Dante (TV Series)

"I didn't want this! Not you! Not like this. (...) Close your eyes... close your eyes."

- Dante to Siddiq while strangling him to death.

Dante is an antagonist and a survivor of the outbreak in AMC's The Walking Dead. He is a member of the Whisperers. Sometime after the blizzard, Dante is sent by Alpha to act as a spy at the Alexandria Safe-Zone. He serves as an antagonist for the first half of Season 10 and the primary antagonist of the episode "Open Your Eyes".

Overview
Dante has shown himself to be somewhat arrogant and vain due to the fact that his profession is highly valued, even comparing himself to a god. He also sometimes jokes at inappropriate moments. Despite this, he is a capable doctor that is ready to help anyone in need. Dante is also a compassionate person, as seen when comforts Siddiq over his PTSD, offering him a drink and talking about his traumatic experiences in the military.

However, Dante is eventually revealed to be merciless killer and a duplicitous spy working for Alpha and the Whisperers, doing his best to hinder Alexandria in any way he can. Because of this, it is unknown how much, if any, of his previously established personality was sincere, or how much of it was an act. However he did seem to genuinely care for Siddiq, as he regrettably kills him, even stating outright that he didn't want to harm him.

Fallujah, Iraq
Not much is known about Dante's life prior to or as the outbreak began, except that he was an army medic stationed in Fallujah, Iraq. One day while he was there he lost everyone in his squadron and this led him to blame himself for their deaths and because of this he was in and out of VA hospitals and suffered from PTSD for some time.

Season 10
At some point Dante joined the Whisperers and was present at the barn where the kidnapped fair attendees were brutally murdered by Alpha, specifically forcing Siddiq to keep his eyes open and watch the others die. Several months after the blizzard, Alpha orders Dante, due to his loyalty and because Lydia doesn't know him, to join Alexandria as her spy and sabotage the community from the inside for the impending war between them.

Dante then wanders in the woods for some time until he finds a group of survivors and pretends to be in need of rescue from walkers. After joining them, he and the group are encountered by the Alexandria residents and are brought into the community. Dante then offers his services as a doctor to avoid suspicion while acting as a spy. He would spend the next months giving into to Alpha and following her orders to weaken the community.

"Lines We Cross"
Dante is at the infirmary and checks on Siddiq, who is suffering from hallucinations and PTSD, informing him that his baby is crying. Siddiq, however, assures him he's fine. "We're like gods in the apocalypse," Dante says of the two of them being doctors and jokes about how Siddiq is looking at him.

The next day, Dante is among the Alexandrians that arrive at the crash site to help put out the fire. He helps an injured Oceanside man and tends to the other survivors suffering from minor burns and smoke inhalation.

"Ghosts"
At an emergency council meeting to discuss the incoming waves of walkers, Dante listens as Michonne decides that instead of retaliating against the Whisperers, she and a small group will meet with Alpha at the border to work things out. Later that night, Dante and Siddiq tend to Carol's wounds. Dante notices Siddiq's shaking and tells him he'll do it instead. Afterward, they tell Daryl and Michonne that she's doing well and Siddiq leaves to Dante's concern.

At dawn, Dante brings Siddiq a drink and explains that he was a field medic during combat in Iraq. He says he understands what he is going through since he also suffered from PTSD after losing his entire military squad which caused him to feel guilty for their deaths. They share a drink together and bond.

"Silence the Whisperers"
Following Alpha's orders to make the community paranoid and to stir fear among the residents, Dante paints graffiti over the walls and streets of Alexandria during the night.

The next day, Dante is at the dining hall enjoying a meal when Lydia makes a scene by gutting a dead squirrel, upsetting Gage, Margo, and Alfred. He watches as the three leave in disgust before returning to his meal. Later that night, Dante treats an injured Lydia in the infirmary and bandages her as Daryl arrives to check on her.

Sometime after Eugene leaves for the Hilltop, Dante sabotages the water pumps in Alexandria so the residents would fall sick from unknowingly drinking contaminated water and as a result make the community weak.

"What It Always Is"
Dante radios Siddiq to keep him updated on the sate of Alexandria while he is at Hilltop and informs him everything is under control with the only case being that Rosita has caught a bug although it's nothing serious. He is then asked to bring Carol to the radio and he heads outside the radio room to look for her.

"Bonds"
Dante takes care of the sick residents in the infirmary. While doing a check-up on Cheryl, he jokes with her about acting sick so that she could spend more time with him. Siddiq arrives and Dante informs him more residents have come down with the sickness but he believes to be nothing serious. He then tells Siddiq to spend the day off with Coco and makes an inappropriate joke about checking in on Rosita but Siddiq reminds him about boundaries.

Later that day, Dante keeps treating several more sick residents in the infirmary by himself. When Siddiq arrives with a sick Rosita, Dante is berated for letting things get out of hand and then helps him prepare more herbal medications. That night, Dante checks on his patients when Siddiq apologizes to him for his outburst earlier. Dante says he understands his concerns and they laugh off the incident.

"Open Your Eyes"
Dante and Siddiq are called to the cell to tend to the injuries of a Whisperer who has been taken hostage for questioning. When they recognize each other, Dante tells the Whisperer not to try anything. He then suggests to Siddiq that he should leave while he stays and tends the prisoner. However, Dante poisons him by treating his wounds with hemlock plants to prevent his real identity from being exposed.

Later that day, Dante arrives along with the others at the cell to help the Whisperer who suddenly starts convulsing. When Dante holds him, he spits blood onto his shoulder before dying from the poison. Siddiq then finds a jar of hemlock in the medical backpack and accuses Dante of killing him. However, Dante lies and says he was responsible for packing it. A while later, he heads to the infirmary and kills Cheryl. While digging a grave for her, Siddiq arrives after having been looking for her and Dante lies by saying he was going to inform him afterwards.

That night, Dante visits Siddiq to comfort him. He explains that everything is going to be okay because Alexandria is a special place, before declaring that Siddiq is his friend. He then starts clicking his tongue, which triggers Siddiq back to the beheadings and makes him realize that Dante was the Whisperer forcing him to watch as his friends were killed. When Dante realizes Siddiq is aware of his real identity, they start fighting in the room as Siddiq tries to reach for a machete. Dante tackles him to the ground and puts him in a chokehold. "I didn't want this! Not you! Not like this. Close your eyes... Close your eyes," Dante tells Siddiq in sorrow as he chokes him harder until he falls dead.

"The World Before"
Dante will appear in this episode.

Killed Victims
This list shows the victims Dante has killed:
 * Captured Whisperer (Alive)
 * Cheryl
 * Siddiq (Alive)
 * His entire military squad (Pre-Apocalypse, Possibly, Indirectly or Directly Caused)
 * Numerous counts of zombies and unnamed people

Siddiq
"Oh! God of beauty, baby. I'm just being humble."

- Dante to Siddiq as he jokes about his appearance

Dante and Siddiq are on good terms as they work together as doctors for Alexandria. Dante may or may not have feelings for him as he jokingly flirts with him. He notices that Siddiq has been suffering with PTSD and opens up to him about his time in Iraq. When Siddiq finally realizes that Dante was in the barn and was the whisperer who made him watch his friends die, Siddiq attacks him. Dante quickly overpowers him and strangles him to death. Dante seems to show remorse as he kills Siddiq he says "I didn't want it to be you", most likely referencing Siddiq being the one he tortured.

Season 10

 * "Lines We Cross"
 * "Ghosts"
 * "Silence the Whisperers"
 * "What It Always Is" (Voice Only)
 * "Bonds"
 * "Open Your Eyes"
 * "The World Before"

Trivia

 * Unlike his comic counterpart, he is a member of the Whisperers sent to Alexandria to act as an spy while in the comics he is a member of Hilltop.
 * He is also a doctor, while his comic counterpart is a Hilltop lieutenant.
 * Ironically, his comic counterpart is (along with Doug and another guard accompanying him) the first character to come into direct conflict with the Whisperers, and also the first to meet Alpha, by whom he is taken hostage (unlike the in the show, where Alden and Luke are taken).
 * He is one of two named characters known to speak Spanish in the TV Series.
 * The other person is Rosita Espinosa.

Dante