With The Walking Dead killing off one of its most exciting antagonists, the franchise desperately needs to find a new main villain. Although there has been no confirmation, rumors of a Walking Dead crossover show or a potential twelfth season have circulated ever since the original series came to an end, setting up another chapter for the central survivors. Rick and Michonne's return only makes the prospect of a new collaborative project all the more exciting, as seeing everyone reunite after so many years would be extremely nostalgic, but the franchise needs a strong villain to make this work.
While it seemed like Daryl Dixon may have presented the perfect candidate, they were unfortunately killed off during season 2, leaving the zombie universe without an overarching antagonist. Considering how important The Walking Dead's best villains have been to the story and helping the main characters develop, it's clear the series is at its peak when there's a major threat opposing the heroes, making the lack of viable enemies a real issue. Therefore, setting up a new antagonist is pivotal to The Walking Dead's future projects after Daryl Dixon squandered the franchise's strongest antagonist in years.
The Walking Dead Doesn't Have An Obvious Main Villain After Genet's Death
Genet Had The Potential To Become The Franchise's Overarching Villain
Genet's surprising exit felt like it came prematurely, meaning The Walking Dead now lacks a central villain. Having been presented as the main threat in Daryl Dixon since the first season, Genet met her end in a surprisingly simple fashion as Daryl and Carol were able to inject her with a virus that quickly killed her. Despite having an army of soldiers at her disposal, Pouvoir's leader traveled with just a few men to try and capture the show's protagonists, which proved to be a fatal mistake. Now, the zombie universe is without a serious antagonist going forward.
Genet's huge army gave her control over near enough the entirety of France, suggesting she could have filled the franchise's current villain gap before her departure.
Alongside Genet's slightly disappointing Walking Dead death, the CRM was defeated in The Ones Who Live, leaving the Dama and the Croat as the only villains left standing in the ongoing spinoffs. Although they fit Dead City's story well, the duo's impact is limited to New York and they even needed Negan to truly seize power over the area, suggesting they aren't menacing enough to become the franchise's overarching evil. In comparison, Genet's huge army gave her control over near enough the entirety of France, indicating that she could have filled the franchise's current villain gap before her departure.
Thankfully, there may still be an answer to the villain crisis despite Genet's death, as one unfinished storyline means the central survivors could have a forgotten enemy return in the proposed twelfth season.
The Walking Dead Season 12 May Have Already Set Up The Franchise's Next Main Villain
The Commonwealth Learned About A Mysterious Villain Group That Was Never Fully Dealt With
Despite having numerous villains throughout the final season, The Walking Dead's eleventh outing didn't have the sort of overarching antagonist that rivaled Negan or The Governor, but it did set up a greater threat. Lance Hornsby and Pamela Milton's dubious relationship with other areas wasn't explored in full, but "Outpost 22" revealed there was a mysterious location called Designation 2 that survivors were taken to and never seen again. What this place is and its arrangement with the Commonwealth still remains unclear even after the finale, but that doesn't mean the franchise is done with this storyline completely.
The Commonwealth sent people via train to this hidden group, and although the central characters were able to overthrow the Commonwealth's hierarchy and make the community more peaceful, Designation 2 still exists. Therefore, revealing the truth about them and having Designation 2 potentially attack the main characters could set up a crossover. Additionally, the secret villain group could be much larger than anticipated, meaning Rick may have to get the newly reformed CRM involved to even the playing field. Regardless, Designation 2 seems like The Walking Dead's best chance at finding a new villain, which the franchise must capitalize on.
Genet Could Have Been A Bigger Deal For The Walking Dead Universe
Her Influence Over France Could Have Blended Into America
Given how much influence Genet had over France before her death, she could have been a much bigger deal in The Walking Dead universe if given the chance. Alongside having a huge army at her disposal, Pouvoir's leader was able to turn regular people and zombies into variants, making her even more dangerous than most traditional villains. Her assault on the Nest during Daryl Dixon season 2's fourth episode proved the sort of devastation she can cause, as her modified zombies tore through the settlement and caused numerous casualties, making Genet's methods of attack extremely hard to counter.
Had she survived Daryl Dixon season 2's ending, the story would likely have taken a completely different direction, and she may have even taken her faction to America. Pouvoir already had ships going back and forth from Europe to North America, hence how Daryl ended up going to France. Therefore, Genet wouldn't have given up the pursuit of Laurent even if he escaped the country, potentially setting up a war between Pouvoir and the Commonwealth, and assuming she was willing to use her large army of soldiers and zombie variants, the results could be catastrophic for the main survivors.
Without much time to prepare, the Commonwealth can easily be overrun, which The Walking Dead season 11's ending proved. However, knowing how great the central characters' survival skills are, many of them would likely escape the chaos and end up fleeing to an allied community, potentially getting the Civic Republic involved. Either way, a war with Genet would lead to her becoming the franchise's biggest villain in years and there is no doubt she would have been a captivating enemy, proving she had much more to offer the zombie universe.
The Walking Dead's Real Main Villains Didn't Last Very Long
The CRM Was Defeated Quickly Despite Being Built Up For Years
After years of build-up, it seemed like the CRM was being positioned as The Walking Dead's real villains, but their tenure was a lot shorter than expected. Having been referenced in the main show, the CRM was given a proper introduction in The Walking Dead World Beyond, adding plenty of hype to the group's role in The Ones Who Live. The Civic Republic was also presented as the largest known community in the entire franchise, and with the CRM having a secretly sinister mission, the military faction looked like they would be a problem for years to come.
Unfortunately, despite Rick spending almost a decade in CRM captivity, he was able to swiftly take down the group once reunited with Michonne, and the duo liberated the military faction. Although the CRM is still active, they are no longer villains, meaning the group only had one real season with the central characters before being defeated. Considering the villains looked like they would be an even more menacing threat than the Saviors were back in seasons 7 and 8, it is wild to think that most central characters don't even know the CRM exists.
All three of The Ones Who Live 's main villains (Major General Beale, Pearl Thorne, and Jadis) died in the spinoff's final two episodes.
All the references and Easter Eggs that appeared throughout The Walking Dead's 11 seasons came to very little in the end, as it seems impossible for the CRM to become the same sort of antagonists that they were in The Ones Who Live. As a result, their evil plans being foiled within six episodes leaves the franchise back at square one when it comes to building up a high-level villain - especially after Genet's death - putting even more pressure on The Walking Dead's next antagonist.
