‘Walking Dead’ Season 6 Spoilers: Who Is Jesus? 4 Things To Know About The New Comic Book Character

Welcome to Alexandria, Jesus (Tom Payne)! Episode 10 of “The Walking Dead” introduced an important new character from Robert Kirkman’s comic books. So far, fans of the AMC series know that he’s a resourceful survivor with martial arts skills, but there is much more to him than that in the graphic novels.

Ahead of episode 11, check out some fun facts about Jesus:

His Real Name Is Paul Monroe

In the comics, Jesus’ real name is Paul Monroe. He briefly touched on that when he first met Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Daryl (Norman Reedus) in episode 10. However, the TV show changed his last name, perhaps to avoid confusion relating him to Deanna Monroe (Tovah Feldshuh) and her family. He goes by Jesus because that’s what his friends call him. He got the nickname for his long hair and beard.

Jesus’ Introduction

Jesus first makes his way to the comic books in issue 91. Although the series doesn’t exactly follow the graphic novels, they’re pretty much matched up to the storyline. Carl lost his eye prior to issue 91 and is only learning how to deal with his injury. However, in the comics Jesus is spying on the Alexandria people. He reveals himself to Michonne (Danai Gurira) and Abraham (Michael Cudlitz), taking Abraham hostage until Michonne introduces him to their leader. That’s his first encounter with Rick.

As “Walking Dead” fans know, Jesus ran into Rick and Daryl while they were out on a run. It’s assumed that he was spying on them because he set up a trap to steal their truck. It’s not clear if he knows about Alexandria and was watching them.

The Hilltop Colony

Jesus is from the Hilltop Colony, another haven for survivors in the comics. The reason he was spying on Alexandria was to see if they could set up a trade for food, ammo and other supplies. Rick is hesitant to trust Jesus and these new people, but he decides to follow him to the Hilltop Colony to see for himself.

The Saviors

Daryl, Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Abraham’s run-in with Negan’s people during the midseason finale means that the Alexandria folks are already aware that a new threat exists outside of the walls. However, in the comics, Jesus is the one that informs them of Negan and the Saviors after one of the Hilltop Colony survivors tries to kill their leader. The attack on the leader was an order from Negan, who promised to return another Hilltop Colony survivor in exchange.

What do you think about the addition of Jesus to “The Walking Dead”? Catch new episodes of Season 6 on AMC Sunday at 9 p.m. EST.