese, who was already involved with Carol. They bonded over their mutual interest in weight-lifting, and her recognition of him being an National Football League player back in the 1990s.

Michonne then seduced Tyreese in the Prison gym and gave him oral sex. Carol witnessed this act and broke up with Tyreese. Rick forcibly stepped in when Carol attempted to commit suicide by cutting her wrists. Confronting Tyreese, the two good friends ended up beating each other to the point where Rick passed out. Michonne expressed guilt and shock at her involvement, but, ultimately continued to pursue Tyreese. Sometimes, Michonne would converse with her deceased boyfriend, as first noticed by Andrea in the prison. Andrea asked her who she was speaking to and was angrily rebuffed by Michonne who claims that she wasn't talking to anyone.

The Best Defense[]

After several months at the prison, Michonne, volunteered to go with Rick and Glenn to investigate the crash of a helicopter. She revealed that she had taken back her Katana a week beforehand, finding it in Dale's RV. This initially alarm bells off for Rick but he didn't mind her coming for the ride. It was during their travel to find the crashed helicopter that she revealed parts of her past including how she got her Katana, her lessons with Fencing and her long stint at college to Rick and Glenn while Glenn revealed some more of his past as a petty criminal. The three in general bonded, and Michonne told Rick that he should talk to Tyreese and that they should move past their fight and stubbornness and rekindle their friendship because they are too alike to be mad at each other forever.

When the trio found the helicopter crash they decided to track down and follow the tracks to Woodbury, Georgia (the closest town) hoping to find other Survivors who could possibly have cars and gas that they could use to return back to the prison that night as the car they were using had gotten stuck in the mud.

When they reached the town of Woodbury, Georgia, the trio were immediately greeted by many Woodburians including Caesar Martinez who took all their weapons. "The Governor" of Woodbury a survivor named Brian Blake introduced them to Woodbury and initially seemed benign, he asked for their story and Michonne lied saying they had been traveling since the outbreak, but the Governor immediately saw through this ruse. The Governor soon revealed his cruel, psychotic true personality and the dark side of Woodbury including their brutal stadium fights which he claimed were there to help occupy and control the citizens. He also revealed to them that they fed the survivors of the helicopter crash to walkers and revealed that he intended to do the same to them but first intended to torture them all to get them to reveal the whereabouts of their prison so they could steal their food, bullets, vehicles etc. The governor initiated the torture by chopping Rick's hand off, Michonne responded immediately by pouncing on the governor and biting off some of his ear. She is then dragged off the governor quickly by one of his bodyguards. The Governor then promises Michonne that as sick retribution he will make her wish she was dead.

She is tied up and left alone in a room working as a cell and once again begins talking to her dead boyfriend for help. The Governor repeatedly sadistically violently rapes, beats and tortures Michonne, to try and get the location of the prison but mostly for his sick, twisted pleasure. This torture emotionally scars Michonne and she tearfully promises the Governor that she will do things to him as revenge that scare her.

This Sorrowful Life[]

The Governor later attempted to toy with her skills and sent her into their stadium fights as a participant for the crowds giving her back her Katana, however, she caused more trouble than satisfaction when Michonne proceeded to decapitate her opponent and the surrounding zombies in the fight enraging The Governor.

When the others eventually escaped, they released Michonne and were visibly shocked by her physical state.

Before leaving completely Michonne decides to go and seek out the Governor to get revenge, finding out his residency by asking Alice. When she busts into the Governors apartment the two fight, with Michonne coming out on top. Michonne decides to torture and mutilate the Governor and inflict the biggest amount of pain to him without actually killing him. This includes her gouging out one of his eyes and chopping off his left arm before cauterizing the wound with a blowtorch. After most of the torture has finished Michonne breaks down in tears over what she has done and the pain and torture she has endured over the past few days. She then promptly leaves the apartment when some of the Governor's henchmen arrive at his apartment, trying to tell him about the prisoners escape.

Michonne reunites with Rick and the escape party at the site of the crashed helicopter. When Rick asks Michonne about what happened and if the Governor is dead, Michonne hesitantly says she's not sure and clearly doesn't want to reveal the details about what happened when she went to the Governor's apartment.

The group are then confronted by a batch of walkers which they quickly put down and then return to the car that they had left stuck in the mud where together they push it out and enter returning to the prison. Upon returning they see the prison overrun with zombies and they see the zombie form of Otis. The group quickly clear out the prison and it is revealed that Otis was the only casualty. Later Michonne begins speaking to her dead boyfriend about her torturing the Governor and reveals that the things she did to him deeply unsettle her. This was witnessed by Andrea.

The Calm Before[]

Michonne attended the wedding of Glenn and Maggie and spent a lot of time dealing with the aftermath of the traumatic events of Woodbury, seeking comfort from Tyreese and later preparing herself along with the others for the upcoming attack doing things like taking shooting lessons with Andrea.

She was part of a scouting mission to the National Guard station along with Tyreese. Although she did sometimes seek comfort from Tyreese at times she seemed emotionally distant and would not always reveal her feelings.

On the way back from the National Guard station the group hit up a Wal-Mart where they were ambushed by some armed Woodburian citizens. After they shot Glenn, Michonne viciously killed tow of them with her Katana. The group then quickly returned to the Prison, and continued priming themselves for a possible attack from Woodbury.

Made To Suffer[]

When The Governor retaliated, she and Tyreese went on the offense, attempting guerrilla warfare in order to buy the prison time to prepare for the next attack. However, this act proved too careless and dangerous resulting in Michonne barely escaping and Tyreese being captured and used as a bargaining tool in order to get into the prison. When this failed, The Governor killed Tyreese, decapitating him with Michonne's katana. Days later, she returned and reclaimed her sword, put Tyreese's reanimated head to rest, and fled into the woods nearby.

Here We Remain[]

After the attack on the prison, Michonne tracked footprints, which led her to Rick and Carl. She saved Carl from a roamer, who then proceeded to hug her. She then joined up with the pair and bonded with them, even keeping Rick's own phone conversations with his dead wife secret. Michonne protected Carl as a mother would, and went out of her way to protect Rick, due to her great respect for him.

What We Become[]

While traveling with the others, Michonne inquired about Morgan Jones, hinting at a possible interest in him. When Rick asked if she was attracted to Morgan, Michonne was initially hesitant, but, finally admitted she was. She wanted to get to know Morgan better, but, decided to wait a bit, as she was still recovering from Tyreese's death.

Fear The Hunters[]

Michonne continues traveling with the group on the journey to D.C. When the group encounter a group of cannibals calling themselves the Hunters who kidnap Dale, Michonne and the rest of the group are determined to find and kill them. When they do track them down with the help of Father Gabriel Stokes, Michonne is part of the team that brutally slaughter the Hunters.

Life Among Them[]

As with the rest of the survivors, Michonne successfully traveled and made it into the Alexandria Safe-Zone. She, like the other survivors, were now trying to adjust to their new life in the community. But, like Carl, she's also having troubles getting used to what seems normal there. As seen in Issue 71, Douglas Monroe does have a problem with her keeping her sword. However, thanks to Olivia, she persuades him to let her keep it. She admits the people seem nice. Douglas goes to Rick to ask what job he could give Michonne for their community, since there didn't seem to be a need for a lawyer. Rick suggests that since she upheld the law as a public defender, she would be suitable as a constable.

Later on in Issue 72, Michonne is seen nailing a mantle to hang up her old sword. As she looks on, she begins reflecting on how she used it, specifically remembering the first time she used it in combat. During a line of flashbacks, she remembers she used it in self-defense when her boyfriend and his best friend reanimated as zombies and attacked her. She cut off their arms to defend herself. She reflected on how she used her sword to kill and how it was even used by The Governor to kill Tyreese and defend others like Carl. She then looks at her sword angrily, saying "I'm through with you."

She attends the welcoming party thrown by Douglas to welcome their group to the community, with Barbara, Olivia, and several other women. Through most of it, Michonne mostly listened and rarely talked, though Barbara began to try to see if she'd be interested in dating Heath. Michonne seemed to care little for the conversation that was going on around her, that included their attempts at match-making her. Finally tired of being at the party, she attempts to leave only to be halted by Barbara who begins to annoy her by asking her what she'd like to cook for her. She said it was something she liked to do for new arrivals. Although Michonne tried to calmly decline Barbara's offer, Barbara kept insisting, saying she'd be so worried if she cooked something she didn't enjoy.

Annoyed and frustrated, Michonne shouts, "Worried? This is what you worry about?!" This leaves Barbara and others silent as she angrily leaves. As she makes it to their house, she sees Morgan there, who tells her he had already left the party a while ago. They begin to talk a little and Michonne mentions she made a little scene at the party. She begins to explain she, like Morgan, didn't feel comfortable with all the happy people. She also said she couldn't take the chattering of the other women as it was not only frustrating, but, made her feel alone. After saying that, she rests her tired head on Morgan's shoulder for comfort. Although he notices, he does not seem to protest against her resting on his shoulder.

Too Far Gone[]

Michonne continues to live in the safe-zone during this volume.

No Way Out[]

In Issue 81, after Morgan said that he deserved to be happy after getting over the loss of his son Duane, Michonne becomes angry, replying that he wasn't the only one who has lost loved ones; she walks out the room, claiming to get a glass of water. After Morgan is bit, she amputates his arm, and helps him get to Rick's house. She says he's a damn fool, and nervously waits by his side. Michonne opens up to Morgan on his death bed about how she doesn't usually express her feelings as it would make her look weak. Asking for forgiveness, Michonne discovers that Morgan had sadly passed away. After she impales Morgan to prevent reanimation, she volunteers to take part in Rick's escape plan by rubbing zombie guts on herself. She helps Dr. Cloyd get to her house and then slashes through zombies with her sword to try and help Rick save Carl after he was shot in the eye by Douglas.

We Find Ourselves[]

Michonne helps in the clean-up process of Alexandria.

A Larger World[]

Michonne, along with Rick, Carl, Glenn, and Andrea, are brought to the Hilltop Colony by Paul Monroe. There, they are shown around and introduced to Gregory, the leader. Another resident of the colony, Ethan, returns from a failed mission where all of his companions were killed except for himself and a woman named Crystal, who is believed to be dead as Negan doesn't take prisoners. Ethan then tells Gregory he has a message for him and stabs him. Rick tackles Ethan to the ground and in the struggle cuts his throat, while the rest of the residents stare at him, shocked. When she finds out that Rick had volunteered the Safe Zone to deal with the Saviors, she is shown to be somewhat upset and asks why they are helping "a group that gives offerings to murderers." Rick brushes it aside by saying that whenever they are faced with a new situation, she looks for something to be afraid of and that in the long run, this will be worth investing in.

Something To Fear[]

On the way back to Alexandria, the survivors run across the first group of Saviors who demand they give the supplies they received from the Hilltop to Negan; after killing all, but, one they make it back to the Safe Zone. A week later Michonne accompanies Rick once again to go back to the Hilltop to gather Paul and other residents to help fight the Saviors; during the night, they are captured and their leader. Negan decides that one of them must pay for the deaths of his men by getting the 'honor' of being beaten to death with his bat, 'Lucille'. As he goes over each of the survivors, he pauses at Michonne commenting that he doesn't want to be a racist by choosing her, Glenn, or Heath; he also doesn't want to kill her because he's "got a list of things I want to do to you, but killing isn't high on that list. Still on it, though." Michonne is eventually spared. Michonne is then forced to helplessly watch as Negan smashes Glenn's skull in with Lucille.

Michonne then continues on to the Hilltop with the group and Glenn's corpse. On the journey back to the Alexandria Safe-Zone, Michonne questions Rick to their plan on dealing with Negan and the Saviors. Before addressing the community, Rick goes to Michonne and asks for her opinion on not fighting the Saviors. Michonne says that she is tired of fighting and that she 'could use a break' from it.

What Comes After[]

After Rick's initial trip to the Kingdom, Michonne is shocked to hear of Rick's plan to unite with the Kingdom to fight the Saviors; although she is hurt that Rick did not tell her his plan to attack until after Paul, Andrea and several others were informed about it, she was the one who suggested to Rick that the Safe-Zone take the passive route and not fight the Saviors immediately. She then reiterates that she wants to be done with fighting all the time and dreams of one day getting rid of her sword.

March To War[]

Michonne accompanies Rick and a small group of Alexandria survivors to the Kingdom. After being introduced to Ezekiel, she pulls her katana on him and he responds by pulling out a blade hidden in his staff. Ezekiel tries to win her over, but, Michonne ignores him. While the others in Rick's group eat with the Kingdom survivors in the cafeteria, Michonne goes outside to be alone. She sees that Ezekiel followed her outside and at first ignores him. Ezekiel proceeds to tell her about his past and how he saved Shiva from bleeding to death before the apocalypse occurred. Michonne begins to show interest in Ezekiel and they formally introduce themselves to each other. Ezekiel then leaves and wishes Michonne good night. Later on Michonne can be seen training with swords with other Kingdom residents. She continues talking to Ezekiel and is even seen to joke with him. Michonne is then present at the meeting discussing the upcoming war.

All Out War - Part One[]

Michonne is seen sleeping with Ezekiel in her house in Alexandria. Michonne informs Ezekiel that this meant nothing and that it has the potential to eventually be something. Ezekiel responds saying that he can work with potential and heads downstairs to check on Shiva. Michonne goes to make coffee and is soon confronted by Ezekiel, who informs her that Shiva was very well behaved and "she shit in your tub". Michonne asks him if he is being serious and he says he is, however they are interrupted by the Kingdom's head of security Richard, who takes Michonne by surprise and quickly introduces himself to her.

Michonne accompanies Ezekiel to Gabriel Stokes' church to discuss battle plans for the upcoming battle of Sanctuary. She is later seen alongside a group of approximately one hundred people from the Kingdom, Hilltop Colony, and Alexandria Safe-Zone marching upon the Sanctuary.

After drawing a massive herd towards the Sanctuary, Michonne quickly finds Ezekiel and asks him what he is doing. Ezekiel tells her that he was waiting for her to find him, they both then get on a bus alongside other Army members and depart the area. After arriving back at a temporary camp, Michonne is seen, alongside Ezekiel, clearing zombies from the camp's perimeter. They are soon interrupted by Rick, who tells Michonne that he wants her to head back to Alexandria. Michonne hesitantly agrees and departs back to the Safe-Zone. After she arrives at Alexandria, she is confronted by Carl, who she asks how things have been back at the Safe-Zone. Carl tells her that everyone is worried, though she assures him that is fine. Michonne is later seen back at her house, comforting Ezekiel after the losses of his men and Shiva.

Michonne is seen still comforting Ezekiel after his loss. He starts to talk about how he does not want to lead anymore, saying that he has failed his people and does not deserve to lead. She responds by punching him in the face, telling him that he is a "pussy" and that people back at the Kingdom are still counting on him. She angrily walks off and is soon confronted by Rick, who asks her about the Ezekiel situation. She tells him that all but five of Ezekiel's men are dead and Shiva is also dead. Rick asks her to call a meeting and to start gathering people immediately.

She is later seen taking part in the meeting, alongside many of Rick's closest allies. However, they are suddenly interrupted by a large explosion, caused by a Savior grenade and, alongside the others, Michonne ducks for cover. Michonne and Ezekiel are seen running away from the explosions. A grenade is tossed in front of Michonne, and Ezekiel quickly pushes her out of the way. Ezekiel explains to her that they must flee the area, however, Michonne is determined on getting all of the Alexandria citizens out of the houses to safety.

All Out War - Part Two[]

After the devastation, Michonne relocates with the group to the Hilltop. That night, Ezekiel and Michonne are sleeping together and Ezekiel promises to her that he will become a stronger person starting tomorrow, earning a smile from Michonne, who is pretending to be asleep.

She is part of the team sent by Rick to outflank the Saviors in the upcoming attack. She survives the final confrontation, later seen in the crowd listening to Rick's speech. She is then seen helping Rick to lie down, congratulating for the victory and saying he "might have a knack for this leader thing after all".

Michonne[]

Main article: Michonne Hawthorne (Telltale)

Life And Death[]

Michonne is first revealed stepping off of a sailboat. She immediately shows her negative feelings toward Ezekiel by asking herself, "Seriously, there was no one else he (Rick) could have sent?" As Rick asks many questions as to why Michonne had left Ezekiel and the Kingdom, she reveals that she abandoned her daughters during the outbreak and that she would never be able to start a new life with all of her regret. The conversation ends with Rick telling her to "get her shit together" and to "go back home." Rick tells her that she shouldn't have to live her life in misery. She is quickly defused though when Rick apologizes explaining that he didn't want his best friend to be miserable. When she becomes defensive Rick apologizes. Rick and Michonne are later seen talking about the fair. Michonne tells Rick that Pete will be going but she plans on staying at the pier. Rick pleads for her to go, saying that Carl would like to see her. Michonne says that she would like to see him too and responds with "we'll see". After Rick is informed on Carl's disappearance Michonne, Rick, Dante, and Andrea set about on horseback to find him. The group is later approached by a whisperer, claiming that they would would take Rick to Carl, but only Rick. Rick decides to leave Michonne, Dante, and Andrea to find Carl. After Carl, Rick, and Lydia leave the Whisperer's camp they find the abandoned horses of Michonne, Andrea, and Dante. Rick begins to show anxiety to the fact that Michonne could have been killed. After finding the border of decapitated heads Michonne, Andrea, and Dante are seen crying approaching Rick.

No Turning Back[]

Michonne is crying and shocked at the sight of Ezekiel decapitated head on a pike. She unsheathes her knife to put Ezekiel down, but Rick stops her, saying he can do it for her. Michonne refuses his offer and pushes him onto the ground. She then immediately turns apologetic and hugs Rick. Rick consoles Michonne and Andrea puts down Ezekiel for her. Michonne opens up to Rick saying that whatever chances she had with Ezekiel, she threw it all away, She tells Rick that there's something wrong with her. Rick replies, "There's something wrong with all of us." Michonne then tackles Lydia and interrogates her, asking her if she knew this would happen. Michonne later gets off of her and helps her up. Rick tells Michonne that they need to leave the pikes exactly where they are. Infuriated, Michonne storms off to the woods. Michonne and the group eventually return to the fair and inform them on what has happened. She is later seen mourning Ezekiel's death and packing all his things into a box. In an attempt to sneak Lydia away to safety from the angry Alexandrians, Rick checks in on Michonne. Michonne acts regretful about how she acted toward Ezekiel and Rick comforts her in what becomes a passionate conversation about how one's guilt never goes away in this world. Michonne slowly eases back to her original role in Alexandria. The morning after Rick is assaulted and nearly beaten to death, Michonne is ordered to bring Vincent back to Rick, where he will set the record straight to the restless Alexandrians.

Call To Arms[]

On her way back to Oceanside to meet up with Pete, Michonne is stopped by Rick who asks for her help. Rick tells Michonne that he feels she should go help out at the Kingdom and become their leader. Michonne is more than open to the idea and when Rick asks Michonne who she thinks he should send to lead the Saviors, Michonne hints at the possibility of Carl leading them someday. After Rick nearly strangles Brandon to death when he attempts to kill Rick, Michonne immediately ends the dangerous situation. Later that day, the Hilltop is heading back and Michonne consults Rick about the propaganda he is embracing in Alexandria. She foreshadows the possibility of problems that might occur with the Alexandrian's response to the propaganda. Suddenly in a split second, news gets out that the jail cell keys are missing. Michonne races down to check Negan's cell and once Rick catches up with her, it's revealed Negan is gone. Rick addresses Michonne and Aaron and asks that they track Negan. They follow the path that the Hilltop took assuming he snuck out with them, and they follow footprints they see that diverge from the rest.

They cross the border, getting deeper into the Whisperer's territory. Michonne suggests Aaron form a relationship with Jesus, though he insists he isn't interested. As they talk, they hear people approaching, and prepare to defend themselves. As Beta and a group of Whisperers approach, Michonne orders them to stop their attack, and explains that she and Aaron simply want to retrieve Negan and leave. Beta reminds them of Alpha's order and attacks Aaron, stabbing him in the stomach.

Michonne fights off Beta, who is attempting to kill her. She gets the upper hand until some Whisperers sneak up on her. She chops off one of their hands, though is knocked down by Beta in the process. As Beta is about to kill her, Dwight arrives with the Militia and helps her escape. She rides back to the Hilltop with Aaron, telling Dwight to hunt Beta down. In their way back, Michonne begs Aaron to "hang in there". As they approach the Hilltop, Michonne yells to open the gate and to get Doctor Carson to tend to Aaron.

The Whisperer War[]

Following Aaron's recovery, Michonne is seen gathering troops at the Hilltop to bring to Alexandria for the Whisperer War. She asks Maggie if she's alright with lending so many soldiers, to which Maggie replies that she wish she could spare more. She says Rick will be happy with so many fighters. Carl approaches with Lydia and asks to come with her, but Michonne says that he must stay and protect the Hilltop in case of an assault. Later on the front line Michonne and Jesus are discussing Aaron on the front lines when they notice the Militia have been surrounded and race in to help. Michonne later joins with Dwight and the militia and is one of the survivors that infiltrate the Whisperers, killing several.

A Certain Doom[]

She later returns with the others to Alexandria and is seen helping Rick bring Andrea to their house after she was bitten. As Rick is becoming despondent over Andrea's condition worsening, Michonne reminds him of what he told her after Ezekiel died; that 'there's something wrong with all of us' and that still being alive should not be viewed as a punishment. She lays her head on Rick's shoulder and says that until she's not, 'I will always be here for you.' She later pays her last respects to Andrea, calling her one of the best friends she ever had.

Lines We Cross[]

After helping bury Andrea, Michonne is asked by both Rick and Eugene to travel to Ohio and meet a woman named Stephanie who Eugene has been in contact with over the last few weeks. As her, Eugene, Magna, Yumiko and Siddiq travel to Ohio, they make a stop in Pittsburgh; when Michonne calls out to check for other survivors, a young woman is seen coming out from the ruins of a building. She introduces herself as Juanita, but prefers to be called 'Princess' and asks to come along with them. Michonne is hesitant, but eventually relents after the others accept her. They finally reach the meeting place and is suddenly surrounded by soldiers who order them all to put up their hands.

New World Order[]

Michonne and the group are all surprised and blinded by the lights all shone in their direction. Princess makes a joke about the armor of the soldiers, but the soldiers state that they should not move or they will open fire. The survivors from Alexandria do not move, but Princess again jokes about the armor, especially the part covering their private area. One of the soldiers named Samuels is in disbelief about Princess’ sense of humor but is told to quiet down. Eugene says that they were meant to meet them there and gave them the advantage to help build trust. He also asks where Stephanie is.

The soldiers say that Stephanie was not authorized to act on behalf of the entire Commonwealth and that they will instead be speaking with someone else. Heading inside a lighted train car, the representative from The Commonwealth sits down behind a table. Removing a glove, the individual picks up a pen and introduces himself as Lance Hornsby, a person tasked with handling all new entries to their community. Eugene is not pleased. He demands again to speak with Stephanie.

Lance continues to state that they will be talking with him and, after ordering the soldiers to raise their weapons, he explains that their presence alone puts their group in danger. Once again, he says they will follow through with the examination and any attempts to leave will be futile. After a moment of silence, Lance continues and orders one of the soldiers to go out and canvass the area to see if there are any other survivors hiding nearby. He says that he may be threatening them, but the last thing he really wants to do is have the soldiers kill them. Eugene says that they have dealt with small men and threats before and their group will not be intimidated by them. Eugene adds that if they wanted to kill them, they would have done it already. After asking the others if they share the same view, Lance is pleased with this, adding that they are finally on the same page. Michonne prompts him to ask the questions so The Commonwealth can lower their weapons. Hornsby says he likes her already. He asks their names, how far they traveled, their firepower, way of life, and if they have friends in the area.

Lance is surprised to find out that they don’t have any major issues with their way of life. He mentions a recent survivor who would daily use walker blood to camouflage their scent, prompting Michonne to remark they have sparingly used the same tactic to escape from herds of the dead. The soldier sent out to patrol the area reports back and says the area is clear except for the Alexandrian's horses. Since the number of horses didn’t match the number of people, Lance asks if one person walked. Princess says they just picked her up, but they are getting to know each other; Lance says he will need to talk with her a little more.

Using her real name, Hornsby is corrected to call her Princess. He says that he feels comfortable with everyone else but wants to take some more time to get to know her story before she takes ‘the trip’. Once again, Eugene speaks up. He says he’s not going anywhere until they meet Stephanie and if that’s not going to happen then they may as well shoot them all. Frustrated once more by this attitude, Lance reveals that they are going to where Stephanie is.

Lance goes to pack his gear up, saying they are leaving. The survivors can either join them on the trip or get shot by the soldiers. The group decides to join The Commonwealth on the trip and rides their horses along the caravan of soldiers on foot and a horse-drawn wagon. During the trip, Lance falls asleep in the wagon. One of the Commonwealth soldiers tells Michonne not to worry and that Lance is just a jerk. He says he’s been there a couple of years and it’s great, but people like him are essential for the community to work. The soldier adds that they aren’t marching the survivors toward their deaths. He says their armor is intimidating, but they are there to protect everyone, including the group from Alexandria.

The caravan comes to a complete stop when a group of walkers is spotted on the road. He says to use blades over guns to not awaken Lance. The group takes out some of the walkers, but realize there are more than they thought. The soldiers are yelling as they fight. They say this could be the ‘Magenta’ swarm, but if it is that means their spotter was wrong with their location. They open fire, which wakes Lance. Eugene asks if they should do something, but Michonne says that they should be READY to do something but feels they have the situation under control. Lance turns around and says he is impressed that their group isn’t panicking and states he will make a note of that. With some soldiers left to fight the walkers, Lance, the group from Alexandria, and the remaining armored troops continue toward their destination.

After a bit of a ride, they come upon a stadium. Michonne asks if their community is inside, but Lance says it’s for concerts and football games. This excites Princess, who is pleased to hear that there are some musicians within the community. Siddiq asks about the sports and discovers that there are many different types available but understandably, there aren't too many. Magna asks how many people are in their community and Lance replies about fifty thousand, leaving the survivors speechless. The group rides past a billboard with items tacked on it. When Eugene inquires about it, Lance explains that it is their “Wall of the Lost”. It has people who were separated from the area and is to help people to possibly reunite with their loved ones.

Lance tells them to take a look at it while they wait. Michonne says the faded pictures are the saddest, but he replies that it’s the people who keep updating the wall to newer pictures and can’t let go that are the most depressing, even if it is heartwarming. He tells the group that every once in a while there is a story about someone who is on the wall that helps to fill in what happened, and that alone is something that people appreciate. Magna, Yumiko, and Princess are stunned to see how many people have posted on the board, commenting that they have lost loved ones, but never to this degree. After a moment, Eugene notices something and tells Michonne she needs to see it as well. Pointing at the board, she sees a poster from Elodie saying “Have you seen my mom, Michonne?” with a photo attached. Tears immediately start rolling down Michonne’s face with thoughts of reuniting with her daughter.

Eugene asks Michonne if everything is alright. Lance asks what is going on and Michonne asks to be taken to the bakery Elodie wrote on her missing person poster 'right now.' Lance says he can't do that, prompting Michonne to grab him off the wagon and say that it was not a request. After a soldier threatens her to release Lance and Magna asks what's going on, Michonne reveals that her daughter is alive after all this time. She asks again to be taken to her, but Lance is doubtful Elodie is still alive. Magna asks if he's trying to be funny; Lance says that he's being realistic but where they are going, there will be more concrete answers. As they enter through the gates of the Commonwealth, Eugene hears someone calling out to him and he recognizes the voice as belonging to Stephanie. Lance tells her to get back and Stephanie says she was not allowed to come with the group to the meeting place. Lance forcefully grabs Stephanie and reprimands her; when Stephanie tries to protest, Lance reminds her that if she continues to act out, she will get 'reassigned' to another job. She apologizes immediately and Lance tells her to get back to work as they continue on.

Lance leads them inside to where the person in charge resides. They are greeted by a man named Maxwell Hawkins who formally greets them. He asks who is the one that established contact with them and Eugene responds. Maxwell proceeds to ask him, Juanita, and Michonne what they did before the apocalypse to get a read on them. When hearing Michonne was a lawyer, Maxwell takes her through two doors and introduces her to Pamela Milton, the governor of the Commonwealth. Pamela says the Commonwealth is rebuilding the world back as a beacon of hope and mentions the community has over fifty thousand residents with more being brought in daily. Seeing Michonne's sullen look, Pamela asks why they should include Michonne and the others with her as part of the Commonwealth; Michonne states that they weren't looking to be auditioned to join.

Pamela insists that 'civilization is a machine' and that they have put all the pieces back together at long last. She says she views Michonne as an engine but Michonne snaps back. When Pamela inquires what's wrong, Michonne tells her about her daughter Elodie who is still alive and looking for her; Pamela mentions that she is a mother as well and understands what she is going through and then takes Michonne to the bakery on Sixth Street. Matt expresses surprise with the visit and before Pamela can ask about Elodie, she comes out with a cake for delivery. Michonne and Elodie lock eyes and both are stunned to see the other; Both mother and daughter run and embrace each other for the first time in years.

Afterward, Elodie brings Michonne to her apartment. The two run and hold each other, overcome once more with emotion over discovering the other is still alive. Michonne apologizes for not being with her and Colette at the very beginning, noting that their father Dominic had custody. She then asks if Colette survived as well; Elodie lowers her head and says she didn't. She tells Michonne that roughly a year before reaching the Commonwealth, they were in Kentucky and encountered 'some bad men.' They protected the two sisters, but expected them to perform sex in repayment. When Colette refused, she was killed; Elodie then mentions she killed the men after discovering what happened. Michonne, recalling all the things she's done, tries to calm her daughter, saying that they have no idea what they are capable of until they are pushed to survive.

Michonne looks out the window of Elodie's apartment, admitting that Alexandria can not compare to the Commonwealth. However, Michonne notices her daughter's sullen behavior and asks what is wrong. Crossly, Elodie says that she grew up hating her Michonne, blaming her for abandoning her and Colette, and later for the numerous tragedies that happened to her afterwards, including the deaths of her father and sister. Despite having placed the picture in the billboard, Elodie never had believed that she would ever see Michonne again, though she had often fantasized about an encounter with Michonne in which Elodie would yell, scream, and punch her mother for having abandoned Elodie and her sister. However, when she finally saw Michonne after so long, she couldn't do it, having been alone for such a long time, something Michonne understands.

Michonne's calm and understanding attitude confuses and angers Elodie, reminding her mother that she grew up hating her. An exchange follows in which Elodie throws angry remarks at Michonne, claiming to still hate her and not wanting to be around or talk to her. Michonne takes these comments in stride, telling Elodie that she will be waiting for her to be ready to talk with Michonne. Shocked by Michonne's devotion to her, Elodie wonders aloud who is Michonne, unable to associate the woman standing before her with the image she had formed in her mind of the mother who had not cared about her family. Smiling broadly and with her arms wide open, Michonne tells Elodie that she is her mother and, now that she has finally found her, swears to never let go of her ever again. Mother and daughter embrace each other.

Later, Michonne reunites with the others. She explains how her daughter has been living at the community for years, that she finds it safe and she likes it. Michonne concludes by stating that she trusts her daughter, and believes that if the Commonwealth trust her and her group, then she can trust them. Pamela finds the ordeal excellent, as it means that they can now skip to the part where they are getting to know each other and can actually start being friends. Eugene then asks if this means that he can finally be able to talk to Stephanie. Pamela then tells Lance to send for Stephanie, and tells the group that they are currently gathering the weapons that the Commonwealth previously took from them to return them. Pamela also voices a desire to see Alexandria for herself. She asks Eugene whether he and his group would be ready for a return trip soon, hoping for the group to enjoy the Commonwealth's hospitality first. Eugene nervously agrees on staying for a couple of days to organize the trip.

Afterward, the Commonwealth soldiers return the weapons back to the group alongside Elodie. Elodie is surprised that Michonne carries a sword with her. Michonne proudly admits her skill with it, though Elodie finds the katana weird. Just then, Stephanie joins the group and apologizes to Eugene for not having been at the meeting with them. She expresses her regret at having talked on the radio with Eugene, though he reassures her that if she hadn't done it they wouldn't be talking face to face. Pamela interrupts them, explaining how the Commonwealth has a very specific protocol regarding the integration of new groups, which they take very seriously. Stephanie concurs with the governor, stating that she was acting out of line and that, although everything worked out in the end, it could have just as well ended in disaster. Although they are allowed to use the radios, they are supposed to alert the authorities in case they ever stumble upon something new.

Pamela then asks Stephanie to take the group to their settlement at Whitmore, where rooms have been prepared for their stay. She also comments on how she arranged for Michonne to share a room with Elodie, a sentiment to which the former agrees with. Pamela then takes her leave, going back to work to arrange everything for the trip and asking the group to enjoy their stay at the Commonwealth. After Pamela leaves, Michonne mentions how odd it was that she didn't explain that much to the group or ask too many questions regarding the trip. Stephanie believes that Pamela prefers to talk to leaders directly, stating that "that's just how things work here". Before Michonne can ask what Stephanie means by that, Sebastian arrives and loudly exclaims how he likes meeting new people. He light-heartedly apologizes for his first impression, admitting he is pretty bad at making them. Sebastian directly approaches Yumiko, asking for her name and introducing himself as the governor's son. He slyly offers to take Yumiko on a private tour, leading Yumiko to rebuff his advances. Sebastian then forcibly grabs Yumiko, angrily telling her that he makes a better ally than enemy. When Magna tries to intervene, Sebastian pushes her to the ground.

Princess then pulls her spear on Sebastian, asking him what the heck is his problem. Angrily, he orders the Commonwealth soldiers to do something, leading them to order Princess to step away from Sebastian and to put her spear on the ground. Princess then asks if they are really gonna maker "put her goggles down". Although Michonne tries to stop Princess and listen to what they are telling her, Princess lowers her goggles down, replying "Too late". Princess uses the sharp end of her spear on a soldier, using the other end to push Sebastian down. Evading a blow to the head from a soldier's baton, Princess uses her spear to bring a soldier down before defending herself from an upper attack. As Princess continues attacking soldiers, Michonne tries in vain to get Princess to stop attacking. Princess pushes a soldier onto another soldier, bringing them both down. Princess then removes her goggles, claiming that she's all done. She takes a moment to mock the soldiers, calling them "wimps" and claiming that their armor is slowing them. Before she can finish her sentence, a thrown hatchet hits her hand and makes her drop her spear.

Mercer, who threw the hatchet, orders Princess to not move. Lying on the ground, Sebastian angrily orders the officers to arrest Princess and all of her group. Mercer is unfazed, sarcastically asking whether that includes the others that he saw standing around doing nothing. Michonne tries to explain the situation as a big misunderstanding, starting to explain how Sebastian assaulted Yumiko. Sebastian denies the accusation, calling it absurd. Elodie offers to help him stand up, leaving Sebastian to slap Elodie across the face. Sebastian then defends himself by showing how his slapping Elodie constitutes as assault. He then threatens the entire group including Mercer, telling them that if any of them says a word he will make sure that all of them end up banished. Michonne angrily stands her ground, saying that this is not how they do this. She then reaches for her katana, but Elodie stops her mother. Scared, she urges Michonne to let the matter go, telling her that it is important that "they know their place". Michonne's face contorts to anger at her daughter's words.

Michonne asks her daughter to elaborate on her earlier sentiment that they must "know their place". When Elodie is reluctant, Sebastian asserts that the community owes him and his family for everything. He warns the group against any further issues, advising that they consider what is at risk. Mercer steps in at this point, noting that Sebastian's mother allows him to get away with a lot, but that she wouldn't want him slapping their citizens for no reason. Sebastian then slaps Mercer, saying that there was a reason - to prove a point. Sebastian hastily makes his exit after this, as he notices how angry he has made the officer.

Mercer attempts to assuage the group's frustration by explaining that even though the community has a few bad people, the sheer size of it means you don't see these people often. He further explains that they all know that worse could be happening than being slapped, but Michonne interjects that this doesn't make it right. Mercer agrees, and cites this example to Siddiq as one of the reasons that the soldiers may need to "blow off steam". Siddiq uneasily agrees.

As the group convenes at Elodie's apartment, Michonne questions Siddiq on what Mercer meant with his comments to him. Siddiq relays to the group the conversation that he overheard between Mercer and George in the locker room. Elodie and Stephanie aren't convinced by the story, believing Mercer to be someone who ultimately likes the way things are. Stephanie adds that incidents with the "upper class" are few and far between, which prompts Michonne to question how the community has a class system to begin with. Elodie and Stephanie further explain that the Commonwealth bases a person's social status almost purely on what they did before the outbreak. A person's class determines their work assignments, and their work assignments determine their level of income. Stephanie and Elodie believe that the system isn't unfair, as you are allowed once per year a chance to apply to move up. Eugene admits that the system can have its merits, however their community has never been at a size where such a system is feasible. Princess likens the system to a video game, and approves of it. This however prompts Magna's indignation, who is incredulous that the community is willing to go back to a world of "haves and have nots". Magna decides that she's already had enough of the community, but Michonne implores her not to judge them just yet. She explains that as their communities continue to grow larger and rebuild, a class system may eventually become unavoidable. Using the Hilltop as an example, she states that not everyone is able to live in the Barrington House, and those who cannot live in trailers. She concludes by pointing out that if people have the opportunity to move up, then it isn't all that bad. Magna cuttingly reminds Michonne that she used to be a lawyer, and stands to gain quite a bit from the paradigm shift. Michonne states that her own past has nothing to do with it, but Magna reminds her the point they're arguing is that it actually has everything to do with it. Magna resolves that she wants nothing to do with the Commonwealth.

Some time later, Michonne and Elodie take a walk through town. Elodie tells Michonne that when she returns, they should go to see the other settlements. She mentions her favorite one in particular, a place called Greenville that sits on a huge lake, and people have boat houses. Siddiq, Eugene, Princess, and Stephanie eat at a local cafe. Stephanie explains that the guards they see in town are all trainees, as the more experienced soldiers run missions outside to keep the area clear. The group meets up again that night to eat at an upscale restaurant with a view of the city. Elodie notes that she normally doesn't get to eat at such places, and that the Commonwealth might be trying to impress them.

As the group tours the Commonwealth, Michonne cooks a meal for herself and Elodie, with the former asking for a form of repayment for her work. Elodie says she has something in mind, and she takes the group to watch a football game.

Afterward, Michonne meets with Lance Hornsby, who asks that Michonne consider staying when Pamela sets off to meet with Rick in Alexandria. They are aware of how happy Michonne is to see to be reunited with her daughter again, and Lance affirms that the Commonwealth could always use more lawyers. Michonne rebuffs that she has definitely already considered staying, and Lance assures her that she hasn't truly seen all that they have to offer.

As Eugene and the group prepare to depart back to Alexandria along with Pamela, he asks Michonne if her daughter is coming to see her off. Michonne states that Elodie is not seeing her off, as she is not leaving. Michonne believes she has been away from her daughter for too long, and doesn't want to leave her again. Eugene believes that she is the best one to talk to Rick about what they've seen since The Commonwealth barely conversed with anyone else, and that if anything, Elodie would have came back with them. Michonne hands over her katana to Eugene, telling him to give it to Rick. As Eugene reels from the weight of the request, Michonne explains that the katana was never who she was, and is no longer who she is now. She is certain that her comfort in living in the Commonwealth without it will tell Rick everything that he needs to know about the community. Michonne lays complete faith in Pamela handling the diplomatic talks, and Eugene tells her that her presence will always be needed. She disagrees, smiling as she sees them off.

The Rotten Core[]

At the Commonwealth, Michonne informs Elodie that she has accepted Lance's offer, which Elodie is ecstatic to hear. Michonne also tells her that Lance has given her some time to get accustomed to the community and get up to speed with her old profession. Elodie asks if she'll have enough time for a trip, to which Michonne replies that she just might.

Sometime later, Michonne, Elodie and Jerome travel to Greenville. Michonne tells Jerome he didn't need to accompany them, as she is quite capable of defending herself but Jerome states that it's protocol, as they can't allow people of Michonne's stature travel alone. They run across a small group of walkers, and Jerome orders them to stay back while he dispatches them. Michonne cautions him to be quiet, as there could be more of them, but this only serves to annoy Jerome. True enough, more walkers appear out of the woods and Jerome is quickly swarmed. This prompts Michonne to jump from her saddle to help the soldier. She grabs his gun and kills all of the walkers, shocking both Jerome and Elodie. Impressed, Jerome offers to let her lead the rest of the way, but Michonne declines. Her daughter, likewise impressed, tells her mother she's full of surprises. Jerome tells them not to worry about the bodies, as the Commonwealth will send someone to clean them up.

As they arrive at Greenville, Michonne is awestruck at the beautiful scenery and thinks she's really going to like it there. As Jerome departs, Elodie suggests a hostel they can sleep in, but they are interrupted by Cloris, who's reserved a cabin for their arrival. After spending quality time with her daughter, Michonne goes out on the dock to cry. Elodie asks her what's wrong, but Michonne replies that it's absolutely nothing, revealing that she's been crying tears of joy. In the morning, as they are ready to depart, they are met by another soldier, Rufus, assigned as their escort. Before they depart, Cloris gifts them with a bag of food and drink for their journey. Michonne notices a family unable to afford food, so she gives them the basket instead. Cloris disproves, as there was some very expensive wine and cheeses in that bag, but Michonne replies that it seemed like the family needed it more than she did.

Arriving back in the Commonwealth proper, they encounter a bunch of people running in the street. When Michonne inquires, she is informed that an officer has been attacked. She rushes to the scene, only to find the perpetrator being beaten to a pulp by the other officers. She rushes to his aid, and is shocked to recognize Jerome as one of the officers responsible.

Lance arrives to see Michonne in her apartment. Michonne asks if the man is going to be okay, but Lance informs her that he's in critical condition. Lance tells her that the man, Anthony Keith, assaulted one of the officers after getting into a shouting match with them, explaining that Anthony's wife was having an affair with an officer. He adds that there are numerous witnesses that confirm Anthony attacked the officers, though they all downplay it due to the brutality with which the officers responded. Michonne is worried about the story getting spun badly and escalating. Lance agrees, adding that they can't have people loosing faith in the officers and explains that this is why they need Michonne's help. He wants her to defend the officers and prove they did nothing wrong, firmly adding that this is not a request.

At dinner, Michonne is furious with Lance, but Elodie explains to her that Michonne is one of "them" now, and she can get away with all kinds of things until she proves that she's not. Michonne is conflicted, as she agrees there should be a trial and that everyone has a right to a defense, but she's uncertain how this will look in the eyes of the public. After being interrupted by a woman furious that Michonne is defending the officers, Lance arrives unexpectedly to see them. He somberly informs them that Anthony Keith has died.

The next day, Michonne looks on at the protest forming outside of her apartment as Elodie breaks through the crowd. Elodie is worried that things are getting really bad as even her friends are talking about doing something. Soon enough, the protest escalates into a full-fledged riot. A protester throws a trash can into the window of their office, and Michonne tackles Elodie to protect her. As the crowd breaks into the apartment, Michonne tells her daughter to run, but Elodie refuses to abandon her mother. Suddenly, Jerome arrives to help them fight off the rioters and instructs them to run. This coincides with the arrival of Rick and Pamela, who are shocked to find the Commonwealth in chaos.

As the rioters start beating up Jerome, Michonne goes back to help him while telling Elodie to stay put, though she doesn't listen. Michonne tries to get the mob to leave Jerome alone, but this only serves to redirect their anger towards her for defending him. A rioter punches her and clubs her over the head. The mob are about to beat her up when Jerome throws himself on top of her to shield her from them. The mob beat Jerome severely before they are broken up by Mercer, Dwight and the Commonwealth Army. One rioter protests that Jerome killed Anthony Keith, but Mercer points out attacking an innocent woman won't solve that.

At the court hearing, Michonne defends the actions of the officers as just a misunderstanding and an accident. She stresses that the men that committed the act have already been punished and asks the judge to drop all charges. The judge thanks her for her input and says he will consider it. The prosecutor wants to add something, but the judge denies his request, as Michonne smirks.

Afterward, Rick talks with Michonne at her apartment. He asks if she believed in what she told the judge, and Michonne replies that she did, for the most part. She assures Rick that despite what he's seen, the Commonwealth is a really special place and that things in it are almost back to the way they were, adding that she would sell her soul to keep it as good as it is and, in fact, thinks she already has. Rick seems concerned by this revelation.

Rick is having lunch with Michonne and Elodie, exited at the strangeness of having lunch in a restaurant in the apocalypse. Michonne jokes about becoming waitress in the apocalypse when she notices their waitress standing right behind her. Michonne apologizes, but the waitress tells her to think nothing of it. When the waitress leaves, Rick jokes about not ordering desert, because he doesn't want spit in his food. He reminds himself about launches he had with his family before the apocalypse, and acknowledges the Commonwealth is a special place. As Michonne and Elodie continue talking, they notice Rick tearing up. Rick apologizes, explaining that he wishes Andrea could have seen the Commonwealth.

Rick talks to Michonne about Mercer supporting him against the Governor. Rick starts to think that Dwight was right all along, and that the people will back them if they try to take over, much to Michonne's horror. Rick says that he can't simply ignore the corrupt system of the Commonwealth, and can't believe Michonne is able to. Michonne explains that she knows the Commonwealth has a lot of room for improvement, and that is what excites her about being there, but believes change can be achieved through peaceful means.

Pamela and her entourage are on a "hunt", accompanied by Rick, Michonne and Dwight. They spot a group of roamers, so Pamela asks for a shotgun. She shoots one roamer in the shoulder, and instructs Mercer to deal with the rest. Pamela invites everybody to head back. Michonne is concerned about Mercer, but Pamela assures her he will be fine. Dwight, Rick and Michonne look at this with confusion.

Dwight and Rick are invited by Michonne to her apartment. Once there, she tells them that she thinks they are making a mistake by planning to overthrow Pamela. Dwight disagrees, and chastises Michonne for selling out for a nice apartment. Rick, however, agrees that they should work with Pamela to change things in the Commonwealth. Michonne is relieved to hear this, so she reveals that she has invited Pamela to the meeting as well. In that moment, Pamela bursts into the room with two armed guards. She says that she's glad Rick is on the same page as her, but tells Dwight he needs to go. Michonne is shocked, as she just invited Pamela to talk, but the Governor will hear none of it, as she can't simply allow people to plot behind her back. Dwight and Rick are shocked that Michonne would betray them to the Governor, but Michonne clarifies that she invited Pamela to talk and nothing more. Dwight accuses Michonne of being with "them" now. He tells Rick that there is no way he can peacefully convince someone like Pamela to give up power. Pamela assures Dwight that she's willing to do whatever is necessary for the well-being of the Commonwealth, but Dwight doesn't believe her. Pamela orders her men to arrest Dwight, prompting the latter to pull a gun on Pamela, shocking everyone. Rick tells Dwight to put the gun down, but Dwight refuses. He believes Pamela is the same as Negan, and thinks the only thing people like them respect is power. Dwight demonstrates this by threatening Pamela to instruct her guards not to move, which she does. Dwight says that they could take down Pamela right now, and that everything would fall in place without her, adding that the people of the Commonwealth would be thankful. Dwight holds Pamela at gunpoint. Rick, not wanting to let civil war break out in the Commonwealth, is left with no choice and shoots Dwight in the head. Pamela thanks Rick and assures him she won't forget him saving her life, before leaving.

As Laura is mourning Dwight, Rick sarcastically asks Michonne if she's happy, accusing her of causing Dwight's demise by bringing Pamela to the meeting. He angrily tells Michonne he will never forgive her for making him kill Dwight. This causes Michonne to snap at Rick. She tells him that Dwight was unhinged and that he would have snapped at some point. She is abashed that Rick is haunted by what he did, as it saved lives by avoiding a war. Rick wonders if he really avoided a war or simply joined the wrong side of it.

Rest In Peace[]

After what happened with Dwight, Michonne finds Rick sitting in a café. She apologizes for her actions and acknowledges that she made a mistake. Rick says that her apology isn't going to bring Dwight back. Michonne says that she created a bad situation, but tells Rick that he can't blame her for Dwight's actions. She reiterates that Dwight was a loose cannon, and that his death was inevitable. Rick finally accepts her apology and tells her that he came to the café to remind himself of what's at stake, and tells Michonne that, while he wants to change things, he doesn't want to screw up what they already have. Michonne agrees with him, and wants to work with him to change things for the better.

Rick visits Michonne in her office and informs her of Mercer's arrest. Michonne is none-to-pleased to hear this, as the people are already on the edge of revolt. She points out that while the people don't trust the guards anymore, everyone liked Mercer, but now that the guards have turned against him, the situation is very bad. She states that Elodie told her that the people are already taking sides, and that they could have a full-fledged civil war on their hands soon. Rick is abashed to hear this, as he killed Dwight to prevent that exact thing. Michonne points out that Dwight was only stoking the flames of what was already there, as the hatred the people felt towards the ruling class was present for years. Rick concludes that it's their presence that is tearing the Commonwealth apart, as there was no alternative before they arrived. He wonders how the situation is deteriorating so fast without Dwight, before coming to a sudden realization and asking where Laura is.

Later, there is a massive explosion in the Commonwealth and Michonne is horrified to hear it. Later Michonne is running down the street and yelling for Elodie. A guard intercepts her and orders her to return to her home, but Michonne frantically explains that she is looking for her daughter, and promises to return home once she does. The guard tells her he will look the other way, since he appreciates what she did, but tells her to be quick about it. Michonne goes on to knock on the door of an apartment. One of Elodie's friends opens the door and tells her that Elodie is inside. Michonne is shocked to find Elodie and her friends gearing up for war. She furiously snatches the gun out of Elodie's hands and scolds her and her friends, explaining that when they bring a gun to a fight, they can expect to get shot, and she refuses to let that happen. She orders them to stay in the apartment, as Elodie and her friends stare in awe.

Michonne runs into Carl, Dante, Siddiq and Juanita. Carl asks what's going on, but Michonne is trying to figure that out herself. Together, they find Mercer and Rick. Rick informs them to the herd and says that they have to get inside. Michonne says that she has to be with Elodie, so Mercer sends some of his men with her, while ordering the rest to retreat inside. Once they to so, Rick orders everyone to stay quiet and keep away from the windows, assuring them that the herd will pass if they do as he says. Rick tells Carl that it's really nice to see him, even though he wishes it was under better circumstances, while Carl wonders what even qualifies as better circumstances for them. After spending the night inside, Rick and the group are woken up by the sound of a horn.

As the herd thins out, both Rick's and Michonne's group go outside to clear out the stragglers. The two groups, as well as Maggie and Magna's forces meet on the road. Rick wonders what brought Maggie to the the Commonwealth, to which she replies that she had a hunch. Maggie tells him that it looks like he didn't need the help at all, pointing to the approaching army behind him. The army, to Rick and Michonne's shock, is being led by Pamela and Sebastian. Pamela furiously asks them if they think she doesn't know what plots they've been hatching behind her back. Rick is confused as to what she means, but Pamela goes on to say that he lied to her, and believes he was only helping her leave the city so he could march his army in and take over, conspiring with Mercer the entire time. Shocked, Rick denies the accusation, claiming that he has only worked to keep the peace in the Commonwealth, but Pamela doesn't believe him. Rick tells her to calm down and invites her to talk, but Pamela is bewildered that he would suggest negotiations with an army behind his back. She goes on to say that the army of Greenville stands with her, and that they won't stand for his deception. She then yells "ATTACK!!".

However, Rick manages to resolve everything peacefully by making a long speech. Michonne, along with the rest, listen to him from start to finish. Then Pamela is arrested and she is taken away, deciding later on a new leader, Michonne, along with the others, is cleaning up the Commonwealth from the undead.

Rick then goes to visit Michonne in her office. She tells him that morale is at an all-time high, and that candidates are lining up for the first ever election in the Commonwealth, though she implies that Rick is the clear front-runner, since he inspired them. Rick claims that Michonne laid out all the groundwork, but denies running for governor of the Commonwealth, citing that his place is in Alexandria, where they have enough of their own problems. Michonne points out that he solved all of those, too, and tells him that they will always need him to inspire them.

Next up is Sebastian killing Rick Grimes late at night for Michonne it was a shock to hear of his death. Michonne looks after Carl in her office comforting him from Rick's death. After Sebastian was found and put behind bars, Michonne, Maggie and Carl are present during his conversation with Pamela after which they leave, before leaving, Michonne tells Pamela her condolences about what Sebastian did, but tells her that let her not hope that she will return to power again.

The next day, Carl prepares to take his father's body back to Alexandria, so he could be buried alongside Andrea. He is greeted by Michonne, who is also going. Carl tells her that she doesn't need to accompany him and that he can make it on his own, which Michonne acknowledges, but tells him that he shouldn't have to. Maggie then arrives and asks Carl to wait for an hour, since there are people from Alexandria who also wanted to pay their respects. Carl asks who wants to come. An hour later a large group of people gathers to escort Rick's body to Alexandria, consisting not only of Alexandrians and Hilltopers, but many Commonwealth residents as well.

As they are traveling, Carl suddenly falls off the wagon, as Michonne quickly rushes to his aid. In tears, Carl says that his father sacrificed so much to create a world where they could say goodbye, but he never got to. Carl wonders what it was all for, and recognizes that the world is much better and safer because of Rick, but now he died, just like that. Carl says that he can't go on without his father, and that he can't do this anymore.

25 years after Rick's death, Michonne becomes a Commonwealth judge, while her daughter Elodie is her assistant.

At the hearing, Judge Hawthorne turns out to be Michonne. Carl smiles at Michonne, but his face quickly drops when Michonne glares at him. Michonne says that she won't bother restating the issues, and reminds those present that this is not a trial, but an informal hearing at the high court, which means that her ruling is final, and she alone rules against the accused, without a jury, lawyers, or trial. She says that the hearings are meant to be swift, so asks Carl so speak in his defense. Carl thanks her and goes on to say that he is not ignorant to the laws of the Commonwealth and knows how important personal property is. However, when he saw the roamer walk across his lands, he didn't see a piece of property, but something that took so many of their lives, and simply did what needed to be done. When he was ordered to replace the roamer he'd killed, he couldn't bear the thought of something he brought back hurting someone, and was thus pushed over the edge. Carl acknowledges that he might be looking at the world the wrong way, but explains that his job as a messenger requires him to spend weeks on end outside the safe-zone, where things are nearly as bad as they were before, so he remembers the dangers of the past all too well. He also adds that he has a daughter, who means everything to him. He explains that his daughter, who is six years old, has never seen a roamer, which is a result of the world his father built, and it is a world they should maintain, Carl claims. And yet, Carl notes, he finds himself defending his killing of something that should be exterminated. He asks those present if they had forgotten how bad things are outside the safe-zone and how easily they could fall back to the old ways? With that, he concludes his speech. Michonne tells Carl that he brings up a good point, that people have forgotten how things were, and that she sometimes even has to remind herself. She goes on to recite the words inscribed on the base of a certain statue outside the courthouse, ending by quoting the line "In a world ruled by the dead, we are forced to finally start living.". She thinks this line is the most important one, because it's basically saying that the world they have now is better than the one they had before, that the dead made them live. Since this took a lot of sacrifice, this interpretation is not popular, but Michonne knows there are people that agree with her. The world they live in now, she claims, is quieter, simpler, more fair and just, and in general happier than the one before. She tells those present, however, to never forget the sacrifice, so they can honor those that they lost along the way. She goes on to say that she always felt that the owning and displaying of roamers is an abhorrent practice, and that it dishonors those that they've lost. She thus puts forth a motion to outlaw it throughout the Commonwealth. Michonne then declares the matter settled, and Carl free to go.

Carl visits Michonne in her chambers, and is surprised at how lightly he got off. Michonne rhetorically asks him if he really thought she'd send one of her favorite people to jail. She is also proud that he used her sword, and asks if Carl is taking good care of it, which he confirms. He jokingly says that there aren't many who believe that the famous Judge Hawthorne used to carry a sword. Michonne claims that "Judge Hawthorne" didn't, but rather "Michonne". She explains that Hawthorne is the last name of her ex-husband, but she kept his last name after the divorce because her practice knew her under that name. After the outbreak, however, the name was just a painful reminder of the life she once had, but now she feels like she's earned it back, which she feels she wouldn't be able to do without the world Carl's father built. While some feel that Rick gets too much credit, Michonne thinks the opposite is true, so honors Rick in anyway she can. The two then briefly talk about Carl's daughter.

At the end, Michonne hugs her grandson while Elodie and her husband look on with a smile.

Killed Victims[]

This list shows the victims Michonne has killed:

Relationships[]

For a more in-depth look at Michonne's relationships, read here; Michonne Hawthorne (Comic Series)/Relationships

Allies

Enemies


Appearances[]

Comic Series

Free Comic Book Day Special

Volume 4: The Heart's Desire

Volume 5: The Best Defense

Volume 6: This Sorrowful Life

Volume 7: The Calm Before

Volume 8: Made To Suffer

Volume 9: Here We Remain

Volume 10: What We Become

Volume 11: Fear The Hunters

Volume 12: Life Among Them

Volume 13: Too Far Gone

Volume 14: No Way Out

Volume 15: We Find Ourselves

Volume 16: A Larger World

Volume 17: Something To Fear

Volume 18: What Comes After

Volume 19: March To War

Volume 20: All Out War - Part One

Volume 21: All Out War - Part Two

Volume 24: Life And Death

Volume 25: No Turning Back

Volume 26: Call To Arms

Volume 27: The Whisperer War

Volume 28: A Certain Doom

Volume 29: Lines We Cross

Volume 30: New World Order

Volume 31: The Rotten Core

Volume 32: Rest In Peace

Issues 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Book One
Book Two
Book Three
Book Four
Book Five
Book Six
Book Seven
Book Eight
Book Nine
Book Ten
Book Eleven 👁
Book Twelve 👁
Book Thirteen 👁
Book Fourteen 👁
Book Fifteen
Book Sixteen 👁
Appears Voice is heard
👁 Appears with no lines Appears in a flashback
Appears as a walker 🖼 Appears in a photograph/video
Appears as a corpse Appears in a hallucination/dream

Gallery[]

For more images of Michonne Hawthorne, please visit Michonne Hawthorne (Comic Series)/Gallery.

Trivia[]

  • Robert Kirkman mentioned in the Letter Hacks of #49 that Michonne is the strongest character in the comic book.
    • Kirkman has also mentioned that Michonne did not know any martial arts before the apocalypse.
  • Michonne has had more romantic relationships than anyone else, with a current total of five.
  • Although she has been seen as a fairly good shot with a gun, Michonne rarely uses one, preferring to almost exclusively use her sword.
  • Coincidentally, Michonne was introduced in #19 of the comic series while she was introduced in the 19th episode of the TV series.
  • Michonne is one of ten characters from the Comic Series who made an appearance in the Telltale Series, the other nine being Glenn Rhee, Hershel Greene, Shawn Greene, Mike, Terry, Paul Monroe, Siddiq, Pete, and Elodie Hawthorne.
  • Michonne's main weapon is her katana, which she has appeared with throughout the Comic Series.
  • Michonne does not use a firearm during most of her appearances, but she first used a firearm in Issue 44 of the comics.
  • Michonne has the most appearances in the comic book out of any still living female character.
  • Michonne, along with Rick, Andrea, Brian, Abraham, Negan, and Alpha have killed the most named characters, either as a zombie or as a living person.
  • Michonne makes a cameo in issue 17 of Solid Blood, another comic made by Robert Kirkman, where she is shown being killed.[2]
    • The comic takes place in a parallel universe where The Walking Dead never made it past year one.
    • Kirkman originally planned for Michonne to appear in a different sci-fi zombie book called Dead Planet that was scrapped before The Walking Dead was pitched.
      • In Dead Planet, Michonne was originally pitched under the name "Michelle".[3]
  • Michonne was originally going to be a DLC guest character in Mortal Kombat 1. However, Omni-Man, a character from Robert Kirkman's other comic series, Invincible, was picked instead.[4]
  • Michonne is the second main character in Comic Series who killed another main character, the first being Brian Blake, the third being Dwight, the fourth being Negan, the fifth being Rick Grimes.
  • Michonne is one of six characters confirmed to have outlived their children, the others being Hershel Greene, Tyreese, Morgan Jones, Vincent and Julia.
  • Michonne was intended to start a romance with Rick. While this didn't end up happening, as Rick started a romance with Andrea, their TV Series counterparts ended up together.

References[]

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