Here’s how and why Brandon managed to both commit a shocking double murder and croak it himself in The Walking Dead season 10 episode 5. With just three episodes under his belt, Brandon’s (Blaine Kern III) time on The Walking Dead was limited, but his last appearance had quite an impact. Like Aaron’s adopted daughter Gracie, Brandon was a Savior orphan Alexandria took under its wing after his parents died in the war against the Saviors. Unlike Gracie, Brandon was at an impressionable age when the Saviors were defeated and didn’t integrate so easily into Alexandria.
Up until The Walking Dead season 10 episode 5 (AKA “What It Always Is”), Brandon played a minor role and was mostly found overseeing Negan while he worked in Alexandria’s community gardens. However, after Negan escaped from the Alexandria jail in The Walking Dead season 10 episode 4, Brandon came to play a bigger role, with his final episode revealing his backstory and offering some compelling reasons for his messed-up state of mind.
While Negan was enjoying his newfound freedom in The Walking Dead season 10 episode 5, he was surprised by Brandon who had sneaked out of Alexandria to join him. Brandon revealed he had an unhealthy obsession with the Saviors and idolized Negan while bearing a major grudge against Rick Grimes. He’d also heard some pretty wild rumors – like that Negan shot Carl Grimes and that the Saviors used to rate female walkers on their hotness (eww) – and even went so far as to swipe Negan’s old leather jacket and fashion him a brand-new baseball bat in the style of Lucille.
It soon transpired Brandon was a pretty disturbed young man when he and Negan happened upon a mother and son duo named Amelia and Milo, who had been trying to survive on their own after their camp was overrun by walkers. Negan bonded with young Milo and promised the pair he’d take them to Hilltop where they’d be looked after, but those plans were thwarted when Brandon brutally killed Amelia and Milo thinking that doing so would impress his idol.
Surprise, surprise, Brandon’s ‘sacrifice’ did not impress the newly reformed Negan whatsoever and The Walking Dead season 10 episode 5 proved to be the young wannabe Savior’s last when Negan retaliated by brutally killing Brandon himself. Considering he slew a mother and her young son, some would say Negan killing Brandon was justified but the act also poses the question of whether Negan will have to face consequences for his actions. As of yet, it seems the people of Alexandria aren’t too perturbed by Brandon’s absence but with Negan returning to the community in The Walking Dead season 10 finale it looks like he might have to answer a few difficult questions when the eleventh and final season arrives.