From the moment he entered Emmerdale, Ray Walters was hated intensely: a drug dealer, forcing teenagers to work for him, and drawing Dylan and April into his criminal network.

But as time went on, we realized he was merely a pawn manipulated by Celia Daniels – the woman he called his “foster mother.”

Celia instilled fear and obsession in Ray.

She gave him the feeling of being loved, then used that very love to control him.

When Ray made mistakes, she gently comforted him; when he hesitated, she threatened him with cold silence. After a while, Ray no longer knew what was real – he lived to please Celia, until he was consumed by crime.

When Celia killed Bear Wolf and brazenly declared it a “necessary cleanup,” Ray completely collapsed. In a panic, he screamed, “Are you a monster, Mother?”, and Celia merely gave a wry smile, replying, “You were born to serve me.” At that moment, Ray transformed into a cornered beast.

The episode’s climax left viewers speechless: Ray lunged at Celia, stabbing her with an apple knife – the very symbol of the sweetness Celia had used to manipulate him. As she collapsed, blood staining the Dales grounds, Ray wept, muttering, “I’m sorry, Mother…” – a scene widely considered the most heartbreaking of Emmerdale in 2026.