Bart Rhodes (Remake)

## Bart Rhodes

"*I am a forgiving man. **It's my nature**. But what you've done...strolling into **my city** like you own the place, killing **my** people, stealing **my** shit...you've left me with no other option. First, you're going to be **punished**. Then...then you'll see the **consequences**. So you'd better learn...for your sake. [...] You think you're **strong!** Let's see about that. How strong you **really are**. Liam...**beat him to death**,*"
—Bart taunts Henry upon the group's capture[src]

**Bartholomew "Bart" Rhodes**, called **Black Bart** by the Domers, is a main character and an antagonist, as well as a survivor of the outbreak in *Strain Zero* and *Storytellers*. He is the cruel and calculating leader of the Innocents and serves as the primary antagonist of *Season 3: Remake* and the *Storytellers* miniseries.

## Overview

### Personality & Traits

Even before his first appearance, Bart's reputation greatly precedes him. The mere mention of his name is enough to bring his people in line: some view him as a sort of Messiah - albeit a brutal one - while others think of him as little more than a vicious monster. He has used his age to his advantage by brainwashing an army of kids and teenagers to do his bidding.

The rumours of his cruelty and relentlessness prove all too real when the group are subjected to his malice in "*Monsters*" and "*Consequences*". In the flesh, Bart is shown to be a charismatic, cocky, manipulative, brutal, and ferocious man with a deeply malicious streak. He openly expresses joy at the sight of suffering and relishes in the worship he receives from the Innocents, especially its younger members. He is a brilliant strategist and a strong, effective leader, having kept hundreds of people alive through excessive brutality and ruthlessness. He has been shown to have complete control over his vast group and is questioned by no one, acting as a complete dictator. Bart also acts like a cult leader, with many Innocents bowing their heads in his presence.

An extremely ruthless leader, Bart is willing to do whatever it takes to obtain resources and supplies for his group by stealing from and killing other groups, forcing the survivors into a life of hard labour and endless threats of death if they did not obey his demands. Bart is known to be a cold-blooded killer who kills not just for survival, but to send a message and as punishment for disobedience. On the other hand, Bart has great respect for those he views as strong, both physically and emotionally, and those who show bravery and defiance against him; this is shown when he immediately took a liking towards Henry, who even despite the threat of beatings and torture refused to bow his head. As a result, he despises cowardice, from his own people or from his victims, and fatally shot Stephan when the latter tried to kill Justinas during a game of Russian roulette.

It is possible, however, for Bart's shield of bravado, ego and charisma to crack, especially when he is defied and threatened in front of his own people. For example, when Henry threatened him with death and suffering - seconds after Stephan's execution and the cruel mutilation of Justinas' face, both at Bart's hands - Bart was noticeably angered and even afraid, and refused to kill Henry openly when he noticed that most of the gathered Innocents were no longer listening or watching him.

However, during a brief moment in "*Fools and Dead Men*", a more vulnerable side of Bart is shown when he weeps and quietly apologises while remembering his needless slaughter of Kate and Stephan, implying that his ruthless and psychopathic exterior is entirely an act and all of his violent actions are against his internal ethics. His subsequent argument with Jane reveals that he was once an entirely different person: meek, insecure, and generally good-natured until the dead began to rise. It is likely that Bart commits to this violent persona in order to harden himself to the horrors of the new world and to ensure he will never be weak.

## Pre-Apocalypse

Not much is known about Bart's life before the apocalypse. Born in Australia, he was raised in England, making his accent a bizarre mix between the two. When he was a young teenager his father moved himself and Bart to the United States for work, where Bart's father met and married a woman with a daughter, Jane. Bart and Jane thus became stepsiblings, although they did not grow close.

## Post-Apocalypse

### Season 3: Remake

At some point following the outbreak, Bart and his stepsister Jane ended up in Fargo, North Dakota. Using his cunning, charisma and endless aptitude for brutality, Bart took control of a large survivor group living at the Fort, transforming them into the Innocents. Bart subsequently installed a harsh regime with him as a complete dictator worshipped as a Messiah-like figure by the younger survivors, many of whom were brainwashed by Bart's supporters. He made Liam Horne his second-in-command and assembled a large enough force to reclaim the Black Building and the Fargo Depot.

#### "Monsters"

As Henry and most of his group are forced onto their knees in front of a wooden stage, a truck pulls up behind the mass of gathered Innocents. Soldiers and workers all around lower their heads as a figure dressed in black emerges from the crowd. In a strong Australian accent, he orders several Innocents around before quietly talking with Liam, who points at Henry. The figure orders Henry brought before the stage and kneels down in front of him.

The figure introduces himself as Bart and asks Henry's name; when Henry remains silent, Bart almost immediately begins mocking him. Bart declares that Henry and his people need to be punished for their actions, and then they will face the other consequences of their actions. Bart realizes that children are among the captives and aims his gun at Laika to taunt Henry, triggering Justinas to stand up and attempt to punch Bart, who easily dodges and knocks Justinas down. Bart then asks Henry how strong he believes he truly is before ordering Liam to beat Henry to death.

#### "Consequences"

A disorientated and confused Henry wakes up in the middle of his beating at the hands of Liam. His eye has heavily swollen and his vision is obscured by his own blood. He faintly hears the cries and yells of his group nearby as Liam takes a breath and looks behind him at a smiling Bart, who nods his approval.

As Liam prepares himself to start again, a blonde woman suddenly leaps onto the stage and demands that Bart stop him. Bart tells the woman, Jane, to keep out of it. As Liam begins a second wave of punches and kicks to Henry, Jane jumps from the stage and runs over to Liam to deliver a sharp kick between his legs. Her attack has little effect on Liam, who turns and smacks Jane across the face. Bart orders Jane to be removed from the area as Liam continues his barrage on Henry's face.

Henry wakes up yet again, bleeding and bruised with Liam standing over him, his knuckles bloody. Through his daze, Henry hears Bart expressing his disappointment and orders Henry be stood up. Two guards try to force Henry to his feet, but he cannot rise any further any on his knees. Bart smiles and says Henry is finally kneeling. He steps down from the stage and kisses Jane on the forehead, calling her his sister, before approaching Henry. He wipes blood from Henry's face and asks him if he is willing to die for his people. Henry is only able to nod, but Bart slaps him in response, saying that obviously isn't true or he would have willingly died at Liam's hands. He further says that it is not Liam's fault as he has seen many a man, woman and child die to Liam's fists. Bart adds that Henry has faced his punishment, and now must face the consequences of his actions. He instructs Henry to choose two members of his group to sacrifice.

Henry silently refuses by shaking his head, but Bart slaps him again. Henry begins to cry and tries to beg, but Bart grabs him by the cheeks and tells him no amount of begging will save him or his people, and if he doesn't choose he will start randomly shooting. Jane demands that Bart stop the madness, but Bart ignores her and orders Henry to pick. Several members of the group try to volunteer but the Innocents around them bash them with the butts of their rifles to shut them up. Henry is unable to choose as he cries and begs. Angered by Henry's indecisiveness, Bart randomly waves his gun over the heads of the group and fires, hitting Kate in the throat and splattering Emma in her blood.

Kate falls backwards and begins to suffocate while Emma, having slipped her bounds, desperately tries to put pressure on the wound. She is stopped by Innocent soldiers who forcibly drag her off Kate's body and smack her, causing Henry to try to stand and fight, only for Liam to strike him in the solar plexus. As Kate's body is dragged away by soldiers, Bart prepares to shoot again; Justinas, crying and guarding Laika behind him, whistles a code to Henry and volunteers. Desperate, Henry tells Bart that he has chosen Justinas. Laika cries out in English as Justinas is dragged away onto the stage, while Bart reminds Henry that he has a second choice to make. Henry scans his group and spots Stephan, isolated from the others and ignoring a crying Emma, and picks him to Stephan's shock.

Justinas and Stephan are marched up onto the stage where Bart awaits. The two are seated at a wooden table dragged onto the stage as Bart removes a small revolver from his pocket. He opens the chamber and loads a single bullet before placing it onto the table. He instructs Justinas and Stephan to engage in a game of Russian roulette, or everyone else will die, starting with the children in the group. One of Bart's personal soldiers, Mikhail, steps forward and flips a coin into the air; Stephan calls heads, and it lands on tails, allowing Justinas to go first.

While Laika screams "Papa!", Justinas takes the gun and places it against his temple, crying as he pulls the trigger but keeping his eyes fixed on Stephan. The gun fails to fire and Justinas drops the gun on the table. Stephan takes the gun at gunpoint and reluctantly places it against his head, but again it fails to fire. Henry weakly asks for it to stop, but he is silenced by another punch from Liam.

Henry recuperates from the punch as Justinas picks up the revolver again. He casts a sorrowful look at Laika as he pulls the trigger and exhales sharply when it does not fire. Stephan refuses to take the gun and instead asks Bart if he can join his crew. Bart smiles that they'll have to see and points his gun at the group, ordering Stephan to take the revolver. Stephan does so; once more the revolver does not fire, giving both men just one more chance each. Justinas takes the revolver for the last time and gives his final look at the bruised, bloody and barely conscious Henry and gives a nod. He raises the revolver to his temple and fires. Henry lowers his head, unable to watch.

The gun does not fire. Justinas releases a stressed yelp as he drops the gun on the table, cursing in Russian. Bart smiles at Stephan, who once again refuses to pick up the revolver. In response, Bart says "fine" and fires randomly into the group. The bullet hits Bethany in the arm, causing her to drop baby Lawrence, who begins screaming. Justinas roars at Stephan to "pick up the fucking gun" and he is restrained by guards. A quivering Stephan picks up the revolver and inspects it, knowing full well that there are no more empty chambers left. He raises it to his temple and hesitates. His glare fixed on Justinas, Stephan removes the barrel from his head and points it at Justinas before firing.

The gun goes off, releasing smoke and a loud *BANG!*. Henry opens his one good eye and sees Justinas braced, the revolver pointed straight at him. To Justinas' shock, there is no entry wound. Stephan inspects the gun again and pulls the trigger a second time, but the chamber is empty. The two turn to look at Bart, who begins chuckling madly. The gathered Innocents slowly join in, erupting into a chorus of mocking laughter. Bart snatches the revolver from Stephan and reveals the casing inside: a blank. Henry screams in agony as the truth is revealed, causing the laughter to stop. Bart tauntingly asks if he is not entertained and congratulates Stephan on his ingenuity, telling him there is definitely a place in the Innocents for him. Stephan looks relieve and holds out his hand to shake. Bart instead places a hand on Stephan's shoulder and says there is just one problem: "I don't...like...*cowards*". Bart brings his pistol to Stephan's chest and pulls the trigger.

Stephan immediately falls backwards out of his chair and onto the stage, bleeding from his chest and coughing up blood as he slowly dies. Bart sees the look of horror on Henry's face and tells him that he did him a favour, as the two clearly had some disagreements. He then walks across the stage in front of Justinas and addresses the captive group: "Unfortunately...we're not done" he says as he brings his pistol around to Justinas, who flinches. Bart fires a single bullet, striking Justinas across his left cheek. Laika screams again as Justinas topples over, a portion of his left cheek carved away by the bullet.

"Now we're done!" Bart yells to a thunderous - but shocked - applause. Jane wrestles free of her guards and tries to help the bleeding - but still alive - Justinas. Bart ignores her as he rants about justice being served. Henry, his senses dulled by his brutal beating, whispers "I'm gonna kill you". One of the soldiers hears him whispering and calls Bart over. Bart jumps from the stage and approaches Henry, kneeling down to meet him at face level. He tells Henry to repeat what he said. Henry, despite his injuries, somehow manages to lift himself up, holding tense eye-contact with Bart:

"*You're* the weak one. *Fear* is your weapon. *You're a coward*" he says defiantly. Bart agrees mockingly as Henry continues breathlessly, his voice hoarse and dry, "I'm...*I'm gonna kill you*. I'm gonna make you *suffer*. I'm gonna make it *hurt*. Nothing...*NOTHING!*...can stop what's coming. *You're already dead*, understand? *Run*. *Hide*. *Beg*. *Pray*. Cause *nothing*, not your *army*, not your *walls*, not your great big mad attack dog can *save you!* Nothing can save you...*from me!"*

Bart's mocking smile slowly disappears as Henry speaks, and for the first time genuine fear appears to flicker in his otherwise cold and empty eyes. Henry smiles as Bart's bravado briefly slips. In response, Bart rises to his feet and places his pistol against Henry's forehead. As he applies pressure to the trigger, he realizes few Innocents are actually looking at him anymore, their laughter and taunts replaced with heads bowed in fear. With even Liam unable to meet his gaze, Bart holsters his pistol and orders Henry be taken to "the refrigerators" while the others are carted off to the Black Building. As his group are herded up and dragged to waiting trucks, Henry receives a final blow to the head, blacking out.

#### "One Way Out"

Inside the Fort, numerous workers and soldiers go about their daily routine under the careful watch of "taskmasters", who gleefully hand out beatings whenever the work slows down. In the bowels of a reinforced apartment building, withered and malnourished prisoners are kept inside large walk-in refrigerators and regularly beaten.

Five days have passed since Stephan's execution. Bart emerges from his private quarters and watches closely as the Innocents around him clear space for him and lower their heads as he passes. He turns the corner into the section with the walk-ins and bashes on all the closed doors, listening closely for the sounds of begging and pained shrieking within each one. He finally comes to the final walk-in and bashes on the door, only to hear silence on the other side. He orders a guard, Katrina, to open the door, revealing a heavily bruised Henry, hanging from a pair of chains attached to the ceiling, bleeding lightly from his various injuries. His shoes and shirt have been removed, and two nails are missing from his right foot. In a sing-song voice, Bart tells Henry to wake up, only to see Henry's eyes peering at him from beneath his long and matted hair. Bart approaches Henry and moves his hair from his face, revealing Henry's swollen and battered face. Bart smiles and runs his finger along the long scar across Henry's right cheek and over his nose, calling him an ugly bastard. Henry remains silent as Bart orders Katrina to close the door and leave them alone, which she does. Bart begins circling the motionless Henry, taunting him that his group will be worked to death at the Black Building for everything they've done, while also mentioning that Justinas will be joining them once he has recovered. He grabs a knot in Henry's hair and remarks that all Innocents are required to keep their hair short, making it harder for walkers and "other monsters" to grab them.

Bart looks down at Henry's ruined toes and grabs them between his fingers, causing Henry to finally break and yell out in pain, to Bart's grim amusement. Bart begins mocking assuring him that all his pain and suffering will spare his group, but Henry continues to not respond, and instead bites his lip to cope with the pain. Bart rants that Henry could have spared all of this if he had just given up and died to Liam's beating. He prepares to leave, but Henry suddenly rasps "I made you a promise". Bart turns on his heels and demands that he repeat himself; Henry lifts his head to meet Bart's gaze: "I made you...a promise...". Bart smiles and approaches - "Promised what? That you'd make me *suffer?!*" he taunts - before delivering a fierce punch to Henry's stomach. He finally recognises the British accent in Henry's voice and reveals he also grew up in England, but was born in Australia, hence his bizarre accent. He came to the states for his dad's job; he reveals he was "once scared" of the dead but quickly realized he belonged in this world: his lack of fear is what makes him strong. He asks Henry what makes him so strong; when Henry refuses to answer, Bart thinks for a moment before sighing with glee: "A girl..." he says, causing Henry to rattle his chains. Bart begins cackling as he leaves the cell.

#### "Fools and Dead Men"

At the Fort, a raging Bart, furious at Henry's escape, shoots a random Innocent in a fit of rage, briefly exposing his true self when he weeps over his own actions. He immediately reverts when Jane enters his office; driving himself further into his violent persona, he reassigns his sister to the Fargo Depot, believing the facility will be attacked soon and Jane will be forced to kill to defend herself. He also demands that Justinas, still unconscious at the Black Building, also be moved to the Depot.

#### "Same Stitch"

A day after their vehicle heist, Henry's group prepares to leave Fargo and continue their long journey to Adams Air Force Base. As they finish, however, Henry is petitioned by Feingold to stay behind and aid the domers in defeating the Innocents once and for all. Wanting revenge - and to prove to themselves that they can defend others outside their own group - the group votes to stay behind and battle the Innocents. Using Jane as bait, Henry radios Bart and offers a prisoner exchange: Jane for Justinas. Bart, losing his grip on the Innocents since their loss at the depot and Liam's demise, reluctantly agrees.

Back at Briarwood, Henry's group and the domers make their preparations. They block off the streets with the armoured vehicles and use debris and furniture to create barricades. Henry instructs Emma to keep the other children and less-combat-inclined persons safe inside the S.W.A.T van, while Holly refuses to hide and joins the fighting preparations. Carl prepares several fires around Briarwood and a medical kit so he can administer treatments rapidly. David decides to feed their hostages and learns of Jane's hatred for her brother; David encourages her to do what she thinks is right.

A scout returns to Briarwood, bringing word of an Innocent convoy, led by a tank covered in spikes and mutilated walkers. The militia watches as the Innocents approach, Bart Rhodes riding atop the tank. With their respective groups ready to fire, Henry and Bart approach one another in the street, each holding their hostage. Following a brief exchange of words during which Bart reiterates that he and Henry are not dissimilar, Jane and Justinas rejoin their respective groups. With Justinas safe behind the barrier, Henry asks what comes next; Bart simply says that one of them has to die.

Suddenly, despite Gideon's protests, Garrett jumps up from behind the barricade and fires at Bart, missing him; one of Bart's guards, no more than twelve years old, fires in return, hitting Garrett in the throat. Without warning, Henry uses the distraction to charge forwards, tackling Bart; he is provided cover by his group, who open fire. The Innocents scatter; despite their numbers, they have little in the way of cover. One of the Innocents stumbles across the S.W.A.T van and is prompty killed by Emma with an arrow to the chest.

Henry and Bart wrestle on the ground until Henry is removed by Mikhail, last of Bart's lieutenants. The Innocents prepare to move on the estate, but most are talked out of it by Jane, who is supported by Katrina and Jimmy. Meanwhile, Mikhail proves stronger than Henry, allowing Bart to flee into the trees nearby; Justinas, Ben and Mike counterattack Mikhail with unexpected ferocity, allowing Henry to free himself and chase after Bart. After Mikhail is incapacitated by Ben and Mike, Justinas finishes him off with a machete strike to the skull.

Henry runs into the woods, only to be ambushed by Bart, who slices him across the stomach with his sword. Henry removes his axe and knife from his belt, challenging Bart to one-on-one combat. They engage in a vicious fight, equally matched in strength, height, speed and aggression. Despite Henry disarming him, Bart manages to recover and exploits Henry's wounds, weakening him before retrieving his sword. Forcing Henry against a tree, Bart promptly stabs him in the lower abdomen below his left ribs.

Bart taunts that they were destined to meet and fight, and that they have always been "two threads in the same stitch". Henry desperately tries to reach for a weapon, only to find a leftover flare in his pocket. He allows Bart to run him through, knowing the wound is relatively harmless despite the agony. With Bart stuck in place, Henry stalls him - thus giving him time to grasp the flare - by telling him he used to be afraid of death, and in the past he would have felt afraid of Bart. As he says he no longer feels "a goddamn thing", Henry ignites the flare and presses it against Bart's head.

Bart screams in agony, but Henry is able to hold on, even as his left hand begins to burn. Bart is finally able to pull his sword from Henry's torso, sending them both tumbling to the ground; the flare falls into the dry grass, setting it on fire. Henry retrieves his axe and looks up to see Bart, stuttering and whimpering, the entire right side of his head blackened and bloody, his ear reduced to a stump.

Drew sends a grenade down the barrel of the tank, destroying it from within; the sudden explosion attracts the attention of the darkdweller mating pair, causing one to leave and investigate. At Briarwood, Bart, still alive, rises to his feet and throws his sword aside; Henry does the same with his axe. The pair, both with lethal wounds, engage in a brutal fistfight, using everything from their feet to their nails and teeth. As the fire grows around them, Henry finally manages to get Bart into a stranglehold.

As Bart suffocates, Henry takes in the water of the Red River and remembers his dream of Alex, which encouraged him to let go of his rage and hatred for the world lest it finally consume him and turn him into someone like Bart. A shriek rings out nearby; recognising it as a darkdweller, Henry losens his grip on Bart's throat. He vows to never become Bart before jumping to the side as the darkdweller leaps towards them, catching Bart in mid-air. Bart and the darkdweller tumble into the fire, burning to death together.

## Death

### Killed by:

* Henry Ward *(caused)*
* Darkdweller

At the climax of their brutal fight, Henry considers killing Bart with his bare hands. However, unwilling to let his anger take over him, Henry instead throws Bart to the side just as a darkdweller charges, shoving both it and Bart into a nearby fire. As he burns, Bart desperately tries to grapple with the darkdweller, only to be bitten to death as the fire consumes them both.

## Killed Victims

* Roberto
* Henry *(indirectly caused)*
* Mark Watson
* Kate *(alive)*
* Stephan Lee *(alive)*
* 2 unnamed members of Roberto's group
* Six unnamed Innocents
* Numerous counts of zombies and unnamed people

## Relationships

### Jane Rhodes

Although Bart and Jane are stepsiblings, the full extent of their relationship remains unknown. Jane holds a severe dislike for her brother, while Bart appears to have a sickening obsession with her.

### Henry Ward

Henry and Bart are bitter enemies despite being called "two sides of the same coin". There are similarities between the two men, such as being unfazed by violence to further their own goals; otherwise, however, the two could not be more dissimilar. Although Bart expressed that he respected Henry for his defiance, he nonetheless was willing to torture Henry and randomly slaughter his group just to demonstrate his own strength.

## Quotes

"*You and me, we're not so different. **Two threads in the same stitch**,*"
—Bart taunts a captive Henry[src]

"*There's just **one** problem: I don't...like...**cowards**,*"
—Bart to Stephan before fatally shooting him[src]

## Appearances

### The Walking Dead: Strain Zero

#### Season 3: Remake

* "No Time Left" *(mentioned)*
* "Monsters"
* "Consequences"
* "One Way Out"
* "Fools and Dead Men"
* "Hopes and Fears"
* "Same Stitch"

#### Storytellers

* "Voices"
* "Storms"
* "Ghosts"

## Trivia

* Rhodes is the third recurring primary antagonist in *Strain Zero*, the first two being Francis and William Carter.
	+ He is also the first character to serve as the primary antagonist of more than two seasons, namely *Season 3: Remake* and the *Storytellers* miniseries
* The remake version of Bart has several major differences from his original incarnation.
	+ In the remake, Bart is Australian/British, instead of American
	+ Bart and Jane are stepsiblings instead of adoptive siblings