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"Alpha" (real name unknown) is a main character and an antagonist as well as a survivor of the outbreak in AMC's The Walking Dead. She is the leader of the Whisperers and the mother of Lydia. She serves as the primary antagonist of the second half of Season 9 and the first half of Season 10.
Overview
Alpha is shown to be a highly intelligent, cold, psychopathic, sadistic, cunning, cruel, arrogant, and vain woman who is a hardened, determined survivor and a strong leader to those in her group.
She appears to enjoy being in a position of authority and does not take kindly to anyone who opposes her, as she brutally murdered her own husband in front of her young daughter after he refused to abandon their fellow survivors during a walker attack, Matias after he refused to listen to her by attracting unwanted attention, and Helen after she voiced disdain for her decisions as leader. Alpha appears to despise anyone she views as being weak and justifies cold-blooded murder as a way to eliminate weakness from her group. This was displayed when she slaughtered Sean due to him crying after Helen's decapitation at her hands shortly before. She is shown to have no qualms about killing anyone, whether they be adolescents or the elderly as shown by her brutal slaughter of members of the Coalition in order to send a message to her enemies.
Alpha is shown to have completely devolved into nothing but a hardened and primitive survivor. She doesn't even use her real name anymore, showing that she has completely shed the identity and life she once had and has adapted fully to the post-apocalyptic hell. She sees no hope for mankind returning to its original state and views survivor communities as destined to fail, believing that devolving into wild animals is the only true way to survive. Despite her extreme methods of survival, Alpha is a strong survivor and her effective leadership has kept many people alive, fully believing her savage ways make her people stronger. However she does not appear to care for her fellow Whisperers on a personal level and Lydia herself reveals that those who are lost, taken captive, or killed are left behind and no attempts are made to rescue or avenge them. She nearly allowed a helpless infant from her group get eaten alive by approaching walkers simply due to it crying, seeing it as a part of "natural selection".
Alpha is a terrible mother and is nothing but cruel to her young daughter and only remaining family, having psychologically abused her into thinking her father was the abusive parent and that she was kind and protective towards her, even allowing Lydia to be physically abused by their fellow group members as well as herself. Despite this, Alpha may not be completely heartless and may only want her child to survive, subjecting her to cruel treatments in order to make her strong and ensure her survival, regardless of the psychological torment Lydia has endured. She even actively kidnaps Alden and Luke and goes to the Hilltop in order for Lydia to be freed and returned to her, something she apparently has never done for any other Whisperer. Despite her cruelty towards Lydia, it is evident that Alpha sincerely loves her child as shown by her shedding tears in "The Calm Before" after Lydia refuses to leave the Kingdom with her and she murders a fellow Whisperer in order to prevent her group from learning her one true weakness is her love for her daughter. Despite this her desire to maintain her power over her group is likely stronger than her love for Lydia, which is likely the primary reason why she murdered the Whisperer who witnessed her crying.
Pre-Apocalypse
Mid-Atlantic, United States
Nothing is known about Alpha's life prior to or as the outbreak began other than that she had a husband named Frank and a daughter named Lydia and that, based on her accent, she grew up or lived somewhere in or near the American south, possibly somewhere in Maryland. She appeared to be an abusive but protective mother to her daughter, once slapping her after she nearly suffocated herself to death after being tangled in plastic tarp to ensure she would never do it again.
Post-Apocalypse
Baltimore, Maryland
Alpha, along with Frank and Lydia, survived the initial stages of the outbreak. After 23 days, she and her family remained in a moldy basement with a group of survivors. Alpha was eager to leave, but her husband insisted that they stay. Alpha eventually cut her hair off to spite Frank, who liked her hair long, explaining that she could do whatever she wanted since it was the end of the world.
After 43 days, the undead began to overrun the outside of the building. A fellow survivor, Matias, started to have a panic attack and wanted to leave the basement. Alpha, knowing noise could draw them in, smothered Matias to death by crushing his windpipe, believing that he was too weak to survive this world. Later that night, unknown to the group about the virus infecting the living, a reanimated Matias began to attack the group. Alpha then attempted to lead her family to safety by escaping, but Frank tried to save their friends, which resulted in Alpha murdering him.
According to Lydia, her mother watched many survivor communities thrive and then eventually fall and she thus evolved into a more hardened survivor willing to resort to whatever measures necessary to survive. In the years that followed, Alpha would tell Lydia the reverse of events in the beginning, that Frank was the abusive one and she was the one trying to protect Lydia, that Matias killed her father and not Alpha herself.
Rural Virginia
At some point, Alpha formed and became the leader of a large group of survivors that would eventually become known as the "Whisperers". The group discovered an ingenious way to be protected from attacks of the dead by killing and skinning them, wearing their skin in order to mask their scents and move freely among herds in order to attack other survivor camps and settlements. The group also shed their previous identities and names, becoming nothing but hardened and primitive survivors and survived off the land, moving from place to place. Despite her extreme methods of survival, Alpha was extremely successful at keeping her people safe and kept nearly 100 people alive.
Season 9
"Adaptation"
In the woods, Alpha pretends to be a walker before staring motionless at Alden and Luke. Suddenly, they find themselves surrounded by several Whisperers. Alpha approaches the two and throws them one of the arrows belonging to Yumiko that they have been following, having successfully led the two into a trap. She draws a shotgun and points it at them, saying, "Trail ends here."
"Omega"
Alpha leads a small group of Whisperers to Hilltop and makes her group stop at the gates. She introduces herself and claims that she only wants her daughter, Lydia, back.
"Bounty"
Outside Hilltop, Alpha and the Whisperers wait for them to bring Lydia to her. Daryl asks them to leave and Alpha signals for more Whisperers to show up. Magna asks Alpha if they killed their people. Alpha says no and promises if they don't bring her Lydia there will be conflict. Daryl then decides to walk outside to talk to Alpha face to face.
Alpha instructs one of her people to bring someone as Daryl walks outside. He then informs Alpha he's ready to fight her people to ensure she doesn't get Lydia back, when he then spots one of the Whisperers with a baby. Alpha explains they're animals and "animals have babies." Suddenly, a couple of whisperers bring up a tied up Alden and Luke. Alpha offers to trade both of them for her daughter.
Meanwhile, a herd arrives and Alpha instructs her people to draw them away. Suddenly, a Whisperer's baby starts crying, which attracts the walkers over. Alpha shrugs at the mother, indicating she should leave the baby to die. Alden and Luke scream for them not to but Alpha explains it's natural selection. She then watches as Connie runs out of the cornfield, sling-shots a walker, and grabs it.
Later, Daryl goes outside and hands Lydia over to Alpha in exchange for Alden and Luke, who are embraced by Enid and Magna's group. Lydia apologizes to her mother and Alpha smacks her across the face, ordering her to address her as Alpha like everyone else. She then smiles at Daryl as they leave.
"Guardians"
In the woods, Alpha questions Lydia about her time at Hilltop. She talks about their farmland, supplies, and weapons, but leaves out their dealings with other communities like The Kingdom. Alpha's disappointed over her lack of intel so Lydia asks if that's the only reason she came for her. "What a stupid question", Alpha says.
A while later, Alpha and the Whisperers stop in the woods to rest. Unknownst to her, Henry watches them from a close distance. Suddenly, Beta grabs Henry from behind and tosses him in front of Alpha. He says he's been tracking Henry for a while, but Henry's been tracking them for longer. Alpha questions him as Beta threatens to break his arm. Henry relents and reveals he came alone to get Lydia. She calls him stupid and punches him in the face. Alpha decides Henry's coming with them.
In the woods, Alpha asks Lydia why she didn't mention Henry, but she says he wasn't worth mentioning. Alpha reminds her that he just risked his life to save her, so she must be lying. They arrive at the camp, which is full of people without their walker masks. Alpha instructs Beta to tie Henry to a tree and to get Lydia a new mask.
Later, Alpha taunts Henry when two of her own approach her and question why they gave up two people for her daughter. "I don't like that math", Sean whispers. Alpha reminds them she did it to get information. Sean issues a challenge for her leadership role. Alpha laughs in his face and Beta grabs the man from behind and holds a long knife to his throat. "You're changing the rules again", he says calmly.
Alpha confirms he has the right to challenge her position, but she has the right to defend it. She then turns her attention to Helen and suggests it's actually her who wants to be the new leader. Helen tells Alpha she failed everyone by putting them in danger. Alpha tells her that her people voluntarily follow her because she keeps them safe. Alpha then wraps a wire around Helen's neck and decapitates her as Henry looks on in horror. Alpha then hands the head over to Sean, tells him crying is for the weak and stabs him in the stomach.
In her tent, Alpha tells Beta about the time before the apocalypse when she hit Lydia hard for almost suffocating in a dry-cleaning bag. She tells him that people do whatever it takes to protect those they love. "We need to be ready when they come for the boy", Beta says. They both agree Henry can be useful and they need to find out if Lydia truly has feelings for him.
At night, Beta takes Henry to Alpha. She makes Lydia pick up a knife and tells her to kill Henry with it to prove what side she's on. Lydia begins to cry as she approaches Henry. Alpha warns her not to be weak like her father and that if she doesn't kill him, Beta will kill them both. Suddenly, a small herd of walkers show up and begin eating the unmasked Whisperers. Alpha and the others quickly put on their masks to try to lure the herd away as chaos unfolds in the camp.
"The Calm Before"
In the woods, Alpha ambushes a couple from Hilltop and kills them. She then process to scalp Hilde to use her hair as a wig and her dress as a disguise to infiltrate the Kingdom's fair.
Later that day, in the Kingdom, Alpha walks around the fair in her disguise. She observes the trading booths, paints and people celebrating. Ezekiel notices her and introduces himself. She presents herself as Deborah from Alexandria and asks him to show her around. Somehow, Alpha is able to kidnap several residents and has them be taken away to a stable in the woods.
At night, Alpha sits down next to Lydia in the movie theater and quietly tells her not to say anything. Outside, she confronts Lydia about being a traitor but she tells her this is a better way of life. She then threatens to scream if she doesn't leave and Alpha tells her she was never one of them. Lydia breaks down in tears as Alpha leaves.
In the stable, Alpha arrives as the kidnapped residents try to fight back and then proceeds to kill them all. However, she lets Siddiq live to warn the others and to try to divide the communities by scaring them. She then decapitates her victims and place their heads on pikes in the middle of a border, separating the Whisperer's land and the communities.
Later, in the woods, Alpha, now out of disguise, approaches Daryl and the group tied to a tree in the woods. She tells them she ran into trouble on the road as she wipes her bloody knife on her pants. Michonne warns her if she tries to get Lydia back they'll respond in force, but Alpha assures her Lydia isn't her concern anymore. She takes out a shotgun and declares that Michonne's group is in no position whatsoever to threaten her and that this habit needs to be broken. She tells Daryl to come with her alone.
At dawn, Alpha forces Daryl to the top of a cliff where a massive horde of walkers and Whisperers walk beneath them. Alpha says Daryl's communities are a joke and that her way of life is best for her people. She then tells him his friends at the camp are fine, but the next time his people cross into her land she'll release the horde into theirs. She clarifies she marked the border and Daryl asks if she killed Lydia. Alpha tells Daryl she didn't and doubts he can protect her. He tells her she's wrong and leaves.
In the camp, Beta asks Alpha about Lydia. "I want to be alone", Alpha orders him, but a Whisperer accidentally witnesses her crying. She stabs him in the neck, making sure no one sees her being weak.
"The Storm"
In their camp, Beta tells Alpha "the time away has been good for the pack." Alpha reminds him she'll need to be strong for what comes next and Beta assures her she will be. He then whips her arm with a branch to make her strong, giving her very similar marks as what she did to Lydia.
Season 10
"We Are the End of the World"
Alpha will appear in this episode.
Killed Victims
This list shows the victims Alpha has killed:
- Matias (Alive)
- Frank
- Rose (Indirectly Caused)
- Helen
- Sean
- Hilde (Caused or Direct)
- Miles (Caused or Direct)
- Martin (Caused or Direct, Alive)
- Casper (Caused or Direct, Alive)
- Ozzy (Alive, Off-Screen)
- Alek (Alive, Off-Screen)
- D.J. (Alive, Off-Screen)
- Frankie (Alive, Off-Screen)
- Tammy Rose Sutton (Alive, Off-Screen)
- Rodney (Alive, Off-Screen)
- Adeline (Alive, Off-Screen)
- Enid (Alive, Off-Screen)
- Tara Chambler (Alive, Off-Screen)
- Henry (Alive, Off-Screen)
- 6 horses (Caused or Direct)
- A few unnamed shelter refugees (Indirectly Caused)
- 1 unnamed Whisperer
- Numerous counts of zombies and unnamed people
Relationships
LydiaLydia is Alpha's daughter. Despite this, Alpha is abusive, manipulative, and cruel towards her. She brainwashed Lydia into believing that her father was an abusive man and that she was the kind one. It's also implied that Alpha would disregard her daughter if she is killed or captured. However, Alpha has been shown to still care for Lydia in a way, notably when she wanted her to escape from the shelter with her rather than stay behind or escape with Frank and also her arrival to the Hilltop to save her daughter- something she has apparently never done for any other member of her group. However, she slaps Lydia upon her return when she calls her "mama" and insists she refer to her as "Alpha". She later appears suspicious of Lydia when she shows feelings for Henry and nearly has her kill him to prove her loyalty to her and threatens her that she will have Beta kill them both if she disobeys, possibly implying Alpha is willing to kill her own child and no longer views her as her daughter but a Whisperer like any other. Despite this, after Lydia abandons the group to go with Henry, Daryl and Connie, Alpha sends Beta to bring Lydia back to her and after infiltrating the Kingdom, she personally tries to take Lydia back with her and Alpha is disgusted at Lydia's betrayal of her. Alpha is shown to be greatly upset that Lydia refuses to come back with her again and threatens to expose and have her killed if she does not leave though Lydia does not want her mother to be hurt and just tells her to go, showing she at least still loves her mother to an extent. Alpha declares that Lydia was truly never one of them and disowns her for good, reducing Lydia to tears. Alpha later declares that Lydia is no longer of concern to her at all but despite this she sheds tears of sadness due to Lydia's betrayal and kills a fellow Whisperer to hide the fact that her love for her daughter is her one true weakness. It is currently unknown if Lydia wants to exact vengeance on her mother for Henry's murder. FrankFrank was Alpha's husband and Lydia's father. It is unknown if they enjoyed a happy marriage before the apocalypse broke out, though their marriage was strained following the outbreak, with Alpha disagreeing with Frank's good nature and desire to help others. Alpha clearly had little love for her husband and personally murdered him after he attempted to save their friends following Matias' reanimation. Alpha shows no remorse whatsoever for her murder of Frank and brainwashed Lydia into thinking Frank was the real monster and that she was a helpless victim; further exemplifying her lack of care or respect for her former husband. "Beta"Beta is fiercely loyal to Alpha and follows her orders without question and she in turn appears to respect Beta due to his loyalty. Beta is also very protective of his leader as demonstrated when he immediately seized Sean when the latter challenged her leadership. He often advises Alpha on critical matters, and she, in turn, often confides in him. Daryl DixonDaryl and Alpha are bitter enemies with each other. Daryl is shown to despise Alpha for her savageness and her cruelty towards Lydia and upon first meeting her face to face refuses to give Lydia back to her and threatens to kill her and all of her people if they want to fight, though he reluctantly lets Lydia go due to Alpha holding Luke and Alden as hostages. Alpha likely develops a stronger hatred of Daryl due to him attacking her camp and stealing Lydia away from her again and this was a contributing factor to her decision to slaughter members of the Coalition to prove the threat she and her people posses and to deter further trespassing into her territory. Alpha encounters Daryl again in "The Calm Before" and personally brings him to view her mega-horde of Walkers, showing that she wants to torment and frighten him; possibly signifying that she has marked him as her nemesis. Alpha makes it clear Daryl and his people possess nothing she wants and that he and his people are a joke and that their communities are shrines to a long dead world. Daryl insults her and her people's way of life and claims her justifications for savagery are nothing but bullshit she feeds her sheep though she disagrees. Alpha threatens that should he and his people cross her border again the horde will cross onto their lands. Alpha reveals that she believes that Daryl is not capable of protecting Lydia though she hopes to be proven wrong, possibly showing that she somewhat has faith in his abilities. Daryl assures her she is wrong and leaves. Daryl no doubt wants vengeance on Alpha for slaughtering many of his friends, including Henry and likely wants to kill her himself along with all the Whisperers. |
Appearances
TV Series
Season 9
- "Adaptation"
- "Omega"
- "Bounty"
- "Guardians"
- "The Calm Before"
- "The Storm"
Season 10
Trivia
- "Alpha" is the fifth major recurring antagonist in the TV Series, the first being Shane Walsh, the second being The Governor, the third being Gareth and the fourth being Negan.
- "Alpha" is the first major recurring antagonist in the TV Series to be female.
- "Alpha" is also the second female character to be classified as a primary antagonist, with the first being Dawn Lerner.
- "Alpha" is one of two major recurring antagonists confirmed to have a living relative (her daughter Lydia), the other being Shane Walsh who also has a living relative.
- "Alpha" is currently the only major recurring antagonist whose real name is not known.
- "Alpha" is the first major recurring antagonist in the TV Series to be female.
- "Alpha" currently holds the highest kill count of any female antagonist on The Walking Dead.
- Alpha is the second main antagonist to kill more than one main character in one episode (Enid and Tara Chambler), with the first being Negan.
- It's possible that her name is Deborah as that is the name she used while she infiltrated the Kingdom, although she could have also just randomly chosen the name in order to stay undercover.
- The term "Alpha" denotes the dominant role or position in a particular sphere or group.