Variant walkers are a type of zombie in the AMCs The Walking Dead Television Universe that are infected with mutated strains of Wildfire, causing notable differences compared to their regular counterparts. They were first introduced in Season 11, Episode 19, and are more capable than the slow-walking undead the group has encountered to date. Some of the abilities that variant walkers have shown include:

• Picking up items: This skill was mostly seen in the post-credits series finale scene of Walking Dead: World Beyond when the variant Walking Dead walker abilities were first introduced.

• Climbing: A notable moment of walker evolution came in The Walking Dead series finale, where an evolved walker climbed the gates of the Commonwealth and stumbled onto the button that opened the community’s doors to the imminent horde.

• Higher-than-normal intelligence: This type of walker has been referred to as a Climber, showing a higher-than-normal intelligence from a walker being able to problem-solve and find a new way into the community.

Overall, variant walkers are a way to make the zombies more interesting and a genuine threat again, turning them back into horror.