Talk:Zombies

copying wikipediaEdit

Since I'm new to wikia and wiki type editing in general, I'm not sure what the rules are with copying wikipedia entries. I suggest that we copy the zombie entry for the walking dead wikipedia entry onto the zombie page here. We can format it to fit the way it currently looks here. I'm not sure how the citation should be treated. How do the rest of you feel?--Joshness 21:14, April 22, 2010 (UTC)

response two years later. the licencing of wikipedia allows this, as long as we give attribution, {{wikipedia}} is a template that accomplishes this. Wikiasmikia 16:27, March 16, 2012 (UTC)

If They dont breath then how do they smell . Edit

Could someone anser this question please i no their reanimated corpses but they stil have to breath somehow.

Personally, I disagree with the entry on the zombie page stating that zombies don't eat, sleep or breathe. This is clearly incorrect precisely because they do smell. I liked the explanation in the TV series that the virus or parasite (or whatever it is that causes re-animation) causes the most basic functions of the brain to restart (ie the brain stem). This would explain why the zombies are mobile (basic motor functions) and why they breathe (again a very basic life function performed by the brain stem). Because only the brain stem is reactivated, there is no higher conscious, no personality, and no fine motor skills. I would like to suggest we change the "strenghts" sections of the zombie page to reflect this. Goddessrfl 18:22, January 20, 2011 (UTC)goddessrflGoddessrfl 18:22, January 20, 2011 (UTC)

We know that whatever reactivates the brains of the dead clearly also reactivates the basic motor functions, and the links that link the eyes and ears to the brain. Maybe it also reactivates the olfactory sensors (the sensors in or near your nose that detect smells). Maybe when air is blown or drifts up a zombie's open nostrils, the reactivated olfactory sensors detect the smells in the air. TroopDude 18:46, October 29, 2011 (UTC)

The answer to this question could be something outside of our understanding, much like the virus itself. 94.72.226.48 19:12, January 6, 2013 (UTC)

Zombies are only vulnerable to massive head damage? Edit

Im sure that these things can be killed with other things as well like a molotov burning it to a crisp,or a minigun ripping it a part or being smashed by a truck .I mean im sure their are other ways.

I was wondering the same thing myself. I would very much like to see what happens to a zombie set on fire. Would it burn to a point that it is no longer a viable host or a threat to others? Or would they just be a crispy zombie? Goddessrfl 18:22, January 20, 2011 (UTC)goddessrflGoddessrfl 18:22, January 20, 2011 (UTC)

Fire might destroy the bodies, but a "living" zombie might still be alive long enough to still kill several people while on fire. Substantial head trama and decapitation seem to be the most effective ways to kill, or disable, the zombie. Alockwood1 16:25, October 29, 2011 (UTC)

No matter how massive the trauma to the body, if the brain is still "alive" then so is the zombie; destroying the body would certainly slow them down, though! Decapitation does not kill the zombies as the head continues to be "alive". if a fire is hot enough it could destroy the brain but an ordinary fire, such as from a molotov is unlikely to be hot enough even to destroy the body. All said and done though ripping apart a herd with a minigun, landmines or the like would buy plenty of time to either bug out or finish them at your leisure (as long as your ammo doesn't run out before the supply of zombie does)90.223.165.75 09:52, June 12, 2012 (UTC)

Actually, it would kill them most of the time. See it like this: What happens when you burn your hand? thats right, you will lose feeling in it (only in SEVERE burn cases(A.K.A:Molotov, flamethrower, napalm, etc. etc.)) forever. That is because the nerves die. Now, what is the brian made out of? thats right, nerves (and fat, but that only makes it burn better). So if placed corectly, a molotov would cook the brain out of a zombie like a egg in a fire.84.31.55.57 15:00, January 29, 2013 (UTC)

Zombie Rules Edit

The rules for zombies as stated on this page (everyone that dies returns), may be right for the comic book series (never read them), but as for the TV show, its plain wrong. In episode 6 the scientist makes it quite clear, that the "zombie-ism" is really just an infection, caused by zombie bites. So in other words: Only those who die by the hand of zombies, will return and not everyone, regardless of their cause of death. How about changing it like this: "In the comic book series, zombies [set of rules]; in the TV show however, they [set of rules]."

Just a thought. --188.46.236.116 09:29, February 24, 2011 (UTC)

This is pure speculation, but to me, there is absolutely no way a zombie virus could've destroyed the entire world as easily as in the TV series if it was spread through bites and took over half a day to turn its hosts into zombies. Plus, maybe in the TV series, the virus spread through zombie bites simply invades and shuts down the brain, and a different virus (the one from the comic series that reanimates the dead) reactivates the brain stem, regardless of whether or not the victim was killed by the zombie fever. Perhaps the TS-19 samples were just destroyed before Dr. Jenner could notice this. TroopDude 16:48, October 24, 2011

Sounds like a possibility. Alockwood1 16:21, October 29, 2011 (UTC)

As of this posting, the TV series has confirmed that anyone who dies will become a zombie, regardless of exposure to infected blood or other fluids. 76.91.206.98 06:58, March 15, 2012 (UTC)

That's for sure- Beth would of been trouble if she'd gone through with her suicide plan. Alockwood1 00:57, March 16, 2012 (UTC)

Do Dreams Count?Edit

If a character turns into a zombie in a dream, does that really count? TroopDude, 15:22, November 5, 2011 (UTC)

No, we can have a picture of the saying it was a dream. But as for a status change, we can't it's why we don't have Lori as a zombie.

User:Ttowen

Romero Zombie RulesEdit

Disagree with article's claim of 100% Romero-correctness for the TV show. In Romeros' universe, everyone who dies for any reason reanimates as a zombie. Best I can tell, the TV series has not re-iterated that position.

Episode one seems to contradict that idea. Morgan is very clear that the main cause of worry is that Rick has not been bitten and is OK if Rick has just been shot.

Perhaps Morgan didn't someone just die and come back. The only one he saw die and come back was his wife, who had been bitten. Also, as for the people in the cars on the Highway, they could of died from sevear blunt force trama to the skull when they crashed, or commited suicide in some manner that didn't totally destroy their face. Alockwood1 19:07, December 5, 2011 (UTC)

I agree with Alockwood1. Like I said, if the virus that causes the dead to reanimate is spread through zombie bites and takes about a day to turn its hosts, then containing the outbreak should've been like stealing candy from a baby for the government, and it should have taken years rather than a month for the zombies to multiply into so many numbers (and that would be if the government and the rest of the living just sat down and let the zombie plague spread). Maybe Morgan incorrectly thought that the fatal infections zombie bites cause are the virus that causes the dead to rise. Plus, let's not forget that that's what the comic characters thought until Chris and Julie turned. TroopDude

Right, after all, no one has died of an infection (T-Dog) or gunshot wound (Carl) or old age (Dale), and then come back craving for brains. Of course, the rules between the Comic and the TV series could be slightly different. Alockwood1 20:05, December 5, 2011 (UTC)

Yeah but none of them have died in the tv series yet. T-Dog's immune system helped him out, Carl was saved, and Dale isn'tready to die of age just yet.

We'll see what Febuary brings. :-D Alockwood1 20:21, December 5, 2011 (UTC)

Why No Animal Scavengers - in Georgia - in the Summertime? Edit

I don't know if anything official's been said or not, I can't seem to find anything about it online, so I came here. It's been bothering me since I saw the first season. I haven't been reading the books because I don't want to spoil the show for myself (even though I understand the two are significantly different).

Where are all the animals? I lived in Tennessee & Louisiana, and even though there are big cities and lots of people around, there are still wild animal populations to be found - rats, raccoons, possums, skunks, foxes, coyotes, snakes, lizards, birds of all kinds, etc. A bit outside the suburbs, there are even wild pigs. If most of the human population died or fled from a city like Atlanta, the 'wilderness' would encroach in a rapid manner. So far, I've seen a couple of crows, a zombie eating a squirrel, a woodchuck jaw in a dead zombie's guts, a deer, horses & the chickens at the Herschel farm. I guess on the webisodes someone mentions a zombified dog that had to be shot, but that's it. No scavengers. Nothing. There aren't even significant insect population, and if anyone's ever been sweaty outside in the southeast, you'd understand why that's so weird.

First episode of season two had some stray dogs and cats, some of which were eating dead bodies, during the first five-ten minutes of the show, while Rick was on the roof, talking on the radio to Morgan. Alockwood1 21:58, January 24, 2012 (UTC)

If zombies outnumber humans 5,000-to-1, then it's possible that the majority of animal scavengers are being devoured by walkers. They may be eating animals more rapidly than humans did, considering the rabid nature of their attacks when food is near. Their energy intake appears to require more food than the average human. Zombies may also eat insects, though it's never been seen. 23:19, October 19, 2012 (UTC)

We don't even know if the zombies do get energy from eating food, because otherwise the zombie heads in The Governor's aquarium wouldn't be moving. Anyway bear in mind that survivors need food too, so Daryl's probably responsible for at least killing off most of the squirrels. 94.72.226.48 17:48, January 7, 2013 (UTC)

lamebrainsEdit

I just wanted to post this, Dave and Tony called the walkers,lamebrains. It isn't really important but i just wanted to state that.

source of 3 minutes to 8 hours statementEdit

Edit reversion: [1]

not sure who is correct. I added a fact tag in the hopes this section will be sourced. Brownchair 03:02, February 29, 2012 (UTC)

added possible source. edwin at the CDC, if you read below. Wikiasmikia 16:27, March 16, 2012 (UTC)

User:Dale&OtisRIP]]ocumentation Needed==

Where are the sources for much of the claims made on this page? This is a pervasive issue with all zombie 'lore' information on the internet as a whole, but a number of claims are made on this page with no basis or evidence provided for them at all. For example:

"...classic Romero-zombies were stated in Day of the Dead to not actually need to eat to stay functional"

When? By who? I have tried, but I can find no confirmation that this was stated in the film anywhere.

Also:

"...even the heads of decapitated zombies remain active until destroyed"

It is shown in the comic series that the head of decapitated zombies is active directly after being removed, but there is no evidence yet that it stays that way. Additionally, that I know of, there have been no examples yet in the show that the same applies in the tv series.

SvenBoogie 00:55, April 13, 2012 (UTC)

   • in Season 1, when they find the zombie eating Daryl's deer, they decapitate it, but Daryl has to shoot it with a bolt before it "dies"

Dale&OtisRIP 9:52 pm April 12, 2012 {US Eastern Standard Time}

In both the TV and DVD versions of TS-19, Dr. Jenner specifically said when he was showing the survivors how the zombie virus brings the dead back, that the shortest recorded time it took a corpse to reanimate was 3 minutes, and the longest was 8 hours. TroopDude 17:36, May 3, 2012 (UTC)

Major Zombie Physiology ProblemEdit

This is not TWD specific, but an issue with 'Romero zombies'/zombie fiction as a whole. I would be very curious to get Kirkman's response to the issue, but I have a feeling he, like Romero, doesn't actually have any answer.

It is pretty well established that zombies can only be killed by destroying the brain. This means that destroying the heart/lungs/stomach/etc does NOT stop them, as mentioned in the scene where Shane shoots the zombie in the heart and lungs to prove a point to Herschel. There is a major issue with that. If zombies do not have working hearts/lungs/stomachs, how are the muscles getting the required oxygen, etc to function in any way whatsoever? Additionally, without oxygen, etc, how can the brain be functional on ANY level? Muscles cannot function without blood (there is more to it than that, but I'm not going to explain it all here) so barring 'magic', there is a pretty massive hole in the pseudoscience behind zombies.

SvenBoogie 01:08, April 13, 2012 (UTC)

This is a very difficult problem to tackle, even for Romero or Kirkman. The reason being is that at some level, the rules behind how a zombie works on the inside, physiologically, can be proven impossible. We know that a person requires food, water, blood and oxygen to create energy which allows the body to move, but a zombie doesn't seem to be governed by the constraints of a respiratory, circulatory, or digestive system (among other critical systems). It is interesting to ponder how a zombie can function given these rules, but ultimately we can only conclude that a zombie is a science-fictional creation, and we cannot possibly explain how it exists using traditional scientific applications. --RedGrimes (talk) 16:22, November 1, 2012 (UTC)

As I have also said below, my guess is that it must be some kind of mutation caused by radiation or something but I don't think we'll ever find out. However we might get hints about it. 77.86.90.114 16:57, November 1, 2012 (UTC)

Where do they get their energy? Edit

Every living thing needs a source of energy. If not, they die. So what about the walkers? The one hanging in the tree quite obviously had no way of getting food so should have died after swinging around for a while. So their source of energy must be different. What could it be though? My first guess would be that they withdraw energy from light, but if so why are walkers more active at night? It's just speculation but does anyone think moonlight may effect the walkers? Also, note that Shane's transformation was during a full moon and was a lot faster than the others. 83.100.175.194 16:11, April 30, 2012 (UTC)

Maybe the virus that reanimates them is what gives them their energy. TroopDude 17:38, May 3, 2012 (UTC)

Even that would run out of energy, and from what the show has told us, unless they recieve head damage, the walkers never stop. I don't think it will ever be revealed where their energy comes from in the show, but it's interesting to speculate. 83.100.175.194 17:43, May 3, 2012 (UTC)

The best speculation for me, personally, was to adopt the Resident Evil T-Virus zombie's means for energy. In their instance, the virus breaks down cells for use as energy, just enough to run the basic functions like the walkers. The resulting breakdown looks like necrosis anyway. Could be why they last as long as they do. It'd need to be tested with a severed zombie head indoors and see if it rots faster or actually dies. Reflected void (talk) 20:25, October 26, 2012 (UTC)

It's completely speculative but my guess is that what causes the virus is some kind of radiation which mutates dead bodies and constantly gives them energy when they reanimate because I can't see any other energy sources they could use. 77.86.90.114 14:42, November 1, 2012 (UTC)

See the 'Zombie Physiology' topic above. --RedGrimes (talk) 15:35, November 1, 2012 (UTC)

As Milton also said, the zombies starves just like humans, just slighty slower. Kaffe4200 (talk) 17:04, November 1, 2012 (UTC)

That means that they should at least have a secondary energy source and one more efficient than a humans. 77.86.90.114 19:25, November 1, 2012 (UTC)

When a living person goes into starvation mode from lack of nourishment, their body begins breaking down fat tissue, followed by muscle tissue and converting it into energy. Eventually, the body will begin breaking down the tissue of vital organs and the person eventually expires when those organs cease to function. In theory, if a zombie cannot find a normal food source, they can also break down body tissue and convert it into energy even though they are dead, until they basically wither away to nothing. The thing to keep in mind is that zombies are fictional beings, and many of their characteristics cannot be rationally explained through traditional science. Try not to get fixated on the details behind how they exist as we know them in TWD. --RedGrimes (talk) 22:10, November 1, 2012 (UTC)

can the virus kill? Edit

(Spoiler)

in seson 1. a guy in the RV was bit. he was becoming ill and were dying. he was not lossing a lot of blood and his wound was not infected. so i think the statement that the virus don't kill is wrong

93.166.244.62 14:10, October 15, 2012 (UTC)

I dont know but I think you can trick the virus. When Hershal was bitten he seemed to die for a few minutes after they amputated his lower leg but Lori revived him with CPR. After that he looked better and Rick mentioned their was no fever. Either they got lucky with amputation or Lori' CPR might have caused the virus to arrest and go back to being dormant like it with everyone.86.157.127.11 14:49, October 22, 2012 (UTC)

Anyone Notice?Edit

Has anyone noticed how a majority of the walkers have had their lips/nose bitten off? The first walker Rick encounters has her lips and nose off. Is there a reason? Or is it because its like hanging flesh to them? I don't know, I mean its not important but it's just strange. And we even see walkers doing this act in the episode "Better Angels" when Sean gets eaten by walkers, the walker aims for his lip and nose!

Remember signature. The reason their lips is bit off in the TV Series is becaus they wanted the zombies to look similair to the ones in the comic. Kaffe4200 (talk) 17:01, November 1, 2012 (UTC)

Doesn't really asnwer the question :P 98.210.113.156 07:10, November 12, 2012 (UTC)

Zombies re-write 11/1/2012 Edit

Hey all, I am re-writing the 'Zombies' article. I think it is important to establish baseline criteria that governs zombies within TWD. I will define a zombie, and where the concept comes from, but primarilly will focus on zombies within the Walking Dead universe. I also will establish zombie precedents, describing how they come to exist, how they sustain themselves, behavioral patterns, etc. I am considering all of the topics already listed on this talk page, as well as the content that already exists within the article. To avoid clutter and superfluous content, some items may not be explicitly dealt with aside from an FAQ section. For example I will describe that destroying a zombie's body can incapacitate them but the head will remain active until the brain is also destroyed. And then in the FAQ section: Q: Can a zombie be destroyed by fire? A: Yes, zombie tissue can be burned much like a living person... blah blah blah. If anyone has suggestions you can post to my talk page or on this page. In the meantime, please give me a couple days to overhaul the content before editing and contributing. Thanks. --RedGrimes (talk) 15:20, November 1, 2012 (UTC)

I think i'd be smarter to wait until later in Season 3. It has been reavealed that Milton will tell us some more stuff about the zombies. Just so we know more than we currently do. Kaffe4200 (talk) 17:00, November 1, 2012 (UTC)

Noted, but it is implied that this article, like most articles on this wiki, are a work in progress and will be updated as new content and information is available. --RedGrimes (talk) 19:22, November 1, 2012 (UTC)

Alright, I see no problems there. We'll just rewrite the parts that need to be rewritten when the time comes, just like every other page. Shellturtleguy (talk) 19:25, November 1, 2012 (UTC)

OK everyone, I've tried to define, organize and simplify the knowledge base of the Walking Dead zombies to the best of my ability without leaving out anything important. I think there's still more that can be done, but what ive done is a start. I believe we should stray from overkilling examples from the comics, tv, video games, etc. when describing one attribute or another, and we don't always need exact quotes from Kirkman or whoever, as they can be wordy. I feel that this is a topic that can easilly grow wildly out of control (as it has in the past). Let's try to keep this article clear, consice, and informative. --RedGrimes (talk) 20:59, November 6, 2012 (UTC)

Could this be significant? Edit

Does anyone else think there might be significance in the way Michonne's walkers started acting restlessly just after Sean reanimated? It might be worth mentioning on the behaviour part of the walker page. 77.86.105.212 11:04, November 10, 2012 (UTC)

Perhaps it's the presence of survivors they aren't used to, they're used to Muchone and Andrea, just not the Woodbury Soldiers, right?98.210.113.156 07:12, November 12, 2012 (UTC)

Could be but I like to think it's something to do with Sean's reanimation. The Governor and his men had been there for a while before Michonne's walkers started getting restless so it would be a bit strange for them to start acting restlessly a few minutes after their arrival. 94.72.226.48 19:10, January 6, 2013 (UTC)

A theory of mine Edit

Could the walker virus be something that Mother Nature (not sure if that should be capitalized or not lol) "cooked up" to fight the rampant population growth of our species? I'm no militant environmentalist or anything like that, but the total number of human beings populating the earth today is over 7 billion (that's a 7 with 12 zeroes after it; in numerals, this would be 7,000,000,000,000), we have no natural predators, and we pretty much do nothing but consume the resources our planet has so graciously and lovingly provided us without giving anything back. I mean, we're a species of vampires sucking every last drop of life out of the earth. So could it be that Mother Nature just threw up her hands saying, "Screw these spoiled leaches, let them see what it's like to be food for something", and triggered some kind of, I don't know, population control mechanism that's been lying dormant inside our bodies all along? If the zombie/human ratio of 5000 to 1 mentioned on the main page really came from Kirkman and is to be believed, that means the world population could have already dwindled to 500,000 or less living people, and that's certainly a more sustainable number than our current pop. level. It would also explain why the virus only affects humans and not cats, dogs, goldfish, elephants, zebra, and such, and it also means there's a possibility that, like the Bubonic Plague 500 years ago, the walker virus might just up and disappear one day. Ghost Leader (talk) 01:51, November 17, 2012 (UTC)

Bear in mind that some of the zombies might be people that were already dead before the outbreak. We can't be sure because we don't know enough about the disease, but this might be one of the many factors to take into account. 94.72.226.48 19:04, January 6, 2013 (UTC)

The "Virus" Edit

Back in S1E6 Dr. Jenner states:

"It could be microbial, viral, parasitic, fungal"

Has this line been contradicted since? If not, I think this article needs to be reworked to take it into account.

He also admits to saying it could also be "The Wrath of God". It's possible that this whole mess isn't some virus outbreak but a more "fictional" reason. Maybe god's pissed at them, maybe its the second coming, maybe its satanic related, you never really know.98.210.113.156 04:02, February 12, 2013 (UTC)

Killed Victims List? Edit

Does anyone think we should do a list of characters who were killed by zombies? 94.72.226.48 17:39, December 26, 2012 (UTC)

Anybody? 94.72.226.48 19:01, January 6, 2013 (UTC)

Nobody? 94.72.226.48 17:48, January 7, 2013 (UTC)

Evidently not. 94.72.235.63 16:32, January 29, 2013 (UTC)

Bite Infection TransferenceEdit

On this page, it says that the virus is not carried in the bite and the victim dies from infection or blood loss, and death reanimates them. In the episode TS-19, Jenner says the virus infects the brain like meningitis after the person is bitten, which kills them and then reanimation occurs. Are these just differences between the comic and tv series? America789 (talk) 00:48, March 15, 2013 (UTC)

SalivaEdit

Zombies DO have saliva. We can see saliva inside their mouths several times in the comics, and in the novels, they mention saliva.--Pops Capo (talk) 22:13, May 2, 2013 (UTC)