'Walking Dead' Symbol on Sign Is a Season 9 Spoiler: 3 Possible Meanings

The second half of The Walking Dead Season 9 is building to the fair, and fans of the comics know what that means. People are going to die, heads are going to end up on pikes, and the Kingdom’s movie projector might serve as a great distraction for the kids (or the background for a crazy fight against the Whisperers). But before any of that happens, a symbol in Walking Dead Season 9 Episode 11 might have served as a warning to the survivors from the Kingdom, one they unfortunately missed.

Spoilers for The Walking Dead Season 9 Episode 11 below.

In “Bounty,” the members of the Kingdom complete two supply missions: they get plenty of elk to feed their people, and, after a brief hiccup involving a theater of walkers, they retrieve a projector bulb so they can show movies to the kids of their community. Are things finally looking up? Yes, if only because the Kingdom has no idea about the Whisperers or that Jesus is dead, a sign of how divided the communities have become.

“It’s smart to be ready for any eventuality,” Ezekiel says to Carol on their way home. “Maybe we’re done losing for a while.”

It’s like Ezekiel has never seen a movie or TV show before! Maybe he should put that projector bulb to good use so he can realize he just sealed someone’s tragic fate.

We then see that they’ve just passed a sign with a strange symbol on the back of it. If only someone would turn around and see it, too …

“We will learn who is attached to that sign at some point soon,” showrunner Angela Kang told Entertainment Weekly. “It does play into season story.”

So, what does that symbol mean?

It’s Marking the Whisperers’ Territory

In the same episode, Daryl and the Hilltop officially meet Alpha and the Whisperers. Alpha just wants one thing: her daughter back. Daryl’s reluctant to hand her over, until Alpha threatens to kill Luke and Alden if he doesn’t.

“Your people crossed into our land. There will be no conflict,” Alpha announces to Hilltop. “Your people killed our people. There will be no conflict.”

Could her words be foreshadowing a time to come when someone does kill one of her people, does cross into the Whisperers’ land, and there is conflict as a result? After Daryl gives Lydia back to Alpha, Henry leaves Hilltop to go after her. Daryl and Connie follow. What if whatever happens next there leads to a Whisperer’s death and Alpha reacts?

And what if the symbol Ezekiel, Carol, and the others passed marks the Whisperers’ territory and they unknowingly crossed into it?

It’s (Also) a Sign of What’s to Come at the Fair

This assumes the symbol is marking the Whisperers’ territory. Considering Ezekiel’s side mission on their side mission was to retrieve a display case for the charter he hopes the leaders of all the communities sign at the fair, there’s a (distant) link between the symbol and the fair.

In the comics, the Whisperers make their feelings about people crossing into their territory very well-known at the fair. They put the heads of several significant characters, including Ezekiel, on pikes.

The fact that Ezekiel is one of the people to pass the symbol may mean he’s headed for the same fate as his character in the comics. Or maybe someone else’s head, like Jerry’s — The Walking Dead did focus on his family in this episode — will end up on the pike instead.

It’s Unconnected to the Whisperers and the Fair

It could be that there’s someone else out there leaving that symbol as a warning. It could even be a warning that the Whisperers exist but not done by any of the Whisperers themselves.

Or maybe Ezekiel and Carol know the symbol is there and didn’t need to look at it. Maybe it’s connected to a past event: what happened in the six years we didn’t see. Maybe it’s connected to the X scars on Michonne and Daryl’s backs.

We don’t know anything for certain yet, but we do know that we will get answers soon.

The Walking Dead Season 9 airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on AMC.

Related video: Alpha Wants Her Daughter Back in The Walking Dead Season 9 Episode 11