One survivor introduced in season 9 has been kept away from the spotlight over the past few years butThe Walking Deadappears to finally be making them a major character.Given the franchise’s large ensemble cast, it can be particularly hard to stand out inThe Walking Deadwith so many key characters fighting for screen time. As a result, some survivors were relegated to the background and rarely featured, an issue that only got worse in the later seasons. However,Dead Cityseason 2’s trailer hinted at the storygiving one underused character a more prominent role.
After a thrilling six episodes,Dead Cityseason 1’s endingset up an exciting next installment, with Negan being forced to join the fight to control Manhattan, while Maggie returns to the island hoping to end her feud with her former enemy. As a result, the show’s return in May will have plenty to unpack, and while there are no early signs of any unexpected cameos, the spinoff’s central survivors will be returning. Most interestingly, an undeveloped character looks like they will step up and play a surprisingly big part in the upcoming story, according to season 2’s trailer.
Having first appeared in season 9, Hershel will officially gain his main character status inDead Cityseason 2 if the trailers are anything to go by. Throughout his time in the original show, Hershel failed to make much of an impact as he was only a child and wasn’t really utilized in the overarching story the same way that Carl and Judith were. Maggie and Negan’s spinoff has since changed this, as the entire plot was based around Hershel being abducted, with season 1 taking place in the future, giving audiences an older version of the character.
Despite this, he was kept predominantly on the sidelines since the story focused on Maggie and Negan’s attempt to rescue him, rather than Hershel’s time in captivity. Now, his role in the plot looks to be much bigger, asseason 2’s trailer indicated that Maggie’s son will join her on their quest to confront Negan. WithMaggie and Hershel’s relationship looking stronger inDead Cityseason 2, Hershel will hopefully drop the moody teenager act and begin living up to his father’s legacy, but regardless of where his story goes, he will officially become a central character.
Helping Save Negan Could Make The TV Version Of Hershel Much More Heroic Than His Comic Counterpart
While Maggie and Glenn are two of the most popular characters inThe Walking Dead, their son was far from a fan favorite in the comics. After he was born, Maggie kept Hershel sheltered from the rest of the world, spoiling him and ultimately making him unaware of how dangerous zombies really were, which led to him becoming an antagonist in the latter issues. Although his TV counterpart has inherited some of these bratty and hostile traits,Dead Cityseems like it will make Hershel a completely different character when he attempts to aid Maggie’s mission of infiltrating Manhattan.
After Dead City Season 2’s Trailer, I’m Convinced The Walking Dead Has Spoiled A Major Negan Twist
After the release of The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2’s newest trailer, I’m convinced the spinoff has spoiled a major twist for Negan’s new story.
Season 1 left Maggie’s true intent unclear, but it appears as though her return to New York will be based around saving Negan from the show’s villains so that they can finally bury the hatchet and move on. With Hershel offering to assist with this, he may become far less cowardly and entitled than in the comics, learning how to become a true survivor instead.
It’s not completely out of the question that he follows the same villainous path as in the source material, but season 2’s early impressions indicate that no matter what happens to Hershel, he will be vastly different from what we’ve seen before.
It’s not completely out of the question that he follows the same villainous path as in the source material, but season 2’s early impressions indicate that no matter what happens to Hershel, he will be vastly different from what we’ve seen before. IfDead Citydoes opt to make him a hero, it would be a great way to repair Maggie and Negan’s relationship and set up the future of the franchise by having another young, dependable survivor join Judith and RJ, provingThe Walking Deadstill has plenty of life.
Hershel Could Be Negan’s Savior Or The Dama’s Secret Weapon
Hershel’s most obvious role inDead Cityseason 2 will be helping Maggie reach Negan, but his overall part in the story may be far more complicated. Rather than simply sticking by his mother’s side, he may try to be a hero himself, leading to a plethora of possible outcomes. Managing to take down the show’s villains and save Negan is a possibility, but this outcome may involve Hershel taking a life, something that could traumatize Maggie, especially when considering how protective she is in the source material. However, he could also follow a darker path.
Logan Kim plays the role of Hershel inThe Walking Dead: Dead Cityafter Kien Michael Spiller depicted the character inThe Walking Deadseasons 10 and 11.
WithMaggie holding Lucille’s replacement inThe Walking Deadspinoff, the Dama may be able to manipulate Hershel into believing his mother is just like Negan, taking advantage of his influential mind. Hershel has already shown a few signs of resentment towards Maggie, and using the teenager to get toDead City’s protagonists could be a stroke of genius from the antagonist.Season 2’s trailer did picture the Dama and Hershel side-by-side, and given she didn’t kill him last season, she could turn the young survivor into a villain - albeit a much different one from his comic book counterpart.
It seems inevitable that Hershel will defy Maggie at some point and make his own decisions, but whether these are good or bad choices is yet to be seen. Having Hershel toughen up and become more like his parents would be a nice change to his role in the comics, but joining the Dama and the Croat isn’t entirely out of the question, makingDead Cityseason 2 a fascinating project.
AlthoughThe Walking Dead’s TV series ended much differently from the comics, it appears as though the franchise is still building towards a future generation, and Hershel may be a massive part of that. Judith seems like she will evolve into the TV equivalent of Carl, who became the main character in the comics. Having learned survival techniques much quicker than other kids her age, she already has all the traits needed to be a future protagonist, especially being the daughter of Rick. With RJ alongside her, the siblings will be instrumental in the future.
What The Walking Dead’s Main Cast Have Done Since Season 11 Ended
Over its eleven-season run from 2010-2022, The Walking Dead garnered a huge fan following, with some cast even reprising their roles in spinoffs.
However, assuming the franchise continues to build its younger cast and give them more prominent roles, Hershel could also become a future main character. Whether he transitions into a villain or Judith and RJ’s most trusted ally, he is undeniably one of the most important young characters still around. Gracie, Ginny, and Laurent could also develop into pivotal survivors, with Lydia potentially falling into this younger generation as well, butwith Hershel set to get his first taste of action in the upcoming spinoff, he should be a major character for years to come inThe Walking Dead.
The Walking Dead
Cast
The Walking Dead is a television series that premiered on June 19, 2025. It follows Sheriff’s deputy Rick Grimes, who awakens from a coma to find a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies. He embarks on a journey to locate his family, encountering various survivors amidst the chaos.
The Walking Dead: Dead City
A spin-off/sequel of the dramatic horror series, The Walking Dead: Dead City follows two significant characters from the main series - Maggie and Negan.
