'The Walking Dead' season 7: Khary Payton explains relevance of Ezekiel and Shiva

With The "Walking Dead season 7" officially headed forward in a few months, fans have speculated on the supposed plot that left their mouths agape with both dismay and surprise. The Internet itself was flooded by some of the images that hint the possible events to transpire in the future.

Some spoilers for "The Walking Dead season 7" may be witnessed ahead, as well as "The Walking Dead season 6."

Fans of "The Walking Dead" were left disappointed with what happened during the last episode of the sixth season. Reddit users have consistently ranted on wanting to find out who the bat-wielding Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) squashed through his weapon of choice, Lucille.

So far, "The Walking Dead" and its host network AMC have been very careful on and off set, as to avoid teasers and spoilers on who the unfortunate recipient of the beating is. But despite the hatred that some fans had towards the cliffhanger from the said season, the San Diego Comic-Con 2016 did not disappoint with the latest trailer they showed.

One of the most notable scenes in the clip is the introduction of Ezekiel, played by actor Khary Payton. For those unaware of Ezekiel’s participation in "The Walking Dead" season 7, he is the leader of The Kingdom that was frequently mentioned during the sixth season.

Ezekiel dons his majestic tiger Shiva, who he explains the relevance and value of. Payton said in an interview with EW (via Screen Rant), “He’s in the business of not losing himself to his surroundings… He’s a guy who doesn’t think of [zombies] as having a physical disease. It’s more that their joy was robbed from them, and that’s he’s one of the few people left on earth whose joy hasn’t been robbed, and to him, that’s the difference between the living and the dead. If you’re still human, but you’re letting your joy be taken away from you, you might as well be one of those mindless creatures walking all over.”

Generally, Payton’s character has formed an untarnished bond with the tiger, coming from their strong history in the past. A former zookeeper, Ezekiel rescued Shiva after being attacked by the said animal and was raised in captivity.

"The Walking Dead season 7" looks to show the relevance of both Shiva and Ezekiel in the battle against Negan and the Saviors along the way, as mentioned in the novel. With hatred for the opposing faction, The Kingdom will then team up with Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) to vanquish the said pillagers.

A possible spawning of romance between Michonne(Danai Gurira) and Ezekiel could also be seen along the way, if AMC is to follow the same approach as the novel. "The Walking Dead season 7" is set to air by October for the US territories.

Watch: Watch: The Walking Dead season 7 trailer from San Diego Comic Con 2016

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