The Walking Dead's Next Major Villain Is Hiding In Plain Sight

Published Aug 11, 2026, 2:30 PM EDT Kyle is a senior writer at ScreenRant and has been part of the team for over two years. Having led coverage on The Walking Dead projects alongside Rick & Morty, Kyle is well versed in numerous genres. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Kyle is a passionate journalist who has a keen interest in TV and film. He has six years of experience studying journalism including a HND in Practical Journalism and a BA Honours in Journalism, Media and Communication and History. Alongside his love for TV and film, Kyle enjoys video games, football and Formula 1. Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Walking Dead: Dead City season 3, episode 3, "Emigrants." Over the years, The Walking Dead has featured all kinds of weird and wonderful villains, but the next major antagonist may be much closer to home than we expected. Usually, the franchise's biggest bads are leaders of rival factions who stumble upon the heroes' community and spark conflict, but this may not be the case in Dead City. The show's first two seasons largely followed this formula, as the Burazi and New Babylon emerged as the biggest threats, both of which were external groups that had evil intentions. Even secondary villains like Bruegel led opposing communities, yet season 3's next major villain may be hiding in front of our very eyes. The spinoff has introduced various important new characters this season, but Dillard is by far the most intriguing. Negan met him when he stumbled across the newcomer's bar, and Dillard claimed to have lived there throughout the entire apocalypse, befriending some zombies in the process. At first, it seemed as though Dillard might not actually exist in Dead City, instead acting as a figment of Negan's imagination, but this has since been disproven. However, episode 3's conclusion confirmed he had a dark secret, as he really does believe he can talk to the dead and has a female walker tied up inside his apartment. While this could be little more than a way of showcasing how the outbreak has impacted people differently, those with such unique relationships with walkers tend to possess villainous traits, such as the Governor and Alpha. As a result, Dillard's unsettling mindset could impact his friendship with Negan and begin to cause problems, setting him up as a central antagonist. The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 3 Currently Has No Main Villain Dillard stepping up as a villain makes sense not just for the sake of being a big twist, but also because Dead City lacks a main antagonist. Episode 3's conflict all stemmed from two rival groups having to coexist while being treated by doctors from Maggie and Renata's community, yet these factions had no beef with the main heroes. Regardless, this situation has already been resolved, with the two groups finding peace after their leaders killed one another. Meanwhile, Dead City's previous villains aren't around either. The Croat was the first to go this season, as his slight redemption arc wasn't enough to avoid meeting an unfortunate fate. He sustained an injury during an explosion and eventually died the following day, earning himself just enough time to do some good before passing. The Croat's Walking Dead death even made Negan cry due to his guilt, but this didn't stop him from offing another major villain. The Dama was captured and imprisoned before being offered the chance to try and reform, or take her own life. In the end, Negan took that choice away from her by killing the villain off-screen and making it look like a suicide. Even New Babylon didn't make it out of season 3's premiere, despite being positioned as the show's new main antagonists. They took over New York during season 2's finale, yet the majority of the faction were wiped out by an explosion caused by the Croat. This lack of direction has led to a split in Dead City season 3's Rotten Tomatoes score, but Dillard becoming the show's next big threat could help unite viewers and critics. Dillard's Zombie Friends Suggest He'll Eventually Become A Problem As of now, Dillard's connection with the dead may seem quirky yet relatively harmless, but it won't stay this way forever. At best, seeing walkers as friends will put the living in danger. At worst, it could lead to him completely losing his humanity, eventually turning on those who kill zombies or use them for energy. Dillard is wise enough to know that walkers are too dangerous to be kept around without any precautions, hence why he got rid of their nails and teeth so they couldn't do any damage. That said, outside his bar, he clearly still sees these creatures as friends and struggles to kill them, which instantly raises problems. In a life-or-death situation, Dillard's hesitation means he isn't just putting himself at risk, but anyone else who may need him to intervene and kill a zombie. Refusing to do this could cause several casualties, but if his relationship with the dead gets any worse, he may choose them over other humans. The Walking Dead: Dead City season 3 will consist of eight episodes and premieres every Sunday on AMC/ AMC+. We've already seen Negan get real with Dillard in Dead City season 3 and scold him for being so reckless, but if he continues to question the bartender, especially if he finds Dillard's secret, this could have serious consequences. That goofy, good-natured survivor could turn into someone full of hatred for those who oppose his way of life. This may force him to make a decision between humans and walkers, and Dillard's strange mindset means he's likely to choose the latter. Sure, he probably won't start a whole cult of like-minded people, but he could be a real problem for some of Dead City's main characters if left unchecked, cementing him as the show's most fascinating new addition. The Walking Dead: Dead City 8/10 Release Date June 15, 2023 Network AMC Maggie Rhee and Negan travel into post-apocalyptic Manhattan, a city isolated from the mainland and overrun by walkers and competing factions. Forced into an uneasy partnership, they pursue a dangerous mission tied to Maggie’s past. Created by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, Charlie Adlard First TV Show The Walking Dead Latest TV Show The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Upcoming TV Shows More Tales from the Walking Dead Universe First Episode Air Date October 31, 2010 Cast Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Danai Gurira, Lauren Cohan, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chandler Riggs, Steven Yeun, Lennie James The Walking Dead is a massive multimedia franchise that began with a comic book series created by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. The franchise gained widespread popularity with the launch of the television series The Walking Dead in 2010 on AMC, which chronicles the lives of survivors in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies, referred to as "walkers." The success of the original show has led to numerous spin-offs, web series, video games, novels, and other media. The franchise explores themes of survival, human nature, and the breakdown of society in the face of an existential threat, making it one of the most successful and influential horror series of the 21st century.