Who is Croat in The Walking Dead: Dead City?

Croat is the main antagonist of Season 1 of The Walking Dead: Dead City.

The Walking Dead: Dead City is an American post-apocalyptic horror TV show by Eli Jorné for AMC. It is the 1st sequel of The Walking Dead series and focuses on the The Walking Dead characters Maggie and Negan. The show takes place in a decaying Manhattan, which has been cut off from the rest of the world for years. The story follows Maggie and Negan as they team up to rescue Maggie's son, Hershel, while facing zombies and dangerous human groups in the city.

The show focuses on themes of forgiveness, trust, and the lasting impact of past traumas. Season 1 of the show was released on June 18, 2023, and had 6 episodes. It received positive reviews, and its 2nd season is set to be released on May 4, 2025. The show introduced many new characters, including The Croat. He is a negative character and adds depth to the show. Let’s take a look at The Croat’s character and the actor who plays him.

Who is Croat in The Walking Dead: Dead City?

Croat is the main antagonist of Season 1 of the show. He is portrayed as a brutal and sadistic person, and he is a survivor of the outbreak. He used to be part of Negan’s group, the Saviors, and now has bad blood with Negan. Years later, Croat now lives in Manhattan and is the leader of a violent group called the Burazi. He uses his experience as a scientist specializing in alternative energy to turn methane from dead bodies into fuel for his people.

He kidnaps Maggie’s son, Hershel, to get Negan to come to him. The Croat rules the city like Negan did, using fear and force. He expects loyalty from others and punishes anyone who stands against him. But he isn’t working alone. He follows orders from a powerful woman known as the Dama, who wants to take control of Manhattan. Dama is his close ally, and he helps her carry out her plans. Croat’s return in Negan’s life brings back his painful memories of his dark past.

In an interview with AMC, Željko Ivanek, who played the role of Croat, talked about his character and said, “I think The Croat is an interesting character in the same way. All of these characters are just trying to find their way in this world and trying to figure out how to put together some semblance of civilization. They grapple with what it means to be isolated, what it means to be part of a group, what it means to crave safety when all that's been taken away.”

He added, “So that was one of the things that I was drawn into, given his backstory and how he got into Negan's orbit in the first place. I also wanted to see what happens when people spin out of control, when that desire for safety and comfort becomes self-perpetuating — a thing to be feared rather than comforted by. What are people capable of? The Croat’s limits went pretty far before he got reined in, and now he's expanding on all of that again in a very scary way.”

Who plays Croat in The Walking Dead: Dead City?

Željko Ivanek plays Croat in The Walking Dead: Dead City. He is a Slovenian-American actor, born on August 15, 1957, in Ljubljana, PR Slovenia, FPR Yugoslavia. He moved to the United States with his family when he was just 3 years old. Ivanek graduated from Yale University with a degree in theater in 1978 and later studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He made his film debut with the film The Soldier in 1982.

Ivanek made his TV debut with a minor appearance in the show Great Performances in 1983, where he played the role of March Hare. He is best known for his role as Raymond Fiske in the show Damages (2007-2010). He was praised for his work in the show and won a Primetime Emmy Award for his role. Apart from that, he also worked in many shows like Homicide: Life on the Street (1993-1999), Oz (1997–2003), 24 (2002), The Event (2010-2011), Madam Secretary (2014-2019), The Walking Dead: Dead City (2023-Present), etc.

He also worked in many films like Unfaithful (2002), Live Free or Die Hard (2007), Argo (2012), Seven Psychopaths (2012), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017), The Courier (2012), etc. Apart from films and TV shows, he also worked in many theatre productions like Cloud 9 (1981), Brighton Beach Memoirs (1983), Two Shakespearean Actors (1991), The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (2006), etc. He has received 3 Tony Award nominations, 3 Drama Desk Award nominations, and he has won a Drama Desk Award for his work in theatre.