The Walking Dead: Elizabeth Ludlow talks about The Saviors & All Out War

All Out War is heating up on The Walking Dead and it’s anyone’s war to win at this point. Savior Elizabeth Ludlow talked to UW about The Saviors and what happens after the war.

On The Walking Dead, The Saviors were caught unprepared by Rick and the alliance’s attack on The Sanctuary. After the walker herd swarmed the building they, and the workers, were forced to move up to the upper floors and try to conserve power.

And since Negan was busy trying to survive the onslaught the Saviors inside were left to try to manage the situation inside. Their supplies started running low after a day which showed they didn’t think that The Sanctuary would ever be vulnerable to attack.

When Negan was pinned down in the trailer with Father Gabriel the Saviors inside The Sanctuary had a moment of crisis as they tried to figure out what to do. And they had to deal with rising tensions between the workers of The Sanctuary and the remaining Saviors.

Recently Savior Elizabeth Ludlow, who plays Negan’s lieutenant Arat, sat down with me to talk about The Saviors relationship with Negan and what The Saviors will do if Negan loses the war with Rick and the other communities.

Did Negan Underestimate Rick?

Negan didn’t think that Rick and the alliance would attack Sanctuary with the force that they did, and he was surprised that they managed to push The Saviors out of Alexandria in The Walking Dead season 7 finale. So did Negan underestimate Rick and his will to fight back? Ludlow doesn’t think so.

She said that if Negan made a mistake in the opening shots of All Out War it was overestimating Dwight’s loyalty. Without Dwight Rick’s group would never have been able to pull off the attack on The Sanctuary. So, she said, Negan’s assumption that Dwight was totally loyal was really what made The Sanctuary vulnerable. Fear is a powerful motivator, but it doesn’t inspire loyalty.

The Best Leader For The Saviors

Negan was trapped in the trailer for a bit, and The Saviors inside were at loose ends a little not knowing what to do without him. When I asked her which Savior she thought would take over for Negan if he was killed she said:

"“If anyone was to take over for Negan it would be Simon. He is Negan’s right-hand man, after all. But if he doesn’t use the same fear-mongering tactics like Negan has who’s to say that the remaining Saviors would give him the same loyalty and respect they gave Negan? In which case I think people would form smaller factions, join the alliance, or just go their own ways.”"

For her character, Arat, killing is just a means to an end – survival. She said:
“If someone else stepped up and offered her safety and the means for survival in a society that didn’t require murder then, of course, she would take that option. I believe my character, like most human beings, isn’t inherently bad. She wants to live a relatively normal life at the end of the day. She’s not a serial killer.”

Negan And Rick’s Relationship

When asked if she thought that Negan regretted not killing Rick earlier she said probably not. Negan is the kind of person who thrives in an adversarial relationship with someone who is equal to him in strength, cunning, and strategy. She thinks that Negan’s rivalry with Rick gives him purpose and challenges him, and Negan likes a challenge. Their relationship is complicated for sure, but Negan does have respect for Rick as a worthy foe.

The Walking Dead; AMC; Elizabeth Ludlow as Arat /

Is Negan’s Brutality Necessary?

We talked about Negan’s rules and the brutal punishment for breaking those rules. When asked if Negan’s brutality, like killing Davey for attempting to rape Sasha, is necessary in order to keep order among the huge population in The Sanctuary she said:

"“The Saviors are a diverse group and within that group there are varying ideologies on morality and those ideologies don’t always align. Saviors like Davey are going to require different tactics if there is to be any illusion of order. Now I’m not saying that killing someone is the answer, but raping someone is going to require a harsher consequence than the punishment for someone who did something like steal food from the food supplies. So yes, I think that his brutality is appropriate to keep order.”"

If The Saviors Lose The War

At this point, it’s impossible to tell which side will come out victorious once the dust settles. Rick’s group managed to hit The Sanctuary hard. But The Saviors are going to be coming for the alliance just as hard in the mid-season finale. So what happens if Negan is killed or captured and The Saviors lose the war? Will they seek revenge and try to rebuild or just assimilate as best they can into the other groups?

Ludlow thinks that the Saviors who survive the war wouldn’t want to continue killing in his name. So they would probably join the alliance communities if Negan loses the war. People are the most valuable resource in The Walking Dead world and the Saviors have skills, so it’s likely that the other communities would want to keep them alive.

The Walking Dead Mid-Season Finale

It remains to be seen who will be left standing after The Saviors attack on Alexandria that is coming up in The Walking Dead mid-season finale. But one thing is for sure All-Out War is just beginning. And now Negan and The Saviors are going to show Rick and the alliance what their wrath looks like and what they can really do.

Next: Interview with Sabrina Gennarino of The Walking Dead

Huge thanks to Elizabeth Ludlow for talking with me about Arat and The Saviors! To stay current on her other projects, upcoming cons and appearances visit her website and follow her on Instagram @elizabethfaithludlow and on Twitter @elizabethludlow.

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The Walking Dead Elizabeth Ludlow talks about The Saviors and All Out War

By Sonya Iryna | Dec 4, 2017