The Walking Dead: Dead City Brings Back a Dead Character (and Lucille) for a Surprise Scene

An unexpected appearance in the latest episode of the Dead City spinoff series has brought back a beloved character from The Walking Dead, who met their demise long ago.

WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for the most recent episode of The Walking Dead: Dead City.

Last year marked the end of The Walking Dead after an impressive eleven-season run, but the franchise continues to thrive through its diverse spinoffs. Currently, fans are four episodes into the spinoff series The Walking Dead: Dead City, which chronicles the journey of Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Maggie (Lauren Cohan) in the ruins of Manhattan. While the spinoff primarily introduces new characters alongside Negan and Maggie, the return of older Walking Dead characters, including those who have passed away, remains a possibility.

This is precisely what unfolded in the fourth episode of Dead City. The episode featured a captivating flashback sequence that delved into Negan’s past before the clash between the Saviors and Rick’s group. While the primary purpose of the flashback was to provide further context to the relationship between Negan and the enigmatic Croat (Željko Ivanek), delving into the past allowed for the reappearance of characters from that era. Enter Simon, Negan’s former right-hand man portrayed by Steven Ogg. As reported by ScreenRant, the scene showcased Simon stepping up as Negan’s most trusted lieutenant following a conflict with the Croat over the tragic killing of a child.

The return of deceased characters for special appearances is not uncommon in The Walking Dead franchise. Even in the original series, flashbacks and hallucinations occasionally brought back characters from the dead. The continued inclusion of such special appearances in the spinoffs suggests that anyone from the past could potentially resurface in a similar manner. It’s important to note that Steven Ogg’s character, Simon, met his demise in season 8 of The Walking Dead.

The revival of deceased characters adds an entirely new dimension to the very concept of The Walking Dead. Moreover, there will be additional opportunities to bring back characters in the franchise beyond their appearances in Dead City. According to reports, a follow-up to Tales of the Walking Dead is currently in the planning stages. This anthology series spinoff could reintroduce characters from past seasons through standalone prequel stories.

“My plan for Tales of the Walking Dead was to have many more old characters featured,” revealed franchise executive Scott M. Gimple in a statement to AMC last year. “I hope we eventually get to do that, and I’m genuinely eager to explore other characters, mythologies, and situations. I hope these are just the beginning.”

He added, “We have dreams of more Tales episodes, limited series, or spinoffs. Right now, our focus is on these projects, but give us some time, and hopefully, we can delve into other characters. We are working on some in certain ways, but we’re not rushing them. First, we want to establish these shows and then expand the world again.”

You can stream The Walking Dead: Dead City on AMC+.