Warning! SPOILERS for The Walking Dead season 10, episode 12 ahead.
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The Walking Dead season 10 finally delivered the moment fans have been anticipating for weeks - Negan has killed Alpha. The shocking scene is built up to throughout the episode, though viewers were likely unsure of just where it was going until it happened and Alpha was dead.
Though Alpha's demise this season seemed all but guaranteed, it was still unclear just who would do the deed, with everyone from Carol to Daryl and even Lydia being lobbied around as potential killers. Instead, the AMC show went ahead and stuck to The Walking Dead comics, keeping the identity of Alpha's killer exactly the same - Negan. However, even knowing Negan is who kills Alpha in the comics, the scene on AMC's The Walking Dead maintains the shock thanks to episode after episode of Negan seeming to join up with the Whisperers. In fact, the show has been teasing a twisted romance between the two villains and even had Negan and Alpha have sex, putting a lot of viewers off the scent that Negan would still be the one to kill her.
In The Walking Dead season 10 episode 12, "Walk With Us", Negan lays a clever trap for Alpha using the one bait she could never ignore - Lydia, her daughter. In the chaos following the Whisperers attack on Hilltop, Lydia like many of its residents is left wandering the countryside. It's during this that Negan finds and ties her to a chair inside an old cottage. He then leads Alpha to the cottage, promising her she'll find Lydia inside. But once she opens the door and sees the building is empty, Alpha turns back towards Negan just in time for him the slash her throat, killing her. Lydia, it's later revealed, is simply tied up in another cottage, but Negan knew she was the key to getting Alpha to completely let her guard down. And it worked, probably better than he could have initially imagined when he first chose to join up with the Whisperers.
Why Negan Kills Alpha For Carol
Negan killing Alpha is certainly a shock all on its own, but the reveal that her demise comes as part of a plan concocted by Carol is the real surprise. For viewers who don't recall, Negan didn't escape his prison cell in Alexandria all on his own. He was set free by someone. Early suspects ranged from Lydia to the wannabe-Savior Brandon, but as the final moments of "Walk With Us" strongly suggest, it must have been Carol who set Negan free. Assuming it was Carol who released Negan from his cell, then it almost certainly came with a condition - kill Alpha.
No one has wanted to kill Alpha more than Carol. It's been her main motivation all season long. Once it became clear that Alexandria just couldn't handle Negan living among them, Carol likely saw it as an opportunity to put his skills to better use. As for Negan, while he surely would have agreed to almost anything in exchange for being set free, killing Alpha also presents Negan an opportunity to earn the people of Alexandria's trust. Carol may have even offered to speak to the other residents on his behalf, but only if he made good on their bargain.
What This Means For Negan's Walking Dead Future
Negan killing Alpha on Carol's command is sure to earn him some fans. Carol, obviously, but possibly also Lydia, Daryl, and perhaps even Michonne when (and if) she returns. If so, then it's possible that ridding them of the Whisperers' leader is what finally earns Negan a place among them. The last couple seasons have shown Negan transforming into a better person, first befriending then saving Judith and, more recently, protecting Lydia. In killing Alpha, though, Negan may have just proven himself to be one of the good guys, and that could lead to him fully joining Alexandria as a true resident.
Then again, after Negan escapes, he doesn't immediately make his way towards the Whisperers. Instead, he considers leaving the area entirely, but his run-in with Brandon followed by the mother and her son quickly put an end to those plans. Still, this might suggest that Negan wants to leave and start a new life, and at first, he just ignores Carol's request and takes his freedom. Then, once more innocents are killed in his name and only then, does Negan choose to seek out the Whisperers in the hopes of killing Alpha, possibly seeing it as his chance to atone. If that's the case, then killing Alpha may not be Negan's attempt at joining Alexandria, but rather an attempt at making amends with its residents before he leaves.
How Negan Killing Alpha Compares To The Comics
In The Walking Dead comics, Negan killing Alpha comes about differently, but ultimately appears to be heading in a similar direction. The comics don't really show Negan joining the Whisperers in quite the way he does on the AMC show. He doesn't receive a Whisperer mask and definitely doesn't have sex with Alpha. The two do still grow close, though, and that is how Negan is able to get near enough to kill Alpha. However, he doesn't involve Lydia at all and instead his moment to strike comes during a heated argument. Negan does still kill Alpha by slashing her throat just like in The Walking Dead comics, catching her off guard as well, and finally cutting off her head.
In the comics, Negan plans on returning to Rick with Alpha's head, hoping it will impress Rick and perhaps earn him his freedom. On AMC's The Walking Dead, we see him similarly delivering Alpha's head to Carol, but we don't yet know for sure his reason for doing so. We can guess that Carol asked him to do it and that he's hoping to be rewarded, but then it may have just been entirely his idea - as it is in The Walking Dead comics - and he only brings Alpha's head to Carol because he believes she'd most appreciate it. Regardless, the actual act of Negan killing Alpha is strikingly similar to what is illustrated in the comics, making it an iconic Walking Dead moment that's actually been done justice by AMC's adaptation.
The Walking Dead season 10 continues next Sunday, March 22nd with "What We Become" at 9pm/8c on AMC.