The Walking Dead and FearTWD: Dealing with those who become walkers

Over the course of both shows in The Walking Dead universe, a number of characters have reanimated into walkers. Those that turn provide a haunting and powerful look at the fate that awaits everyone in this world.

Since the very first episode of The Walking Dead, it has been hammered into the heads of the characters and viewers that becoming one of the dead should be avoided at all costs. Just take a look at any walker and you’ll understand why someone would try their absolute hardest to not have his undead corpse wandering the post-apocalypse. Sadly, during the run of both The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead, numerous characters have joined the army of the dead that have taken over the world.

The rules of this universe are pretty clear: assuming one’s brain isn’t destroyed, those that are bitten, get walker gunk in a wound, or die from a non-brain related cause, will reanimate. As explained by Dr. Jenner at the CDC, resurrection times vary, but everyone comes back. The survivors of the global outbreak had to learn this rule pretty quickly because in all of the stories seen in this world thus far, no one is immune from coming back as a walker.

Thanks to years of the characters adapting in The Walking Dead universe, they have mostly prevented their loved ones from experiencing an afterlife of being a walker. For a variety of reasons, some of the fallen have reanimated and it’s always a chilling reminder of the fragility of life.

Take Amy in season 1, who died after being bitten by two walkers. Andrea sat with her lifeless corpse all night and into the morning even as Rick, Shane and the others expressed their concern for her safety. Amy was the first character we actually saw complete the full walker transformation. Seeing the once cheery and lively young woman suddenly rise from the dead was devastating for Andrea and sent her down a dark path.