The Walking Dead: Dead City introduced a unique zombie fight club, and Bruegel’s champion clearly had some irregularities, with its identity being revealed in “Feisty Friendly”. We first saw Kim Coates’ Bruegel in Dead City season 2’s premiere, which is also when we were introduced to the show’s Frankenstein zombie. Although details were fairly limited on what was so special about this walker, it instantly became clear that this was Bruegel’s ace in the hole, with Negan even commenting on the zombie’s size, making it more believable that it garnered an undefeated record inside the ring.

However, the Croat questioned the legitimacy of this undead warrior, curious about how a mindless being can have such quick reflexes and never lose based on sheer size alone. He even questioned if Bruegel injected the zombie with something to enhance its abilities, a technique we know is possible thanks to Daryl Dixon‘s zombie variants. Sadly, the truth about Dead City‘s Frankenstein zombie is far more tragic, as it isn’t actually dead. Instead, a human being is forced to fight for the Manhattan-based villain to ensure victory at any cost, and the gladiator happens to be someone close to Bruegel.

Bruegel’s Zombie Champion Was His Bodyguard From Before The Outbreak

The Villain Used His Bodyguard To Rig His Fighting Competition

After keeping the identity of Bruegel’s zombie fighter a secret for most of the episode, Dead City finally confirmed that the villain’s former bodyguard was also his zombie champion. “Feisty Friendly” opened with Bruegel feeding a rat to an unseen prisoner, and the final sequence tragically revealed that it was actually a human feasting on the animal, not a walker. The bombshell was a slow burner built throughout the entire episode, as Bruegel first mentioned having a bodyguard named Tony during his dinner party that he threw for some of Manhattan’s most influential figures.

While his story made it seem like this bodyguard was no longer around, episode 4’s final scene featured Tony being kept in rough conditions, where Bruegel confirmed to the audience that his former employee had become his champion. It’s unclear why Tony would agree to this, but it could be out of blind loyalty, or a result of Bruegel exploiting him, which seems the more likely. Despite his limited screen time, it has already become abundantly clear that Kim Coates’ character is more cunning and ruthless than he looks, hence how he could have convinced Tony to fight for him.

Dead City has already featured some unorthodox relationships, as Hershel working with the Dama in The Walking Dead spinoff makes it clear anything can happen. Therefore, Tony continuing to serve Bruegel without alerting anyone isn’t too far-fetched, despite his awful situation. Still, I’m not holding my breath about the show following up on Tony’s story, but if his tragic fate of being forced to cover himself in guts and fight zombies wasn’t bad enough, his final moments really sealed the deal.

Why Bruegel Kills Tony At The End Of The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 2, Episode 4

Negan Found Out About Bruegel’s Secret, Meaning The Villain No Longer Had A Use For Tony

Despite remaining loyal to Bruegel and helping him find so much success, Tony was betrayed by the villain at the end of “Feisty Friendly”. After praising his fighting skills and claiming they’d had a good run, Bruegel mercilessly cut Tony’s throat, killing his former bodyguard without a second thought, and his reasoning was cold but simple. Negan and Bruegel’s bet saw Tony facing off against a zombie covered in oil, making it hard for him to grab his opponent. Worried Tony might lose, Bruegel started to interfere, prompting Negan to do the same.

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

Just as Negan had Bruegel’s champion in a position to be killed by his chosen fighter, the former Savior leader looked into Tony’s eyes, realizing he was a human. He proceeded to save Tony’s life, subsequently losing the bet; however, Negan seemingly informed Bruegel that he knew the truth, who decided not to claim his winning in order to preserve his secret. While Negan is the only other person who seems to know about the Frankenstein zombie’s true identity, Bruegel clearly wasn’t willing to take any risks, telling Tony “You’re no longer of any use to me.“

Considering they had presumably known each other for over 20 years, it was an extremely cruel way to end Tony’s life, but it helps define exactly who Bruegel is.

Considering they had presumably known each other for over 20 years, it was an extremely cruel way to end Tony’s life, but it helps define exactly who Bruegel is. Despite stripping his bodyguard of his humanity, Bruegel told Tony “I’ve been good to you, no?” while also claiming “I have given you the most valuable thing of all… a purpose.” His manipulation and lack of accountability prove that Bruegel is willing to use anyone, even those most loyal to him, hence why he was more than happy to kill Tony in Dead City season 2.