Warning! This article contains spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again episode 3.
Daredevil: Born Againepisode 3’s major death left many suitably shocked, with the burning question being whether Kingpin had anything to do with it. As someone who is mostly unfamiliar with earlyDaredevilcomics, theending ofDaredevil: Born Againepisode 3came as a massive surprise to me. More than anything, the story development continued to prove to me that the show is unafraid to kill off big members ofDaredevil: Born Again’s cast, be it the still-tragic death of Foggy in episode 1 or the final scene of episode 3 that saw another character meet the same fate.
The bulk of episode 3 centered around the court trial ofDaredevil: Born Again’s White Tiger. The vigilante, known in his everyday life as Hector Ayala, was accused of killing an NYPD officer that we, as the audience, and Matt, as the lie-detecting titular hero himself, know to be untrue. Therefore, Matt and Kirsten begin launching their defense, resulting inDaredevil: Born Againepisode 3’s Easter egg-filled trial. After all is said and done, yet another major death rocks the show, leading many to question if Kingpin is reverting to his old ways by having a hand in it.
Kingpin Is Firmly Against Vigilantes
Image via Disney+
The death in question was White Tiger’s himself, with Hector Ayala going back out into New York as his vigilante alter ego now that he had been found innocent. However, the trial resulted in Hector’s dual identity being unveiled, meaning the people of New York now know who is under the White Tiger mask.The hero was lured into a dark corner of New York and unceremoniously shot in the headby an unknown figure. This scene was accompanied by a voiceover from the new mayor of New York, Wilson Fisk, in which the former Kingpin outlines his anti-vigilante plans.
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Fisk dubs the acquittal of Hector Ayala a gross miscarriage of justice, stating that the man is a murderer and a vigilante. Fisk continues to say that White Tiger should not be allowed to roam the streets while a member of the NYPD lies dead, clearly proving that Fisk was on the side of the corrupt Officer Powell during the case. Fisk finishes his speech - speaking toDaredevil: Born Again’s Ben Urich replacement, BB Urich - by insisting that he will keep the promise on which he based his run for office: the end of vigilantes in New York.
With all of this in mind, White Tiger’s death is certainly something that Fisk will not lose sleep over. Regardless of the man beneath the mask, Fisk has a hatred of vigilantes that supersedes any real justice or empathy.Fisk’s violent nature has long proven his ability to kill to achieve his goals, and Ayala’s death removes one masked hero from the streetsin a way that fits Fisk’s mayoral promise. Naturally, though, the question stemming fromDaredevil: Born Againepisode 3 is whether Fisk was directly involved in White Tiger’s death, given that it fits his agenda.
Kingpin May Still Be Lurking Beneath The Facade
If White Tiger’s death had happened exactly as it did in Netflix’s originalDaredevilshow, I would be the first to say that Kingpin killed him beyond any doubt. However,Daredevil: Born Again’s first few episodes have attempted to paint Fisk in a more morally righteous light. Of course, this is not fooling anyone, and the cracks that Fisk is still Kingpin are evident for us audience members who know his dark past. Regardless,even Fisk himself is trying to convince those around him that his practices as mayor are legitimate, meaning his outright murder of Hector Ayala would go against that.
Fisk was likely not the man who pulled the trigger on Ayala, but this is not to say he had no part in the murder at all…
Nonetheless, asDaredevil: Born Againcontinues, Fisk is transparently struggling to keep Kingpin contained. Be it his veiled threats to the police commissioner in episode 2 or his bloodied knuckles visible in episode 3,Daredevil: Born Again’s Kingpin still has his darker tendencies. That said, it would still be unbelievably reckless of Kingpin to kill Hector Ayala in cold blood, no matter how careful he was during the act, given the high-profile nature of the case and Fisk’s outright disapproval of vigilantes.
For this reason, Fisk was likely not the man who pulled the trigger on Ayala, but this is not to say he played no part in the murder at all. Now that Fisk is so clearly in the public eye, he has to resort to more underhanded tactics to get what he wants. The aforementioned threat to Commissioner Gallo inDaredevil: Born Againepisode 2 was proof of that, as was his speech to BB Urich in episode 3. This speech could certainly have incited the murder of Ayala.
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In light of Fisk’s words, the corrupt cops of the city could have taken the wishes of their new mayor into their own hands and killed a murderous vigilante. This would make Fisk innocent in the death of Hector Ayala, despite it furthering his agenda, while also allowing him to uphold the facade by publicly condemning the act. Fisk may be trying to convince the people of New York that he is on the straight and narrow, and while he may not be committing heinous acts personally any longer,Daredevil: Born Againproves how he can still have a hand in such crimes.
Who Else Could Have Killed White Tiger?
One Hint May Prove To Be A Red Herring
Aside from Fisk, there are other possibilities for who killed White Tiger inDaredevil: Born Again. The first of these potential murderers was hinted at in the final moments ofDaredevil: Born Again, but anyone familiar with the character teased will realize that this was not a “hint” at all.Daredevil: Born Againtied The Punisher to White Tiger’s death, with the faceless man who pulled the trigger shown wearing a vest donning Frank Castle’s signature skull logo. Although this seemingly implicates the fan-favorite antihero, other aspects ofDaredevil: Born Againprove that Frank is not involved in the murder of Hector Ayala.
For one, Frank only kills those he deems worthy of being killed, such as the worst criminals who escape the justice of the law; Hector does not fit this description. InDaredevil: Born Againepisodes 2 and 3, though, Frank’s logo was shown to be tattooed on the arms or necks of various NYPD cops, especially those of a corrupt nature like Officer Powell. This plot point is seemingly setting up a similar one from Marvel Comics that sees The Punisher’s logo becoming misappropriated.
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Cops using The Punisher’s logo is something that has happened in Marvel Comics and real life, withDaredevil: Born Againadapting this. Evidently, The Punisher - someone who kills criminals with abandon - should not be a role model for anyone involved in law enforcement. This sets up Frank’s return inDaredevil: Born Againwhile also confirming that it was likely one of these cops, if not Officer Powell himself, who killed White Tiger. Some NYPD officers believe themselves above the law, punishing those they see fit, with White Tiger fitting that bill and potentially revealing the true murderers inDaredevil: Born Again.
