The soldiers of The Walking Dead's Commonwealth are terrible at their job, but it may be for a reason. There have been multiple instances of the Commonwealth soldiers being easily outgunned so far in The Walking Dead season 11 — falling asleep on the job, getting themselves captured, and getting overwhelmed by just a handful of walkers are only a few of the blunders they've displayed so far. There are a few reasons why this final big bad of The Walking Dead isn't really so big and bad after all.

As The Walking Dead enters its final episodes, it's clear the series is focused on the future. Several spinoffs are in the works, following familiar faces as they tackle the dreaded Civic Republic Military; a well-oiled machine that makes the Commonwealth military pale in comparison. By making the Commonwealth seem so weak, The Walking Dead is gearing up the CRM to look even better in Walking Dead spinoffs to come. However, it could simply be that the focus of The Walking Dead season 11 isn't really on the villains at all, but on the heroes that fans have come to know and where their stories will take them through the final episodes of The Walking Dead and beyond.

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Why The CRM Soldiers Are Better Than The Commonwealth's

The Walking Dead Civic Republic Military

Though they may be trained and well-armed, compared to groups like the CRM, the Whisperers, and the Survivors, the Commonwealth soldiers have very little real-world experience in the apocalypse. They have spent the vast majority of the apocalypse behind their gated walls, using fear and automatic weapons to fight their battles. This routine has made them complacent, leaving them utterly unprepared when the Survivors fight back. In comparison, the Civic Republic is an international organization with advanced weapons, training, and equipment that no other organization has access to — including vehicles like helicopters. Compared to the CRM, the Commonwealth soldiers look more like mall cops.

The Walking Dead Deserved A Better Final Season Villain

Commonwealth Soldiers in Walking Dead Season 10

While it makes sense that the Commonwealth soldiers are terrible, it doesn't make them any less underwhelming as the villains for The Walking Dead's final season. The Commonwealth and those who run it seem a little lackluster compared to past villains like Negan and Alpha. The villains of The Walking Dead season 11 — both the soldiers and evolved walkers — seem to be focused more on setting up the future of the franchise and telling future stories instead of finishing the story the series is telling now. While it's important to look to the future, The Walking Dead deserves a fitting final villain to wrap up its 12-year legacy.

One plus side of the Commonwealth being underwhelming is that The Walking Dead has time to focus on its main characters as they navigate this new enemy. They may not have the brute force that the Survivors have seen in previous enemies, but the Commonwealth has its own unique tricks up its sleeve. The Commonwealth's true power lies more in its use of calculated political moves than brute force. While the Commonwealth's terrible military serves to make the upcoming CRM an even more ominous force, it makes for a lackluster final villain; finishing off the series with the CRM as the Survivors' final opponent would likely have been a better choice to simultaneously set up future spinoffs and provide a satisfying final villain for The Walking Dead.

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