Alden (The Walking Dead)

Alden
The Walking Dead character
File:Dillon TWD.png
First appearance	Television: "The Damned" (8.02) October 29, 2017
Portrayed by	Callan McAuliffe
In-universe information
Occupation	Soldier of the Saviors Prisoner of the Militia
Family	Unnamed older brother

Alden is a fictional character from AMC's horror drama series The Walking Dead, who first appeared in the eighth season as a recurring character. He is described as a sexy, blue-collar twentysomething whose survival skills include sarcasm.

Appearances

Season 8

In "The Damned", while in a battle, Alden is attempting to flee the Satellite Outpost with other Saviors, but is forced to surrender to the Militia remarking that "living sounds good" after being surrounded. He encourages his fellow Saviors to surrender as well. He is chained with several other Saviors in "Monsters" and being transported to the Hilltop Colony. On their way a walker attack occurred. His fellow Savoirs who are chained together with him attend to flee in the panic, but he refuses and reminds them that the Militia has guns handy they don't. After successfully being brought to the Hilltop in "The King, the Widow, and Rick", he asks Jesus what the colonists of the Hilltop are building inside. He is then imprisoned with the other Saviors and Gregory. He then stops Jared, a Savior who has tried to flee several times before, from escaping because he doesn't want any trouble. In the mid-season finale, "How It's Gotta Be", he begs to Maggie that she would spare Dean, a fellow inmate. Shortly after, Alden, in horror, witnesses Maggie execute Dean in cold blood.

In "Dead or Alive Or", he suggests an angreement to Maggie that the prisoners be allowed to alternately go out supervised for a short period of time. At first she refuses, but eventually agrees. In "Do Not Send Us Astray", Maggie threatens to kill all of the prisoners if Simon, the de-facto leader of the Saviors, doesn't stop an attack on Hilltop. However Simon starts the attack without thinking about the welfare of the prisoners. Alden asks if he can help, but Maggie sends him back to the others inside. After the battle Alden burries the corpses of the fallen Saviors, stating that he doesn't think about them as his people anymore. In the following night Henry arrives at the prison and threatens to kill all of the prisoners if the murder of his brother doesn't show himself. He tries to talk Henry down and reveals that he had a brother too who has been killed, explaing through it own experiences that revenge won't help him. While their talking, an in the battle wounded prisoner reanimates and killing two others, making Henry open the gate. In the panic Jared is able to overpower Henry and escapes with few other prisoners. Alden and few other prisoners however stay and try to close the main gate. He then saves Siddiq from a walker, killing it with a shovel. Maggie and others arrives and holding Alden on gunpoint asking what happend. Alden explains that he and the other staying prisoners doesn't know where the escapes went, but that they will stay and help.

Development and reception

The casting name for this character was Dillon. Before his first appearance, he was compared to other characters from the show like Spencer Monroe and Nicholas. Alden's actual name wasn't revealed until "How It's Gotta Be" when fellow Savior Dean calls him Alden instead of Dillon.