What was special about Beta (Ryan Hurst) from The Walking Dead?

Actor Ryan Hurst joined The Walking Dead series in season 9 as Beta, the second in command of Alpha's (Samantha Morton) skin-wearing Whisperers. He was an imposing figure, standing at 6'6" in a trench coat with a long beard, never mind the mask made of flesh. What was the mystery behind this character?

The Whisperers is a story arc comic fans were excited to see played out on screen. The menacing group wore skins of the undead to blend in and travel among herds of walkers without being detected. In season 9, Eugene (Josh McDermitt) was the first to hear whispers among a horde of the undead who were chasing him and Rosita (Christian Serratos). He heard them whisper, "Where are they? ... They must be close... Don't let them get away." This shocked many viewers who may have never heard of the Whisperers. Eugene would relay this information to the others, stating, "This wasn't a normal herd... They were whispering to each other."

The story of Beta and Alpha's meeting was shown in a flashback. He was living in an abandoned hospital where the undead version of his best friend roamed. When the walker attacks Alpha's daughter, Lydia, she kills it, enraging Beta. She calms him down and tries to talk him into leaving with them. Reluctant to leave his friend behind, she convinces him that he doesn't have to. He takes the skin off his friend's face to fashion his Whisperer mask. In doing so, he removes the ski mask he previously wore, revealing his identity to Alpha.

Why Beta never shows his face in The Walking Dead

Prior to the outbreak, Beta was known as Half Moon, a famous county musician. After the outbreak, he wore the ski mask to conceal his identity, then later the skin mask of his friend, of which he would later add Alpha's skin after her death. Several characters recognized him as Half Moon, including Alpha, Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), and Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus).

Some fun Half Moon easter eggs have appeared within The Walking Dead universe. In The Walking Dead, Beta finds a concert poster and album of Half Moon, of which he plays to draw the walkers to him. In "Here's Negan," Lucille (Hilarie Burton-Morgan) wears a Half Moon t-shirt. On Fear the Walking Dead and World Beyond, the singers album is seen, which features a picture of Half Moon.

The Walking Dead Supply Drop 12 was called the Half Moon Edition, a record-themed box. This included a Half Moon concert poster and the Half Moon Live in Concert album. The box also included a Barnacle Walker Candle and Eugene Porter Funko Pop (Bloody Version).

Below is the promotional video for the Half Moon Supply Drop Box.

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