The Walking Dead Universe, spanning multiple series and spin-offs, has unveiled one of its best-kept secrets regarding the rarely seen zombie children.
In a recent episode of the spin-off, “Fear the Walking Dead,” titled “King County,” fans were reintroduced to a character from the early days of the series. This not only solved an age-old fan theory but also confirmed the disturbing reality of life in a zombie wasteland.
Fear the Walking Dead thrusts us back into the world of The Walking Dead, specifically in the state of Georgia. In this gripping episode, we discover a chilling fact about the Walking Dead Universe: those infected with the virus don’t age. This means children unfortunate enough to be bitten will remain their age until their body decays. This fact becomes abundantly clear with the re-emergence of Morgan Jones’ son, Dwayne (played by Adrian Kali Turner). Dwayne, whom we last saw in the initial series, met a tragic fate.
Remember the pilot episode of ‘The Walking Dead,’ “Days Gone By”? Rick (portrayed by Andrew Lincoln) encounters Morgan and his young son, Dwayne, along with the remnants of Morgan’s wife, Jenny (played by Keisha Tillis). A zombified Jenny wanders the streets, a heartbreaking spectacle as Morgan couldn’t bring himself to end her suffering. Rick eventually leaves Morgan and Dwayne’s hideout, and they are lost to time.
In a painful twist of fate, Jenny, unable to be killed by her husband, eventually bites their son, Dwayne, converting him into a walker. The narrative unfolds, revealing that not only did Dwayne fall victim to his zombified mother, but Morgan, once again, couldn’t deliver the final blow to a loved one. Instead, he chose to chain a decaying and suffering Dwayne in the attic, where he remained for a decade.
The Mystery Behind the Absence of Young Zombies
The revelation about Dwayne’s fate wraps up a longstanding mystery in the Walking Dead Universe but also brings up another pressing question: Why are there so few child walkers? It seems that while the infected might not age due to rigor mortis, their bodies still succumb to the natural decomposition of flesh.
“Zombie infants probably decay faster.” On top of that, child zombies might prove more challenging for survivors to take down, making them easy prey. Even more harrowing is the thought that a child’s small size might allow them to be swiftly consumed by a horde of zombies.
In the unforgiving world of The Walking Dead, the sad reality is that while adult survivors continue to navigate the challenges of a post-apocalyptic world, the youngest victims face an even bleaker existence.
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