| “ | When you first came here, I thought maybe you were a leader. But now I see that you have other priorities. Real leaders separate, they cleave themselves off from everyone else because the things that real leaders do... most people just don't have the stomach for it. But the ones that do? They're the real threats.
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The Warden (real name unknown) is an antagonist and a survivor of the outbreak in AMC's The Walking Dead. He is a resident of the Commonwealth who serves as an officer of the Commonwealth Army. He served as the primary antagonist of the episodes "Outpost 22" and "Faith".
Overview[]
The Warden is a cunning, cold-hearted, sadistic, and ruthless leader who rules with an iron fist, having no room for incompetence whatsoever. He is extremely condescending towards the prisoners and even his own troopers, such as Roberts, who had requested a transfer because of his sick brother, but is denied by the Warden. At his labor camp, he strips people of their identity, not allowing anyone to be called by their names, including himself. In this way, he dehumanizes others by getting rid of their identities. He has no sympathy towards the struggles of the prisoners and has no problem separating people from their loved ones, such as Negan and Annie. His brutality causes him to be feared by many, to the point that Wilson chooses to kill himself knowing that the Warden will torture and kill his family if he finds out that Wilson helped Daryl's group. However, he admits that he admires the courage of the prisoners for standing up to him even as he orders their execution.
After suspecting someone of trying to spearhead a rebellion, he puts Negan in charge of figuring out who it is. However, Negan decides to sacrifice himself and admits that he is the one behind it, prompting the Warden to order his execution. However, after he sees Negan smiling and realizing that he is trying to act as a martyr, he doesn't give Negan the satisfaction and also brings in his wife to be executed, despite her doing nothing wrong. However, led by Ezekiel, many of the prisoners rebel against the Warden and the troopers by standing together in front of the execution squad. However, the Warden shows his coldness and though he admits the prisoners are brave, he immediately orders all of them to be killed with no remorse. Eventually the Warden's callousness and cruelty towards others leads to his downfall, as after some convincing by Ezekiel, most of the Warden's troopers turn on him. In a last-ditch effort to save himself, the Warden takes Kelly hostage before being stabbed in the back by Daryl. In his final moments, even when having a walker being held at his face by Rosita, he remains defiant and refuses to give her the information on where her kid is and merely smiles sadistically and taunts her, prompting Rosita to allow him to be devoured by one of his own reanimated troopers.
The Warden also displays cowardice when he loses control of the situation, resorting to using Kelly as a hostage in order to escape. However, this leaves him vulnerable as the Warden focuses only on the enemies right in front of him, giving Daryl the chance to sneak up on him from behind. Although the Warden displays sadistic defiance in the face of death, it is also a situation that he maintains a degree of control over due to Rosita's desperation at the time and his ability to taunt and refuse her the knowledge that she so desperately seeks.
Pre-Apocalypse[]
Location Unknown[]
Nothing is known about the Warden's life prior to or as the outbreak began.
Post-Apocalypse[]
Ohio[]
At some point during the outbreak, the Warden joined a community in Ohio.
Season 11[]
"Outpost 22"[]
The Warden boards the Commonwealth transport bus and greets the prisoners, telling them that today is the first day of a new beginning. The world works when everyone knows their place and the prisoners' place is at the bottom. All of the resources that the Commonwealth uses to bring the old world back into the new and sustain it all starts at places like this. The Warden suggests that they should take comfort in knowing that good people will benefit from their labor there which the Warden calls their redemption and salvation. The Warden promises that everyone's children are safe and being tended to and that they will get to see them again if they play by the rules. However, they need to work as one to be able to do that and the Warden announces that nobody has a name anymore as they have no need for them. The Warden won't tell them his name and they are forbidden to address each other by their own names.
The Warden directs several prisoners to exit at the rear, including Annie. After sharing a look, Negan allows his wife to leave, but he promises to get his family out of this situation. As Annie exits, the Warden explains that the selected prisoners are being transported to another site while the rest of them will work at their current location until the railroad tracks are clear. The Warden orders everyone to follow him out of the bus, but Negan hesitates, worried about his wife's safety as the selected prisoners are driven off in another direction. The Warden promises that, while the work is hard, they will be protected by the Commonwealth. The Warden suggests that although they have been "delivered from the paradise of the Commonwealth, take solace in knowing that it's better being here than it is being out there, in the wastelands." The prisoners are set to work on clearing boxcar wreckage from the area.
After being captured by Daryl, Carol, Maggie, Gabriel, Rosita and Connie, Wilson refuses to help them out of fear of the Warden, telling the group that the Warden will torture him and kill his family if he finds out that Wilson helped them. Wilson believes that the Warden will find out no matter what they do to try to cover it up and Wilson is so terrified of the man that he commits suicide to protect his family from the man.
At the work camp, Negan teams up with Ezekiel to build a prisoner uprising against the Warden as Negan knows the Warden's playbook of using fear as a weapon while Ezekiel knows how to lead people by hope which is what the prisoners need to rise up against their sadistic captor who has created a place that thrives on separating and breaking down people.
At night, the Warden orders everyone to pack it in and load up. As the prisoners begin to board the transports, the prisoners that were killed earlier and reanimate and are quickly put down by a soldier. The convoy transports the prisoners to Outpost 22 which is actually a renamed and Commonwealth-occupied Alexandria.
"Faith"[]
The Warden oversees the Commonwealth prisoners' labor at the railroad tracks just outside of Alexandria.
Roberts leads Negan into the Warden's office where the Warden orders Negan to take a seat. Roberts roughly shoves Negan into a chair, but the Warden stops Roberts before he can leave and informs Roberts that his transfer has been denied. Roberts tells the Warden that his brother has been very sick and he doesn't know how long his brother has left. The Warden callously tells Roberts that he should've told him directly instead of going around the Warden to ask for a transfer. As a result, Roberts' duty at the outpost has been extended six months. Negan notices Roberts clench his fist in anger as he departs.
Left alone, the Warden shows Negan the map showing the movements of the Commonwealth guards, when they come and go and how many are on shift at any time which Negan denies any knowledge of despite it having been found after Negan's tussle with Roberts and Sanborn. The Warden admits that, when Negan first arrived, he had thought that the other man might be a leader, but he now sees that Negan has other priorities. The Warden believes that a real leader separates and cleaves themselves off from everyone else because the things that real leaders do most people lack the stomach for and the ones that do are the real threats. The Warden knows that there's a threat in his midst and he believes that it's one of Negan's people. However, Negan tells the Warden that, other than his wife, everyone hates his guts, so he doesn't know anything. The Warden bets that Negan can find out though and he makes it clear that it isn't really an option for Negan not to cooperate, threatening Annie and his unborn child's safety.
As the prisoners lay in their bunks that night, Sanborn and several other soldiers burst in, yelling for everyone to get outside immediately. The prisoners are all led to the windmill where the soldiers shine spotlights on them and the Warden, standing in front of Ezekiel and looking at him, announces that there's a traitor in their midst, someone who thinks that he's above the rules. Roberts and another soldier lead out Negan who has admitted to spearheading a rebellion, although any co-conspirators will be given the benefit of the doubt as the Warden trusts that they were not acting of their own free will. As such, only Negan will be punished, but they all need to see and remember. Annie breaks free and runs towards her husband, sobbing, but she is restrained, and Negan reassures his wife that it's alright. The Warden has Negan put on his knees in front of the windmill to be executed by a firing squad while the prisoners murmur to themselves about how they knew that Negan couldn't be trusted and was a liar and Annie pleads for her husband's life to no avail. However, before the Warden can give the order to fire, he notices Negan smirking and, unwilling to let Negan martyr himself, grabs Annie and adds her to the execution. Negan desperately pleads for the Warden to leave Annie alone and take only him, but the sadistic man is determined to make Negan feel this punishment. Ezekiel is conflicted watching this while Negan pleads with Roberts, who has a family, not to do this, causing a moment of hesitation before he proceeds.
Unwilling to allow Negan to be executed, Ezekiel moves in between the firing squad and Negan and Annie, standing in their way. A number of the other prisoners quickly follow Ezekiel's lead, including Magna, Kelly, Princess, Tyler, and Nabila, creating a human wall between the soldiers and Negan and Annie. The Warden admits that he admires their bravery, but he nevertheless orders his men to shoot them all. Noticing most of the soldiers hesitating at being ordered to murder so many people, Ezekiel pleads with them that "you don't have to do this! This world is broken, but we don't have to be." Realizing that Ezekiel is right, Roberts lowers his gun and turns to the rest of the soldiers who follow his lead. Roberts turns his gun on the Warden, but Sanborn aims at him in return, causing Roberts to shoot him dead. The Warden grabs Kelly and tries to escape by using her as a hostage as Roberts and the prisoners try to stop him. However, Daryl and Connie come up from behind the Warden and Daryl stabs the Warden in the back, incapacitating him and retaking Alexandria from the Commonwealth.
Negan prepares to kill the Warden with a rock, but he's stopped by Rosita. Rosita demands to know where her daughter is, but the Warden refuses to answer. Seeing Sanborn reanimate, Rosita grabs him and holds the walker over the Warden's face, once again demanding to know where her daughter is. With a smile, the Warden sadistically tells Rosita that she will lose everything, and Rosita furiously shoves the zombified Sanborn into the Warden's face which Sanborn begins devouring, killing the Warden. Rosita walks away, leaving Sanborn to eat the Warden as her friends, the soldiers and former prisoners watch in shock and horror at the brutal death.
"Family"[]
Rosita walks past the corpses of Sanborn and the Warden which are lying in front of the Alexandria windmill.
Death[]
- Killed By
- Ezekiel Sutton (Caused)
- Roberts (Caused)
- Daryl Dixon (Caused; Before Reanimation)
- Rosita Espinosa (Caused; Before Reanimation)
- Sanborn (Infected)
After Ezekiel rallies the group against the Warden, he manages to get the troopers to turn on him, including Roberts, who turns his gun on the Warden. The Warden takes Kelly hostage, but Daryl sneaks up from behind and stabs him in the back, leaving him incapacitated. Enraged by the Warden's unwillingness to tell her where her daughter is, Rosita has an undead Sanborn bite and partially devour the Warden's face, killing him.
- Connie (Before Reanimation)
- Carol Peletier (Before Reanimation)
- Gabriel Stokes (Before Reanimation)
- Maggie Rhee (Before Reanimation)
After his death, the Warden is put down before reanimation by Rosita, Daryl, Connie, Carol, Gabriel, or Maggie.
Killed Victims[]
This list shows the victims the Warden has killed:
- Wilson (Indirectly Caused)
- At least 11 unnamed Commonwealth prisoners (Caused or Direct)
- Numerous counts of zombies and unnamed people
Relationships[]
For a more in-depth look at the Warden's relationships, read here; The Warden (TV Series)/Relationships
Allies[]
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Enemies[]
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Quotes[]
The following is a list of some of the Warden's most memorable quotes.
Season 11"Good morning and welcome. Today is the first day of a new beginning. The world works when everybody knows their place. Your place is at the bottom. All of the resources that we use to bring the old world back into the new and sustain it? It all starts at places like this. You should take comfort in knowing that good people will benefit from your labor here. That is your redemption. That is your salvation." "The children, they're safe, they're being attended to. Play by the rules and you'll get to see them again. In order to do that you must work as one. Here, nobody has a name, because we have no need for them. I'm not gonna tell you mine and you will not address each other by yours." "The work is hard, but you'll be protected by our great Commonwealth. And although you have been delivered from the paradise of the Commonwealth, take solace in knowing that it's better being here, then it is being out there, in the wastelands." "197, your transfer's been denied. (…) Then you should've told me directly instead of going around me to ask for a transfer. Your duty here has been extended six months. Dismissed." "That was found a few hours after you tussled with my guards. (…) What is it? (…) Someone is keeping track of my guards, when they come and go, how many are on shift at any time. (…) When you first came here, I thought maybe you were a leader. But now I see that you have other priorities. Real leaders separate, they cleave themselves off from everyone else because the things that real leaders do... most people just don't have the stomach for it. But the ones that do? They're the real threats. There's a threat in my midst, and I believe it's one of your people. (…) But I bet you can find out. (…) Not really an option. Unless you'd rather not see that pregnant wife of yours." "So... you got a name for me?" "There is a traitor in our midst. Someone who thinks he's above the rules. (turns to Negan) This prisoner has admitted to spearheading a rebellion! Any co-conspirators will be given the benefit of the doubt. I trust they were not acting of their own free will. So only he will be punished! But it's important that you're all here to see. To remember." "There are no martyrs here. (puts Annie in the line of fire) You will feel this punishment!" "I admire your bravery prisoners. Shoot them all." "You will lose everything." |
Appearances[]
TV Series[]
Season 11[]
- "Outpost 22"
- "Faith"
- "Family" (Corpse)
Trivia[]
- In the Memoriam on Talking Dead for "Faith", he is credited as Warden No Name.
- The Warden is the last antagonist introduced in the TV Series. He is also the last antagonist to die in the TV series.
- The Warden is Rosita Espinosa's last human kill in the TV Series.