From zombies that live in your neighborhood to the ones that slowly approach their next unassuming victim...From zombies that plague the world to ones that can talk...there's no shortage of zombies on TV, and we're here to talk about the very best.
We're ranking eight of the best zombie shows to ever have been on TV, from one-season wonders to shows that are still going strong. Take a moment and make your best guesses as to which zombie shows made our list, and where they rank!
8. Resident Evil (Netflix, 2022)
Starting our list at the bottom of the barrel is Netflix's Resident Evil show from 2022. We had to specify the year, as the Resident Evil video games have also been made into a series of popular movies, for better and for worse. Unfortunately, this iteration is not remotely in the same league as any of its competitors.
Canceled after 1 season, Resident Evil was simply hated by both critics and audiences. The writing was abysmal, the story incoherent, and overall, it lacked any real depth or interest.
Honestly, it's a shame it didn't work out, as Resident Evil has a very devoted fanbase. But alas, it fell victim to the failed live-action video adaptation spell that ran rampant for many years.
Zombies were present. They were scary. But they weren't enough to save this show that most have already forgotten about.
7. Daybreak (Netflix, 2019)
Ah, high school, another day of exams, awkward interactions, learning, budding romances, and zombies! Well, in this universe, they are called Ghoulies, and they are the least of your problems.
Josh Wheeler is one of the lucky few to survive this post-apocalypse, which has wiped out most of humanity, at least those who were not vaccinated against HPV. He's on a mission to find his missing girlfriend, Sam.
If you hadn't guessed, Daybreak takes a more comedic approach to the zombie apocalypse, and it does a surprisingly good job, tropes and all. The zombies here are scary, but more in an awkward, weird way. They're not terrifying, unless provoked.
It's the rest of humanity that you have to worry about, as the landscape of Glendale, California, becomes a new playground for Mad Max enthusiasts. The reason Daybreak so low on our list is the fact that it is facing a lot of competitors with more popularity and staying power.
We'd love to have seen Daybreak renewed for season 2 and beyond.
6. iZombie (The CW, 2015-2019)
Welcome to a world where being a zombie is a good thing. 'How?' you might be wondering.
In iZombie, one night changes Liv Moore's life forever, turning her into one of the living dead. But while she tries to resist those urges and pose as a human for as long as possible, she learns that by consuming the brains of the deceased, she can absorb their memories and thus aid in solving murders.
Like we said, being a zombie is a good thing. But how to convince others she's human is difficult, so Liv poses as a psychic, and everyone is none the wiser...until they are.
How will her secret affect those she loves and cares for? Drama abounds in this zombie show that comes off rather unconventional compared to other shows on our list.
As Liv, our zombie, is the main character and not the villain, this may not be what zombie fans are looking for, but it's still worth the watch.
5. Z Nation (SyFy, 2014-2018)
Z Nation embodies what viewers enjoy the most about zombie shows; it has zombies, interesting and likable characters, and it lasted long enough to tell a gripping story. It's in the middle of our list becausse the comedic aspects fall short, exacerbating the hard-to-ignore tonal problems of the series.
Much like other shows on our list, we follow a group of survivors. One of them, Murphy, is immune to the zombie plague, thanks to a U.S. government injection. However, this immunity begins to transform him into a human-zombie combination.
In this world, both humans and animals can get infected, adding another threat. And while zombies will always have a hunger for human flesh, some will evolve to the point of talking.
These special zombies, or Talkers, could have added more to the story, but by the fifth and final season, audiences were pulling away. Viewership dwindled and the show was cancelled.
4. Ash vs Evil Dead (Starz, 2015-2018)
Who isn't surprised we've included Ash vs Evil Dead on our list? Ash is back and ready to cause problems for the human race, unintentionally, for three seasons.
The zombies in this show are called Deadites, a plague that Ash, again, unintentionally releases. These zombies are more along the lines of demons, taking both human and animal forms.
But they are undead, and that's what counts! The Evil Dead franchise has a passionate fanbase, and Ashley J. Williams, or Ash, is one of the most popular horror movie characters of all time.
What zombie fans will adore about Ash vs Evil Dead is not only Ash himself, played wonderfully as always by Bruce Campbell, but the over-the-top violence, copious amounts of gore, and all the scary imagery that will induce nightmares.
Take our word for it, these Deadites are extremely horrifying.
3. Santa Clarita Diet (Netflix, 2017-2019)
Being a zombie has never been more complicated. We couldn't create a list of the best zombie shows without including Santa Clarita Diet, which earns points for its unique, relatable approach.
No, there is no apocalypse, but there could have been if the show hadn't been canceled after three seasons. But we're getting ahead of ourselves.
Imagine you are living a normal life; married, with a kid, a job, a home, and then one day you wake up a zombie. That is the situation for Sheila (Drew Barrymore), a real estate agent who lives with her husband Joel and daughter Abby (inspired by The Last of Us?) in Santa Clarita, California.
How did this happen, and what will she do? And before you ask, yes, Sheila does wind up eating people, and yes, her family supports her.
Well, sort of. Taking a more comedic approach to the zombie story, you will not find another show quite like Santa Clarita Diet.
2. The Last of Us (HBO, 2023-present)
With nearly two seasons complete and another on the horizon, The Last of Us proved that successful live-action video game adaptations were possible. Based on the video game series of the same name, taking our number two spot is a zombie show like no other, in the sense that it takes what you expect from a post-apocalyptic show but turns it on its head thanks to its heavy, character-driven narrative.
Zombies are the infected, a fungus that evolves and spreads to humans through our food supply. People slowly turn and develop the drive to attack and bite others to keep spreading the fungus. The infected come in a variety of trypes, from fast-moving near-predators to unstoppable, almost impenetrable beasts.
The story revolves around two people: the jaded, stoic, smuggler Joel Miller and the wisecracking, swearing, immune Ellie. In the first season, Joel's task is to safely transport Ellie to a rebel group called the Fireflies in the hopes they can make a cure thanks to her immunity.
Keep in mind that the apocalypse has been going on for nearly 20 years; what's left of the government has established safe zones, but they are far from perfect. Many choose to take their chances in the deserted landscape filled with raiders, smugglers, and other unsavory folk.
As I mentioned, it is the characters that really drive the show. They're why it places it so high on our list. We could easily turn our brains off and watch any zombie show, where people die at a record speed, ammunition is limitless, and we desperately try to find the answer as to how this all began. But for those who want both the action and the heart, the chaotic and authentic, The Last of Us can't be beat.
The second season of The Last of Us departed drastically from the first, following Ellie after she suffers through a tragedy. There are still a couple of seasons left before the story wraps up.
1. The Walking Dead (AMC, 2010-2021)
The show that catapulted the zombie genre into the mainstream, The Walking Dead takes the number 1 spot on our list. What started as a show about a police officer searching for his wife and son after awakening in a hospital after the world ends ended after 11 seasons, but continues to live on through various spinoffs.
While some of the spinoffs have been worth the hype, we have to honor the flagship show, which followed our main character Rick Grimes on all his trials and tribulations he and his group try to deal with zombies, called walkers, which are always hungry for the taste of human flesh. In this world, the zombies are an inevitable fate, as you will turn into one of them when you die, regardless of whether you were bitten or not.
While no specific reason for the zombie apocalypse has been provided, these zombies have since evolved, with some capable of climbing, turning doorknobs, and grabbing objects. Like most zombie genre shows, the zombies are only one of many threats the characters must face.
There are a plethora of reasons as to why The Walking Dead is at the top of our list, including the cast, writing, setting, and the scariness of the zombies. I've lost count of how many times a walker could randomly appear and attack someone. I've lost count of how many times walkers managed to make any and every situation worse. I've lost count of how many times I've had to cover my eyes moments before they brutally and graphically ate someone.
While many argue that the show had lost its touch moving toward the later seasons, no one can deny the grip this show had on the media and television as a whole. Even if you didn't watch the show, you knew every reference, line, even meme, because it was just that popular and that prevalent.
A new episode of The Walking Dead: Dead City, one of the spinoffs, airs Sunday, May 25 on AMC.
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