The identity of one of the most odd characters in The Walking Dead was revealed in one of the most lackluster twists of the series. But the masked man known as "Beta" served an important role on the state of the world in a literal apocalypse.

When Rick Grimes woke up in a world turned upside down, he joined a band of survivors who wanted nothing more than to try and eke out a living that slightly resembled the society they knew. But the shuffle in status quo brought out the worst in humanity, and it was clear that in The Walking Dead, zombies weren't the worst thing Rick and his people would encounter. One such example was the nomadic cult the Whisperers, who had the masked character known as Beta among their ranks. Tall, intimidating, and wearing the face of a walker, Beta projected a mysterious and violent presence.

And while the identity of Beta was certainly an enigma, the Whisperer's identity was revealed in The Walking Dead #173 by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, Stefano Gaudiano, and Cliff Rathburn. Aaron and Jesus are resting, unware that they are being tracked by Beta. The hulking threat emerges from the shadows and tries to kill The Walking Dead's Jesus. If it weren't enough to deal with a rampaging Beta, Aaron and Jesus are besieged by walkers. Aaron shoots at the zombies while Jesus takes care of the masked killer. Ever looking out for one another, Aaron delivers a crack shot that fells Beta while Jesus kills a walker gunning for Aaron. With Beta killed, Jesus takes it upon himself to unmask their foe. While they do eventually recognize Beta as a former star basketball player, Beta suddenly lurches up to declare his final words.

This is a fairly anticlimactic reveal, admittedly. While there’s been a number of twists and surprises in The Walking Dead, the unmasking of Beta had very little impact for fans. He was very protective of his identity, going so far as to kill anyone who tried to remove his facial covering. And yet while Aaron and Jesus can identify him, he's no one that registers any significance for fans. But that deliberate subversion actually bolsters the theme established all throughout The Walking Dead.

On the back of every volume of The Walking Dead, there's a blurb that discusses the radical change that the world has gone through and that the old society is never coming back. The Walking Dead's Michonne even brings it up in a speech in the series' final issue to hammer home the idea that the new world has moved on from the society that came before. Whoever Beta was before the zombie outbreak simply doesn't matter. Celebrity, fame, commerce, all those things went out the window with the arrival of the walkers. It may have been a disappointing reveal, but the erasure of Beta's past kept the series' theme in focus. Whoever Beta was before The Walking Dead was of no consequence in a world where survival became the only thing that mattered.