the walking dead custom image by Rachael Fiddis

In The Walking Dead, the zombies weren’t the only bad and dangerous guys patrolling its post-apocalyptic streets. Despite the AMC series initially being about the fear survivors had over “walkers” and doing their best not to get munched on, in the end, the real terror was those still living and breathing. Through its eleven seasons, which amassed high praise from horror fans, The Walking Dead had some of the best villains in any TV series.

It’s fair to say that some were most definitely worse than others depending on opinions, but when it comes to cruel and calculating baddies, The Governor was certainly at the top of the list, next to Negan. Taking on the role as the leader of the fortified town of Woodbury and later on as the head honcho of the River Camp, Philip Blake, or more commonly known as the cunning Governor, served as the primary villain in season three and the first half of season four of The Walking Dead. Using fear and manipulation as tools to keep the unknowing residents of Woodbury in line, Blake’s ruthless and cruel actions saw no end, even when he chopped poor Rick Grimes’ hand off in the comic book. Despite his psychopathic tendencies, fans of the show saw some kind of “warmth” in Blake, who couldn’t bear to be separated from his daughter, Penny, even though she had turned into a zombie. However, The Walking Dead‘s creator may hate The Governor more than most fans do for one specific and understandable reason.

The Walking Dead Creator Named The Governor After His Real Life Bully

The Governor firing a gun in The Walking Dead

As highlighted by ScreenRant, The Walking Dead‘s creator, Robert Kirkman, revealed in the comic The Walking Dead Deluxe #101 that he had named one of the show’s most brutal villains after a boy from his old high school in Kentucky who was a huge bully. Kirkman said that the thug was called Philip and even though he wasn’t “all that bad”, the kid was the first person Kirkman came across who did really terrible things for no apparent reason. This made an early impression on Kirkman, and since then, the comic book writer explained that he would never name a good character, Philip.

In elementary school, the school bully of Breckenridge Elementary in Lexington, Kentucky was a boy named Phillip. So that’s usually my shorthand for sh*tty characters. I will never name a good character, Phillip. They will always be a villain to some degree. I also have to be careful not to use that name for every bad/sh*tty character across all my books. And the funny thing is, it’s not like this poor kid Phillip was all that bad. He was just the first instance of a human being I encountered who did mean things for no reason. It made an impression. F*** that guy.”

Fans of The Walking Dead will remember that The Governor actually changed his name at one point to Brian Heriot following the massacre at Woodbury. Taking the name from a building with people’s names written on it, he then introduces himself to a family with his new identity, with fans believing he may have changed for the better, but, of course, this didn’t last long.

Rick standing in front of a horde of zombies in The Walking Dead the walking dead zombies lori the walking dead the walking dead Bob Stookey (Lawrence Gilliard Jr.) and Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) in The Walking Dead Rick standing in front of a horde of zombies in The Walking Dead the walking dead zombies lori the walking dead the walking dead Bob Stookey (Lawrence Gilliard Jr.) and Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) in The Walking Dead

The last time viewers saw The Governor was after that horrendous battle at the prison, where the ruthless villain butchered Hershel. After a brutal fight with Rick, Michonne saves Rick’s life by running her blade through him, leaving him to bleed out, but it was Lilly who ultimately ended his pathetic life in the end.

Season two of The Walking Dead: Dead City airs this year, however, a release date hasn’t been disclosed as yet.

The Walking Dead Negan