What is the Wall of the Lost and what it could mean for King Ezekiel?

The Walking Dead has taken to social media each time a bonus season 10 episode airs with a teaser for season 11. This week the teaser was something that set comic fans on a whirlwind of emotions. Spoiler warning ahead, this article will contain a deep dive into one of the major events in the comic series during the Commonwealth arc and how it could unfold on The Walking Dead TV series.

The latest teaser for season 11 that will be releasing in the summer of 2021 contained a wall full of photos and a delicious view of a cake! There is no mistaking what this teaser is giving hints towards, which is the lost wall. In the comic series, Eugene, Yumiko, Magna, Princess, Siddiq, and Michonne took the journey to Commonwealth.

After a very dramatic introduction, much like the one on the tv series, these characters are immediately taken to the Commonwealth. This community is moving towards a normal society again. The Commonwealth has 50 thousand residents and many normal things viewers have today; think your classic “Main Street” stores as well as schools, sporting events, and even live entertainment.

Before actually making it to the community Lance Hornsby shows the group something right outside the city walls. Commonwealth calls this set up the wall of the lost. It is a huge board filled with photos. Each photo shows a different person that someone inside the walls is looking for.

King Ezekiel has faced incredible hardship during his time on The Walking Dead, will season 11 give him new hope in the form of a family member?

In the comics, this wall causes one of the biggest emotional responses from characters and fans alike as it is shown that Michonne is on this wall. Her photo has been greatly tended to as it’s wrapped in plastic to preserve its integrity. Written on the photo is “Have you seen my mom Michonne? If you have information, please contact Elodie at the bakery on 6th street.”

In the comic series, one of the major things Michonne struggles with is the loss of her ex-husband and her two daughters. At the start of the apocalypse, she tried and failed to find them. This is a huge reason she is the way she is in the comic series, so hardened and cut off emotionally from others.

After the losses of her romantic partners in the comics, finding one of her daughters, after all, that time is a massive high point in the comic series. When Michonne and Elodie reunite, Elodie is holding a cake. Considering this teaser shows a cake as well as a wall of photos, it appears The Walking Dead tv series will be getting their own version of this event!

Michonne in the TV series is a much different person than her comic book counterpart, and because of the fact she has no missing daughter and is not on this current journey, it means she cannot have this storyline. For this article’s sake, it will be assumed that one of the current people on this journey will be the one to take this storyline.

This means that Princess, Yumiko, Eugene, or King Ezekiel could be getting the surprise of a lifetime very soon! Considering Eugene is living in the moment and hoping to see Stephanie, it’s unlikely they distract him with a long-lost family member. This is also the case with Princess; if they stick with her comic story, she will be busy with newcomer Mercer!

This only leaves Yumiko and King Ezekiel. In Commonwealth, what you did before the apocalypse will greatly dictate how you are treated. Yumiko’s previous job as a Criminal Defense Lawyer will get her the same respect Michonne had in the comics as a Private Practice Lawyer. While this would indicate she could be on the wall of the lost and completely take Michonnes arc, using Yumiko could be a bit lackluster.

While Yumiko is a phenomenal character and totally worthy of a big reunion, one of the biggest things that made Michonne’s reunion so impactful is her character’s longevity in the series. We have seen Yumiko face loss, but in the TV series, she doesn’t hold a candle to what King Ezekiel has been through, and that is what makes him the best candidate for this storyline.

King Ezekiel has encountered heartbreak after heartbreak. He lost both his adopted sons and their whole family, Shiva, countless Kingdom soldiers, the Kingdom itself, and even felt the loss of divorce. Just when fans think The Walking Dead has thrown enough his way, he has to face cancer, something he mentions runs in this family. Before, it was beatable, but now he feels it’s a lost cause.

If anyone on this mission deserves the emotional high of finding a relative, it’s King Ezekiel. Right now, he truly believes his days are numbered because of his thyroid cancer. It would be fitting for him to receive hope in the form of reuniting with one of the family members he watched beat it, or really any family member.

When Ezekiel tells Siddiq he has thyroid cancer, he also tells him that his father and grandmother had it pre-apocalypse and won the battle. While Ezekiel mentions he has suffered loss like everyone else, he never details what happened to any of his family. So it’s possible he could reunite with a parent or sibling!

Unfortunately, The Walking Dead is ending with season 11, which makes Commonwealth the final arc. After everything King Ezekiel has been through, he deserves something to hold onto and cherish. Sometimes the connection a character truly needs isn’t a romantic one, and much like Michonne in the comics, King Ezekiel needs a family bond again. It would be nice to see him reunite with his father or mother again and be cared for in a nurturing way, much like he has cared for others on the show.

Are you a comic fan who is excited by the thought of getting the wall of the lost on screen? Who do you think should reunite with a family member in season 11 of The Walking Dead? Tweet me your thoughts @Mamadeadhead! Special thank you to all of my fellow King Ezekiel fans who helped me sort through Ezekiel’s family history.