Judge Dredd to Die in New 'Death of a Judge' Storyline

The end of an era is upon us, as 2000 AD teases the upcoming death of sci-fi comics icon Judge Dredd. And if the character really does die, it’s all but guaranteed he’ll never return.

Judge Dredd Is Facing Death in New Storyline

2000 AD Advertises Upcoming ‘Death of a Judge’

In recent social media posts, 2000 AD has revealed the upcoming ‘Death of a Judge’ plot line will begin January 6, 2026. Teaser images show Judge Dredd’s shattered badge, implying the judge in question is Joe Dredd – the breakout star of the British sci-fi anthology series, his own dedicated comic series and two (soon three) feature films.

Fans know little about how Judge Dredd will meet his end, but the comic is famous for rarely reversing character deaths. If Dredd does die, he’ll likely be permanently replaced as the strip’s title character. That’s made more likely by the fact that Dredd creator John Wagner has hinted that this may be his last story with the character, telling Tripwire, “I’m putting most of my effort into my Dredd with Mike Perkins, which may be my last.”

Is 2000 AD Really About to Kill Off Judge Dredd?

With Taika Waititi directing an upcoming Judge Dredd movie, fans could be forgiven for seeing ‘Death of a Judge’ as an attention-grabbing fakeout, and that is possible. However, the Judge Dredd comics are known for their merciless approach to death, often killing off longtime and even fan-favorite characters. These characters also have a habit of staying dead, aided by the fact that Judge Dredd unfolds in real time. Indeed, Dredd himself is over 85, only still fighting crime thanks to advanced cybernetics and artificial organs.

While Judge Dredd has plenty of clones, it’s also one of the strip’s main themes that they’re physically identical, but mentally very different, making it all-but-impossible for Dredd to be cloned back to life. Indeed, it’s far more likely that one of his existing clones – Judge Rico, Cadet Paris or non-Judge Dolman – could take up his name to carry on the legacy. This is something Justice Department has done in the past in order to maintain Dredd’s legendary reputation beyond his apparent death.

Given Dredd is an octogenarian and has developed deep doubts about the Justice Department’s fascistic rule (becoming more outright hero than antihero), it would potentially be a bold creative decision to have a new character take the name and attempt to live up to their perception of his legacy. This also wouldn’t be the first time 2000 AD has killed off a big-name character – both Rogue Trooper and Johnny Alpha were eventually killed off in their strips, despite being the most recognizable heroes outside Dredd’s cast.

Our Take on the Death of Judge Dredd

While it’s entirely possible 2000 AD will kill Judge Dredd, there are also a thousand ways to fake his demise, setting up a grand return when Waititi’s movie releases. Indeed, 2000 AD has faked Dredd’s demise plenty of times before, though always as an intended twist within a story, and not as a later retcon.

Only time will tell if ‘Death of a Judge’ is really going to kill off Judge Dredd, but his permanent demise is certainly more likely than pretty much any other comic character. 2000 AD fans will be glued to the comic as ‘Death of a Judge’ decides Judge Dredd‘s future.

‘Death of a Judge’ begins January 6, 2026, in 2000 AD magazine.