The gated community of Alexandria has been a pivotal setting in The Walking Dead since season 5. It also served as a primary location for several issues of the graphic novel series of the same name. Having been a major part of the horror drama series for years, there's no denying Alexandria's significance. The community was first presented in the TV show as a posh and naive town in which the residents remained blissfully ignorant of the threats outside of their walls.
However simple Alexandria seemed upon the first appearance, there was a lot of detail put into bringing this community to life. Alexandria has also changed notably since its first appearance in season 5, and it serves as the home for several main characters in the show today. Let's take a deeper look at this Walking Dead community and explore some hidden details about it that you might have missed.
It's Presented In A Darker Light Now
Having followed the survivors through some of their darkest times in seasons 4 and 5, the introduction of Alexandria was presented in a very sunny, positive light. For a while, it seemed the sun always shone brightly on the community, as the majority of the scenes that took place there were framed in almost artificial light.
This was most likely a deliberate move on The Walking Dead's crew's part, as the survivors finding a sanctuary like the Safe Zone after struggling for so long on the road, seemed unbelievable. Nowadays, Alexandria is filmed in a much more neutral and sometimes darker light, fitting with the changing tone of the community.
It Used To Have A Motto
"Mercy for the lost, vengeance for the plunderers" was the motto given to Alexandria by then-leader Rick Grimes, after the first disaster to occur in the community in season 6. Shaping the Safe Zone into something uniquely his own after the death of the original leader, Deanna Monroe, Rick gave Alexandria the aforementioned motto.
What's interesting is that this motto isn't really touched upon in later seasons. Things have changed so much since The Walking Dead's sixth season, that Alexandria is almost unrecognizable.
It Was Once An Upscale, Expensive Community
Alexandria had a very posh look to it when the survivors first walked through its gate. While the community fittingly looks a lot more shabby and dilapidated now, before the apocalypse, it seems that Alexandria was the place to live.
The houses in the neighborhood are huge mansions, and before the outbreak, the reportedly sold for upwards of $800, 000, according to Walking Dead Wiki.
The Walls Were Built By Reg Monroe
Reg Monroe is a character that is most likely forgotten by Walking Dead fans these days. He appeared in the show's fifth season and was killed off in the season finale, "Conquer." Reg and Deanna, along with their sons, Aiden and Spencer, were sent to Alexandria by the military upon the outbreak of the apocalypse.
Down the road, Deanna and Reg would go on to lead Alexandria, and while Deanna – a former congresswoman – called the shots, it was Reg who put up the community's walls.
It Has Been Expanded & Rebuilt Multiple Times
Alexandria has been renovated, rebuilt, and expanded more than any other community or location in The Walking Dead series. Since it's so pivotal to the survivors, they've refused to give up on it; rebuilding it every time disaster strikes, which is quite often.
Alexandria has been bombed, infiltrated, and almost completely destroyed multiple times, by multiple antagonists such as the Wolves and the Saviors. As a beacon of hope, Alexandria remains standing ten years into the show.
It Has Had Several Different Leaders
Leadership became a more ambiguous thing shortly after the group arrived at Alexandria. In the earlier seasons of the show, Rick led the survivors, and when questions arose, so did the infamous "Ricktatorship," in which basically Rick told everyone it was his way or the highway.
Deanna was the leader of Alexandria when Rick and the others arrived, though Rick was quickly self-appointed in her place following her death in season 6. After Rick's disappearance in season 9, Michonne helmed the community, alongside Alexandria's council. As it stands now, it seems that Father Gabriel has stepped in as the de facto leader in Michonne's absence.
It Was Filmed In The Same Town As Woodbury
Woodbury was a significant location throughout The Walking Dead's third season, and it was the first gated community to appear in the TV series. Run by the series' first major villain, the Governor, a lot happened in Woodbury in the duration of just one season, and the location will always hold a special place in fans' hearts.
Though it may seem like the Walking Dead survivors have traveled far away from Woodbury, in reality, this is anything but the case. Alexandria is actually filmed in Senoia, Georgia, the same neighborhood and town as Woodbury.
It's The Longest-Standing Location Ever To Appear On The TV Series
Alexandria has been around for five seasons of The Walking Dead, but in the show-verse, it has actually been standing for much longer and has served as a home for survivors for nearly a decade. The Safe Zone has not been immune to attacks; as aforementioned, the citizens have had to rebuild the community several times.
To this day, Alexandria is still a substantial location in the series. Many events have occurred within its walls, tragedies and joyful things alike, and the show would be very different without it.
In The Militia, Alexandrians Wore White Armbands
When the Saviors came along in season 6, they instilled the fear of God into several Virginia communities. This motivated the citizens of Alexandria to form a coalition with the Hilltop, the Kingdom, and later on, Oceanside.
The coalition was then named the Militia, and in season 8, the survivors were shown to be wearing armbands that represented each community; the Hilltop was green, the Kingdom was red, and Alexandria was white.
The Memorial Wall
After the tragic events of The Walking Dead's season 7 premiere, "The Day Will Come When You Won't Be," the memorial wall of Alexandria became a notable feature of the community. Etched on the wall are the names of many beloved deceased characters, most notably, Glenn's.
Now the memorial wall seems to have been forgotten by the show or was perhaps destroyed in one of the attacks on Alexandria.