The recent sneak peek of the finale of The Walking Dead revealed, aside from the return of Maggie, a mysterious figure armed with exotic weaponry whose features were hidden behind an iron mask. The veiled fighter was encountered by Aaron and Alden, who had evidently escaped from the Whisperers and efficiently dispatched a few of them, only to meet this apparent threat.
It’s clear the character isn’t one of the current antagonists given his mask of elemental metal rather than rotting skin, and is most likely someone new to the series yet to be cast, similar to how Michonne was portrayed by an anonymous stand-in shrouded in shadow in the season 2 finale before Danai Gurira was added to the series roster.
One possibility of his identity is Trey Barker, usually just referred to as Barker. He never appeared in the comics, but was first introduced in tie-in novel Rise of the Governor, which charted the eponymous despot’s journey towards Woodbury and descent into madness. Barker was one of a group of ruthless and sadistic National Guardsmen who ruled Woodbury with brutal martial law before the arrival of the Governor and became a prisoner after he took control of the town.
Barker was also imported into the mobile game Road to Survival, where he’s seen with a hood over his head and a scarf covering his entire face apart from a narrow slit that exposes his eyes, a look that gives an overall impression similar to the mask seen in the clip. Most significantly, he can dual-wield a pair of serrated sickles distinctly similar to those seen in the hands of the enigmatic warrior.
There’s no official confirmation of who the character seen in the clip actually is, but the distinctive weapons being brandished would be a hell of a coincidence if it were someone else. In the novels though, Barker dies before the Atlanta survivors arrive in Woodbury, so if he is to become a part of The Walking Dead going forwards, any story featuring him will be something new.
