The Untold Dangers Faced by Children in the Walking Dead Universe

Summary

The CRM perceives children in The Walking Dead as both crucial to their mission and dangerous because they lack an understanding of what they're fighting for.

The contention is that children who lack any recollection of the pre-apocalyptic world possess the capability to construct a superior future, devoid of previous errors and wrongdoing.

The offshoots illustrate that the children from The Walking Dead are actively striving for a more promising tomorrow, emphasizing the significance of disregarding the past instead of attempting to reproduce failed endeavors. These children possess the potential to surpass the adults who cling onto the past, such as the CRM.

The children in The Walking Dead series are facing significant issues, particularly according to Jadis and the CRM. Children have always played a crucial role in the storyline, as exemplified by Carl Grimes, who demonstrated how the zombie apocalypse affects young minds. Characters like Judith and Hershel have also shown remarkable adaptability. Additionally, children symbolize the future of humanity in The Walking Dead, serving as a driving force behind survivors' determination to create a better world. Even formidable characters like Negan displayed a softer side when confronted with a youngster.

However, the Civic Republic Military views the Walking Dead children not only as the promising young generation but also as a major problem. In Walking Dead: World Beyond, Jadis Stokes, a converted member of the CRM and former leader of a junkyard community, reveals her people's true perception of children in the zombie apocalypse. On one hand, recruiting intelligent and scientifically inclined students is crucial for the CRM's mission. On the other hand, children are considered highly dangerous due to their lack of understanding about what they are fighting for. Jadis bitterly points out to Iris that the only world she's ever known is the post-apocalyptic one, making her too young to fully grasp the magnitude of what has been lost.

Why The Walking Dead Children Are Such A Problem

In the timeline of The Walking Dead, it has been over a decade since the outbreak began. Jadis raises an important point that young individuals like Iris and Hope, who were only six years old when the outbreak happened, have very vague memories of the world before. This is evident in Walking Dead: World Beyond season 2, where Iris is unaware of the term "narc," indicating that teenage slang is disappearing. For Jadis and the CRM, it is their memories of how the world should be that motivate their mission to restore civilization. The Walking Dead acknowledges that children pose a danger because they do not have a clear mental image of what a functioning society should look like. The CRM leadership is understandably concerned that in a world where older versions of Iris Bennett, Judith Grimes, and Hershel Rhee are all that remain of humanity, the younger generation will have no understanding of the concept of "rebuilding."

Did The Walking Dead Ever Fix The Children Problem?

There are two perspectives on The Walking Dead's children issue: Jadis believes that the young hinder progress and only those who experienced pre-outbreak life should be in charge, while Rick Grimes's viewpoint suggests that children can improve the world. The CRM, however, mistakenly believes that rebuilding the old world, with all its violence, corruption, and greed, is the only goal.

While the Bennett sisters and other young characters may not recall life before the dead, Jadis might be mistaken in thinking that starting fresh, without the burdens of the past, could be beneficial. In the final season, The Walking Dead showed that this was not a problem needing a solution. Judith was raised without knowledge of the previous world, yet she understood that the new world should surpass the one destroyed by the zombie apocalypse. The children's vision of the future was always brighter than that of the people from before the apocalypse, indicating that there was no problem to be fixed.

Do The Walking Dead Spinoffs Have The Same Kids Problem?

The issue lies not in the lack of appreciation for the past by The Walking Dead children, but rather in the misguided belief of some adults that it should be the focus in rebuilding society. The children are correct in prioritizing the creation of a better and more promising future, rather than attempting to replicate past failures. This concept is evident in the spinoff series as well. In Walking Dead: World Beyond, the younger generation fighting for the future showcases greater character and resolve compared to the adults, such as the CRM, who cling to the past.

Moreover, even notable figures like Negan and Maggie have experienced challenges to their ideals and beliefs. In The Walking Dead: Dead City, Hershel confronted his mother for her betrayal of Negan, highlighting her excessive fixation on past grievances that hindered progress towards a brighter future. He made some progress in getting her to see this perspective. Similarly, when Negan mentored Ginny, he emphasized the importance of self-defense but aimed to keep his own past separate from her journey into the future. For The Walking Dead children, disregarding the past may prove beneficial for their future endeavors.