Spoiler Warning!

Trigger Warning!

The Netflix original ’13 Reasons Why’ is one of the most controversial yet popular TV series. On August 23, Season Three was released with a significant plot twist; the main antagonist of the show Bryce Walker (Justin Prentice) was murdered. 

The season was narrated by the new girl at Liberty High School, Ani Achola (Grace Saif). She speculates throughout in the show who could have killed Walker. Many characters were suspects who had reasons to why they killed Walker.  

Clay Jensen (Dylan Minnette)  

Jensen had many pieces of evidence that led the police to believe he was involved in the murder. Before Walker’s death, Jensen threatened to murder Walker. Walker had raped Jensen’s close friend Hannah Baker. Walker also had a crush on Jensen’s love interest, Achola. Walker and Achola were caught kissing which made Jensen heart broken and angry. However, Jensen did not kill Walker. To avoid getting framed, he investigates his friends who also had reasons to kill him.  

Jessica Davis (Alisha Ilhaan Boe) 

Jessica Davis had a strong reason why she wanted Walker dead, since he raped her during a party in Season One. While the investigation on Walker’s death was going on, Davis fought to cancel men’s sports, since she believes they promote sexual assault and violence. By raising her voice, she helped many people come forward with their sexual assault stories and made a significant influence. She did not kill Walker.  

Justin Foley (Brandon Flynn) 

Justin Foley kept a lot of secrets. But killing his former best friend Walker was not one of them. Even though Walker had raped his ex-girlfriend Davis at the time and eventually had a fallout with Foley himself. Foley had suffered from drug addiction since Season Two of the show. Later, Foley admitted that Walker, before his death, had saved Foley by giving him available drugs to avoid heroin.  

Tyler Down (Devin Druid) 

Tyler Down had the motivation to kill someone. At the end of Season Two, he almost shot up the school. But in Season Three, Down recovers and changes to better himself. He did not kill Walker. Walker had saved him by threatening his ex-friend Monty Cruz, who raped Down in Season Two. 

Zac Dempsey (Ross Butler)  

Dempsey was friends with Walker before he found out that Walker raped multiple girls. Dempsey confronted Walker and fought with him during the baseball game in Season Two. During Season Three, Dempsey had feelings for Walker’s ex-girlfriend Chloe Rice (Anna Winters). During the football game, Walker fought with Dempsey and destroyed Dempsey’s legs. But Dempsey was not the one who killed Walker.

Chloe Rice (Anna Winters) 

Rice was Walker’s ex-girlfriend, and at one point was pregnant with his baby. She had an abortion in Season Three and explained her struggles through it. She told Walker before his death about her abortion and that his ex-friend Dempsey helped her get it.  However, Rice did not kill Walker.

Montgomery de la Cruz (Timothy Granaderos) 

Cruz was a violent person who had a horrible childhood. His only friend was Walker, who had abandoned him after the trial in Season Two. Even though he did have a motive to kill Walker, there was no evidence. Cruz was arrested for raping Down in the end and was eventually murdered in prison.  

Alex Standall (Miles Heizer) 

The actual killer, who found Walker’s bleeding body on the ground, threw him into the water and left him drowning, was Standall. Walker had raped Standall’s two closest friends. Walker was also the reason Standall created a “hot or not” list in Season One that led his former friend Baker to kill herself. The rest of the students decided to cover for Standall and framed Cruz for the murder instead. Since Cruz was also dead, he could not defend himself. Therefore, Walker’s murder case was closed.  

Overall, many fans who watched the season believe Walker deserved redemption as throughout the whole season he asked his peers for forgiveness. The show explains vividly how the world is not black and white that a person who makes the most significant mistakes can also change. However nobody was willing to forgive him and eventually killed him.