The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live - The Redemption of Jadis

The Walking Dead Crossovers and Character Dynamics

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live has already garnered much anticipation because of the long-awaited return of Rick Grimes and Michonne, but it may even be able to redeem a villain in the franchise that seemed too far gone. The Walking Dead crossovers are nothing new to the franchise and usually invite interesting narrative beats. For instance, Dwight and Sherry's move from the main show to Fear The Walking Dead helped them eventually gain closure about their trauma from Negan's reign. Additionally, the Civic Republic Military has featured in numerous spinoffs, further emphasizing the organization's power and reach.

Pollyanna McIntosh as Jadis in Walking Dead World Beyond

Jadis: From Scavenger to CRM Loyalty

Jadis first appeared in season 7 of the main show as the leader of the Scavengers, a group that resided in a junkyard. Once her group was killed by Saviors, she temporarily joined Rick's group. She then left with an injured Rick and headed for the CRM in a helicopter in season 9. Interestingly, after losing the Scavengers, Jadis seemed to struggle with her identity and reclaimed her birth name Anne. In addition, her manner of speaking changed to full sentences, signifying her knack for putting on personas, presumably as a survival tactic.

Jadis and Rick Grimes in the junkyard in The Walking Dead

However, after Jadis joined the CRM, she exhibited extreme loyalty to the organization's overall plan of rebuilding civilization. Not only did she force Huck to kill a CRM scientist using one of their walker experiments, but she also justified mass murder as a necessity in The Walking Dead: World Beyond. Her hardened worldview and dedication to the CRM's mission at any cost was also clear in her power-obsessed actions, like using Colonel Kublek as a scapegoat, then taking her position. Therefore, it's believable that she would halt any escape plans Rick might try, especially if they threaten the CRM's goals.

Jadis talking on the walkie-talkie in The Walking Dead

The Potential Redemption of Jadis

Despite Jadis' skewed views, she hinted at residual emotional hangups from her time as Anne. For example, she told Huck about how devastating it was for her to lose her community that she formed. Plus, by reclaiming the name 'Jadis' after joining the CRM, she confirmed that one of her biggest struggles was being directionless. She attributed the name Jadis to helping her survive. Additionally, she was unaware of Huck's double agent status and Silas' plan to expose the organization from the inside. This indicated her weak spot for those she's fond of.

Jadis In The Walking Dead World Beyond looking over the shoulder

With Rick, Jadis admittedly used him to gain access to the CRM, but she acknowledged that she owed him a lot. Therefore, Jadis' protecting Rick so he wouldn't become a CRM test subject indicates she isn't entirely irredeemable. If Rick could leverage the good qualities she's exhibited before, he could convince her to help him escape the CRM. Major General Beale was teased as the main villain of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, so Jadis may reach her limit of what she's willing to do if pushed too far by Beale's agenda. This could lead to her helping Rick and Michonne from the inside, ultimately redeeming her.

Jadis standing in a forest in The Walking Dead.

If Rick's unable to persuade Jadis, one other aspect of her self-claimed name hints at one The Walking Dead character who might be able to. Her new last name 'Stokes' is a reference to Gabriel. This is important because Jadis and Gabriel had a brief romantic relationship when she was in Alexandria and going by the name Anne. Despite trying to feed him to a walker and letting him go, her use of Gabriel's last name could be a way for her to keep his memory close to her, indicating how much he means to her.

Jadis holding a gun to Rick's head on The Walking Dead.