Lance Hornsby

Deputy governor and director of operations for the Commonwealth.

Lance Hornsby is a fictional character appearing in both the comic book series The Walking Dead and its television adaptation, where actor Josh Hamilton plays the role.

In the comic books, Lance serves as the deputy governor of the Commonwealth.

On the television show, his story unfolds across Season 11. After Eugene attempts to secretly use Commonwealth radios to contact his group, he, Princess, and Ezekiel are arrested and face deportation. Stephanie calls in a favor from Lance to secure their release. Lance later tells Yumiko that becoming a legal counselor for Pamela Milton's cabinet could free Tomi and her friends from community service. When Eugene and Stephanie save Sebastian Milton from walkers, Sebastian is ungrateful, leading to a fight where Eugene punches him. Lance and Mercer arrive, and Lance orders Eugene jailed unless he reveals Alexandria's location.

Lance eventually brings Eugene and the Commonwealth Army to Alexandria, offering aid and residency. Six months later, he leads the Army against Maggie at the Hilltop. Months after that, Carol helps Lance find wine for Pamela's masquerade ball, striking a deal: she works for him in exchange for Ezekiel's cancer surgery. Lance later enlists Carol to handle a farmer named Moto, while Eugene discovers that "Stephanie" is actually Shira, one of Lance's spies, used to locate the Coalition for Lance's ambitions. Lance manipulates Eugene into silence.

Lance leads Pamela to the Coalition communities to negotiate trade, but Maggie rejects his offer. Pamela allows him to keep his deal with Alexandria but warns him not to overreach. Lance arranges Ezekiel's surgery, but secretly uses the Alexandria work to illegally ship weapons. When a shipment is attacked, he sends former CIA assassin Toby Carlson to infiltrate Riverbend and kill everyone to retrieve the weapons. The Riverbend residents defeat Carlson's forces, and Lance loses contact. Carol confronts him about Sebastian's heist, and Lance admits he knew and was covering it up.

After the Riverbend failure, Lance forces an inspection of the Hilltop. Maggie allows it, but when Lance threatens her son Hershel, Daryl, Maggie, and Elijah force him away at gunpoint. Lance locates Leah Shaw, the real thief, and hires her as an assassin. He then orders his men to kill Daryl, Aaron, Gabriel, and Maggie, but they anticipate the ambush and kill his men. Daryl kills Leah and grazes Lance's face with a bullet. Enraged, Lance orders his forces to take Alexandria, Hilltop, and Oceanside by force, flipping a coin to decide the fate of the latter's residents. He then hunts Daryl's group through an abandoned city, ordering his subordinates to go after the group's children.

Quick Facts

Series

The Walking Dead

First

Comic:
"Issue #175" (2018)
Television:
"Out of the Ashes" (2021)

Last

Comic:
"Issue #192" (2019)
Television:
"Rest in Peace" (2022)

Portrayed by

Josh Hamilton

Facts from the source article.

Television series

In the episode "Out of the Ashes", Eugene communicates with Stephanie via radio, but she explains that the radios are government property and authorization is difficult. They devise a secret plan to use the radios, but after contacting Rosita, they are cut off and arrested. Eugene, Princess, and Ezekiel face deportation from the Commonwealth until Stephanie calls in a favor from Lance to rescue them. In "Promises Broken", Lance tells Yumiko that becoming a legal counselor for Pamela Milton's cabinet could allow her to free Tomi and her friends from community service.

Later, Eugene and Stephanie save Sebastian Milton and his girlfriend from walkers, but Sebastian is ungrateful; an argument leads Eugene to punch him. Mercer and Lance arrive and take Eugene into custody after Sebastian accuses him of attacking. Lance orders Eugene to reveal Alexandria's location or remain imprisoned. In "No Other Way", Lance brings Eugene to Alexandria with the Commonwealth Army and offers the community help and residency.

Six months later, Lance stands with the army at Hilltop facing Maggie. In "New Haunts", Lance prepares for Pamela's masquerade ball; Carol helps him find wine and later offers to work for him in exchange for Ezekiel's cancer surgery, which Lance accepts. In "Rogue Element", Lance enlists Carol to handle a farmer named Moto. Eugene's investigation into Stephanie's disappearance reveals that Lance leads a rogue element within the Commonwealth.

Lance discloses that "Stephanie" is actually Shira, one of his spies, and that he used Eugene to locate the Coalition for his own ambitions, then manipulates Eugene into silence.

Development and reception

Josh Hamilton was cast as Lance Hornsby, the deputy governor and director of operations to the Commonwealth. In a review of "Out of the Ashes", Erik Kain for Forbes noted that before entering the Commonwealth, Eugene and his friends watch an orientation video featuring Lance discussing the wonders of the utopia. Alex McLevy for The A.V. Club commented that the Commonwealth remains interesting and that with Lance personally involved, viewers may see how the society's power players operate. Ron Hogan for Den of Geek described Lance as a "slimy-smooth pitchman" whose presentation of Beaver Cleaver Americana seems blind to reality, and praised Josh Hamilton's performance in the introductory video as raising alarm bells despite the idyllic imagery.