The Walking Dead: 8 theories on what caused the zombie outbreak

We’re yet to discover a cause of The Walking Dead’s zombie outbreak, and we likely never will. Let’s take a look at some of the best fan theories!

For almost a decade now, The Walking Dead has been one of the biggest shows on television, a force to be reckoned with within the zombie apocalypse genre. During its time on air, we’ve been able to feast on so many memorable moments, from Rick’s struggle to find his family to brutal battles between communities fighting for survival.

However, there’s one huge question that’s never been answered: one started this zombie apocalypse in the first place?

There’s no definitive answer to that question, not even in Robert Kirkman’s Walking Dead comics. Last year, he published the final issue of his series, and we’re still no closer to getting an explanation.

Will AMC’s TV show (and assorted spinoffs) follow suit and end without telling us how this all began? Only time will tell. At the moment, we haven’t even had any hints. In fact, at times it seems like they actively try to keep the origin hidden from us. Maybe one day they’ll crack and throw us a bone. But until that day comes, fans will continue to make up their own theories, some of which are quite convincing. Even a couple of the actors from the show have thrown in their two cents.

Let’s take a look at some of these theories. A few of them might even change the way you watch the show entirely.