The Walking Dead | Fear the Walking Dead | World Beyond | Tales of the Walking Dead | Dead City | Daryl Dixon | The Ones Who Live
Character page for The Walking Dead: Dead City.
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Protagonists
Maggie
Maggie Rhee
Portrayed By: Lauren Cohan
The leader of Hilltop Colony, widow to Glenn Rhee and single mother of their son Hershel Rhee. See her page here.
Negan
Negan Smith
Portrayed By: Jeffrey Dean Morgan
A former gym teacher who rose to power as an evil warlord of a gang called the Saviors. He was later defeated and defected to the Coalition. See his page here.
Manhattan
The Dama
The Dama
Portrayed By: Lisa Emery
"Let me see if I understand. The show started out with a bang. Kept me up all night, actually. But then there was a plot twist. You thought you had your hero, but he got away. What good is a hero offstage? So naturally the ending fizzled, and let's face it, everyone knows the ending is all that matters."
A woman who is giving orders to the Croat.
- Abusive Parents: Played With. The Croat looks up to her as a maternal figure, but it seems pretty clear that she doesn't give a shit about him and only lightly entertains the idea of them having a close bond just to keep him compliant with her orders. She treats him like crap most of the time despite knowing how much he reveres her.
- Admiring the Abomination: She was delighted to hear of Negan's brutal execution of a Burazi that saw the reemergence of his old sadism and showboating, thinking it's exactly the kind of thing she needs for her rise to power.
- Ambition Is Evil: She wants all of the island under her control and also implies she's willing to start conquering the mainland as well.
- Evil Old Folks: An old crone who is a ruthless, cruel warlord in the making.
- Faux Affably Evil: Around Negan, who she wants to become the new warlord of the Burazi. She acts polite and reasonable but it's clearly an act, and she looks so severe even when smiling that Negan understandably doesn't fall for it one bit.
- Greater-Scope Villain: For Season 1. She's the one pulling the strings in Manhattan and ordered the Croat to find Negan.
- No Name Given: Dama means lady in Croatian.
- The Man Behind the Man: She is the one with the ambition that begins driving the arc of Dead City, but the Croat is her public enforcer and The Heavy for Season 1. She also wants to become this to Negan once he takes over as her pet warlord.
- Properly Paranoid: She's not wrong that inevitably other communities will likely take an interest in the Burazi's plentiful resources, as Perlie's boss in the Season 1 finale begins plotting to seize their methane-based technology for themselves.
- Would Hurt a Child: The season finale reveals she had the Croat cut off one of Hershel's toes so she could keep it to later threaten Negan with.
The Burazi
In General
The dominant survivor faction in Manhattan and the main antagonists of the series.
- Evil Reactionary: In a time where civilizations such as the Commonwealth and New Babylon are returning to the old model of operations, the Burazi represent the "old" tribal ways the viewers are so familiar with.
- Equal-Opportunity Evil: Their ranks include women, ethnic minorities and even children (granted, children taken from people they killed). After all, people are a resource, and that is increasingly true two decades into the outbreak.
- Expy: They're essentially a more ruthless incarnation of the Saviors, something that is acknowledged In-Universe by several characters. Justified, as their founder is a former Savior himself.
- Faceless Goons: Burazi soldiers wear spiked helmets that cover their faces and are used to quickly kill walkers.
The Croat
The Croat
"Now they've come for what we've built. What's ours. So we have to be ready."
Portrayed By: Željko Ivanek
"The irony is that in death, the city is so much more alive than it ever was. Because the struggle, it galvanizes you. Shows you the strength you had inside all along. You know, I think you're going to like it here."
The leader of the Burazis and a former member of the Saviors who has kidnapped Maggie Rhee's son, Hershel.
- Bad Boss: He has no problem killing one of his guards for accidentally serving him rotten meat.
- Big Bad: He sets the plot into motion by kidnapping Hershel. He then turns out to be The Heavy working on behalf of the Dama, who remains behind the scenes as a Greater-Scope Villain.
- Cold-Blooded Torture: His specialty that Negan used when he needed information.
- Cultured Badass: He seems to have a love for classical music.
- Dragon Ascendant: Subverted. He was once Negan's personal torturer, but has since escaped the Saviors to become the warlord of his own organization in New York.
- Double Subverted, as the episode "Stories We Tell Ourselves" reveals he's actually taking orders from the Dama.
- Ear Ache: Negan shot his ear off while attempting to execute him. Tommaso even calls him "Van Gogh".
- Et Tu, Brute?:
- The Croat was loyal to Negan and grateful for the Savior empire providing him a home, even though he ultimately disobeyed orders if it meant doing something terrible to a young girl. Negan personally trying to execute him for treason understandably embittered him towards his former boss. However, the finale reveals that he has forgiven him for his assassination attempt.
- He's clearly taken aback when Negan saves Perlie from falling to his death, unaware of all the personal growth his former boss has had since they last saw each other.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He truly loved his late family. Their gruesome deaths at the hands of a pack of cannibals is implied to be what turned him to evil. In the present, he genuinely looks up to and loves Negan as a sort of father figure, and the Dama as his maternal figure.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: He was completely incapable of processing why Negan, Simon, and the other Saviors were so repulsed by his torturing the Kingdom girl to death since it got them the answers they were looking for. In the Season 1 finale, he even says he has forgiven Negan for his attempt on his life - not because he has realized what he did to the girl was wrong, but simply because he disobeyed Negan's orders and deserved punishment for doing so.
- Eviler than Thou: Negan learned this the hard way when he did unspeakable things to a young girl, realizing that he was a complete monster through and through. The way Negan is unable to say what he did to the girl has some uncomfortable implications that he was even worse than Simon, who was a full-on genocidal maniac.
- Evil Old Folks: The Croat is quite advanced in age, and is a thoroughly detestable piece of work.
- Expy: A Faux Affably Evil Sadist who even Negan was repulsed by? He definitely sounds like Negan's former lieutenant, Simon.
- Ironically, was seen in a flashback in "Everybody Wins A Prize", even Simon was disgusted by the Croat's tactics.
- Faux Affably Evil: He has a rather cheerful, laid-back demeanor even while committing horrific actions.
- Genius Bruiser: The Croat was a scientist prior to the apocalypse. He was also Negan's Torture Technician and seems to be physically capable despite his age, as he brutally murders one of his younger subordinates and tosses his body over a balcony railing.
- Older Sidekick: Despite being older than Negan, he was one of his lieutenants and even developed a strong attachment to him as something of a father figure.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: Everyone only knows him as "The Croat". Negan isn't sure who Maggie is talking about until she goes into more detail.
- Outliving One's Offspring: He returned from a food run to find his entire family devoured by cannibals, children included.
- Pet the Dog: After Maggie hands over Negan like he wanted, he lets Hershel go without any complaint or bloodshed.
- Psycho for Hire: Negan kept him on as tight of a leash as he could, but admitted that the Croat's bloodlust and torturing was useful at times.
- Remember the New Guy?: Subverted. The character is a former Savior, but in "Who's There", Negan clarifies that he left the Saviors before Rick's group arrived in Virginia, providing an explanation for why he has never been mentioned or seen until now (aside from the out-of-universe reason that the character was not conceptualized until Dead City).
- Sadist: Negan describes him as an exceptionally nasty of piece of work even among the Saviors. It shows when he threatens to torture Hershel and gleefully watches as a man falls twenty stories to his death, which he caused.
- Sole Survivor: His family was killed and eaten by cannibals before he met Negan.
- Torture Technician: This was his position among the Saviors, though it eventually grew to be too much for even Negan to handle.
- Villain Has a Point: He correctly points out that Simon "never really listened" to Negan's ideas about trying to save people and create a better world.
- "Well Done, Son" Guy: He has this attitude toward Negan despite being at least a decade older than him. When the Croat sees Negan for the first time in over a decade, he's happy to show off what he's built like a child eager to please their parent. He also has this attitude towards the Dama who he regards as his mother figure.
- Would Hurt a Child: He kidnaps the preteen Hershel and threatens to torture him, but that pales in comparison to something he did to a young girl during his time as a Savior. He tortured the girl to death despite having been given the order to stop, and years later Negan can't even bring himself to say what he did to her and can only lament that it was done to a young girl.
- You Have Failed Me: He loses his shit when one of his subordinates serves him a dish containing rotten meat. He tosses the poor man to his death moments later.
Buraz 2
Buraz 2
Portrayed By: Matthew R. Staley
One of the Croat's soldiers.
- Asshole Victim: He deserved to be made an example of for killing a harmless old lady.
- Make an Example of Them: Negan kills him as a warning to the other Burazis.
- Pay Evil unto Evil: Negan repays him for his murder of Esther by giving him an exceptionally violent death in front of all his people.
- Slashed Throat: How Negan kills him.
- Small Role, Big Impact: He's a nameless goon whose only contribution to the plot is killing the equally minor character Esther. However, news of his violent but showy death at Negan's hands is what helps entice the Dama to want to recruit Negan as her new second-in-command.
- There's No Kill like Overkill: Negan smashes his head through three glass window panes, slashes his throat, and brutally disembowels him before tossing his body over a balcony.
Tribespeople
General
A nomadic group of survivors whom Maggie and Negan ally themselves with against the Croat.
- All for Nothing: Their mission to take down the Croat ends up being for naught as they all die before the end of the season anyway.
- Dwindling Party: They get whittled down from around a dozen people to nothing before the end of the season.
- Nice, Mean, and In-Between: The three group leaders have this dynamic.
- Amaia is the quickest to warm up to Maggie and Negan, being willing to hear them out and offers Maggie help in getting back her son. (Nice)
- Luther is the most skeptical and cynical of the trio, and is willing to take matters into his own hands if it means keeping them all safe. (Mean)
- Tommaso is a bit rude at first and has a definite pragmatic streak. However, he later instigates a conversation with Maggie and comes off as a respectable guy once you get to know him. (Inbetween)
- Not Using the "Z" Word: They refer to the undead as "fleshies".
- Religious Bruiser: They say grace before every meal.
Tommaso
Tommaso
Portrayed By: Jonathan Higginbotham
One of the tribe's leaders and Amaia's boyfriend.
- Bald Head of Toughness: He's bald and a capable walker killer.
- Battle Couple: He and Amaia are a couple who watch each other's backs in combat.
- Beneath the Mask: He's still deeply haunted by the torture he endured at the hands of the Croat.
- The Mole: He sells out the rest of the tribe to the Croat in exchange for his and Amaia's safe passage off the island.
- Scars Are Forever: He has scars on his back from when the Croat tortured him.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: His working for the Croat was purely to get Amaia safely off the island.
Amaia
Amaia
Portrayed By: Karina Ortiz
One of the tribe's leaders and Tommaso's girlfriend.
- Action Girl: She's shown to be a pretty competent fighter against both walkers and the Burazi.
- Battle Couple: She and Tommaso are a couple who watch each other's backs in combat.
- Hope Spot: Maggie offers her a place at the Bricks once they make it back to the mainland. Amaia is killed minutes later.
- Nice Girl: The friendliest of the Tribespeople.
Luther
Luther
Portrayed By: Michael Anthony
One of the tribe's leaders.
- The Big Guy: He's physically the largest of the Tribespeople, and snaps a man's neck with his bare hands.
- Good Is Not Nice: He's a good man who cares for his people, but is willing to go behind their backs and kill Negan, a known fugitive, if it means keeping them all safe.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Not the most approachable guy, but he has people's best interests in mind.
New Babylon
Perlie Armstrong
Perlie Armstrong
Portrayed By: Gaius Charles
"Now, I don't know why you with that man I'm looking for. Or why you've taken one of our marshals hostage. But I'm guessing you got your reasons. Heck, might even be a good one. I'm open to hearing it. And I mean that sincerely. But if I get to you first, I'm going to be a little less open, and I will get to you."
A marshal from New Babylon hunting Negan for the murder of five people.
- Action Dad: He has a few daughters and is still a marshal on the front lines.
- Black-and-White Morality: Starts out as this, believing New Babylon is white while anybody who disobeys their laws has black morality. His character arc is growing out of this.
- Broken Pedestal: He loses faith in New Babylon's system when he realizes Negan isn't the wholly evil villain they thought he was.
- Good Smoking, Evil Smoking: When he introduces himself to Maggie, he claims that the fact he doesn't smoke should be a sign that he is a good person. This comes into play in the season finale when his much more morally ambiguous superior is shown openly smoking and even tempts him into following suit.
- Hero Antagonist: If Perlie had gone after Season 6-8 Negan, the audience likely would've cheered him on. Post-Heel–Face Turn Negan? Not so much, and thus Perlie serves as a lesser antagonist for Dead City until he realizes the truth about Negan.
- Inspector Javert: He's determined to bring Negan in, even after Negan saves him from a fatal fall.
- Locked Out of the Loop: He retells the story of Negan's murder of Glenn and Abraham and describes him as an evil, greedy king. This is accurate... if one is talking about Season 6-8 Negan. Many years have passed and Negan has pulled a Heel–Face Turn, meaning New Babylon is simply not up-to-date with what has happened since then.
- Make an Example of Them: Perlie follows New Babylon's desire to enforce this, as in the first episode alone he brutally murders a woman even after she cooperates due to her indulging in what are considered crimes in the federation.
- My Greatest Failure: Blames himself for leaving his estranged older brother behind when the city fell.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: When he first confronts Maggie and Negan, he gives Maggie a chance to surrender peacefully and admits she may have a legitimately good reason to team up with Negan, who is a wanted criminal.
Others
Ginny
Ginny
Portrayed By: Mahina Napoleon
A young girl adopted by Negan.
- Dumb Struck: She stopped talking after discovering her father murdered and having become a walker. She finally forces herself to speak when the situation is particularly dire in the season finale.
- The Load: While she can kill walkers, she's the latest in a long line of children in the franchise who don't obey orders to stay home and end up striking out on their own, causing problems for Maggie during her mission in New York. It turns out that there's a good reason why she did this: she knows that Maggie's story is a lie. Even then, she contributes little when she is forced to try to survive alongside Maggie and the Tribespeople, the latter of whom had nothing to do with Maggie's lie.
- Morality Pet: The latest in a long line of children to befriend Negan.
