King Ezekiel

Charismatic leader of the Kingdom with a pet tiger.

King Ezekiel (full name in the television series: Ezekiel Sutton) is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead and the television series of the same name, on which he is portrayed by Khary Payton. He is the leader of the Kingdom, a community of survivors that joins with other communities in an all-out war against the Saviors and their leader, Negan. Ezekiel has a loyal pet tiger, Shiva, and rules by the consent of his community, who believe in his charismatic leadership.

Quick Facts

Series

The Walking Dead

First

Comic:
"Issue #108" (2013)
Television:
"The Well" (2016)

Last

Comic:
"Issue #145" (2015)
Television:
"Rest in Peace" (2022)

Portrayed by

Khary Payton

Creator

Robert Kirkman; Charlie Adlard

Adapted by

Scott M. Gimple (The Walking Dead)

Family

Shiva (pet tiger)

Spouse

Television:; Carol Peletier (ex-wife)

Facts from the source article.

Appearances

Before the dead rose, Ezekiel worked as both a zookeeper and a stage actor in Washington, D.C. As a child, he watched his father and grandmother each battle and survive thyroid cancer. He once found a tiger cub named Shiva injured in her enclosure, nursed her back to health, and formed a deep bond with her. When the outbreak began, he returned to the zoo and set her free, and the two have been inseparable ever since. Using his theatrical background, Ezekiel later founded a settlement called the Kingdom, a place rich in food and comfort. To lift his people’s spirits, he adopted the title of King Ezekiel and began speaking in a formal, Shakespearean style, acting as a generous feudal ruler. He assembled a council of advisors that included Richard, a hardened survivor; Jerry, his personal attendant and bodyguard; and Benjamin, the son of a close friend.

Ezekiel eventually befriended Paul “Jesus” Monroe, who invited the Kingdom to join a trade network that included Jesus’s own community, the Hilltop. Ezekiel soon learned that the Saviors were extorting the other groups for supplies. He decided to wait for the right moment to strike back against their leader, Negan. That moment arrived when Jesus brought Rick Grimes to meet Ezekiel, sharing intelligence on the Saviors’ numbers and the location of their main base. During the ensuing war, Ezekiel began a romantic relationship with Michonne. Two years after the conflict ended, the two broke up, though Ezekiel remained hopeful they might reunite. Later, during the Whisperers’ conflict, Alpha decapitated Ezekiel along with eleven others.

Development and reception

Khary Payton plays Ezekiel on The Walking Dead, first appearing in season seven. The character and his tiger, Shiva, debuted in the show’s season seven trailer at San Diego Comic-Con in 2016. Rolling Stone’s Noel Murray ranked King Ezekiel 9th among the 30 best Walking Dead characters, praising Payton’s theatrical style and the friendly atmosphere of The Kingdom as proof that survival doesn’t require violence and selfishness.