Connie’s mission to defeat the Whisperers in The Walking Dead season 10

Connie has quickly become a fan favorite on The Walking Dead due to her stealth and caring nature. Season 10 looks to build on that as she focuses fully on ending the threat of the Whisperers once and for all.

Following the exit of Rick Grimes and the six-year time jump, viewers of The Walking Dead were introduced to the five characters of Magna’s group. It was Connie that immediately captured the hearts of fans as her loving relationship with sister Kelly was highlighted and we saw her skill at fighting walkers. She really established herself as a standout character that would not allow the fact that she is deaf to be something that holds her back. From what we’ve seen so far from her, Connie is one of the most capable survivors alive currently.

The second half of season 9 was largely important in establishing Connie as a protector and a defender. One of her defining moments in the series so far was rescuing the Whisperer baby from a pack of walkers when the mother abandoned him. This is where she really comes face-to-face with the brutality of Alpha and her followers.

Much of the remainder of the season follows Connie as she strikes up a relationship with Daryl. They develop an excellent dynamic as they work together to rescue Henry from Alpha and Beta at the Whisperer camp. Episode 913 is an especially noteworthy episode for them as they face off against Beta and a herd in an abandoned building. This really allowed us to see more of Connie as a fighter against the Whisperers, something that will surely factor into season 10 and the war.

In addition to six of her fellow co-stars, Lauren Ridloff was promoted to series regular status for the upcoming season. AMC recently released a character bio for Connie that hints at her future story for season 10:

"“Connie is a stealth fighter and remains ever dedicated to protecting her sister. She is open to accepting a new way of life and building friendships within the communities, but her focus on the Whisperers does not leave room for much else. Does she have tunnel vision in her mission or is it an excuse for her to distance herself from an expanded life.”"

There is a lot to unpack from this description of her upcoming character arc. First off, there is a direct mention of Connie protecting her sister. This may hint towards Kelly being placed in some kind of danger during the Whisperer conflict. It may also be that Connie takes drastic steps to assure that Kelly stays far away from the danger as a precaution, especially considering she herself has been face-to-face with the camouflaged soldiers.

There really seems to be an emphasis on Connie’s drive to defeat the Whisperers at all costs. We’ve seen her develop a relationship with Daryl and Dog, and the bio hints that we will see her open up to others more…but only to an extent. There’s a mention of her distancing herself, and there was a slight nod to that in the season 9 finale. Based on her conversation with Kelly in that episode, it seems as though she may have lost a child either before or during the apocalypse. This would undoubtedly cause her to have a difficult time connecting with others, similarly to Michonne.

Based on what we’ve seen from Connie thus far, she is someone who is extremely driven and isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. She also has a good heart and genuinely cares about people, which makes her perfect to be fighting on the front lines of the war against the Whisperers. She can tell that Alpha and her people are devoid of humanity and that they are a massive danger to the communities. In season 10, we just might see Connie step forward as the most active fighter of her own little group.

Fans of The Walking Dead quickly fell in love with Connie and it looks as though her upcoming story will further that love. Her skills will absolutely be needed on the battlefield when it comes time to fight the Whisperers and defend the communities. There may also be some time for Connie to heal and open herself to new friendships with the people that are part of this new civilization she finds herself living in.