Honestly, walking into a show like The Walking Dead in its seventh season is basically like showing up to a party right after the cops left and everyone is crying in the kitchen. The mood was grim. Rick Grimes was broken. Glenn and Abraham were... well, gone in the most brutal way possible. Fans were actually turning off their TVs because the "misery porn" factor had hit an all-time high.
Then came the guy with the tiger.
When Khary Payton joined The Walking Dead as King Ezekiel, it felt like someone finally cracked a window in a room that had been smelling like rot for years. He wasn't just another survivor with a dirty face and a scowl. He was a guy in a breastplate, holding a scepter, speaking like he just stepped out of a Shakespearean park production. It was weird. It was colorful. And frankly, it was exactly what the series needed to keep from collapsing under its own weight.
The Man Behind the Dreadlocks: Who is Khary Payton?
Before he was the high-born ruler of The Kingdom, Khary Payton was already a legend—you just might not have known his face. If you grew up watching cartoons or playing video games, he’s been the voice in your head for decades. He’s Cyborg. "Booyah!" That’s him. He’s also Aqualad in Young Justice and Rafiki in The Lion Guard.
The dude has range.
Born in Augusta, Georgia, Payton didn't just fall into the role of a king. He spent years honing his craft in theater. That classical training is why the character of Ezekiel works. If you put a lesser actor in that wig and told them to talk about "fair queens" and "vile knaves," it would have been laughable. But Payton understood the assignment: Ezekiel isn't a crazy person; he’s an actor playing a role to give his people a reason to keep living.
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He actually auditioned via tape. He didn't even meet the producers in person initially. He just recorded a five-page monologue, channeled that "hope business" energy he always talks about, and landed the biggest live-action gig of his life.
Why Khary Payton in The Walking Dead Changed the Game
The introduction of the Kingdom was a massive tonal shift. Up until that point, survival in the apocalypse was mostly about not being eaten or not being beaten to death by a guy with a baseball bat. Ezekiel brought the idea of civilization back to the table. Not just "we have walls," but "we have culture."
The "Fake It Til You Make It" Philosophy
There’s a scene in the episode "The Well" where Ezekiel drops the act for Carol. It’s one of the best moments in the entire series. He admits he was just a zookeeper who did some community theater. He saw that people were terrified and needed a hero, so he became one.
Think about that. In a world where everyone else was becoming monsters to survive, Ezekiel chose to become a fairytale.
The Shiva Factor
We have to talk about the tiger. Shiva was a CGI masterpiece (mostly), but the bond felt real because of how Payton played it. He wasn't just a guy with a pet; he was a man who had saved a life and found a soulmate in a 400-pound predator. When Shiva died in Season 8, it wasn't just a "cool animal" leaving the show. It was the death of Ezekiel’s shield. Watching Payton’s face as he realized he couldn't save her was gut-wrenching. It broke the King, and we felt every bit of it.
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The Controversy: Was Ezekiel’s Ending Enough?
By the time the series finale "Rest in Peace" aired in 2022, Ezekiel had been through the ringer. He lost his tiger. He lost his adopted son, Henry. He lost his marriage to Carol. He even faced a battle with thyroid cancer—a nod to his family history—in the middle of a literal war.
But was his ending satisfying?
If you ask Khary Payton himself, the answer is a bit complicated. In interviews, he’s been pretty vocal about feeling like there was more to explore. He once told Insider that he wasn't entirely satisfied with how things wrapped up. "I wish that—there are so many places and situations that I would've loved to explore," he noted.
Honestly, he’s right. Ezekiel ended up as a leader in the Commonwealth, which makes sense for his character arc, but we missed out on some of the deeper "King" lore. There’s a lot of meat left on that bone.
What’s Next for Khary Payton?
Even though the main show is over, the TWD Universe is basically a hydra. Cut off one head, three spinoffs grow back. Payton has mentioned he’d be down for a prequel. Imagine a Better Call Saul style show that follows Ezekiel from the zoo to the throne. Seeing him navigate those early days of the outbreak, finding Shiva, and convincing a bunch of survivors to call him "Your Majesty" would be gold.
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For now, you can find him:
- Voicing Black Samson in the hit Amazon series Invincible.
- Continuing his legacy as Cyborg in various DC projects.
- Appearing at conventions, where he’s known for being one of the most genuinely kind humans in the circuit.
Khary Payton in The Walking Dead wasn't just a casting choice; it was a lifeline for a show that was drowning in darkness. He reminded the audience (and the characters) that even when the world ends, you can still choose to be something grand.
If you're looking to dive deeper into the lore, your best bet is to go back and re-watch Season 7, Episode 2. Pay close attention to the way his voice shifts when he's talking to the public versus when he's alone with Carol. That’s a masterclass in acting. Also, keep an eye on AMC+; with the way they are churning out "Tales of the Walking Dead" episodes, a King Ezekiel origin story is never truly off the table.
Go watch his performance in Astronaut: The Last Push if you want to see what he can do with a small budget and a lot of heart. It’s a completely different vibe but shows the same emotional depth he brought to the Kingdom. Over and out.