Summary
- Acid zombies may or may not be new variants in The Walking Dead universe, as previous spinoffs have hinted at the emergence of different types of walkers.
- This introduces the possibility of many more unique zombies with strange abilities in the Walking Dead universe.
- The presence of acid zombies adds a dangerous element to Daryl's spinoff, as they can adapt to their environment and pose risks beyond the typical threat of infection from bites.
A preview of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon spinoff revealed acid zombies, but it's unclear whether they're a new variant to be explored in The Walking Dead universe. Variants have been hinted at throughout The Walking Dead and its related spinoffs, with a stronger, faster walker denting doors with its fists in The Walking Dead: World Beyond and walkers picking up rocks in The Walking Dead's final season. By this point, It's obvious that variants are emerging to offer some new excitement in the franchise.
Daryl is poised to endure a challenging new experience when he visits France in his upcoming spinoff series. Being in an unfamiliar place where he doesn't speak the language is sure to lead to some huge obstacles. But as someone who's survived in the apocapylse for years, Daryl should be well-equipped for fighting zombies and other survivors, regardless of where he is. But if Daryl Dixon's acid zombies are any indication, his journey will be more complicated than originally thought.
Acid Zombies Could Be Stronger Walking Dead Variants (But Probably Aren't)
The acid zombies in Daryl Dixon's first episode could be stronger variants, but there's a high chance they won't be. In The Walking Dead: World Beyond post-credit scene, a researcher gets shot by an unknown man in a lab where the virus experiments took place in France. The deceased woman reanimated in seconds, showing great strength and speed as she sprinted toward the door to knock it down. Since the woman seemingly wasn't exposed to any chemicals or medicines beforehand, it's easy to assume this was a variant. However, with the acid zombies residing in a factory, there's a possibility they were altered by various chemicals lying around.
A similar scenario was witnessed in The Walking Dead: Dead City. Due to the methane building up in a confined space with nowhere to escape, it began melting the zombies. The trailer for the series provided many with the impression that Dead City's mutant sewer zombie was a variant, but as it turned out, it was really just multiple joined bodies. Much like chemicals in a laboratory, a gathering of zombies in Daryl Dixon could have had an unfortunate encounter with acid and soon adapted to the substance in their systems, which would explain their pulsating veins and acid pockets.
Walking Dead's Acid Zombies Make Daryl Dixon's Spinoff More Dangerous
Even if the acid zombies aren't variants with increased strength, they still hold huge implications for the show. Zombies that can adapt to their environment, whether that's chemicals or radiation, create a tense atmosphere for the characters in Daryl's spinoff. As seen in the preview released by AMC, Daryl had a close encounter with an acid zombie after it grabbed his arm and burned his skin. One small mistake could lead to serious burns that increase the risk of sickness and fever, meaning that bites causing infection are no longer the only threat zombies pose.
It makes sense for The Walking Dead to introduce more variant-like zombies that could endanger characters and create tense scenes for audiences. With greater strength, speed, and intelligence, variants and other unique zombies can make The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon feel especially dangerous. Acid zombies sound like the perfect threat to revive the franchise and make Daryl's spinoff more exciting, but it shouldn't stop there. If the zombies shown in the preview can truly adapt to the environment without being variants, there's no telling how many others have strange abilities just by interacting with their surroundings in a decaying world.