Now that last seasons The Walking Dead is looking forward to a fresh slew of new storylines. One such storyline will deal with the mysterious newcomer Ezekiel, played by Khary Payton, and his community.
We originally caught a glimpse of the elusive character in the season 7 trailer that debuted at Comic Con in July. In a clip, only a few seconds long, Payton (sporting grey dreadlocks and a tiger) proclaims, "I am King Ezekiel, welcome to the Kingdom". While comic fans no doubt know exactly who this iconic character is, others were left wondering...who the hell is that?
Before season 7 begins answering this question, we take a look at what you need to know before you meet this new, eccentric character. So whether you've never heard of him or you just want a refresher course on the King, here are 15 Things You Need To Know About Ezekiel.
15. He's The King Of His Kingdom
By now, any Walking Dead fan who hasn't been living under a rock should know that this new guy refers to himself as King Ezekiel. But what does that actually mean? Well, unsurprisingly, he's not actually royalty of any kind, but rather a self-proclaimed ruler of his community, The Kingdom.
The Kingdom used to be a high school in Washington DC before zombies started roaming the earth. Now it's being used as a stronghold, surrounded by school buses and a wall of metal sheeting. During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Executive Producer Greg Nicotero noted that The Kingdom is the biggest community we've seen so far.
Realizing the community needs a leader, Ezekiel creates this larger-than-life persona for people to look up to and follow. While his theatrics are a little arrogant -- he sits on his own throne and refers to the colony as "my kingdom" -- he is also a fair and benevolent leader to his subjects. Nevertheless, it's a tactic that works, considering how well the Kingdom is doing (more on that later).
14. He Has A Pet Tiger
As mentioned before, unless you've been living under a rock, chances are you've seen a glimpse of Ezekiel's most prominent feature. No, not that killer hairdo, but rather the massive, terrifying tiger he has at his side. The tiger, Shiva, is Ezekiel's closest and most trusted companion.
The two go way back -- Ezekiel was a zookeeper before the outbreak, and has had a close relationship with the animal since she was born. After she fell into the moat surrounding her enclosure, Ezekiel saved her life, and the two have been inseparable ever since. Shiva has stayed with Ezekiel, acting as his loyal protector during the apocalypse. (Although he does it the decision to keep her is a little foolish, and more than a little dangerous.) She is obedient to his commands and is pretty docile...until he commands her otherwise. In which case, you'd better start running.
The show's creators had he just wouldn't be Ezekiel without Shiva. The tiger is being bought to life by a combination of CGI and animatronics, to ensure that no tigers, or crew , are harmed in the making of season 7.
13. He Hates Negan
After last week's premiere, it's safe to say we all hate the vile Negan, and we're not alone either; King Ezekiel also despises the baseball bat wielding man. And considering the actions he took against our group of survivors, it's not hard to see why.
When we meet Ezekiel in the comics, he's already entered into a truce with The Saviors much like the Hilltop has -- a deal he only barely tolerated. But as we quickly find out, he never truly accepted the of the truce and has been biding his time until he can throw off this "tyrant" and his "devils".
Ezekiel has a deep burning hatred for Negan and his cronies after seeing exactly how vicious and violent they are, and he welcomes the chance to team up with Rick and co. to take him down. He should probably get in line first, though, because after a long list of people who want him dead.
12. Romantic Rival For Rick?
While Rick and Michonne may be everyone's favorite couple on the TV series (especially now with one half of never actually show any romantic interest in each other in the comics. Rick is with the still-alive Andrea in the comics, and Michonne actually strikes up a relationship with Ezekiel. The two connect romantically when the survivors of Alexandria and The Kingdom cross paths and engage in a war against Negan.
When the two characters first meet, Michonne can't stand the showy Ezekiel, so much so that they almost come to blows. But he eventually drops the act around her, and she warms up to him after he shares the reasoning behind his flashy public persona. The two are together for quite a while, and Michonne even moves to The Kingdom to be with him after several major conflicts are resolved.
With the Rick and Michonne relationship already well-established in the series, it seems unlikely they will go down this route. But of course, that might not stop Ezekiel from trying. Might there be some sort of love triangle brewing? If we were Ezekiel, we'd reconsider, especially when you how Rick's previous love triangle ended.
11. He's Wise And Will Act As An Advisor
Since the deaths of Dale in season 2 and Hershel in season 4, The Walking Dead hasn't gifted Rick's group (or viewers) with a wise, advice-giving character to take their place. While Morgan comes close, no one really takes his pacifist views seriously enough to listen to any insight he might have. This absence of worldly intelligence is probably why the characters have been doing things like rushing into conflict and underestimating their enemies in recent years. But that might all change this season with the introduction of Ezekiel.
When we first meet him in the comics, Ezekiel often functions in an advisory role to Rick and Jesus (who is acting on behalf of Hilltop's leader, Gregory). He is the one who formulates the original battle plan against Negan, as well as having the good sense to place a spy inside Negan's camp. He keeps a cool head even when our fearless hero Rick does not, and often doles out sage advice to the other characters. Though to be honest, he could say anything in that ye old way of speaking and we'd think it sounds wise and regal.
Hopefully, with the arrival of this calm and collected character, Rick will once again have a trusted adviser to help rein in his crazy.
10. He Carries A Concealed Sword
The Walking Dead is no stranger to giving signature weapons to its characters. Who would Rick be without his Colt Python? Or Michonne without her katana? Daryl without his crossbow? Fans of awesome weaponry rejoice, as it looks like we've got another one to add to the list. And this one is pretty damn cool.
As actor Khary Payton confirmed when he tweeted a picture of the head of his sceptre, Ezekiel will carry his own signature weapon. In the comics, the sceptre he always carries (aside from having a really cool bird-shaped topper) also has another awesome feature: there's a sword concealed inside.
Ezekiel is rarely seen without the blade -- a Japanese sword called a Shikomizue -- which is perfect for dispatching both the living and the dead. The flashy weaponry is the perfect match for such a flamboyant character, and we can't wait to see him pull it on unsuspecting foes.
Honestly, did you expect someone called King Ezekiel to use something as é as a knife or a machete? Please.
9. He Might Be The Smartest Character In The Series
A lot of audience might think the bar for intelligence isn't set very high in the Walking Dead universe, considering the world is full of rednecks, bullies, and perhaps worst of all, Spencer. But still, when creator Robert Kirkman says this guy might be the most intelligent character of the lot, we take notice.
When responding to fan mail in the back of issue #113, Kirkman responded to one letter that called Ezekiel a clown, telling readers not to be fooled by his eccentric demeanor, because he might be the smartest character in the whole book. This seems pretty accurate, considering he is one of the driving forces in the planning of their revenge against Negan, and as previously mentioned, he often finds himself in the role as adviser to Rick and the others.
To be honest, our characters could use all the brains they can get (was that a zombie pun?) when they go up against the cunning and calculating Negan. Ezekiel should hopefully be a welcome ally in the dangerous world of this post-apocalyptic wasteland. Especially since the smartest guy they've had in their midst so far thinks a mullet is an acceptable hairstyle.
8. He Wants To Go To War
In the comics, Jesus takes Rick to The Kingdom to ask for Ezekiel's help in the fight against Negan. Ezekiel, who wishes nothing more than to be rid of the Saviors, is more than happy to help launch an assault. He grants Rick his help in the conflict almost immediately and prepares his people for war. Ezekiel is more than ready to commit to all out war with Negan. He even expresses how much he dislikes Hilltop leader Gregory for not standing up to him sooner, since he has such vast numbers at Hilltop. Now that Ezekiel has access to an army, he's not about to cower the same way.
Between the three colonies (Alexandria, Hilltop, and The Kingdom) they devise a plan to launch their attack on Negan. It's Ezekiel himself who plans their strategy, suggesting they take out Negan's outposts first before turning their attention to the main stronghold.
We don't know how war-hungry he'll be in the TV show (especially considering #6 on our list) but we hope we'll at least get to see him forces with Rick in the much-anticipated war to come. Bonus points if we get to see the above iconic comic come to life: Ezekiel at an feast with the combined forces, proclaiming, "Eat and be merry! For tomorrow we go to war!"
7. He Takes Losses Personally
There's one big problem with going to war, though -- you're going to lose a ton of people in the conflict. (Especially when you consider the terrifying opponents they're going up against.) Unfortunately for Ezekiel, he doesn't handle losses so well. What could be seen as a sign of how good of a leader he is is how very attached and protective Ezekiel is towards his people. He's very hard on himself when one of his own is lost.
After one disastrous campaign against Negan's forces, Ezekiel witnesses the deaths of many of his followers, including a close friend, and is dismayed at the failure. He breaks down and is "comforted" by Michonne. He tells her that he wished he had died instead and that he feels embarrassed and ashamed of the defeat, but Michonne is so disgusted that he would give up so easily that she socks him in the face. She basically tells him to man up.
He spirals into a depression when faced with the reality that more lives will be lost before the war is over, but he does find it within himself to soldier on. While King Ezekiel covers his insecurities with his colorful flair, it's obvious that the leader truly cares about his subjects and is deeply affected by putting them in any danger. That probably doesn't bode well for his mental health in the seasons, since if the premiere is anything to go by, things are going to get real bloody, real fast.
6. He's All About Positive Vibes
It seems as the seasons go on, every piece of hope or positivity has been stripped away from our characters; even once they reach the safe zone of Alexandria, their joy doesn't last long. But finally we might have met the only character left on Earth that remains in bright spirits.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, actor Khary Payton told readers that Ezekiel was in the hope business, and that he fights to hold on to his positivity with everything he's got:
He’s one of the few people left on earth whose joy hasn’t been robbed, and to him, that’s the difference between the living and the dead. If you’re still human, but you’re letting your joy be taken away from you, you might as well be one of those mindless creatures walking all over.
In the ever-optimistic Glenn. We do wonder how life-of-the-party Ezekiel will get on with the ultra serious Rick, though.