"The Croat" (real name unknown) is a main character and an antagonist, as well as a survivor of the outbreak in AMC's The Walking Dead: Dead City. He is a notorious killer and leads the Burazi, a group of survivors responsible for kidnapping Hershel. He serves as the primary antagonist of Season 1.

Overview[]

The Croat is a brutal and sadistic man, and even over a decade after the defeat of the Saviors, he appears to continue to use their tactics and methods against other communities. According to Negan himself, "let's just say there were a lot of psychos in my crew back then, but he always stood out as being an exceptionally insane son of a bitch." The Dama also notes his insanity, commenting that it's good to know that Negan isn't just a product of the Croat's psychosis.

Despite Negan's attempt to kill him, the Croat still holds him in high regard, reacting joyfully to seeing Negan again and brushing off any concerns that the Croat might want revenge upon him for Negan trying to kill him and blowing off the Croat's right ear. Furthermore, he seems to regard Negan as some kind of father figure, saying that when he meets the Dama, it would be like "Mommy and Daddy meeting".

The Croat has no problem with murdering children as well, as he brutally tortured the Kingdom scout, and was ready to torture Hershel before being stopped by one of his own men after one of his prisoners escaped.

Pre-Apocalypse[]

Croatia[]

Nothing is known about the Croat's life prior to or as the outbreak began. Based on his name, his accent and the fact that he speaks Croatian, it's very likely that he was born in Croatia. He had a wife named Mia, daughters named Nika and Hana and a son named Filip. The Croat was previously a scientist, specializing in alternative energy sources.

United States of America[]

He eventually moved to the United States.

Post-Apocalypse[]

Virginia[]

Early in the outbreak, the Croat and his family took shelter in a post office. Needing food, the Croat went out scavenging, only to discover that his wife Mia, daughters Nika and Hana and his son Filip had fallen victim to cannibalism from another starving family.

Afterwards, the Croat met Negan Smith who recognized that the man had been through "some really bad shit. Worst shit imaginable." Negan took him in and befriended the Croat, keeping him from committing suicide. The two became close friends with the Croat coming to call Negan "buraz", meaning "brother." The Croat became one of the first Saviors and displayed a talent for reading people, toying with them and pulling them apart, causing Negan to utilize his talents as a torturer for his enemies. The Croat also clashed with Simon, refusing to listen to the other man's orders. However, Negan realized that the Croat was a monster when he brutally tortured and murdered a young girl against Negan's direct orders, someone who Negan believed to be just a drifter but who claimed under torture to actually be a scout for the Kingdom. As a result, Negan realized that the Croat was a rabid dog that had to be put down and he tried to kill his former friend. However, Negan missed, only blowing off the Croat's right ear and the Croat escaped with his life.

Manhattan, New York[]

The Croat eventually relocated to Manhattan and founded the Burazi. Using his experience as a scientist specializing in alternative energy, the Croat used methane from decomposing dead bodies to create fuel for his people. Ultimately, the Croat turned the Burazi into a twisted version of the Saviors with Madison Square Garden acting as his version of the Sanctuary and "people are a resource" coming to refer to how dead bodies could be turned into fuel.

During this time, the Croat encountered another former Savior named Jerome on the mainland who informed the Croat of the war between the Saviors and the Militia and the subsequent fall of the Sanctuary. The Croat felt guilty that he wasn't there to help his friend against the communities and correctly guessed that Simon had caused a lot of damage with his refusal to listen to Negan's orders.

Season 1[]

"Old Acquaintances"[]

Maggie seeks out Negan's help after the Croat raids the Bricks and kidnaps her son Hershel, taking him to Manhattan, identifying the man as a former Savior by his use of the Saviors' distinctive whistle during the raid. The two form an alliance to travel to Manhattan and rescue Hershel from the Croat.

Tied to a chair, Hershel is visited by the Croat who compliments the boy on acting tough like his mother and maybe his father. The Croat questions if Hershel ever met the man who killed his father, telling the boy that Glenn's killer Negan had lived among Maggie's people for years. The Croat asks what Hershel knows about Negan, but Hershel defiantly tells his captor that "you can sit there in the dark trying to freak me out, but I'm not saying shit," amusing the Croat. Going through some nearby drawers, the Croat tells Hershel that he was fascinated by Manhattan as a boy, especially how there was so many people on such a tiny island, noting that ironically the city is much more alive in death than it ever was before the outbreak "because the struggle galvanizes you. Shows you the strength you had inside you all along. You know, I think you're gonna like it here." The Croat menacingly rest a blade on Hershel's leg, apparently about to torture him, before being interrupted by one of his men with the news that someone has gotten away.

On the roof, a shirtless man covered in slashes and other signs of torture desperately looks for an escape route. Telling the man that there's nowhere to go, the Croat asks the man for what he wants to know about his people. The man tries to escape across a zipline to another building, but the Croat cuts the zipline, sending the man falling to his death. The Croat sadistically makes a joke about the man's 20 story fall being a new record, then plainly states "what a pity."

"Who's There?"[]

Perlie continues to struggle in his net as four walkers surround him. The Croat drives up with two Burazi and uses the spikes on his helmet to put down the walkers with headbutts. The Croat has Perlie cut down and, after disarming the marshal, tells him with a laugh "don't worry. You're safe now." As the Croat leaves, the Burazi drag Perlie away.

"People Are a Resource"[]

Inside Madison Square Garden, a captive Perlie Armstrong is removed from the back of the ambulance. The Croat welcomes Perlie who is led past where some of the Burazi are loading a body into a fluid filled tank. Handcuffed to a railing in a lavish prison cell, Perlie watches as some of the Croat's people practice near a large ring in the center of the arena.

In Perlie’s lavish cell, a Buraz delivers two plates of dinner, a bottle of wine and turns on a record player before standing off to the side. The Croat enters the room and joyfully greets Perlie, turning on a heat lamp and the lights. The Croat invites Perlie to dine with him, reassuring the marshal that "it isn't magic, I promise. Only science. That was my profession. Alternative energy. So naturally, when I first arrived here, I couldn't help asking myself what is the most abundant natural resource on this island? Death. The sewers are full of it. The bodies break down and produce methane and because the intermolecular forces are weak, the gas can be pressurized into a liquid fuel at regular temperature. Amazing, isn't it? What we have built here is a sanctuary. And all are welcome." The Croat pushes a handcuff key across the table towards Perlie, and asks why he is here and who he brought with him. The Croat can't offer Perlie refuge until he no longer poses a threat because, above all in this world, we must stay safe.

The Croat suddenly discovers that the meat on his dish is rotten with larva inside of it and shoves himself away from the table. The Croat is concerned because rotten meat can host all kinds of bacteria and, without the treatment that humanity once had, it can be deadly. The Croat demands to know why the Buraz would serve him rotten meat before interrupting his explanation and forcing him to swallow the handcuff key. The Croat furiously shoves the Buraz's head and neck several times into the railing, breaking the man's neck, killing him, before shoving him over the edge to the arena floor below and leaving.

At the arena, a cheering crowd chants "doma smo" or "we are home" in Croation and the Croat announces that they are celebrating the Buraz that Negan killed because death is no end, but rather it is their fuel "because people are a resource." Cheering, some of the crowd take hits off of the methane coming from the corpse and the Croat forces Perlie to take one too before shoving him into the ring.

A disorientated Perlie is chained to a post in the ring and the zombified Buraz that the Croat had killed earlier, his head tilted at an angle from his broken neck, is shoved in with him. Dodging the walker a few times, Perlie manages to grab him from behind, wrap his handcuff chains around the walker's throat and, pinning the walker against the post, dig the chain into his neck hard enough to decapitate the man. The disappointed crowd throws bottles into the ring and Perlie grabs a broken one and uses it to cut open the walker's stomach and retrieve the handcuff key, freeing himself. Two more walkers are shoved into the ring with Perlie who searches for a way out. Unable to find one, Perlie removes his right boot, after hesitating over his left boot, and he uses it to bash in the walkers' faces, impressing the Croat.

In Perlie's cell, the Croat congratulates Perlie on the best show that this place has ever seen in years and offers the marshal a towel to clean himself up. While the Croat claims not to enjoy such barbarism, it had to be done. "When the world became unstable, my family and I found shelter in a post office. We were starving, so I went to look for food. When I got back, I smelled it immediately. My family... my wife Mia, and my daughters Nika and Hana, and my son, Filip, had become a meal for another starving family. And I was too distraught to even think of killing myself. By the time that would've occurred to me, I had already found a man who had become my new family, and teach me how to protect the things that matter, which makes me wonder what it is that you are protecting in that boot." One of the Buraz holds a blade to Perlie's neck while another removes his boot. Inside, the Croat find the envelope with Joel's address on it and reads Joel's letter to his emotional brother begging for Perlie's help after everyone had changed their phone numbers on him. Perlie tearfully begs the Croat to stop, admitting that it's just him as Perlie's two partners are dead. Perlie reveals that they had come to Manhattan to bring a wanted man named Negan home. The Croat is shocked to learn that Negan is in Manhattan.

"Everybody Wins a Prize"[]

In a flashback, Negan sits at a table full of food in the Sanctuary, Lucille sitting in a nearby chair. Negan sketches what appears to be plans for the Sanctuary's walker fence, before being interrupted by Simon with the news that they have a problem. Simon leads Negan, carrying Lucille, to a cell, telling his boss that he'd "told him to kibosh that shit. Said you gave the order, but you know he don't listen to me." While Simon isn't going to say I told you so, a lot of people are saying that it's time to reign the Croat in, suggesting that Negan invest more authority in someone like himself.

The Croat leads Negan and Simon into the cell, telling them that the girl confessed that she was sent by the King, just like he thought. Simon reminds the Croat that Negan had given a direct order to let the girl go, but the Croat states that his process takes time, reminding Simon that he'd determined the location of the hidden arms cache at the Hilltop. Simon is sure that he would've found it eventually and Simon argues with the Croat as Negan looks in horror at the Kingdom scout - just a young girl - who has been brutally tortured to death by the Croat and then stabbed in the head in order to keep her from reanimating. Simon calls the Croat "a Slavic, psychopathic, nut job" and - despite his own hypocrisy in the matter - angrily confronts the other Savior over harming kids which is a line that they don't cross. The Croat appeals to Negan for understanding as they had to be sure.

In the present, in a control center for the arena, the Croat powers up the systems and checks with a young Buraz that she knows how to operate it, giving her instructions just to be sure. The Croat notices that the Buraz seems nervous and realizes that she's afraid of him despite the young woman's claims that she's not. The Croat recalls the day that she joined the Burazi, hiding in a fire station with a group of barbarians and how she was smart enough to lay down her weapon. The Croat states that it's been a joy watching her blossom over the past few years into a strong, faithful, confident protector. She has made the Croat incredibly proud, and she should have no reason to ever be afraid of him. The Croat gives her some candy before they both notice the sound of a whistle echoing through the halls - the distinctive whistle that was used by Negan and the Saviors. With the sound repeating itself, the Croat grabs his jacket and runs off while the Buraz inserts a disc into the player and starts a 5 minute countdown. The Croat excitedly runs off, following the whistle that he realizes is from Negan.

In the garage, Maggie sneaks into an old taxicab and begins trying to hotwire it before she finds the keys in the ignition. Before Maggie can start the car, she hears a noise, and she spots Ginny nearby. After exchanging a look with Maggie, the girl runs off and Maggie follows her. With just three and a half minutes left on the timer, someone lights a fuse. The tribespeople enter the main area of the arena which is empty while the Croat's search for Negan leads him to the garage where Negan hides behind a truck before moving amongst the vehicles to the cab. The Croat begins imitating Negan's whistle in an effort to draw him out, but Negan notices Maggie's screwdriver on the cab's passenger seat. As the timer reaches 1 minute, Maggie finally catches up to Ginny in the main area of the arena where Amaia informs her that the Burazi aren't here. As Negan climbs into the cab and picks up the tool, the Croat continues to try and draw him out while more Burazi rush in behind him.

The timer reaches 0 and all of the arena's entertainment systems turn on, broadcasting music through the main area. The fuse burns to the end in what's revealed to be a barrel fuel set in one of the arena's doorways. Explosions rock the outside of the arena as the doors are blown open, letting in the herd. The Burazi climb into various vehicles and begin making their escape as their trap is sprung on the tribespeople. Negan gets out of the car just in time as one of the Buraz takes the cab for himself. Drawn by the music, walkers flood the main area of the arena from all directions, trapping the tribespeople. The strobe lights turn on as the tribespeople get cornered by the massive herd against the ring. The Croat orders the cab driver to go on without him and has two more Burazi stay with him. When the cab drives away, Negan is gone from behind it, taking cover in the room full of tanks containing dead bodies.

In the main area, Maggie and the tribespeople desperately fight the herd but, severely outnumbered, they are quickly overwhelmed, and the tribespeople fall to the walkers one by one. Much to Maggie and Amaia's horror, Tommaso eventually gets grabbed by a group of walkers and carried away to his apparent death. Once the rest of the Burazi have cleared out, the Croat orders his two remaining men to search for Negan and grabs one of the tribespeople's modified nail guns. Negan takes the opportunity to run which is noticed by the Croat who excitedly chases after him. As the fight continues, Maggie is consumed with flashbacks of Hershel calling out to her for help as the Croat drags him away and she notices that one of the exits is nearly clear of walkers and that Ginny is trapped in the ring in the center of the arena. Rather than escaping and leaving Ginny behind, Maggie leads Amaia and Rizza- the only other survivors - inside of the ring where they barricade themselves in. Maggie and Ginny exchange a look while Negan runs up a stairwell, pausing only briefly to look at his former friend when the Croat calls out to him.

In the ring, Maggie and the others stab the walkers through the chain link fence, but there are far too many for them to take out, even from within cover. Maggie has everyone grab the ring's rubber supports as makeshift shields while the Croat splits up with his men after spotting Negan entering another stairwell after reaching a higher floor. Maggie's group uses their makeshift shields to force their way through the herd towards the exit that Maggie had spotted earlier, but Rizza gets grabbed and devoured by walkers on the way with the others being forced to press on, unable to help her. Amaia nearly suffers the same fate, but she is unexpectedly saved by Tommaso who had somehow managed to fight off the walkers and escape. With too many walkers between them and the no longer clear exit, Tommaso instead leads everyone into the tunnels beneath the arena where they eventually find an unlocked door, but they find themselves caught in a dead end with no other way out of the room as walkers start to bang on the door.

The Croat's search for Negan leads him onto a catwalk over the main area of the arena where he observes the carnage below him with amusement. The Croat calls out that there's nothing for Negan to be afraid of as he's safe and it's only him. Hearing a noise, the Croat turns around to find Negan, also armed with a modified nail gun, standing on a lower catwalk. The Croat delightedly greet his "brother" and notes Negan's new weapon of choice, but Negan doesn't respond to him. The Croat recalls hearing about what had happened at the bank which he knew sounded like Negan's handiwork. The Croat also knows that Negan had assumed that he wanted revenge on Negan for blowing off his ear and found common cause with his new friends, but the Croat actually doesn't care, telling Negan that he has another ear. The Croat asks about Lucille and Negan, speaking to his former friend for the first time since they had parted ways, admits that the bat is gone and the Croat correctly guesses that she broke from too many hits to people's heads.

"No, I... I understand. I saw Jerome on the mainland. He told me about the war with the Hilltop, the Kingdom... Alexandria. I should've been there. I can only imagine the damage Simon caused. He never listened... never really listened to you. It's okay. It's okay you lost the Sanctuary, 'cause I have built a new one! And we'll keep going. We'll build something bigger, stronger! The whole island will become our sanctuary, fueled by the death in its bowels. Okay, business first, then pleasure. I know who you want. He's here with me, now." Negan asks to see him, and the Burazi bring out the captive Perlie Armstrong.

The Croat believes that Negan wants the marshal who has been pursuing him so doggedly, but Negan clarifies that he actually wants Hershel. The Croat already knows because Perlie told him, and he asks what Maggie has promised Negan to get him to help her. Negan simply reiterates his demand for Hershel, but the Croat tells him that it will be difficult and require a conversation and asks Negan to come to him to talk, but Negan just stands his ground instead. Understanding that Negan doesn't trust him, the Croat decides to make a gesture to show him that the Croat only comes in the spirit of friendship and brotherly love. On the Croat's signal, the three men fling Perlie off of the catwalk, but he manages to grab onto the one that Negan is standing on. Much to the Croat's shock, Negan begins pulling Perlie up instead of letting him die. The Croat sends his two men after Negan and Perlie and he shoots the marshal in the leg with his weapon and tries to pull him up with it, but Perlie manages to rip the hook out of his flesh. Pulling Perlie up, Negan flees with the marshal as the Croat watches on in shock that Negan would save the other man's life rather than kill him.

Subsequently, Negan and Perlie manage to escape using the subway system while Maggie, Amaia, Tommaso, and Ginny, the only other survivors of the group, manage to escape into the sewers.

"Stories We Tell Ourselves"[]

The Croat drives to a theater, running down a walker that he encounters outside. Visibly distressed, the Croat lets out a scream, covers up his missing ear and heads inside. Making his way through the rowdy crowd in the theater and a very rude gang leader, the Croat visits the Dama in her dressing room, less than pleased that they are talking to that particular gang now, but the Dama tells the Croat that it's none of his concern. The Croat announces that his plan was a success beyond expectations, that his informant and delivered and the threat has been neutralized. The Croat reveals that Negan is on the island and that he saw Negan with his own eyes, but acknowledges that he doesn't have Negan. The Dama summarizes that the show started with such a bang that it kept her up all night and the Croat thought that he had his hero, but he got away so, with the hero off-stage, the ending fizzled, "and let's face it, everyone knows, the ending is all that matters."

The Croat pulls out Perlie's badge and tells the Dama that the New Babylon Federation marshals from the mainland are here, although just one so far. Just as the Dama had said, there will be those who try to bring back the old laws and prisons to protect and serve, but in reality, just to punish, steal and feed their fat bellies. The Croat believes that they will now come for what the Burazi have built, and they need to be ready. The Dama believes that they need Negan for that which is why he has fucked up so royally. The Croat insists that he will find Negan and that there's absolutely no way that Negan will be getting off of the island. Before he leaves, the Dama makes the Croat bow, kneel, and kiss her hand.

In a flashback, Maggie runs after her son as he's abducted by the Burazi, but she's restrained by other Burazi. The Croat hands Negan's Wanted poster to Maggie: he wants Negan in return for Hershel.

"Doma Smo"[]

Negan and Maggie stake out the now-abandoned entrance to Madison Square Garden from the building where Amaia, Tommaso and Luther had previously shown it to them, looking for any sign of the Croat returning to his former base. Suddenly, the Croat's car drives past Macy's and Maggie and Negan rush to the roof of the building to better follow him. The car heads for a plume of smoke on the horizon - the same one that Maggie had tracked from across the river as a possible clue to the Croat's location and that Esther had warned them against going to.

Maggie and Negan follow the smoke to the Staten Island Ferry Whitehall Terminal where the Croat's car is parked. As they head inside, Negan begins to become suspicious that everything is too easy and he asks if Maggie knows what Ginny had been trying to tell him, but Maggie lies that she doesn't. Negan realizes that it's a trap just before Maggie draws a knife and they engage in a brief fight before Negan runs off. Maggie chases Negan outside where he puts down a few walkers and makes his way out onto a series of beams over the walker-infested docks. The two fight with Maggie stabbing Negan in the shoulder and Negan kicking Maggie onto a container below. Negan disarms Maggie of one of her knives and holds it to her throat, forcing her to drop the other one before disarming himself.

"Here's what I'm thinking. The Croat never took your grain, just your kid. For collateral, sure, but he wasn't ever coming back for no harvest. He wanted me. And for what? Who the hell knows. But whatever that crazy son of a bitch wants with me, I sure as shit ain't gonna like it. You and I both know that much. The shit thing is Maggie, we could've done it. We could have saved Hershel. Because you and I together, we make one hell of a badass team. But you know that, don't you? Maybe some part of you always wanted it to end this way. The fact is, Maggie, it doesn't matter what excuses I give you, or how many apologies I offer, you can't get over it. And you shouldn't," Negan tells her. The Croat arrives with several Burazi and Maggie holds a knife to Negan's throat.

In the back of an old ambulance, as Maggie continues to hold Negan at knife point, the Croat explains that he had first gone to look for Negan at the Sanctuary, only to find it to be a long-abandoned husk which the Croat calls depressing. After searching up and down the mainland for months, the Croat had learned that Negan was wanted by the New Babylon Federation for murdering four men and a magistrate. The Croat then found Jerome whom the Croat implies that he had tortured for information. Jerome told the Croat the story of the Widow - what the Saviors had called Maggie during the war - and the Croat thought that Maggie could help as she was strong, smart and had vulnerabilities that could be exploited. While Maggie had needed a little push, she had her own incentives in the form of revenge upon Negan for her husband's murder. The Croat admits that he had never expected Maggie to pull it off, but she found Negan and brought him home. "Doma smo, eh? You know, for a moment when I saw you on the catwalk, all alone, I thought to myself, lucky me. I get to have Negan and the child." Maggie and Negan are both visibly alarmed by this, but the Croat reassures them that Negan is enough. Maggie continues to look upset as she realizes just what she's leaving Negan to after all that they've gone through together.

The group arrives at the Security One Bank where the Croat has been keeping Hershel locked up in the vault. Negan asks Maggie to look after Ginny for him as the Burazi bring Hershel out who is shocked to see his mother holding a knife to Negan's throat. Maggie and the Croat trade Negan for Hershel with Negan telling the boy that it's good to see him as Negan walks by. Maggie embraces her son for the first time since he was kidnapped, but Hershel barely responds to her.

In the back of the ambulance at night, the Croat fondly recalls the Saviors' second visit to the River People after they refused to comply with Negan's demands from their first visit. Negan had marched right up to their leader with Lucille before offering that bat to the Croat who had only just arrived at the Sanctuary, broken from the brutal loss of his family. Negan saw something in the Croat and what he could become, and he allowed the Croat to have a crack at it. Not knowing what he was doing, the Croat had missed the first time and then hit the man with far too much force the second time to the point that the Croat was lucky that the man was still breathing. However, Negan didn't get upset with him and took his time with the patience to show him how to do it right. Once the man's head was destroyed, the Croat saw what Negan told him that he'd see from the crowd: complete and total submission. "We were untouchable. No one could ever take anything from us again." Negan admits that he remembers that and that it was beautiful when the Croat asks. The Croat admits that it took him years to finally understand what had happened between them and that he shouldn't have killed the girl. Negan told him not to do it and the Croat disobeyed him, causing the Croat to become the threat that needed to be handled. The Croat promises Negan that that will never happen again.

At the King Francis Theater, where a number of people are laying passed out around the auditorium, the Croat tells Negan that his battles with the Manhattan Tribespeople were just practice for the war to come. Once the Burazi have full control of the island, the Dama says that a clash of civilizations is inevitable. After the Croat had told the Dama about all of the good that Negan had done and the people that Negan had saved and protected, the Dama had said that Negan is the missing piece. The Croat is excited to introduce Negan and the Dama, comparing it to Mommy and Daddy coming together. However, rather than allowing the Croat to stick around, the Dama dismisses him in order to talk to Negan alone, much to his disappointment. The Dama offers Negan a drink, telling Negan that she's pleased to finally meet him and to discover that Negan is actually real and not the product of the Croat's insanity.

Season 2[]

"The Croat" will appear in this season.

Killed Victims[]

This list shows the victims the Croat has killed:

• River People Leader (Alongside Negan)
• Buraz 5 (Alive)
• Manhattan Survivor 2 (Caused or Direct, Alive)
• Tribeswoman (Caused)
• Tribesman (Caused)
• Rizza (Caused)
• 1 unnamed Kingdom scout
• 1 unnamed survivor (Caused)
• Many unnamed tribespeople (Caused and Direct)
• Numerous counts of zombies and unnamed people

Relationships[]

Appearances[]

Gallery[]

For more images of the Croat, please visit The Croat (Dead City)/Gallery.

Season 1
("Everybody Wins a Prize")

Season 1
(Dead City)

Season 2
(Dead City)

Trivia[]

• The Croat is one of six former Saviors to have a confirmed alive status, the others being Negan Smith, Gracie, Dwight, Sherry and Eugene Porter.
• In the Episode Insider for "Who's There?", it's revealed that the Croat is a former scientist and that he's responsible for the creation of the fuel that his people use. This was further confirmed in "People Are a Resource" as the Croat himself revealed his former occupation, specifying that he focused on alternative energy.

International Dubbers[]

References[]