Victor Strand (Colman Domingo) has armed himself with a new sword ahead of his inevitable struggle with Morgan’s group in Fear the Walking Dead season 7. In the season 7 premiere, the 19th century blade was shown to be one of many weapons and artifacts included in Strand and Howard’s collection. After introducing it to Will (Gus Halper), Strand took it with him into combat against the zombies.
The sword appears to be part of the new image that Fear the Walking Dead is cultivating for Strand. After several seasons of being a core member of the group, the AMC series is positioning Strand to be the show’s next major villain. After surviving the detonations of the nuclear warheads launched by Teddy (John Glover) in the season 6 finale, Strand decided to embark on a new path. Based on the marketing for the new season and what occurred in the episode, it’s looking more and more likely that Alicia’s oldest ally is about to become their greatest enemy. His status as a villain was cemented with his decision to murder Will at the end of the premiere. His actions are sure to sever whatever bond he still shares with Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey).
Fear the Walking Dead’s changes to Strand are being accompanied by an updated look and a new weapon. According to Strand, the sword once belonged to George Hockley and was used as far back as the War of 1812. Both the sword and Hockley exist in real-life. It’s worth noting that the history of the sword's owner sheds light on why Fear the Walking Dead chose to give this particular weapon to Strand. As noted by the character in the episode, Hockley was a friend of Sam Houston, the American general who was one of the leaders of Texas’ successful efforts to secede from the United States in the 1830s. Houston was also the first president of the Republic of Texas once it gained its independence. Strong parallels can be drawn between aspects of this and what Strand is trying to build in Fear the Walking Dead.
The slogan of the Texas Revolution was “come and take it”, which reflected Texans’ unrelenting opposition to their enemies. Strand indeed does reflect some aspects of this; he’s made it abundantly clear that he has everything he needs and doesn’t want help from anyone on the outside – including Alicia. Strand has separated himself from Morgan’s group and is in the process of proving that his settlement can do just fine on its own.
Strand's ruthlessness in murdering Will served as a clear indication that as the leader of this group, Strand is quite different to who he was before. And once again, the series using the acquisition of a new weapon to symbolize a major change in a character. In season 6, Fear the Walking Dead gave Morgan an axe to compliment his decision to give up his no-killing rule. This time, the show is utilizing the sword to illustrate the new ideals that will shape Strand’s villain plan in season 7.