The Walking Dead’s Camouflage Zombies Support A Reaper Fan Theory

The Walking Dead season 10’s new zombies support a popular theory about incoming villains, The Reapers. In this latest installment of The Walking Dead, otherwise known as “Carol Can’t Make Soup,” Daryl continues to play the lone wolf, skulking around the forest in search of food. Although Norman Reedus’ Daryl Dixon is one of the first people you’d want to be around in a zombie apocalypse, even he falls afoul of the undead now and again. As he hunts for spare motorcycle parts, walkers close in, but even though Daryl proves more than a match for the scabby monsters, their appearance might offer more details about The Walking Dead‘s new villains.

Several episodes ago, “Home Sweet Home” reintroduced Lauren Cohan’s Maggie, detailing her exploits during The Walking Dead‘s time skip. Maggie reveals that she’s being doggedly pursued by The Reapers. These enemies remain shrouded in shadow, but have managed to keep cast numbers down by graciously taking out most of Maggie’s followers, burning and sniping them with reckless abandon. The only Reaper to properly appear killed himself with a grenade rather than give away his people, and promised Maggie that “Pope” would come for her. The Reapers haven’t returned since – explicitly, at least.

The Walking Dead viewers are speculating that The Reapers actually comprise of former military personnel, and have been secretly scattered throughout recent episodes. Not only is Maggie’s sniper kitted out in camouflage and packing heavy artillery, but Daryl’s girlfriend Leah and Robert Patrick’s Mays both reference their own military connections, creating a curious common thread. The trend continues in “Carol Can’t Make Soup,” with many of the zombies assailing Daryl clad in army camouflage – suspiciously similar to the sort worn by the Reaper who hunted Maggie.

The GI zombies carry forward the mysterious military theme running through The Walking Dead‘s pandemic episodes, supporting the theory that The Reapers have some connection to the Armed Forces. If these zombies are somehow related to The Reapers, it’s odd that the undead would be wearing camouflage. Perhaps The Reapers came under attack and lost some of their ranks, leaving camouflaged zombies wandering through the wilderness. More likely, The Reapers commandeered a military hideout and ejected the original occupants. This would explain the camo zombies Daryl Dixon faces in episode 21, and account for The Reapers’ sizable arsenal.

With only one episode remaining in The Walking Dead season 10, it seems The Reapers will feature more prominently in season 11, marking a significant deviation from the comic books. This could be because the Commonwealth aren’t particularly villainous villains, and The Walking Dead needs a proper antagonistic force for its last season. In this case, introducing an enemy that possesses military level equipment and training goes a long way toward establishing that formidable final boss for Daryl Dixon and the gang.

About The Author

Craig Elvy
(3658 Articles Published)

Craig first began contributing to Screen Rant in 2016, several years after graduating college, and has been ranting ever since, mostly to himself in a darkened room. Having previously written for various sports and music outlets, Craig’s interest soon turned to TV and film, where a steady upbringing of science fiction and comic books finally came into its own.
Craig has previously been published on sites such as Den of Geek, and after many coffee-drenched hours hunched over a laptop, part-time evening work eventually turned into a full-time career covering everything from the zombie apocalypse to the Starship Enterprise via the TARDIS.

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Since joining the Screen Rant fold, Craig has been involved in breaking news stories and mildly controversial ranking lists, but now works predominantly as a features writer.
Jim Carrey is Craig’s top acting pick and favorite topics include superheroes, anime and the unrecognized genius of the High School Musical trilogy.

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