The middle of season nine of The Walking Dead has left us with little to no breathing room. A new antagonist has finally been revealed, and she is frightening. We only know her as Alpha. The Walking Dead has a history of memorable antagonists. The Governor and Negan are two of the more imposing villains our group of protagonists has faced.

Alpha appears to be yet another foe that viewers around the world will remember. Before you dive into the last half of season nine, you should take a beginner’s course on all things Alpha. Read on if you want to know more about this new, sinister Walking Dead villain.

She Is The Leader Of The Whisperers

The Walking Dead is no stranger to crazy groups of marauders. The Saviors under Negan’s leadership and the cannibals of Terminus are just a few of the human enemies our protagonists encounter. In a world where the undead roam, who would have thought that other humans would be the bigger threat? Alpha, as her name implies, is the leader of a creepy new bunch called the Whisperers. They rarely speak, and if they do, it is in a whisper. However, that is not the most frightening thing about them.

The Whisperers also like to wear the skins of zombies in order to hide among the Walkers. The stench alone must be awful. Since Alpha is the leader of the Whisperers, you can bet she came up with that particular idea.

She Is The Ultimate Survivor

From her practice of wearing the skins of Walkers on her face and body to her harsh treatment of her daughter, everything about Alpha screams survival. Nothing Alpha does is considered entertainment or pleasure. Her daughter, Lydia, revealed much about Alpha’s nature during some flashbacks in the episode called “Omega.”

Alpha disdains all human habits that do not contribute to survival. She is willing to do anything it takes to remain strong during the end of the world, including shedding her own humanity. We’re willing to bet she does not look charitably toward the community at the Hilltop for their soft ways.

No One Knows Her Real Name

Even in the comic book series, Alpha’s real name is a mystery. No one knows what she was called before the zombie apocalypse ended the world as we know it. Her own daughter refers to her as “Alpha.” When she introduced herself to the Hilltop community in the episode “Bounty,” she called herself “Alpha” as well.

If you were hoping to learn her birth name, you shouldn’t hold your breath. Alpha’s threatening aura is increased by the fact that most of her past is a mystery. Sure, we know about some events that happened to her after the Walker outbreak. But we have no idea who she used to be before the world changed so dramatically.

She Manipulated Her Daughter’s Memory Of Her Father

After spending time with Lydia in the episode “Omega,” we learned a lot about how Alpha treated her only child. Not only was Alpha unnecessarily cruel to her daughter, but she was also manipulative. She treated Lydia with such ill intent that Alpha made Lydia remember past events incorrectly.

Alpha convinced Lydia that her father was the cruel one when, in actuality, it was Alpha herself who treated Lydia abominably. Worst of all, Alpha convinced Lydia that her father met his end at the hands of a Walker who broke into their camp. In reality, it was Alpha who eliminated her own husband. Alpha can be counted on to lie when it suits her.

She Lets The Whisperers Hurt Her Daughter

The Whisperers are not a kindly group, not even to their own members. They all follow Alpha’s code of survival first. However, there is a streak of cruelty in some of the members. Alpha allows the Whisperers to hurt her own daughter, to kick and pummel her. The comic book series takes this a step further. In the comics, the Whisperers attacked and violated Lydia in front of Alpha. In fact, these actions occurred with Alpha’s permission. Alpha’s excuse for this was her desire to see Lydia become tougher.

These assaults are meant to instill a hardness in her daughter so that she can better face the world around her. If that does not make Alpha the scariest of antagonists, we don’t know what will.

A Large Group Of Walkers May Be At Her Disposal

In the comic book series, Rick Grimes confronts Alpha about her behavior after his son, Carl, chased after the Whisperers looking for Lydia. (The television show will be a marked departure from this since actor Andrew Lincoln is no longer part of the cast.) Alpha then takes Rick to a location where she knows a large herd of Walkers is congregated. She shows them to him as if she is threatening him with them. She tries to prove her point that the world they live in belongs to the Walkers, and the only thing humans can do is survive alongside the undead.

Perhaps during the television series, in one of the coming episodes, we will see a large group of zombies at her disposal. Alpha could potentially make use of them since she and her Whisperers can move among them undetected.

She Does Feel Strong Attachment To Her Daughter

Despite her callous treatment of Lydia, it is clear that Alpha feels very strongly toward her daughter. Early in the episode “Omega,” Lydia says that it is weakness to go back for fallen, wounded, or captured comrades. (The use of the word “comrades” is laughable, in fact.) Alpha appears to follow this callous rule by abandoning babies in her group when they cry too loudly.

So when Lydia was captured, Alpha should not have gone back for her. However, Alpha made the decision to return for her daughter, demanding the Hilltop give her back. This demonstrates that Alpha feels differently toward Lydia than she does for the other Whisperers.

Alpha’s Fate At The Hands Of Negan

This may count as a spoiler, but since the comic book series, The Walking Dead, has been around for years, it is a late spoiler indeed. In the comics, Alpha meets her end thanks to Negan and a knife. After pretending to join the Whisperers, Negan shows Alpha what he really thinks about her and her lifestyle by slitting her throat and then decapitating her.

Negan might be heartless in his own way, but even he took issue with Alpha’s way of life. There is no evidence as of yet that Negan’s confrontation with Alpha will happen in the show. However, given what we know about Negan and the code he has, it is very likely that if he were to meet Alpha, he would definitely disagree with the way she’s running things.