Zombie variants have become a big part of The Walking Dead in recent years, but despite their growing presence, the franchise has created plenty of unanswered questions about its most unique types of the undead. Intentionally or not, variants have been around since the main show’s very first season, but they didn’t play a big role until the past few years. Alongside appearing in the final season, these special walkers have also been involved in several spinoff shows which have highlighted the vast amount of zombie variant types that The Walking Dead has to offer.

There is no doubt their increased use has produced higher stakes and more intense drama; however, The Walking Dead‘s variants have also created several plot holes and unexplained mysteries that have confused viewers. While it’s clear how a few of their special abilities work alongside the origins of specific variants, their unexplored potential and plot inconsistencies remain problematic. Luckily, the franchise still has plenty of time to further elaborate on the secrets regarding its rarest kind of zombies, and hopefully, the upcoming spinoff shows will clarify the truth about some of The Walking Dead‘s unanswered variant questions.

10Did The French Scientists Who Created The Walking Dead’s Virus Also Create Variants?

World Beyond Hinted That The French Scientists Making The Virus Even Worse

The origin of The Walking Dead‘s zombie virus was kept a secret for many years until World Beyond finally hinted that a group of French scientists accidentally created it. In the same scene, an unnamed man also blamed the scientists for making things worse, indicating they could have been responsible for the introduction of variants. While the franchise has shown some variants are the cause of science experiments, it doesn’t mean they all are.

Additionally, The Walking Dead has never actually confirmed who created the first variant or how this strand of the undead started. We know Pouvoir is capable of injecting regular people and turning them into special zombies, but World Beyond put a lot of suspicion on the French scientists being responsible for their creation initially. Unfortunately, their exact origins remain a mystery for now, and outlining who created them is something the franchise has to clear up in the future.

9Why Were There Variants So Early In The Walking Dead Season 1?

The Walking Dead Never Gave An In-Universe Explanation To Variants’ Early Appearance

When The Walking Dead first started, walkers behaved very differently from how they did throughout the remainder of the series. Frank Darabont’s vision for the show was a lot different from his successors, as his version of zombies could run, climb, and even had some form of memory, which the new showrunners quickly changed. This explains why variants were in season 1 from an outside perspective, but not an in-universe one.

Understandably, the show decided to retcon how zombies work to the slower and less intimidating version that became famous within The Walking Dead universe, but it’s still unclear from a lore point of view why variants were in America so quickly. World Beyond‘s post-credit scene indicates variant cohorts didn’t exist in America at the start of the apocalypse, yet the series showed zombies running and using objects in the very first season, meaning variants have been around from the start without a proper explanation.

8Why Did Variants Vanish Then Return In The Walking Dead’s Final Season?

The Franchise’s Unique Zombies Seemingly Disappeared For Years During The Apocalypse

Just as The Walking Dead has left questions about why variants appeared so early, the franchise has also failed to explain why they disappeared until the final season. Variants clearly weren’t supposed to be in the US so early into the apocalypse, but their vanishing act was left open-ended, with these unique zombies reappearing in season 11. Climbers and smart zombies are both featured in the final installment, but where they have been for all these years is still a complete mystery.

Had The Walking Dead chosen to abandon variants altogether, it would make fans move on from their different behavior in season 1. However, the decision to bring them back in the last season and continue using them in the spinoffs suggests an explanation of what happened to them is needed. Sadly, the franchise is yet to provide this, but with variants remaining an important part of modern Walking Dead TV, we may get an answer eventually.

7What Caused The Resurgence Of Variants?

It’s Unclear What Event Caused Variants To Become More Prominent

While the creators likely decided to bring variants back to add more drama to the show, it’s once again unclear what brought them back from a lore point of view. Daryl Dixon‘s exploration of variant zombies suggests Pouvoir could have a hand in this resurgence, as not only did Genet create unique forms of the undead for her own personal use, but she also sent ships to America. As a result, some may have gotten let loose in the country, but this doesn’t account for such a drastic increase in numbers.

From seasons 2 through 10, variants rarely appeared and had a very minute role, yet they were back in full force come season 11. Surely this would suggest something major happened that caused more of them to appear in America, and Pouvoir’s sporadic trips don’t offer a strong enough answer. Therefore, the series also needs to address what exactly brought so many of these special zombies back to the US and why they became more prominent than ever before.

6Did The CRM Accidentally Create More Variants In The US?

The Military Faction Were Conducting Zombie Experiments, Which Could Coincide With Their Increased Presence In The US

The CRM may have been ruthlessly trying to find a solution to the zombie virus throughout their time in The Walking Dead, but they may have done more damage than good. Alongside wiping out entire communities, the military faction experimented on both humans and walkers to find a potential cure but never succeeded. That doesn’t mean their research didn’t have an impact, but it perhaps wasn’t the one they wanted.

With The CRM’s Walking Dead experiments somewhat resembling Pouvoir’s, it’s possible they also created variants without the franchise ever showing this process. It would explain why so many more unique forms of the undead have appeared in recent years, but this remains a theory for now. Until the franchise actually provides concrete evidence, the CRM’s potential involvement in making more variants continues to be unclear, making it yet another mystery that The Walking Dead desperately needs to uncover.

5Are There Variants Across The Entire Walking Dead Universe?

Daryl Dixon Season 3 Could Provide Answers On Whether Variants Exist Across The World

So far, The Walking Dead has established that variants exist in both America and France, but it’s unclear just how far their impact spreads. Daryl Dixon‘s short time in Greenland showed that some walkers had blended into the terrain, highlighting that even if certain countries don’t have variants, there may still be some unique threats simply through environmental differences. Still, the franchise has only covered a handful of locations so far, meaning variants could potentially be a worldwide issue.

Assuming some are the product of natural mutations, there is no reason why America and France would be the only places with these modified zombies. Unfortunately, the limited information on how exactly variants came into existence leaves their global impact uncertain, but with Daryl Dixon season 3 set to take place in Spain and England, it’s one question we should actually get an answer to in the near future.

4Are The Walking Dead’s Variants Region-Specific?

Some Variants Have Only Been Seen In Distinct Locations

In addition to the uncertainty of how global variants are, there is also no confirmation of whether some are region-specific. For example, Daryl Dixon‘s burner zombies have never appeared outside of France, indicating they could simply be an experiment gone wrong, hence why they don’t feature in the US. Similarly, The Ones Who Live‘s stone zombies have only ever popped up in the spinoff, meaning they might reside in a specific part of America, rather than the whole country.

We already know that some walkers are impacted by their environment, like Greenland’s field zombies and Dead City‘s Walker King, but climate and experiments may also have a big impact on where specific variants show up. France already feels like the most dangerous place in The Walking Dead from what we’ve seen, but knowing certain variants are native to the country would add to its reputation while suggesting other areas around the world could be even scarier.

3How Many Types Of Variants Are There In The Walking Dead?

The Walking Dead’s Vast Amount Of Variants Could Be Just The Tip Of The Iceberg

Another question The Walking Dead needs to answer about its variants is exactly how many different types exist. The scale of zombies in TWD universe is easy to understand, as everyone who dies without their brain being destroyed will eventually become a walker, hence why the world will never be safe without a cure. However, the overall impact of variants is much harder to examine, especially without knowing how many different types there are.

The franchise has already shown off a vast array of unique types, be it climbers, burners, smart zombies, or more. They have all added something new to the story and created a lot more jeopardy, but for all we know, this could just be the tip of the iceberg. With how many scientists across the world presumably tried to find a cure, there could be hundreds of variant types, and getting a more definitive answer on this would make it easier to understand just how intimidating these zombies really are.

2Are There Natural Types Of Variants In The Walking Dead?

It Appears That Not All Variants Are The Result Of Experiments

World Beyond hinted at the French scientists creating variants and Daryl Dixon confirmed Pouvoir produced more, but there has never been any clarification on whether some variants are natural. World Beyond‘s post-credit scene showed a scientist being shot before turning into a variant almost immediately, yet the reasoning for this was left unanswered. She may have been injected with something before dying, but the scene in question never showed any signs of this.

Instead, it felt like she naturally had enhanced speed as a walker, which could be the case for other variants. Perhaps not all zombies with increased strength or intelligence are the result of some experiment but are instead just a natural occurrence. This would add even more stakes to the franchise going forward, as not only does a potential death mean dealing with a zombie, but the victim could gain some sort of variant ability that makes them harder to take down, making it essential that The Walking Dead clarifies if this is a possibility.

1How Big Of A Threat Are Variants To The Walking Dead’s Future?

Dead City’s Lack Of Variants Indicates That Their Threat May Die Off In The Future

Custom image by Ana Nieves

Perhaps the biggest unanswered question about zombie variants is the one that may take the longest to uncover: how big of a threat are they? Dead City has already given us a glimpse into the future, and it turns out these unique zombies may not be as bad as we first thought. There was a surprising lack of variants throughout the show, and they didn’t appear to decimate the population, but the fact that Manhattan is such a restricted area in the spinoff could be a potential reason for this.

The Walking Dead‘s zombie outbreak did irreparable damage to the world, but based on the evidence we’ve seen so far, variants will be a small obstacle given how well-adapted the survivors are to the apocalypse. If the franchise were to introduce even more terrifying variants, especially after the events of Dead City, it could be extremely problematic. However, as of now, The Walking Dead‘s main characters look capable of overcoming this evolving threat, regardless of the enhanced abilities they possess.