Note: The following article contains discussion of sexual misconduct that some readers may find upsetting.
After editing out Hannah's suicide scene in season one, 13 Reasons Why will continue to right the wrongs of the past by killing off Bryce Walker (Justin Prentice) in season three.
At the end of season two, a jury "punished" Bryce with community service, despite hearing plenty of evidence proving he was guilty of sexually assaulting Hannah Baker (Katherine Langford) and Jessica Davis (Alisha Boe).
A year later, the new trailer for season three has revealed someone at Liberty High will now take justice into their own hands, asking the question: "Who killed Bryce Walker?"
Given how much his fellow students resented his toxic masculinity, it's no surprise that most of the cast look pretty suspicious. Even the voiceover admits: "Given the right circumstances, the right motivation, anyone could have done this."
Pretty much everyone is now a suspect, and while the Crestmont police are looking into Bryce's murder, we here at Digital Spy are conducting our own investigation, lining up all the potential suspects... And boy, are there a lot of suspects.
What to Read Next
Did Clay kill Bryce Walker?
Clay Jensen (Dylan Minnette) has had a pretty rough time over the past two seasons, and there's no love lost between him and Bryce. Not only did he play a large role in Hannah's death, but Bryce also beat Clay up back in season one for recording his confession.
However, Clay also found a resolution of sorts following Hannah's memorial, even though he clearly resented the jury’s verdict in court. If Clay turns out to be the one who killed Bryce, then something else must happen to trigger him early on in season three.
Either way, the trailer makes it clear Clay knows something. When Mrs Walker begs the students to tell her anything that might help catch Bryce's killer, Clay opens his mouth to speak right before the trailer ends. What was he going to say? Luckily, we won't have long to wait before we find out.
Did Tony kill Bryce Walker?
It's doubtful that Tony (Christian Navarro) would kill Bryce. Sure, he's close to Clay and Hannah's mum – two people who have plenty of motivation – but he doesn’t really have a personal reason to commit murder, despite his occasionally hot temper.
However, Tony could have helped someone else cover it up. After all, he looks pretty suspicious in the trailer when he and his fellow classmates Tyler Down (Devin Druid) and Justin Foley (Brandon Flynn) close the boot of his car.
Did Zach kill Bryce Walker?
After a number of years, Zach (Ross Butler) ended his friendship with Bryce in season two after putting up with some pretty horrific behaviour. He was also linked romantically with Hannah before her death as well, although he tried his best to keep that fact hidden from everyone else at school.
Although none of that particularly screams "murderer", it's interesting to see him look so guilty about a new fling with Chlöe (Anne Winters) in the trailer. Bryce's ex-girlfriend seems to have moved on pretty quickly following his death and may be involved in something shady with Zach.
Did Chlöe kill Bryce Walker?
Chlöe has more reason to kill Bryce than most. First introduced as his peppy girlfriend in season two, things took a darker turn when she discovered Bryce raped her while she was unconscious. As if that weren't bad enough, Chlöe then realised she was pregnant and yet still remained by his side, refusing to testify against him in court.
In the months that have passed since season two, it's easy to imagine how Bryce's toxic behaviour could keep pushing Chlöe closer to breaking point. Furthermore, it's still not clear whether she kept the baby, and disagreements over the pregnancy could be a source of dispute between the couple. And then there's her new relationship with Zach to consider too....
Did Jessica kill Bryce Walker?
Hannah endured an unbearable amount of pain in the first season of 13 Reasons Why, but Jessica suffered a great deal at the hands of Bryce as well.
After he raped Jessica in front of her boyfriend, Justin, he went on to slut shame her at school to undermine any accusations she might bring forward. Despite that, Jessica still spoke up in court in season two, even though we all know how that turned out.
In the season three trailer, it looks like Jessica has learned to channel her frustration over the verdict into some kind of activist work, although it's still possible that her aggression could fuel an act of revenge. That seems doubtful though, as it is a bit too obvious for the show.
Did Justin kill Bryce Walker?
Instead, it seems far more likely that Justin will kill Bryce for Jess, whether she wants him to or not.
After he did nothing to stop Bryce from raping his girlfriend, Justin went off the rails in season two, spiralling into homelessness and drug addiction. By the time the season finale rolled round, he seemed to be on the path to recovery, but when you combine his love for Jessica with his hatred for Bryce, Justin remains one of the most likely suspects.
Did Alex kill Bryce Walker?
Just like Justin, Alex also loves Jessica and might therefore seek revenge against Bryce. However, in the season three trailer, all of his aggression seems to be directed towards Bryce's friend, Montgomery (Timothy Granaderos), instead.
The pair didn't see eye to eye in season two, but what remains to be seen is why they're fighting so aggressively in the new season. While it's unlikely that either of them killed Bryce, perhaps they're fighting over who did.
Did Tyler kill Bryce Walker?
Tyler suffered worse than most at the hands of bullies in season two, which led to a traumatic rape scene in a bathroom stall. Pushed to his breaking point and driven to despair, Tyler planned to shoot his fellow students in the season finale.
While Clay managed to stop him just in time, pain like that doesn't disappear overnight and it might not take much to push Tyler over the edge in season three.
And then there’s that suspicious scene in the new trailer to think of as well. Why would Tyler, Tony and Justin ride in a car together and what are they hiding in the boot?
Did Ani kill Bryce Walker?
Now that Hannah is no longer involved in the show, 13 Reasons Why has introduced a new narrator for season three called Ani (Grace Saif), who may play a big role in the death of Bryce. The first trailer certainly wants us to think that, introducing her while she scrubs someone's blood off a shirt.
Of course, that's likely to be a misdirect. The mystery of who killed Bryce Walker will be central to season three and Netflix wouldn't want to give away the culprit this early on. Regardless though, it's clear that this mysterious new addition to the cast will be entangled in Bryce's death somehow – and we can't wait to see how.
13 Reasons Why returns to Netflix on August 23.
We would encourage anyone who identifies with the topics raised in this article to reach out. Organisations who can offer support include Samaritans on 116 123 (www.samaritans.org), and Mind on 0300 123 3393 (www.mind.org.uk). Readers in the US are encouraged to contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-8255 or visit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
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After teaching in England and South Korea, David turned to writing in Germany, where he covered everything from superhero movies to the Berlin Film Festival.
In 2019, David moved to London to join Digital Spy, where he could indulge his love of comics, horror and LGBTQ+ storytelling as Deputy TV Editor, and later, as Acting TV Editor.
David has spoken on numerous LGBTQ+ panels to discuss queer representation and in 2020, he created the Rainbow Crew interview series, which celebrates LGBTQ+ talent on both sides of the camera via video content and longform reads.
Beyond that, David has interviewed all your faves, including Henry Cavill, Pedro Pascal, Olivia Colman, Patrick Stewart, Ncuti Gatwa, Jamie Dornan, Regina King, and more — not to mention countless Drag Race legends.
As a freelance entertainment journalist, David has bylines across a range of publications including Empire Online, Radio Times, INTO, Highsnobiety, Den of Geek, The Digital Fix and Sight & Sound.
