Summary
- Troy's return to Fear the Walking Dead suggests that he somehow survived his presumed death, possibly by revealing that the hits to his head didn't damage his brain.
- Troy's ultimate goal seems to be revenge on Madison's entire family, as he has been following them and wants payback for being left for dead.
- Troy's return increases the likelihood of Madison's death, as she will have to contend with his threat and may put her life on the line to stop him in an epic final battle.
The Walking Dead at San Diego Comic-Con 2023 confirmed that Troy is on his way back to Fear the Walking Dead. Played by Daniel Sharman, Troy Otto was one of FTWD’s main characters during season 3 before meeting his end at the hands of Madison. His death wasn’t in doubt at the time, but FTWD has since dropped a strong hint that somehow, Troy is back and looking for revenge.
The closing scene of Fear the Walking Dead season 8’s midseason finale featured a mystery villain in possession of a hammer that looks suspiciously like the one that supposedly killed Troy. Naturally, this furthered the already-building speculation that the series was undoing Troy’s death. At SDCC 2023, AMC confirmed the theories by releasing a clip from season 8’s back half. In the footage in question, Troy was shown to be the leader of a group of mercenaries who had apprehended Madison and Strand. Here’s how Troy could still be alive and what his return means for Fear the Walking Dead’s final stretch.
How Troy Could Have Survived His Fear The Walking Dead "Death"
In FTWD season 3’s penultimate episode, Troy took two blows to the side of the head from a hammer. It was assumed that such blunt trauma had to have killed him, but it looks like Fear the Walking Dead is going to find a way around this explanation, possibly by revealing that both hits failed to damage his brain. But based on how hard (and where) Madison struck him, Troy surviving that wouldn’t be anything short of a miracle.
In addition to explaining how Troy survived the blunt trauma he took in the episode, the show will also have the challenge of ing for what happened to him when the dam exploded. It’s important to keep in mind that shortly after being attacked by Madison, Nick blew up the dam. Because of this, it makes sense that Troy would have died even if it wasn’t for his injury. As for how he could have survived that as well, it’s theoretically possible that someone else there grabbed his unconscious body and hauled him to safety before the explosion. But who this person would be and why they would help Troy is unclear.
Troy Wants Payback On Madison's Entire Family
By all indications, revenge is Troy’s ultimate goal in Fear the Walking Dead season 8. A map in the midseason finale scene that teased his return plotted a course from Mexico all the way to their current location, which goes to show that Troy has been following the main characters. Getting payback is the most logical motivator. In season 3, Troy had tried hard to win Madison’s favor and was even looking for her approval up until the moment she struck him down. The feeling of betrayal this would have caused, combined with the knowledge that he was left for dead by the entire group, could have led to Troy being consumed with hatred.
Not only that, but the presence of Alicia’s fake arm in Troy’s season 8 scene suggests that his revenge plan extends beyond just Madison. From the looks of things, he wants to kill the entire Clark family and perhaps Madison’s allies too. Since protecting her children has always been a big part of what drives Madison, Troy could see killing Alicia as the perfect way for Madison to get her comeuppance.
Troy's Return Makes Madison's Death Way More Likely
Troy’s return has the potential to be a bloodbath. Since Troy spent most of season 3 trying to get into Madison’s good graces, the show never had an opportunity to utilize him as a full-fledged villain. However, the show made no secret of how dangerous he could be to the protagonists if he and Madison were on opposite sides. How he brought a zombie horde down on the ranch and single-handedly battled Otto’s men were indicative of his capabilities. Now that he has a reason to hate Madison, Fear the Walking Dead can unleash that side of Troy. And with Fear the Walking Dead only having six episodes left, that could be bad news for several core of the group, Madison included.
Even though FTWD reversed Madison’s fate in season 4, the possibility of her death hasn’t been ruled out. The show could choose to end her story by having her die to ensure the future of her people. Such an outcome feels even more likely now that she’ll have to contend with Troy. Troy’s beef is with her, after all, so it would make sense for Madison to want to deal with this threat in a way that won’t endanger the people she cares about. If she puts her life on the line to stop Troy, an epic, final battle between the two – and Madison’s death – could be how Fear the Walking Dead wraps up its eight-season story.
