It’s so hard to say goodbye to a beloved TV character. But that’s exactly what The Walking Dead’s fans have done once again with the recent exit of Michonne. She was a staple in the series for eight seasons, known for her leadership and survival skills. Now, Michonne is off on an adventure to find Rick Grimes after discovering his infamous boots during a mission. In real life, actress Danai Gurira is putting down Michonne’s katana and stepping into the next phase of her career. Following Michonne’s final episode, Gurira hopped on Twitter with an emotional love letter for her Walking Dead family and friends.

In the post, Gurira admits she’s feeling heartbroken and overwhelmed over this big shift in her life. She says leaving the role is one of the hardest things she has ever done, which makes sense considering because Michonne has been a major part of her career. Of course, Gurira thanks the fans, cast, and her beloved crew for their love, support, guidance, and friendship along the way, calling them all a major part of #TWDFamily.

Her final episode has caused a flood of fan art tributes, Michonne’s best moments posts, and a lot of love from her co-stars, particularly Andrew Lincoln. He bid farewell to his onscreen love with a video clip showing him playing the piano and dramatically singing “we love you, Danai” He then jumped into a story about Rick and Michonne’s first encounter at the prison gates in season three.

In the show, Michonne was severely injured and carrying infant formula for Judith as she stood among walkers outside the prison. Rick watched her with disbelief and suspicion before Carl asks if they should save her. Andrew Lincoln fondly remembers the scene and jokingly says Rick thought she was a maniac.

He recalls the crew advising him not to pick Danai up. He did it anyway, dropped Danai, and then fell on her. Lincoln apologizes once again for the embarrassing moment before congratulating her on her present and future success. He ends the clip by showering her with praise, calling her the most marvelous, dignified, talented, honorable, classy, and gorgeous girl he has worked with ever. Sorry to all those other actresses!

Lincoln ends the clip with a remix of “Gangsta’s Paradise” by saying they have been spending most of their lives living in a zombie paradise. Danai Gurira posted the full video on her page and gave him props for his talents. Basically, it was an exchange of too many feels that have Richonne fans on the floor.

It’s never easy to move on to the next phase in life, but hopefully each day will get a little easier for Danai. She gave fans so much through Michonne and we can’t wait to see what she does next.

Featured Image: Eliza Morse/AMC