Despite The Walking Dead having countless capable survivors, very few of them were famous before the outbreak, but Dead City just confirmed another villain used to have a pretty big profile. Despite Beta being one of The Walking Dead‘s most dangerous characters, he wasn’t always a sinister killer, as he once had a successful music career prior to the apocalypse. It was a surprising reveal that added a extra layers to his character shortly before his death, but it also raised the question of whether the series has any other famous survivors still kicking around in the zombie universe.

Interestingly, Dead City confirmed that this is indeed the case, as one of Manhattan’s biggest villains used to be pretty well-known. Kim Coates’ introduction as Bruegel in The Walking Dead spinoff has been nothing short of fascinating, and his extravagant nature would have you believe he might be the famous one, but this hasn’t been confirmed. Bruegel clearly had some sort of profile given he was wealthy and had a bodyguard, but Dead City season 2 revealed that there is actually another prolific villain who had a notable occupation before the world fell apart, with one survivor even recognizing her.

The Dama Was Famous Before The Walking Dead’s Zombie Outbreak

The Villain Was A Theater Critic Before The World Fell Apart

Although she wasn’t exactly an A-list celebrity, the Dama was a relatively big deal in the world of theater critics, so much so that Benjamin Pierce recognized her while researching the old world. While Bruegel and the Dama’s faction sat down to share a meal, Pierce reiterated his point from a previous episode about the Dama looking familiar, but this time, he remembered where he’d seen her. The young historian explained how she used to be “the critic” and claimed she could “make or break careers“, suggesting the villain had a lot of influence on the entertainment industry.

This helps us understand why she loves art so much while also explaining why the Dama’s relationship with Hershel in Dead City is so important. She is used to being an important figure who has an eye for talent, and her previous career makes her belief in Hershel all the more crucial to the story. Pierce even stated that “she basically ran the city“, a clear nod to her current position, and the story about the Dama biting a writer during an altercation is potentially an attempt to highlight that she can lash out at any moment.

Her previous career seems to have more of an influence on who she was after the outbreak, as opposed to Beta’s background, which was a little more random. Still, her history feels believable and helps flesh out the world of The Walking Dead, as it makes sense that some famous figures would have survived, but it’s also interesting that the central survivors haven’t come across more famous faces like the Dama and Beta.

Why Aren’t There More Famous People In The Walking Dead?

The Rich & Famous Surely Would Have Had More Resources To Survive

Considering the vast number of locations The Walking Dead has explored in America as well as Europe, it seems bizarre that the show hasn’t featured more famous survivors. Despite the Dama being well-known, her fame was limited to a more niche audience, and while Beta seemed a little more popular, the franchise has yet to feature a name that almost every survivor knows. On paper, the upper class should have had a slight advantage in the apocalypse by having access to more advanced technology or even people willing to protect them for financial gain in the early stages.

The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 2 Episodes
Release Date

Episode 1: “Power Equals Power”
May 4, 2025

Episode 2: “Another Shitty Lesson”
May 11, 2025

Episode 3: “Why Did the Mainlanders Cross the River?”
May 18, 2025

Episode 4: “Feisty Friendly”
May 25, 2025

Episode 5: “The Bird Always Knows”
June 1, 2025

Episode 6: “Bridge Partners are Hard to Come by These Days”
June 8, 2025

Episode 7: “Novi Dan, Novi Početak”
June 15, 2025

Episode 8: “If History Were a Conflagration”
June 22, 2025

Instead, it seems like almost everyone with a big profile is gone based on the lack of celebrities. Having a famous actor or musician involved with the main communities would add a slightly different dynamic to the series, especially if they had become a completely different person after the apocalypse like Beta. Unfortunately, it seems like very few established names utilized their wealth and influence to make it far in the new world, and The Walking Dead‘s failure to explore such a unique storyline feels like a missed opportunity that could have been extremely entertaining.