After watching the Internet curl into the fetal position after the Glenn death scare, it’s pretty clear that people need to remember that while some of the best characters in The Walking Dead universe will probably meet their end someday (or, perhaps, next Sunday if that predicted purge occurs), there are other characters waiting to take their place. Comic book all-stars that can help fill the void like Abraham and Eugene did after Hershel and Andrea passed. And so, with that in mind and in an effort to prepare you, here’s a look at some of the Walking Dead comic book characters we can’t wait to meet in full.
Note: This post is going to be full of spoilers. Read ahead at your own risk.
Paul “Jesus” Monroe
Paul Monroe, better known as “Jesus” because of his long hair and beard, is one of the most capable people in all of The Walking Dead. So much so that he spends most of his time journeying alone through zombie-infested forests and towns looking for survivors to involve in their multi-colony barter system.
When he first crossed paths with an armed Michonne and Abraham, he easily gained the upper hand on both of them with only the help of some impressive hand-to-hand combat skills. He also once voluntarily fought off a group of walkers with his hands tied behind his back to gain Rick’s trust. Imagine that scene played out in live-action with Greg Nicotero’s undead beasties coming at him.
It’s highly possible that Jesus will show up in the second half of this season after someone who looks an awful lot like him was spotted on set.
Negan
The Walking Dead hasn’t had a true, lasting villain in a long while and Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) — along with his barbed wire-covered bat, Lucille — is definitely going to be that and so much more this season (and beyond?) if the transition to basic cable doesn’t rob him of some of his power. All due respect to The Governor (David Morrissey), but while he was a power mad lunatic hell-bent on revenge, his TV incarnation didn’t take nearly the same amount of pleasure in his evil dealings as Negan does in the comic. He’s a giddy tormenter, and a bully with a posse of violent survivors called The Saviors who take pleasure in extorting other survivors in exchange for their “safety.”
Dwight
Dwight is a man who had his face permanently burned after trying to reconnect with his ex-wife, who was one of Negan’s many wives, at the time. To control him, Negan kept Dwight close as one of his top lieutenants. But, over time, Dwight showed signs of understandable frustration.
It’s possible that we’ve already met Dwight and his wife this season. Remember the man (Austin Amelio) and woman (Christine Evangelista) who robbed Daryl in the sixth episode of this season? It’s also possible that was a bit of misdirection, but regardless, Dwight will be an interesting player in the war against Negan, assuming he makes it to (or stays with) the show.
Ezekiel
Ezekiel is the larger-than-life leader of a community called The Kingdom and he is treated like an actual king by his people. He has actual knights who ride actual horses in actual suits of (makeshift) armor and talk like they’re in Sherwood Forest.
Ezekiel is also one of the few men who could offer Michonne anything close to resembling happiness. As a character, Ezekiel’s definitely going to be memorable. And, oh yes, there’s one more very important thing about Ezekiel…
Shiva
Dude has a f*cking tiger.
Forget a katana, a bat covered in barbed wire, or even a red-handled machete. Ezekiel has the ultimate weapon of choice in the form of his tiger sidekick, Shiva.
It turns out that Ezekiel was a zoo keeper before the apocalypse started and he saved Shiva’s life by not letting anyone know she attacked him one day. Their bond became so close afterwards that she comfortably sits next to his throne and follows him wherever he goes.
The only drawback to adding Ezekiel and Shiva is that it adds a bit of the fantastic to a show that has, despite its premise, been mostly grounded. Will the spectacular nature of Ezekiel, his “knights,” and his tiger be tamped down a little for the show if and when they arrive? Quite possibly, but with everything going on in the second half of this season, that might be a season-seven problem.
Lydia
I think we’re still supposed to believe that Carl is still only 13 years old in The Walking Dead. But, as we all know, the downside to casting kid actors is that you never know how quickly they’re going to grow up. Chandler Riggs is 16 right now and looks like it. So, it’s not surprising that he’s already found a puppy love interest in Enid. A lot of theories out there suggest that Enid is actually jumping ahead in the story a little bit and is loosely based off of a character named Lydia.
Now, the storyline that Lydia first appears in is so far ahead that there’s really no point in bringing up The Whisperers or Alpha yet. But it’s worth it to say that if Enid truly is based on Lydia, or if we ever meet the actual Lydia down the road, she’s likely to play a major role in Carl’s future and will be closely tied to someone standing in Rick’s way. There are also going to be a lot of people who are drawn to her story and even a few who like Carl more because of it.
