Can Zombies Swim? The Debate is Settled Now

Without its ruthless, flesh-eating zombies, ‘The Walking Dead’ wouldn’t be as famous, but the debate of whether these undead animals can swim has persisted for years. In a recent comic book issue, ‘The Walking Dead Deluxe #103’, the series’ creator, Robert Kirkman, finally addressed this long-standing problem. The question of whether zombies can float or sink in water is answered in this comic, satisfying a common fan curiosity.

Water and zombies don’t mix well, Kirkman explained. They would eventually sink to the bottom rather than float or swim because of the fumes inside their decomposing corpses. He disproved the idea that zombies could cross the water to find prey by explaining that they couldn’t live or move via rivers. Kirkman rejected the notion that zombies could develop or become smart enough to purposefully cross rivers, even though he allowed that some would seem more motivated than others.

Image Courtesy: The Independent 

Fascinatingly, zombies in the ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ television series contradict this reasoning. Zombies swimming in the ocean and even being murdered by a yacht propeller were depicted in the season two premiere. Although zombies don’t drown, they may “wade” and will float back up if submerged, according to executive producer Dave Erickson, who described this scene.

Although the various programs have differing interpretations, Kirkman’s explanation in the comics provides a definite answer to the topic of swimming zombies. With spin-offs like ‘Dead City’ anticipated in 2025, fans of ‘The Walking Dead’ are still enthralled with the series.

–Farheen Ali