The Walking Dead can learn a lesson from The Dark Knight
There’s a line in “The Dark Knight” that really resonates with The Walking Dead, reminding us of the fine line a “hero” walks in the zombie apocalypse.
I’m not sure that The Walking Dead has seen a villain as sinister as the Joker from the Batman universe, but we have seen a few people who have come close. In the movie The Dark Knight, soon to be doomed district attorney Harvey Dent tells Bruce Wayne that “You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become a villain.” He doesn’t realize that he’s talking to Batman, of course, and he doesn’t know that he’s destined to become the janus-faced villain Two Face. But the quote rings true in the world of The Walking Dead, where people walk a fine line every day in order to survive.
Batman comes close to crossing several lines over the course of The Dark Knight as he faces off against his greatest foe yet: The Joker. The Joker is so dangerous because he gleefully jumps back and forth over that Line That Must Never Be Crossed. Rick has faced several struggles like that over the course of seven seasons, which begs the question of whether you’re still a hero, or if over the course of time you become a villain because you end up crossing lines.
Looking at The Walking Dead’s pantheon of villains, you see people who toe the line. If left alone, the Governor could have been a benevolent ruler. It was only when he felt Woodbury’s needs were challenged that he attacked. Negan is not a fan of violence for the sake of violence, and he reminds everyone that the effect is very much a function of the cause when he acts.
The entire Alexandria gang has been faced with situations that force them to cross the line to survive, but ultimately they remain the heroes because of their original intent. Killing is done in order to protect lives, not as a sport.
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Harvey Dent’s words have a deeper meaning and a thinly-veiled warning for those who try to keep doing good in the face of insurmountable odds: Even the heroes can turn into villains under the right circumstances. As All Out War approaches, it’s important for the group to continue to remember the mission lest they lose themselves to the wrong side of history.