No one could have predicted the runaway success of AMC’s The Walking Dead, but the secret to the show’s popularity might just be how it appeals to an increasingly wide audience. This is mostly because the story’s conflicts aren’t limited to the undead menace itself, with episodes exploring everything from relationship dramas to hardcore action set-pieces.
That’s why it’s no surprise that the TWD universe would eventually be expanded with specialized spinoffs like Fear the Walking Dead and the more recent World Beyond, which focuses on the first generation of teenagers raised in this apocalyptic wasteland. And to get you in the mood for the final season of The Walking Dead: World Beyond, which is releasing on Blu-ray and DVD on March 8th, we’ve come up with this list celebrating six of the best teenage zombie slayers in media!
Adolescence is terrifying enough under normal circumstances, so you’ve got to be an extra-skilled zombie killer to put up with head-shotting the undead while also dealing with hormones, dates and high-school drama. While some of the characters on this list don’t exclusively hunt zombies, they’re all great examples of teens doing their best to fight off the living dead.
Naturally, these aren’t the only teenage Z-slayers out there, so be sure to comment below with your own favorites if you think we missed one!
Now, onto the list…
6. Buffy Summers – Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
I know it might seem like blasphemy to have the literal Chosen One on the bottom of this list, but Buffy only ever faced proper zombies once, going up against the living dead in Dead Man’s Party. In this season 3 episode, a mystical Nigerian mask causes a zombie uprising in Sunnydale, resulting in the Scooby Gang having to fight for their lives during a horrific house party.
Obviously, the legendary Slayer easily managed to dispatch these undead goons with her usual wit and hand-to-hand combat abilities, and that’s why she earns her spot on this list as a skilled zombie killer. After all, be they vampires, ghosts or zombies, you can always count on Buffy to defeat the undead.
5. Silas Plaskett – TWD: World Beyond (2020-2021)
My personal favorite out of the main cast of World Beyond, Silas Plaskett stands out as one of the most psychologically complex characters on the show. Harboring a dark past and severe emotional issues, this haunted seventeen-year-old still insists on proving that he has a heart of gold despite being shunned by most other survivors.
His relationship with Dennis was also one of the highlights of the second season, and this is one spin-off character that I actually wouldn’t mind seeing again in future projects set in the Walking Dead universe.
4. Ben Goudy – Scout’s Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (2015)
The Boy Scout organization isn’t without its flaws, but you’ve got to admit that scouts would have a serious advantage in a real-world zombie uprising due to their particular set of survival skills. That’s why the protagonist of Scout’s Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse makes it onto this list, as Ben Goudy’s leadership skills and impressive undead kill-count make him one hell of a good scout.
Ben’s teenage urges may sometimes get the better of him, but his practical knowledge and survivalist know-how make for some creative zombie-slaying in a highly entertaining zom-com. In fact, I’d actually love to see both Tye Sheridan and Christopher Landon team up again for an even wackier sequel.
3. Reggie & Sam Belmont- Night of the Comet (1984)
Featuring a couple of lovable Valley Girls fighting zombies after a mysterious comet-induced extinction event, Night of the Comet isn’t just a charming sci-fi satire, it’s also the origin of one of the most memorable and influential zombie-killing duos in media. Reggie and Sam Belmont might not be your average horror protagonists, but they definitely earn their place on this list as competent Z-slayers with a sense of humor.
Fighting off zombies while shopping and going on joyrides, the Belmont sisters and their teenage antics are notable for making the apocalypse seem fun, which is a rare occurrence in most zombie flicks. Interestingly, the duo was also one of the inspirations behind Buffy Summers, making them even more important to the horror genre.
2. Anna – Anna and the Apocalypse (2017)
A blood-soaked British musical, Anna and the Apocalypse introduces us to an unusually cheerful protagonist as she sings and dances her way through a horrific zombie outbreak. The film itself can get surprisingly dark in a few places, but Anna is on this list precisely because of how she refuses to let the grim situation affect her own lovable nature.
Already having a lot on her plate even before the zombies attack, Anna is a great example of how a high-schooler might realistically process the end of the world, and I particularly enjoy her evolution from oblivious theater kid to ass-kicking zombie killer as she insists on saving her loved ones.
1. Ellie – The Last of Us (2013)
The Last of Us’ “infected” may not be zombies in the traditional sense, with their horrific condition being caused by a brain-destroying fungus, but if there was ever a trophy for the ultimate teenage zombie slayer, I’d argue that it belongs to Ellie. Not only is this traumatized fourteen-year-old miraculously immune to the infection, but she’s also a hardened survivor due to having grown up on her own during this hellish outbreak.
While Ellie is set to be played by the talented Isabella May Ramsey in the upcoming HBO adaptation, it remains to be seen if the show will portray her as the relentless yet vulnerable badass featured in the game.
Season two of “The Walking Dead: World Beyond”, on Blu-ray and DVD on March 8th, concludes the epic story of Iris (Aliyah Royale), Hope (Alexa Mansour), Elton (Nicolas Cantu), and Silas (Hal Cumpston) — four friends who journeyed across the country on a mission that transformed everything they knew about themselves and the world. As they face off against the mysterious Civic Republic Military and fight for control of their own destiny, goals will shift, bonds will form and crumble, and innocence will be both lost and found.
The post Celebrating 6 of the Best Teenage Zombie Slayers Ahead of ‘The Walking Dead: World Beyond’ Final Season on Blu-ray and DVD! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.